The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)

by William Shakespeare

SUFFOLK

  The king, the king!

  The King, the King!

  KING HENRY VIII

  What piles of wealth hath he accumulated

  To his own portion! and what expense by the hour

  Seems to flow from him! How, i' the name of thrift,

  Does he rake this together! Now, my lords,

  Saw you the cardinal?

  What enormous wealth he has gathered

  for himself! How great his continual

  expenditure seems to be! How, if he's thrifty,

  has he managed to get such a pile! Now, my lords,

  have you seen the cardinal?

  Norfolk

  My lord, we have

  Stood here observing him: some strange commotion

  Is in his brain: he bites his lip, and starts;

  Stops on a sudden, looks upon the ground,

  Then lays his finger on his temple, straight

  Springs out into fast gait; then stops again,

  Strikes his breast hard, and anon he casts

  His eye against the moon: in most strange postures

  We have seen him set himself.

  My Lord, we have

  been standing here watching him: there's some strange disturbance

  in his brain: he bites his lip, and starts;

  suddenly stops, looks at the ground,

  then puts his finger on his forehead, immediately

  starts walking quickly; then he stops again,

  hits his chest hard, and then he looks

  up at the moon: he has been putting himself

  in the strangest positions.

  King Henry VIII

  It may well be,

  There is a mutiny in's mind. This morning

  Papers of state he sent me to peruse,

  As I required: and wot you what I found

  There,--on my conscience, put unwittingly?

  Forsooth, an inventory, thus importing;

  The several parcels of his plate, his treasure,

  Rich stuffs, and ornaments of household; which

  I find at such proud rate, that it out-speaks

  Possession of a subject.

  It might well be the case

  that his mind is confused. This morning

  he sent me state documents to read over,

  as I had ordered: what do you think I found

  there–I swear, put there accidentally?

  I tell you, an inventory, showing this;

  the amounts of his plate, his treasure,

  his fine things and the furnishings of his household;

  I find that he has so much, it's much more

  than a subject ought to own.

  NORFOLK

  It's heaven's will:

  Some spirit put this paper in the packet,

  To bless your eye withal.

  It's the will of heaven:

  some spirit put the document in the packet,

  to do you a favour.

  KING HENRY VIII

  If we did think

  His contemplation were above the earth,

  And fix'd on spiritual object, he should still

  Dwell in his musings: but I am afraid

  His thinkings are below the moon, not worth

  His serious considering.

  If I believed

  his thoughts were above the Earth

  and thinking of spiritual things, I wouldn't disturb

  his meditation: but I'm afraid

  he is thinking of worldly things, which

  he shouldn't be wasting his time on.

  King HENRY VIII takes his seat; whispers LOVELL, who goes to CARDINAL WOLSEY

  CARDINAL WOLSEY

  Heaven forgive me!

  Ever God bless your highness!

  Heaven forgive me!

  May God always bless your Highness!

  KING HENRY VIII

  Good my lord,

  You are full of heavenly stuff, and bear the inventory

  Of your best graces in your mind; the which

  You were now running o'er: you have scarce time

  To steal from spiritual leisure a brief span

  To keep your earthly audit: sure, in that

  I deem you an ill husband, and am glad

  To have you therein my companion.

  My good lord,

  you are full of the material of heaven, and have

  a great store of the greatest virtues; that's what

  you would have been thinking about: you hardly have time

  to spare from your spiritual affairs

  to keep inventory of things on earth: I must say that

  makes you a bad manager, and makes me glad

  to have you as my companion.

  CARDINAL WOLSEY

  Sir,

  For holy offices I have a time; a time

  To think upon the part of business which

  I bear i' the state; and nature does require

  Her times of preservation, which perforce

  I, her frail son, amongst my brethren mortal,

  Must give my tendence to.

  Sir,

  I have the time set aside for holy offices; a time

  to think of the business which I undertake

  for the state; and nature requires time

  for rest, and as I am her frail son amongst

  my mortal brothers I must obey her.

  KING HENRY VIII

  You have said well.

  You have spoken well.

  CARDINAL WOLSEY

  And ever may your highness yoke together,

  As I will lend you cause, my doing well

  With my well saying!

  And may your Highness always see,

  as I give you reason to, that I back up

  my good words with good deeds!

  KING HENRY VIII

  'Tis well said again;

  And 'tis a kind of good deed to say well:

  And yet words are no deeds. My father loved you:

  He said he did; and with his deed did crown

  His word upon you. Since I had my office,

  I have kept you next my heart; have not alone

  Employ'd you where high profits might come home,

  But pared my present havings, to bestow

  My bounties upon you.

