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The Illustrated Works of Shakespeare
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Illustrated Works of Shakespeare, The (1990)(Animated Pixels)[!][CDTV-PC].iso
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15
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02_02
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1991-04-10
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235 lines
An Antechamber in the Palace.
A curtain hides the inner stage.
Enter LORD CHAMBERLAIN, reading this letter.
Chamberlain [Reads.] "My lord, the horses your lordship sent for, with
all the care I had, I saw well chosen, ridden and
furnished. They were young and handsome, and of the best
breed in the north. When they were ready to set out for
London, a man of my Lord Cardinal's, by commission and
main power, took 'em from me, with this reason: his master
would be served before a subject, if not before the king;
which stopped our mouths, sir."
I fear he will indeed; well, let him have them:
He will have all, I think.
Enter to the Lord Chamberlain, the Dukes of NORFOLK and SUFFOLK.
Norfolk Well met, my Lord Chamberlain.
Chamberlain Good day to both your graces.
Suffolk How is the king employed?
Chamberlain I left him private,
Full of sad thoughts and troubles.
Norfolk What's the cause?
Chamberlain It seems the marriage with his brother's wife
Has crept too near his conscience.
Suffolk [Aside.] No, his conscience
Has crept too near another lady.
Norfolk 'Tis so:
This is the cardinal's doing, the king-cardinal,
That blind priest, like the eldest son of fortune,
Turns what he list. The king will know him one day.
Suffolk Pray God he do! He'll never know himself else.
Norfolk How holily he works in all his business-
And with what zeal! - for now he has cracked the league
Between us and the emperor, the queen's great nephew,
He dives into the king's soul, and there scatters
Dangers, doubts, wringing of the conscience,
Fears and despairs; and all these for his marriage:
And out of all these, to restore the king,
He counsels a divorce, a loss of her
That like a jewel has hung twenty years
About his neck, yet never lost her lustre;
Of her, that loves him with that excellence
That angels love good men with; even of her,
That, when the greatest stroke of fortune falls,
Will bless the king: and is not this course pious?
Chamberlain Heaven keep me from such counsel! 'Tis most true
These news are everywhere; every tongue speaks 'em,
And every true heart weeps for't. All that dare
Look into these affairs, see this main end,
The French king's sister. Heaven will one day open
The king's eyes, that so long have slept upon
This bold bad man.
Suffolk And free us from his slavery.
Norfolk We had need pray,
And heartily, for our deliverance,
Or this imperious man will work us all
From princes into pages. All men's honours
Lie like one lump before him, to be fashioned
Into what pitch he please.
Suffolk For me, my lords,
I love him not, nor fear him, there's my creed.
As I am made without him, so I'll stand,
If the king please; his curses and his blessings
Touch me alike, they're breath I not believe in.
I knew him, and I know him; so I leave him
To him that made him proud, the Pope.
Norfolk Let's in,
And with some other business put the king
From these sad thoughts that work too much upon him.
My lord, you'll bear us company?
Chamberlain Excuse me;
The king has sent me otherwhere: besides,
You'll find a most unfit time to disturb him:
Health to your lordships.
Norfolk Thanks, my good Lord Chamberlain.
[Exit LORD CHAMBERLAIN.
[The KING draws the curtain and
sits reading pensively.
Suffolk How sad he looks! Sure, he is much afflicted.
King Henry Who's there, ha?
Norfolk Pray God he be not angry.
King Henry Who's there I say? How dare you thrust yourselves
Into my private meditations?
Who am I, ha?
Norfolk A gracious king that pardons all offences
Malice ne'er meant: our breach of duty this way
Is business of estate, in which we come
To know your royal pleasure.
King Henry Ye are too bold.
Go to; I'll make ye know your times of business:
Is this an hour for temporal affairs, ha?
Enter WOLSEY and CAMPEIUS with a commission.
Who's there? My good Lord Cardinal? O, my Wolsey,
The quiet of my wounded conscience;
Thou art a cure fit for a king.
[To CAMPEIUS.] You're welcome,
Most learnd reverend sir, into our kingdom;
Use us and it.
[To WOLSEY.] My good lord, have great care
I be not found a talker.
Cardinal Sir, you cannot.
I would your grace would give us but an hour
Of private conference.
King Henry [To NORFOLK and SUFFOLK.] We are busy; go.
Norfolk [Aside to SUFFOLK.]
This priest has no pride in him!
Suffolk [Aside to NORFOLK.] Not to speak of:
I would not be so sick though for his place:
But this cannot continue.
Norfolk [Aside to SUFFOLK.] If it do,
I'll venture one; have at him!
Suffolk [Aside to NORFOLK.] I another.
[Exeunt NORFOLK and SUFFOLK.
Cardinal Your grace has given a precedent of wisdom
Above all princes, in committing freely
Your scruple to the voice of Christendom.
Who can be angry now? What envy reach you?
The Spaniard, tied by blood and favour to her,
Must now confess, if they have any goodness,
The trial just and noble. All the clerks,
I mean the learnd ones in Christian kingdoms,
Have their free voices: Rome, the nurse of judgment,
Invited by your noble self, hath sent
One general tongue unto us, this good man,
This just and learnd priest, Cardinal Campeius,
Whom once more I present unto your highness.
King Henry And once more in mine arms I bid him welcome,
And thank the holy conclave for their loves.
They have sent me such a man I would have wished for.
Campeius Your grace must needs deserve all strangers' loves,
You are so noble. To your highness' hand
I tender my commission, by whose virtue,
The court of Rome commanding, you, my Lord
Cardinal of York, are joined with me, their servant,
In the unpartial judging of this business.
King Henry Two equal men. The queen shall be acquainted
Forthwith for what you come. Where's Gardiner?
Cardinal I know your majesty has always loved her
So dear in heart, not to deny her that
A woman of less place might ask by law,
Scholars, allowed freely to argue for her.
King Henry Ay, and the best she shall have; and my favour
To him that does best: God forbid else. Cardinal,
Prithee call Gardiner to me, my new secretary:
I find him a fit fellow.
Enter GARDINER.
Cardinal [Aside to GARDINER.]
Give me your hand: much joy and favour to you;
You are the king's now.
Gardiner [Aside to WOLSEY.] But to be commanded
For ever by your grace, whose hand has raised me.
King Henry Come hither Gardiner.
[Walks and whispers.
Campeius My Lord of York, was not one Doctor Pace
In this man's place before him?
Cardinal Yes, he was.
Campeius Was he not held a learnd man?
Cardinal Yes, surely.
Campeius Believe me, there's an ill opinion spread then,
Even of yourself, Lord Cardinal.
Cardinal How? Of me?
Campeius They will not stick to say, you envied him,
And fearing he would rise, he was so virtuous,
Kept him a foreign man still, which so grieved him
That he ran mad and died.
Cardinal Heaven's peace be with him!
That's Christian care enough: for living murmurers
There's places of rebuke. He was a fool,
For he would needs be virtuous. That good fellow,
If I command him follows my appointment:
I will have none so near else. Learn this, brother,
We live not to be griped by meaner persons.
King Henry Deliver this with modesty to the queen.
[Exit GARDINER.
The most convenient place that I can think of
For such receipt of learning is Black-Friars:
There ye shall meet about this weighty business.
My Wolsey, see it furnished. O my lord!
Would it not grieve an able man to leave
So sweet a bedfellow? But conscience, conscience!
O 'tis a tender place, and I must leave her.
[Exeunt.