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- ALL IS TRUE (HENRY VIII)
-
- Act 4 Scene 1
-
- (Enter the two Gentlemen meeting one another. The first holds a paper)
- l1l First Gentleman YouÆre well met once again.
- Second Gentleman So are you.
- l2l First Gentleman You come to take your stand here and behold
- l3l The Lady Anne pass from her coronation?
- l4l Second Gentleman ÆTis all my business. At our last encounter
- l5l The Duke of Buckingham came from his trial.
- l6l First Gentleman ÆTis very true. But that time offered sorrow,
- l7l This, general joy.
- Second Gentleman ÆTis well. The citizens,
- l8l I am sure, have shown at full their royal mindsù
- l9l As, let Æem have their rights, they are ever forwardù
- l10l In celebration of this day with shows,
- l11l Pageants, and sights of honour.
- First Gentleman Never greater,
- l12l Nor, IÆll assure you, better taken, sir.
- l13l Second Gentleman May I be bold to ask what that contains,
- l14l That paper in your hand?
- First Gentleman Yes, Ætis the list
- l15l Of those that claim their offices this day
- l16l By custom of the coronation.
- l17l The Duke of Suffolk is the first, and claims
- l18l To be High Steward; next, the Duke of Norfolk,
- l19l He to be Earl Marshal. You may read the rest.
- (He gives him the paper)
- l20l Second Gentleman I thank you, sir. Had I not known those customs,
- l21l I should have been beholden to your paper.
- l22l But I beseech you, whatÆs become of Katherine,
- l23l The Princess Dowager? How goes her business?
- l24l First Gentleman That I can tell you too. The Archbishop
- l25l Of Canterbury, accompanied with other
- l26l LearnΦd and reverend fathers of his order,
- l27l Held a late court at Dunstable, six miles off
- l28l From Ampthill, where the Princess lay; to which
- l29l She was often cited by them, but appeared not.
- l30l And, to be short, for not appearance, and
- l31l The KingÆs late scruple, by the main assent
- l32l Of all these learnΦd men, she was divorced,
- l33l And the late marriage made of none effect,
- l34l Since which she was removed to Kimbolton,
- l35l Where she remains now sick.
- Second Gentleman Alas, good lady!
- (Flourish of trumpets within)
- l36l The trumpets sound. Stand close. The Queen is coming.
- (Enter the coronation procession, which passes over the
- stage in order and state. Hautboys, within, [play during
- the procession])
- THE ORDER OF THE CORONATION
- (1. First, enter trumpeters, who play a lively flourish.
- 2. Then, enter two judges.
- 3. Then, enter the Lord Chancellor, with both the purse
- containing the great seal and the mace borne before
- him.
- 4. Then, enter choristers singing; [with them, musicians
- playing.]
- 5. Then enter the Lord Mayor of London bearing the
- mace, followed by the Garter King-of-Arms wearing his
- coat of arms and a gilt copper crown.
- 6. Then, enter Marquis Dorset bearing a sceptre of gold,
- and wearing, on his head, a demi-coronal of gold, and,
- about his neck, a collar of esses. With him enter the Earl
- of Surrey bearing the rod of silver with the dove, crowned
- with an earl's coronet, and also wearing a collar of esses.
- 7. Next, enter the Duke of Suffolk as High Steward, in his
- robe of estate, with his coronet on his head, and bearing a
- long white wand. With him, enter the Duke of Norfolk with
- the rod of marshalship and a coronet on his head. Each
- wears a collar of esses.
- 8. Then, under a canopy borne by four barons of the
- Cinque Ports, enter Anne, the new Queen, in her robe.
- Her hair, which hangs loose, is richly adorned with pearl. She
- wears a crown. Accompanying her on either side are the
- Bishops of London and Winchester.
- 9. Next, enter the old Duchess of Norfolk, in a coronet of
- gold wrought with flowers, bearing the Queen's train.
- 10. Finally, enter certain ladies or countesses, with plain
- circlets of gold without flowers.
-
- The two gentlemen comment on the procession as it
- passses over the stage.)
-
- l37l Second Gentleman A royal train, believe me. These I know.
- l38l WhoÆs that that bears the sceptre?
- First Gentleman Marquis Dorset.
- l39l And that, the Earl of Surrey with the rod.
- l40l Second Gentleman A bold brave gentleman. That should be
- l41l The Duke of Suffolk?
- First Gentleman ÆTis the same: High Steward.
- l42l Second Gentleman And that, my lord of Norfolk?
- First Gentleman Yes.
- Second Gentleman (seeing Anne) Heaven bless thee!
- l43l Thou hast the sweetest face I ever looked on.