  You spoken well again;

  and it's kind of a good deed to speak well:

  but words are not deeds. My father loved you:

  he said he did; and with his deeds he

  confirmed his words. Since I have been king,

  I have kept you close to my heart; I haven't only

  used you in enterprises where there could be great profit

  but reduced my own income in order to

  be generous towards you.

  CARDINAL WOLSEY

  [Aside] What should this mean?

  What does this mean?

  SURREY

  [Aside] The Lord increase this business!

  May the Lord encourage this!

  KING HENRY VIII

  Have I not made you,

  The prime man of the state? I pray you, tell me,

  If what I now pronounce you have found true:

  And, if you may confess it, say withal,

  If you are bound to us or no. What say you?

  Didn't I make you

  the most important statesman in the country? Please, tell me,

  if what I now tell you is true:

  and, if you say it is, also say

  if you are my servant or not. What do you say?

  CARDINAL WOLSEY

  My sovereign, I confess your royal graces,

  Shower'd on me daily, have been more than could

  My studied purposes requite; which went

  Beyond all man's endeavours: my endeavours

  Have ever come too short of my desires,

  Yet filed with my abilities: mine own ends

  Have been mine so that evermore they pointed

>   To the good of your most sacred person and

  The profit of the state. For your great graces

  Heap'd upon me, poor undeserver, I

  Can nothing render but allegiant thanks,

  My prayers to heaven for you, my loyalty,

  Which ever has and ever shall be growing,

  Till death, that winter, kill it.

  My Lord, I confess that your royal favours,

  showered upon me daily, have been more than

  I could possibly repay; no man could

  do enough to repay them: what I have done

  has always been less than I wish to,

  but the best I could do: all of my

  endeavours have been geared towards

  the best for your most sacred person and

  the profit of the state. For the great favours

  you have heaped on me, poor undeserving man, I

  can only offer my loyal thanks,

  my prayers to heaven for you, my loyalty,

  which has always been and always will be growing

  until the winter of death kills it.

  KING HENRY VIII

  Fairly answer'd;

  A loyal and obedient subject is

  Therein illustrated: the honour of it

  Does pay the act of it; as, i' the contrary,

  The foulness is the punishment. I presume

  That, as my hand has open'd bounty to you,

  My heart dropp'd love, my power rain'd honour, more

  On you than any; so your hand and heart,

  Your brain, and every function of your power,

  Should, notwithstanding that your bond of duty,

  As 'twere in love's particular, be more

  To me, your friend, than any.

  A good answer;

  which shows you as

  a loyal and obedient subject: the reward of loyalty

  is the honour of being loyal; and, equally,

  being disloyal is punishment in itself. I assume

  that, as I have been generous with you

  with goods, love, and honour, more to you

  than any other, that your hand and heart,

  your brain, and every part of your power

  should, in spite of your duty to the Pope,

  should, due to your intimate regard for me,

  make me a greater friend of you than any other.

  CARDINAL WOLSEY

  I do profess

  That for your highness' good I ever labour'd

  More than mine own; that am, have, and will be--

  Though all the world should crack their duty to you,

  And throw it from their soul; though perils did

  Abound, as thick as thought could make 'em, and

  Appear in forms more horrid,--yet my duty,

  As doth a rock against the chiding flood,

  Should the approach of this wild river break,

  And stand unshaken yours.

  I swear

  that I have always worked more for the good

  of your Highness than for me; that is and always shall be

  (however much the rest of the world breaks its promises to you,

  and rejects it from their soul; although danger could

  surround me, as thick as thought could make it, and

  in more horrible ways) my duty,

  like a rock standing against the punishing flood,

  if the wild river crashes against it,

  I will remain steadfastly yours.

  KING HENRY VIII

  'Tis nobly spoken:

  Take notice, lords, he has a loyal breast,

  For you have seen him open't. Read o'er this;

  Giving him papers

  And after, this: and then to breakfast with

  What appetite you have.

  That's nobly spoken:

  take note, Lords, that he has a loyal heart,

  you have heard what he said. Read this;

  [gives him papers]

  and afterwards, this: and then go to breakfast with

  whatever appetite you have.

  Exit KING HENRY VIII, frowning upon CARDINAL WOLSEY: the Nobles throng after him, smiling and whispering

  CARDINAL WOLSEY

  What should this mean?

  What sudden anger's this? how have I reap'd it?

