The quiet of my wounded conscience;
Thou art a cure fit for a king.
To CARDINAL CAMPEIUS
You're welcome,
Most learned reverend sir, into our kingdom:
Use us and it.
To CARDINAL WOLSEY
My good lord, have great care
I be not found a talker.
You are too cheeky:
go away; I'll teach you when business hours are:
is this the time for earthly affairs, hey?
[To Cardinal Wolsey]
Who's there? My good lord cardinal? Oh my Wolsey,
the cure for my wounded conscience;
you are a cure fit for a king.
[To Cardinal Campeius]
You are welcome,
most learned and respected sir, to my kingdom;
I and it are at your service.
[To Cardinal Wolsey]
Make sure I don't break these promises.
CARDINAL WOLSEY
Sir, you cannot.
I would your grace would give us but an hour
Of private conference.
Sir, you couldn't.
I should like your grace to give us just an hour
for private discussion.
KING HENRY VIII
[To NORFOLK and SUFFOLK]
We are busy; go.
We are busy; go.
NORFOLK
[Aside to SUFFOLK]
This priest has no pride in him?
Has this priest any pride?
SUFFOLK
[Aside to NORFOLK] Not to speak of:
I would not be so sick though for his place:
But this cannot continue.
None to speak of:
but I would not be sick with pride in his place:
but this cannot carry on.
NORFOLK
[Aside to SUFFOLK] If it do,
I'll venture one have-at-him.
If it does,
I'll take a bash at him.
SUFFOLK
[Aside to NORFOLK] I another.
Me too.
Exeunt NORFOLK and SUFFOLK
CARDINAL WOLSEY
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 blood and favour to her,
Must now confess, if they have any goodness,
The trial just and noble. All the clerks,
I mean the learned 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 learned priest, Cardinal Campeius;
Whom once more I present unto your highness.
Your Grace has given an example of wisdom
greater than all Princes, in freely submitting
your doubts to the voice of Christendom:
who can be angry now? Who can criticise you?
The Emperor, tied to her through blood and friendship,
must now admit, if he has any goodness,
that the trial was fair and noble. All the clerks,
I mean the ones of great learning, in Christian kingdoms
have given their free opinions: Rome, the seat of judgement,
has, invited by yourself, sent us their mouthpiece,
this good man, this just and learned priest, Cardinal Campeius;
I once again present him to your Highness.
KING HENRY VIII
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 wish'd for.
And once more I hug him in welcome,
and thank the school of Cardinals for their love:
they have sent me just such a man as I would wish for.
CARDINAL 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 join'd with me their servant
In the unpartial judging of this business.
Your Grace deserves the love of all foreigners,
you are so noble. I hand over my orders
to your Highness' hand; they demand in the name
of the court of Rome that you, my lord
Cardinal of York, should join with me, their servant,
in an impartial judging of this business.
KING HENRY VIII
Two equal men. The queen shall be acquainted
Forthwith for what you come. Where's Gardiner?
Two equally great men. The Queen shall be told
at once why you have come. Where's Gardiner?
CARDINAL WOLSEY
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 allow'd freely to argue for her.
I know your Majesty has always loved her
so very dearly that you will not deny her
what a less favoured woman might lawfully ask for:
scholars allowed to put forward their arguments for her freely.
KING HENRY VIII
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.
Yes, and she shall have the best; and I shall treat
the one who does best well: God forbid otherwise. Cardinal,
please, call Gardiner, my new secretary, to me:
I find him a good man.
Exit CARDINAL WOLSEY
Re-enter CARDINAL WOLSEY, with GARDINER
CARDINAL WOLSEY
[Aside to GARDINER] Give me your hand: much joy and
favour to you;
You are the king's now.
Give me your hand: much joy and good fortune to you;
you now work for the King.
GARDINER
[Aside to CARDINAL WOLSEY]
But to be commanded
For ever by your grace, whose hand has raised me.
But I will always be at the orders
of your grace, who gave me this position.
KING HENRY VIII
Come hither, Gardiner.
Come here, Gardiner.
Walks and whispers
CARDINAL CAMPEIUS
My Lord of York, was not one Doctor Pace
In this man's place before him?
My Lord of York, wasn't there someone called Doctor Pace
in this man's position before?
CARDINAL WOLSEY
Yes, he was.
Yes, there was.
CARDINAL CAMPEIUS
Was he not held a learned man?
Wasn't he thought of as a learned man?
CARDINAL WOLSEY
Yes, surely.
He certainly was.
CARDINAL CAMPEIUS
Believe me, there's an ill opinion spread then
Even of yourself, lord cardinal.
Then believe me, there is malicious gossip
about yourself, Lord Cardinal.
CARDINAL WOLSEY
How! of me?
What! About me?
CARDINAL 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.
They won't stop saying that you envied him,
and because you feared he would be promoted, as he was so good,
that he went mad and died.
CARDINAL WOLSEY
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 grip'd by meaner persons.
May he rest in peace!
That's enough Christian care: for living gossips
there are ways of punishing them. He was a fool;
he insisted on being good: that good fellow,
if I command him, does as I say:
I won't have anyone else this close. Remember this, brother,
we're not here for low people to be familiar with.
KING HENRY VIII
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 furnish'd. 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.
Convey this politely to the Queen.
The best place I can think of
to discuss such learning is Blackfriars;
that's where you shall meet to discuss this weighty matter.
