The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works

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The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works Page 247

by William Shakespeare


  Has done this, and ’tis well: for worthy Wolsey,

  Who cannot err, he did it. Now this follows –

  Which, as I take it, is a kind of puppy

  175

  To th’old dam treason – Charles the Emperor,

  Under pretence to see the Queen his aunt –

  For ’twas indeed his colour, but he came

  To whisper Wolsey – here makes visitation.

  His fears were that the interview betwixt

  180

  England and France might through their amity

  Breed him some prejudice, for from this league

  Peeped harms that menaced him. He privily

  Deals with our Cardinal, and as I trow –

  Which I do well, for I am sure the Emperor

  185

  Paid ere he promised, whereby his suit was granted

  Ere it was asked – but when the way was made

  And paved with gold, the Emperor thus desired

  That he would please to alter the King’s course

  And break the foresaid peace. Let the King know,

  190

  As soon he shall by me, that thus the Cardinal

  Does buy and sell his honour as he pleases,

  And for his own advantage.

  NORFOLK I am sorry

  To hear this of him, and could wish he were

  Something mistaken in’t.

  BUCKINGHAM No, not a syllable.

  195

  I do pronounce him in that very shape

  He shall appear in proof.

  Enter BRANDON, a Sergeant-at-Arms before him, and two or three of the guard.

  BRANDON Your office, sergeant: execute it.

  SERGEANT Sir,

  My lord the Duke of Buckingham, and Earl

  Of Hereford, Stafford and Northampton, I

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  Arrest thee of high treason in the name

  Of our most sovereign King.

  BUCKINGHAM Lo you, my lord,

  The net has fallen upon me: I shall perish

  Under device and practice.

  BRANDON I am sorry

  To see you ta’en from liberty, to look on

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  The business present. ’Tis his highness’ pleasure

  You shall to th’ Tower.

  BUCKINGHAM It will help me nothing

  To plead mine innocence, for that dye is on me

  Which makes my whitest part black. The will of heaven

  Be done in this and all things: I obey.

  210

  O my lord Abergavenny, fare you well.

  BRANDON Nay, he must bear you company.

  [to Abergavenny] The King

  Is pleased you shall to th’ Tower, till you know

  How he determines further.

  ABERGAVENNY As the Duke said,

  The will of heaven be done, and the King’s pleasure

  215

  By me obeyed.

  BRANDON Here is a warrant from

  The King t’attach Lord Montague and the bodies

  Of the Duke’s confessor, John de la Court,

  One Gilbert Park, his chancellor –

  BUCKINGHAM So, so;

  These are the limbs o’th’ plot. No more, I hope?

  220

  BRANDON A monk o’th’ Chartreux.

  BUCKINGHAM O, Nicholas Hopkins?

  BRANDON He.

  BUCKINGHAM

  My surveyor is false: the o’er-great Cardinal

  Hath showed him gold. My life is spanned already.

  I am the shadow of poor Buckingham,

  Whose figure even this instant cloud puts on

  225

  By darkening my clear sun. My lord, farewell.

  Exeunt.

  1.2 Cornetts. Enter KING Henry, leaning on the Cardinal ’s shoulder, the nobles, and Sir Thomas LOVELL; the Cardinal places himself under the King’s feet on his right side.[A secretary attends the Cardinal.]

  KING My life itself, and the best heart of it,

  Thanks you for this great care. I stood i’th’ level

  Of a full-charged confederacy, and give thanks

  To you that choked it. Let be called before us

  That gentleman of Buckingham’s: in person

  5

  I’ll hear him his confessions justify,

  And point by point the treasons of his master

  He shall again relate.

  A noise within crying ‘ Room for the Queen!’ who, as she enters is ushered by the Duke of NORFOLK. Enter Queen KATHERINE, NORFOLK and the Duke of SUFFOLK. Katherine kneels. King riseth from his state, takes her up, and kisses her.

  KATHERINE Nay, we must longer kneel. I am a suitor.

  KING Arise, and take place by us.

  [The King placeth her by him.]

  Half your suit

  10

  Never name to us. You have half our power;

  The other moiety ere you ask is given.

  Repeat your will and take it.

  KATHERINE Thank your majesty.

  That you would love yourself, and in that love

  Not unconsidered leave your honour nor

  15

  The dignity of your office, is the point

  Of my petition.

  KING Lady mine, proceed.

  KATHERINE I am solicited – not by a few,

  And those of true condition – that your subjects

  Are in great grievance. There have been commissions

  20

  Sent down among ’em which hath flawed the heart

  Of all their loyalties; wherein although,

  My good lord Cardinal, they vent reproaches

  Most bitterly on you as putter-on

  Of these exactions, yet the King our master –

  25

  Whose honour heaven shield from soil – even he escapes not

  Language unmannerly, yea, such which breaks

  The sides of loyalty and almost appears

  In loud rebellion.