  He parted frowning from me, as if ruin

  Leap'd from his eyes: so looks the chafed lion

  Upon the daring huntsman that has gall'd him;

  Then makes him nothing. I must read this paper;

  I fear, the story of his anger. 'Tis so;

  This paper has undone me: 'tis the account

  Of all that world of wealth I have drawn together

  For mine own ends; indeed, to gain the popedom,

  And fee my friends in Rome. O negligence!

  Fit for a fool to fall by: what cross devil

  Made me put this main secret in the packet

  I sent the king? Is there no way to cure this?

  No new device to beat this from his brains?

  I know 'twill stir him strongly; yet I know

  A way, if it take right, in spite of fortune

  Will bring me off again. What's this? 'To the Pope!'

  The letter, as I live, with all the business

  I writ to's holiness. Nay then, farewell!

  I have touch'd the highest point of all my greatness;

  And, from that full meridian of my glory,

  I haste now to my setting: I shall fall

  Like a bright exhalation in the evening,

  And no man see me more.

  What does this mean?

  What is this sudden anger? What have I done to deserve it?

  He left me frowning, as if destruction

  was leaping from his eyes: that's how the wounded lion

  looks upon the daring huntsman who has injured him;

  then destroys him. I must read this paper;

  I'm afraid it will show why he is angry. I'm right,

  this paper is my downfall: it's the account

  of all the great wealth I have amassed

  for my own purposes; in fact, to gain the title of Pope,

  and to pay off my friends in Rome. What carelessness!

  This is the way a fool would slip up: what angry devil

  made me put this great secret in the packet

  I sent to the King? Is there no way out of this?

  No new trick to drive this out of his mind?

  I know it will make him very angry; but I know

  a way, if it works, that can get me back in his

  good books despite this. What's this? ‘To the Pope’?

  By heaven, it's the letter with everything that I wrote

  to his Holiness. No then, farewell:

  I have reached the highest point of my greatness,

  and from that great height of glory

  I am now falling fast. I shall plummet

  like a falling star in the evening,

  and no one shall ever see me again.

  Re-enter to CARDINAL WOLSEY, NORFOLK and SUFFOLK, SURREY, and the Chamberlain

  NORFOLK

  Hear the king's pleasure, cardinal: who commands you

  To render up the great seal presently

  Into our hands; and to confine yourself

  To Asher House, my Lord of Winchester's,

  Till you hear further from his highness.

  Listen to the king's orders, cardinal: he orders you

  to hand over the great seal at once

  to me; and to remain at

  Asher House, Lord Winchester’s residence,

  until you hear more from his Highness.

  CARDINAL WOLSEY

  Stay:

  Where's your commission, lords? words cannot carry

  Authority so weighty.

  Wait:

  where are your orders, lords? Words alone

  cannot assume such authority.

  SUFF
OLK

  Who dare cross 'em,

  Bearing the king's will from his mouth expressly?

  Who dares to disagree with them,

  as they come directly from the King's mouth?

  CARDINAL WOLSEY

  Till I find more than will or words to do it,

  I mean your malice, know, officious lords,

  I dare and must deny it. Now I feel

  Of what coarse metal ye are moulded, envy:

  How eagerly ye follow my disgraces,

  As if it fed ye! and how sleek and wanton

  Ye appear in every thing may bring my ruin!

  Follow your envious courses, men of malice;

  You have Christian warrant for 'em, and, no doubt,

  In time will find their fit rewards. That seal,

  You ask with such a violence, the king,

  Mine and your master, with his own hand gave me;

  Bade me enjoy it, with the place and honours,

  During my life; and, to confirm his goodness,

  Tied it by letters-patents: now, who'll take it?

  I will and I must deny it, until it is

  backed up by more than strength or words,

  for I know your malice towards me, officious lords.

  Now I see that you are made of the base metal of malice:

  how eagerly you pursue my disgrace,

  as if it does you good! How quickly and energetically

  you work for everything that can bring my ruin!

  Follow your jealous paths, hateful men;

  you have Christian excuses for them and, no doubt,

  in time you will get your just reward. That seal,

  which you demand with such violence, the King,

  your master and mine, gave to me with his own hand;

  he told me to enjoy it, with the position and honour which goes with it,

  during my life; and, to confirm his goodness,

  he gave me a contract for it. Now, who will take it?

  SURREY

  The king, that gave it.

  The King who gave it.

  CARDINAL WOLSEY

  It must be himself, then.

  He must do it himself, then.

  SURREY