William Shakespeare - The Complete Works

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ALL IS TRUE (HENRY VIII) Act 1 Scene 2 (Cornetts. Enter King Henry leaning on Cardinal Wolsey's shoulder. Enter with them Wolsey's two secretaries, the nobles, and Sir Thomas Lovell. The King ascends to his seat under the cloth of state l1l King Henry (to Wolsey) My life itself and the best heart of it l2l Thanks you for this great care. I stood iÆ thÆ level l3l Of a full-charged confederacy, and give thanks l4l To you that choked it. Let be called before us l5l That gentleman of BuckinghamÆs. In person l6l IÆll hear him his confessions justify, l7l And point by point the treasons of his master l8l He shall again relate. l9l [Crier] (within) Room for the Queen, ushered by the Duke of Norfolk. (Enter Queen Katherine, the Duke of Norfolk, and the Duke of Suffolk. She kneels. King Henry riseth from his state, takes her up, and kisses her) l10l Queen Katherine Nay, we must longer kneel. I am a suitor. l11l King Henry Arise, and take place by us. (He placeth her by him) Half your suit l12l Never name to us. You have half our power, l13l The other moiety ere you ask is given. l14l Repeat your will and take it. Queen Katherine Thank your majesty. l15l That you would love yourself, and in that love l16l Not unconsidered leave your honour nor l17l The dignity of your office, is the point l18l Of my petition. King Henry Lady mine, proceed. l19l Queen Katherine I am solicited, not by a few, l20l And those of true condition, that your subjects l21l Are in great grievance. There have been commissions l22l Sent down among Æem which hath flawed the heart l23l Of all their loyalties; wherein, although, l24l My good lord Cardinal, they vent reproaches l25l Most bitterly on you, as putter-on l26l Of these exactions, yet the King our masterù l27l Whose honour heaven shield from soilùeven he escapes not l28l Language unmannerly, yea, such which breaks l29l The sides of loyalty, and almost appears l30l In loud rebellion. Norfolk Not ôalmost appearsöù l31l It doth appear; for upon these taxations l32l The clothiers all, not able to maintain l33l The many to them Ælonging, have put off l34l The spinsters, carders, fullers, weavers, who, l35l Unfit for other life, compelled by hunger l36l And lack of other means, in desperate manner l37l Daring thÆ event to thÆ teeth, are all in uproar, l38l And danger serves among them. King Henry Taxation? l39l Wherein, and what taxation? My lord Cardinal, l40l You that are blamed for it alike with us, l41l Know you of this taxation? Cardinal Wolsey Please you, sir, l42l I know but of a single part in aught l43l Pertains to thÆ state, and front but in that file l44l Where others tell steps with me. Queen Katherine No, my lord? l45l You know no more than others? But you frame l46l Things that are known alike, which are not wholesome l47l To those which would not know them, and yet must l48l Perforce be their acquaintance. These exactions l49l Whereof my sovereign would have note, they are l50l Most pestilent to thÆ hearing, and to bear Æem l51l The back is sacrifice to thÆ load. They say l52l They are devised by you, or else you suffer l53l Too hard an exclamation. King Henry Still exaction! l54l The nature of it? In what kind, letÆs know, l55l Is this exaction? Queen Katherine I am much too venturous l56l In tempting of your patience, but am boldened l57l Under your promised pardon. The subjectsÆ grief l58l Comes through commissions which compels from each l59l The sixth part of his substance to be levied l60l Without delay, and the pretence for this l61l Is named your wars in France. This makes bold mouths. l62l Tongues spit their duties out, and cold hearts freeze l63l Allegiance in them. Their curses now l64l Live where their prayers did, and itÆs come to pass l65l This tractable obedience is a slave l66l To each incensΦd will. I would your highness l67l Would give it quick consideration, for l68l There is no primer business. King Henry By my life, l69l This is against our pleasure. Cardinal Wolsey And for me, l70l I have no further gone in this than by l71l A single voice, and that not passed me but l72l By learnΦd approbation of the judges. If I am l73l Traduced by ignorant tongues, which neither know l74l My faculties nor person yet will be l75l The chronicles of my doing, let me say l76l ÆTis but the fate of place, and the rough brake l77l That virtue must go through. We must not stint l78l Our necessary actions in the fear l79l To cope malicious censurers, which ever, l80l As ravÆnous fishes, do a vessel follow l81l That is new trimmed, but benefit no further l82l Than vainly longing. What we oft do best, l83l By sick interpreters, once weak ones, is l84l Not ours or not allowed; what worst, as oft, l85l Hitting a grosser quality, is cried up l86l For our best act. If we shall stand still, l87l In fear our motion will be mocked or carped at, l88l We should take root here where we sit, l89l Or sit state-statues only. King Henry Things done well, l90l And with a care, exempt themselves from fear; l91l Things done without example, in their issue l92l Are to be feared. Have you a precedent l93l Of this commission? I believe not any. l94l We must not rend our subjects from our laws l95l And stick them in our will. Sixth part of each? l96l A trembling contribution! Why, we take l97l From every tree lop, bark, and part oÆ thÆ timber, l98l And though we leave it with a root, thus hacked l99l The air will drink the sap. To every county l100l Where this is questioned send our letters with l101l Free pardon to each man that has denied l102l The force of this commission. Pray look to Ætù l103l I put it to your care. Cardinal Wolsey (to a secretary) A word with you. l104l Let there be letters writ to every shire l105l Of the KingÆs grace and pardon. (Aside to the secretary) The grievΦd commons l106l Hardly conceive of me. Let it be noised l107l That through our intercession this revokement l108l And pardon comes. I shall