Read King John & Henry VIII Online
Authors: William Shakespeare
CHAMBERLAIN
Well
said
36
, my lord.
So now you’re
fairly
37
seated: gentlemen,
The penance lies on you, if these fair ladies
Pass away
39
frowning.
Hautboys. Enter Cardinal Wolsey, and takes his state
CARDINAL WOLSEY
You’re welcome, my fair guests: that noble lady
Or gentleman that is not freely merry,
Is not my friend. This, to confirm my welcome,
He drinks
And to you all, good health.
SANDS
Your grace is noble:
CARDINAL WOLSEY
My lord Sands,
I am
beholding
to you:
cheer
50
your neighbours:
Ladies, you are not merry: gentlemen,
Whose fault is this?
SANDS
The red wine first must rise
In their fair cheeks, my lord, then we shall have ’em
Talk us to silence.
ANNE
You are a merry
gamester
56
,
My lord Sands.
SANDS
Yes, if I
make my play
58
:
Here’s to your ladyship: and
pledge it
59
, madam,
For ’tis to such a
thing
60
—
ANNE
You cannot show me.
SANDS
I told your grace they would talk
anon
62
.
Drum and Trumpet:
chambers
discharged
CARDINAL WOLSEY
What’s that?
To Servants
CHAMBERLAIN
Look out there, some of ye.
CARDINAL WOLSEY
What warlike
voice
65
,
Exit Servants
And to what end is this? Nay, ladies, fear not:
By all the laws of war you’re
privileged
67
.
Enter a Servant
CHAMBERLAIN
How now, what is’t?
SERVANT
A noble troop of
strangers
69
,
For so they seem: they’ve left their barge and landed,
And hither
make
71
, as great ambassadors
From foreign princes.
CARDINAL WOLSEY
Good Lord Chamberlain,
Go, give ’em welcome: you can speak the French tongue:
And pray receive ’em nobly, and conduct ’em
Into our presence, where this
heaven of beauty
76
Shall shine at full upon them. Some attend him.
[
Exit Chamberlain, attended
]
All rise, and tables removed
You have now a
broken
78
banquet, but we’ll mend it.
A good digestion to you all: and once more
I shower a welcome on ye: welcome all.
Hautboys. Enter King
[
Henry
]
and others as
Masquers
,
habited
like shepherds, ushered by the Lord Chamberlain. They pass directly before the Cardinal, and gracefully salute him
A noble company: what are their
pleasures
81
?
CHAMBERLAIN
Because they speak no English, thus they prayed
To tell your grace: that having heard by
fame
83
Of this so noble and so fair assembly
This night to meet here, they could do no less,
Out of the great respect they bear to beauty,
But leave their flocks, and under your fair
conduct
87
,
Crave leave to view these ladies, and entreat
An hour of
revels
89
with ’em.
CARDINAL WOLSEY
Say, Lord Chamberlain,
They have done my poor house grace; for which I pay ’em
A thousand thanks, and pray ’em take their pleasures.
[
The Masquers
]
choose Ladies
[
for the dance
]. [
The
]
King
[
chooses
]
Anne Bullen
KING HENRY VIII
The fairest hand I ever touched. O beauty,
Till now I never knew thee!
Music
. [
They
]
dance
CARDINAL WOLSEY
My lord.
CHAMBERLAIN
Your grace?
CARDINAL WOLSEY
Pray, tell ’em thus much from me:
There should be one amongst ’em, by his person,
More worthy
this place
99
than myself, to whom,
If I
but
100
knew him, with my love and duty
I would surrender it.
CHAMBERLAIN
I will, my lord.
[
He talks in a
]
whisper
[
to the Masquers
]
CARDINAL WOLSEY
What say they?
CHAMBERLAIN
Such a one, they all confess,
There is indeed, which they would have your grace
Find out, and he will take
it
106
.
CARDINAL WOLSEY
Let me see, then.