  NORFOLK Not almost appears,

  It doth appear; for, upon these taxations,

  30

  The clothiers all, not able to maintain

  The many to them longing, have put off

  The spinsters, carders, fullers, weavers, who,

  Unfit for other life, compelled by hunger

  And lack of other means, in desperate manner,

  35

  Daring th’event to th’ teeth, are all in uproar,

  And danger serves among them.

  KING Taxation?

  Wherein, and what taxation? My lord Cardinal,

  You that are blamed for it alike with us,

  Know you of this taxation?

  WOLSEY Please you, sir,

  40

  I know but of a single part in aught

  Pertains to th’ state, and front but in that file

  Where others tell steps with me.

  KATHERINE No, my lord,

  You know no more than others, but you frame

  Things that are known alike, which are not wholesome

  45

  To those which would not know them and yet must

  Perforce be their acquaintance. These exactions

  Whereof my sovereign would have note, they are

  Most pestilent to th’ hearing, and to bear ’em

  The back is sacrifice to th’ load. They say

  50

  They are devised by you, or else you suffer

  Too hard an exclamation.

  KING Still ‘exaction’!

  The nature of it? In what kind, let’s know,

  Is this exaction?

  KATHERINE I am much too venturous

  In tempting of your patience, but am boldened

  55

  Under your promised pardon. The subjects’ grief

  Comes through commissions which compels from each

  The sixth part of his substance, to be levied

  Without delay; and t
he pretence for this

  Is named your wars in France. This makes bold mouths:

  60

  Tongues spit their duties out, and cold hearts freeze

  Allegiance in them. Their curses now

  Live where their prayers did, and it’s come to pass

  This tractable obedience is a slave

  To each incensed will. I would your highness

  65

  Would give it quick consideration, for

  There is no primer baseness.

  KING By my life,

  This is against our pleasure.

  WOLSEY And for me,

  I have no further gone in this than by

  A single voice, and that not passed me but

  70

  By learned approbation of the judges. If I am

  Traduced by ignorant tongues, which neither know

  My faculties nor person yet will be

  The chronicles of my doing, let me say

  ’Tis but the fate of place and the rough brake

  75

  That virtue must go through. We must not stint

  Our necessary actions in the fear

  To cope malicious censurers, which ever,

  As ravenous fishes, do a vessel follow

  That is new-trimmed, but benefit no further

  80

  Than vainly longing. What we oft do best,

  By sick interpreters, or weak ones, is

  Not ours or not allowed; what worst, as oft,

  Hitting a grosser quality, is cried up

  For our best act. If we shall stand still

  85

  In fear our motion will be mocked or carped at,

  We should take root here where we sit,

  Or sit state-statues only.

  KING Things done well,

  And with a care, exempt themselves from fear;

  Things done without example in their issue

  90

  Are to be feared. Have you a precedent

  Of this commission? I believe not any.

  We must not rend our subjects from our laws

  And stick them in our will. Sixth part of each?

  A trembling contribution! Why, we take

  95

  From every tree lop, bark and part o’th’ timber,

  And though we leave it with a root, thus hacked

  The air will drink the sap. To every county

  Where this is questioned send our letters with

  Free pardon to each man that has denied

  100

  The force of this commission. Pray look to’t:

  I put it to your care.

  WOLSEY [apart to his secretary] A word with you.

  Let there be letters writ to every shire

  Of the King’s grace and pardon. The grieved commons

  Hardly conceive of me: let it be noised

  105

  That through our intercession this revokement

  And pardon comes. I shall anon advise you

  Further in the proceeding. Exit secretary.

  Enter Surveyor.

  KATHERINE I am sorry that the Duke of Buckingham

  Is run in your displeasure.

  KING It grieves many.

  110

  The gentleman is learned and a most rare speaker,

  To nature none more bound, his training such

  That he may furnish and instruct great teachers

  And never seek for aid out of himself. Yet see,

  When these so noble benefits shall prove

  115

  Not well disposed, the mind growing once corrupt,

  They turn to vicious forms, ten times more ugly

  Than ever they were fair. This man so complete,

  Who was enrolled ’mongst wonders – and when we,

  Almost with ravished listening, could not find

  120

  His hour of speech a minute – he, my lady,

  Hath into monstrous habits put the graces

  That once were his and is become as black

  As if besmeared in hell. Sit by us. You shall hear –

  This was his gentleman in trust – of him

  125

  Things to strike honour sad. Bid him recount

  The fore-recited practices, whereof

  We cannot feel too little, hear too much.

  WOLSEY

  Stand forth, and with bold spirit relate what you,

  Most like a careful subject, have collected

  130

  Out of the Duke of Buckingham.

  KING Speak freely.

  SURVEYOR First, it was usual with him – every day

  It would infect his speech – that if the King

  Should without issue die, he’ll carry it so

  To make the sceptre his. These very words

  135

 

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