anon advise you l109l Further in the proceeding. (Exit secretary) l110l (Enter Buckingham's Surveyor) Queen Katherine (to the King) I am sorry that the Duke of Buckingham l111l Is run in your displeasure. King Henry It grieves many. l112l The gentleman is learnΦd, and a most rare speaker, l113l To nature none more bound; his training such l114l That he may furnish and instruct great teachers l115l And never seek for aid out of himself. Yet see, l116l When these so noble benefits shall prove l117l Not well disposed, the mind growing once corrupt, l118l They turn to vicious forms ten times more ugly l119l Than ever they were fair. This man so complete, l120l Who was enrolled Æmongst wondersùand when we l121l Almost with ravished listÆning could not find l122l His hour of speech a minuteùhe, my lady, l123l Hath into monstrous habits put the graces l124l That once were his, and is become as black l125l As if besmeared in hell. Sit by us. You shall hearù l126l This was his gentleman in trust of himù l127l Things to strike honour sad. (To Wolsey) Bid him recount l128l The fore-recited practices whereof l129l We cannot feel too little, hear too much. l130l Cardinal Wolsey (to the Surveyor) Stand forth, and with bold spirit relate what you l131l Most like a careful subject have collected l132l Out of the Duke of Buckingham. King Henry (to the Surveyor) Speak freely. l133l Buckingham's Surveyor First, it was usual with him, every day l134l It would infect his speech, that if the King l135l Should without issue die, heÆll carry it so l136l To make the sceptre his. These very words l137l IÆve heard him utter to his son-in-law, l138l Lord Abergavenny, to whom by oath he menaced l139l Revenge upon the Cardinal. Cardinal Wolsey (to the King) Please your highness note l140l His dangerous conception in this point, l141l Not friended by his wish to your high person. l142l His will is most malignant, and it stretches l143l Beyond you to your friends. Queen Katherine My learned Lord Cardinal, l144l Deliver all with charity. King Henry (to the Surveyor) Speak on. l145l How grounded he his title to the crown l146l Upon our fail? To this point hast thou heard him l147l At any time speak aught? Buckingham's Surveyor He was brought to this l148l By a vain prophecy of Nicholas Hopkins. l149l King Henry What was that Hopkins? Buckingham's Surveyor Sir, a Chartreux friar, l150l His confessor, who fed him every minute l151l With words of sovereignty. King Henry How knowÆst thou this? l152l Buckingham's Surveyor Not long before your highness sped to France, l153l The Duke being at the Rose, within the parish l154l Saint Lawrence Poutney, did of me demand l155l What was the speech among the Londoners l156l Concerning the French journey. I replied l157l Men feared the French would prove perfidious, l158l To the KingÆs danger; presently the Duke l159l Said Ætwas the fear indeed, and that he doubted l160l ÆTwould prove the verity of certain words l161l Spoke by a holy monk that oft, says he, l162l ôHath sent to me, wishing me to permit l163l John de la Car, my chaplain, a choice hour l164l To hear from him a matter of some moment; l165l Whom after under the confessionÆs seal l166l He solemnly had sworn, that what he spoke l167l My chaplain to no creature living but l168l To me should utter, with demure confidence l169l This pausingly ensued: æneither the King nor Æs heirsÆ, l170l Tell you the Duke, æshall prosper. Bid him strive l171l To win the love oÆ thÆ commonalty. The Duke l172l Shall govern England.Æö Queen Katherine If I know you well, l173l You were the DukeÆs surveyor, and lost your office l174l On the complaint oÆ thÆ tenants. Take good heed l175l You charge not in your spleen a noble person l176l And spoil your nobler soul. I say, take heed; l177l Yes, heartily beseech you. King Henry Let him on. l178l (To the Surveyor) Go forward. Buckingham's Surveyor On my soul IÆll speak but truth. l179l I told my lord the Duke, by thÆ devilÆs illusions l180l The monk might be deceived, and that Ætwas dangerous l181l To ruminate on this so far until l182l It forged him some design which, being believed, l183l It was much like to do. He answered, ôTush, l184l It can do me no damageö, adding further l185l That had the King in his last sickness failed, l186l The CardinalÆs and Sir Thomas LovellÆs heads l187l Should have gone off. King Henry Ha? What, so rank? Ah, ha! l188l ThereÆs mischief in this man. Canst thou say further? l189l Buckingham's Surveyor I can, my liege. King Henry Proceed. Buckingham's Surveyor Being at Greenwich, l190l After your highness had reproved the Duke l191l About Sir William Bulmerù King Henry I remember l192l Such a time, being my sworn servant, l193l The Duke retained him his. But onùwhat hence? l194l Buckingham's Surveyor ôIfö, quoth he, ôI for this had been committedöù l195l As to the Tower, I thoughtùôI would have played l196l The part my father meant to act upon l197l ThÆ usurper Richard who, being at Salisbury, l198l Made suit to come in Æs presence; which if granted, l199l As he made semblance of his duty, would l200l Have put his knife into him.ö King Henry A giant traitor! l201l Cardinal Wolsey (to the Queen) Now, madam, may his highness live in freedom, l202l And this man out of prison? Queen Katherine God mend all. l203l King Henry (to the Surveyor) ThereÆs something more would out of theeùwhat sayst? l204l Buckingham's Surveyor After ôthe Duke his fatherö, with ôthe knifeö, l205l He stretched him, and with one hand on his dagger, l206l Another spread on Æs breast, mounting his eyes, l207l He did discharge a horrible oath whose tenor l208l Was, were he evil used, he would outgo l209l His father by as much as a performance l210l Does an irresolute purpose. King Henry ThereÆs his periodù l211l To sheathe his knife in us. He is attached. l212l Call him to present trial. If he may l213l Find mercy in the law, Ætis his; if none, l214l Let him not seek Æt of us. By day and night, l215l HeÆs traitor to thÆ height. (Flourish. Exeunt)