My Wolsey, see that it is furnished. Oh, my lord,
wouldn't it make an able man sorrowful to have to leave
such a sweet bedmate? But, there is conscience!
It is tender, and I must leave her.
Exeunt
Enter ANNE and an Old Lady
ANNE
Not for that neither: here's the pang that pinches:
His highness having lived so long with her, and she
So good a lady that no tongue could ever
Pronounce dishonour of her; by my life,
She never knew harm-doing: O, now, after
So many courses of the sun enthroned,
Still growing in a majesty and pomp, the which
To leave a thousand-fold more bitter than
'Tis sweet at first to acquire,--after this process,
To give her the avaunt! it is a pity
Would move a monster.
Not for that reason either: here's the thing which hurts:
as her Highness has lived so long with her, and she
is such a good lady that nobody ever
had a bad word to say of her; I swear,
she never did any wrong: oh, now, having been
Queen for so many years,
still growing in majesty and dignity, leaving which
is a thousand times more bitter than the
sweetness of getting it–to send her away
after all that! It's so pitiful,
a monster would be moved by it.
Old Lady
Hearts of most hard temper
Melt and lament for her.
The hardest hearts
melt and weep for her.
ANNE
O, God's will! much better
She ne'er had known pomp: though't be temporal,
Yet, if that quarrel, fortune, do divorce
It from the bearer, 'tis a sufferance panging
As soul and body's severing.
Oh, God's will! It would be much better
if she had never had a position: although it is earthly,
if the blows of Fortune take it away
from one who has it feels as bad
as the separation of the soul and the body.
Old Lady
Alas, poor lady!
She's a stranger now again.
Alas, poor lady!
She is now a foreigner again.
ANNE
So much the more
Must pity drop upon her. Verily,
I swear, 'tis better to be lowly born,
And range with humble livers in content,
Than to be perk'd up in a glistering grief,
And wear a golden sorrow.
All the more reason
to give her pity. I swear
truly, it's better to be born low
and live happily and humbly
than to be decked out with glistening grief,
and wear a golden sorrow.
Old Lady
Our content
Is our best having.
Our happiness
is the greatest thing we have.
ANNE
By my troth and maidenhead,
I would not be a queen.
I swear on my maidenhood,
I don't want to be a queen.
Old Lady
Beshrew me, I would,
And venture maidenhead for't; and so would you,
For all this spice of your hypocrisy:
You, that have so fair parts of woman on you,
Have too a woman's heart; which ever yet
Affected eminence, wealth, sovereignty;
Which, to say sooth, are blessings; and which gifts,
Saving your mincing, the capacity
Of your soft cheveril conscience would receive,
If you might please to stretch it.
Believe me, I would,
and I would give my maidenhood for it; and so would you,
for all this hypocrisy you're showing:
with all your beauty and fine womanly qualities,
you also have a woman's heart; which has always
wanted power, wealth and rule;
which, to tell the truth, are blessings; and such gifts,
with all respect to your affectation, it would be within
the capability of your flexible conscience to accept,
if you were prepared to stretch the point.
ANNE
Nay, good troth.
No, I swear.
Old Lady
Yes, troth, and troth; you would not be a queen?
Yes, you swear, and swear; you don't want to be a queen?
ANNE
No, not for all the riches under heaven.
No, not for all the riches on earth.
Old Lady
'Tis strange: a three-pence bow'd would hire me,
Old as I am, to queen it: but, I pray you,
What think you of a duchess? have you limbs
To bear that load of title?
That's strange: a threepenny madam would hire me,
old as I am, to be a queen: but, may I ask,
what do you think of being a duchess? Are your limbs
strong enough to bear the load of that title?
ANNE
No, in truth.
I swear they are not.
Old Lady
Then you are weakly made: pluck off a little;
I would not be a young count in your way,
For more than blushing comes to: if your back
Cannot vouchsafe this burthen,'tis too weak
Ever to get a boy.
Then you are poorly made: calm down a little;
I wouldn't want to be a young count in your way,
for more than the price of a blush: if your back
won't accept this burden, you are too weak
to ever give birth to a boy.
ANNE
How you do talk!
I swear again, I would not be a queen
For all the world.
What things you say!
I swear again, I would not be a queen
for all the world.
Old Lady
In faith, for little England
You'ld venture an emballing: I myself
Would for Carnarvonshire, alth
ough there long'd
No more to the crown but that. Lo, who comes here?
I swear you would risk a coronation
for the sake of little England: I myself
would do it for Caernarfonshire, even if
that was all the Crown owned. Hello, who's this?
Enter Chamberlain
Chamberlain
Good morrow, ladies. What were't worth to know
The secret of your conference?
Good day, ladies. What would I have to pay to know
the secrets you're talking about?
ANNE
My good lord,
Not your demand; it values not your asking:
Our mistress' sorrows we were pitying.
My good lord,
not even your question; it's not worth you asking:
we were pitying the sorrows of our mistress.
Chamberlain
It was a gentle business, and becoming
The action of good women: there is hope
All will be well.
That is a kind business, and suited
to the action of good women: there is hope
that all will be well.
ANNE
Now, I pray God, amen!
I pray to God it may be so!
Chamberlain
You bear a gentle mind, and heavenly blessings
Follow such creatures. That you may, fair lady,
Perceive I speak sincerely, and high note's
Ta'en of your many virtues, the king's majesty
Commends his good opinion of you, and
Does purpose honour to you no less flowing
Than Marchioness of Pembroke: to which title
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) Page 183