- l44l Sir, as I have a soul, she is an angel.
- l45l Our King has all the Indies in his arms,
- l46l And more, and richer, when he strains that lady.
- l47l I cannot blame his conscience.
- First Gentleman They that bear
- l48l The cloth of honour over her are four barons
- l49l Of the Cinque Ports.
- l50l Second Gentleman Those men are happy,
- l51l And so are all are near her.
- l52l I take it she that carries up the train
- l53l Is that old noble lady, Duchess of Norfolk.
- l54l First Gentleman It is. And all the rest are countesses.
- l55l Second Gentleman Their coronets say so. These are stars indeedù
- l56l [First Gentleman] And sometimes falling ones.
- Second Gentleman No more of that.
- (Exit the last of the procession, and then a great flourish
- of trumpets within)
- (Enter a third Gentleman in a sweat)
- l57l First Gentleman God save you, sir. Where have you been broiling?
- l58l Third Gentleman Among the crowd iÆ thÆ Abbey, where a finger
- l59l Could not be wedged in more. I am stifled
- l60l With the mere rankness of their joy.
- l61l Second Gentleman You saw the ceremony?
- Third Gentleman That I did.
- l62l First Gentleman How was it?
- l63l Third Gentleman Well worth the seeing.
- Second Gentleman Good sir, speak it to us.
- l64l Third Gentleman As well as I am able. The rich stream
- l65l Of lords and ladies, having brought the Queen
- l66l To a prepared place in the choir, fell off
- l67l A distance from her, while her grace sat down
- l68l To rest a whileùsome half an hour or soù
- l69l In a rich chair of state, opposing freely
- l70l The beauty of her person to the people.
- l71l Believe me, sir, she is the goodliest woman
- l72l That ever lay by man; which when the people
- l73l Had the full view of, such a noise arose
- l74l As the shrouds make at sea in a stiff tempest,
- l75l As loud and to as many tunes. Hats, cloaksù
- l76l Doublets, I thinkùflew up, and had their faces
- l77l Been loose, this day they had been lost. Such joy
- l78l I never saw before. Great-bellied women,
- l79l That had not half a week to go, like rams
- l80l In the old time of war, would shake the press,
- l81l And make Æem reel before Æem. No man living
- l82l Could say ôThis is my wifeö there, all were woven
- l83l So strangely in one piece.
- Second Gentleman But what followed?
- l84l Third Gentleman At length her grace rose, and with modest paces
- l85l Came to the altar, where she kneeled, and saint-like
- l86l Cast her fair eyes to heaven, and prayed devoutly,
- l87l Then rose again, and bowed her to the people,
- l88l When by the Archbishop of Canterbury
- l89l She had all the royal makings of a queen,
- l90l As holy oil, Edward ConfessorÆs crown,
- l91l The rod and bird of peace, and all such emblems
- l92l Laid nobly on her. Which performed, the choir,
- l93l With all the choicest music of the kingdom,
- l94l Together sung Te Deum. So she parted,
- l95l And with the same full state paced back again
- l96l To York Place, where the feast is held.
- First Gentleman Sir,
- l97l You must no more call it York PlaceùthatÆs past,
- l98l For since the Cardinal fell, that titleÆs lost.
- l99l ÆTis now the KingÆs, and called Whitehall.
- Third Gentleman I know it,
- l100l But Ætis so lately altered that the old name
- l101l Is fresh about me.
- Second Gentleman What two reverend bishops
- l102l Were those that went on each side of the Queen?
- l103l Third Gentleman Stokesley and Gardiner, the one of Winchesterù
- l104l Newly preferred from the KingÆs secretaryù
- l105l The other London.
- Second Gentleman He of Winchester
- l106l Is held no great good lover of the ArchbishopÆs,
- l107l The virtuous Cranmer.
- Third Gentleman All the land knows that.
- l108l However, yet there is no great breach. When it comes,
- l109l Cranmer will find a friend will not shrink from him.
- l110l Second Gentleman Who may that be, I pray you?
- Third Gentleman Thomas Cromwell,
- l111l A man in much esteem with thÆ King, and truly
- l112l A worthy friend. The King has made him
- l113l Master oÆ thÆ Jewel House,
- l114l And one already of the Privy Council.
- l115l Second Gentleman He will deserve more.
- Third Gentleman Yes, without all doubt.
- l116l Come, gentlemen, ye shall go my way,
- l117l Which is to thÆ court, and there ye shall be my guests.
- l118l Something I can command. As I walk thither
- l119l IÆll tell ye more.
- First and Second Gentlemen You may command us, sir.
- (Exeunt)
-