By all your good leaves, gentlemen, here I’ll make
My royal choice.
KING HENRY VIII
Ye have found him, cardinal:
He unmasks
You hold a
fair
111
assembly: you do well, lord.
You are a churchman, or I’ll tell
you, cardinal
112
,
I should judge now unhappily.
CARDINAL WOLSEY
I am glad
Your grace is grown so
pleasant
115
.
KING HENRY VIII
My Lord Chamberlain,
Prithee
117
come hither: what fair lady’s that?
CHAMBERLAIN
An’t
118
please your grace, Sir Thomas Bullen’s daughter —
The Viscount Rochford — one of
her highness’ women
119
.
To Anne
KING HENRY VIII
By heaven, she is a
dainty
120
one.— Sweetheart,
I were unmannerly to
take you out
121
He drinks
And not to kiss you. A
health
122
, gentlemen:
Let it go round.
CARDINAL WOLSEY
Sir Thomas Lovell, is the
banquet
124
ready
LOVELL
Yes, my lord.
To the King
CARDINAL WOLSEY
Your grace,
I fear, with dancing is a little
heated
128
.
KING HENRY VIII
I fear too much.
CARDINAL WOLSEY
There’s fresher air, my lord,
In the next chamber.
To Anne
KING HENRY VIII
Lead in your ladies, ev’ry one: sweet partner,
To Cardinal Wolsey
I must not yet
forsake
133
you:— let’s be merry,
Good my lord cardinal: I have half a dozen healths
To drink to these fair ladies, and a
measure
135
To lead ’em once again, and then let’s
dream
136
Who’s
best in favour
. Let the music
knock it
137
.
Exeunt with Trumpets
running scene 4
Enter two Gentlemen at
several
doors
FIRST GENTLEMAN
Whither away so fast?
SECOND GENTLEMAN
O, God save ye:
Ev’n to the
hall
3
, to hear what shall become
Of the great Duke of Buckingham.
FIRST GENTLEMAN
I’ll save you
That labour, sir. All’s now done but the ceremony
Of bringing back the prisoner.
SECOND GENTLEMAN
Were you there?
FIRST GENTLEMAN
Yes, indeed was I.
SECOND GENTLEMAN
Pray speak what has happened.
FIRST GENTLEMAN
You may guess quickly what.
SECOND GENTLEMAN
Is he found guilty?
FIRST GENTLEMAN
Yes, truly is he, and condemned upon’t.
SECOND GENTLEMAN
I am sorry for’t.
FIRST GENTLEMAN
So are a number more.
SECOND GENTLEMAN
But pray, how
passed it
16
?
FIRST GENTLEMAN
I’ll tell you in
a little
17
. The great duke
Came to the bar, where
to his accusations
18
He pleaded
still
not guilty, and
alleged
19
Many sharp reasons to defeat the
law
20
.
The king’s attorney, on the contrary,
Urged on the
examinations
,
proofs
22
, confessions
Of
divers
23
witnesses, which the duke desired
To
him brought
viva voce
24.1
to his face:
At which appeared against him his surveyor,
Sir Gilbert Perk his chancellor, and John Car,
Confessor to him, with that devil monk,
Hopkins, that made this mischief.
SECOND GENTLEMAN
That was he
That fed him with his prophecies.
FIRST GENTLEMAN
The same:
All these accused him strongly, which he
fain
32
Would have flung from him, but indeed he could not:
And so his peers, upon this evidence,
Have found him guilty of high treason. Much
He spoke, and learnedly, for life, but all
Was either
pitied in him
or
forgotten
37
.
SECOND GENTLEMAN
After all this, how did he bear himself?
FIRST GENTLEMAN
When he was brought again to th’bar, to hear
His
knell
40
rung out, his judgement, he was stirred
With such an agony, he
sweat
41
extremely,
And something spoke in
choler
,
ill
42
and hasty:
But he
fell to
43
himself again, and sweetly
In all the rest showed a most noble patience.
SECOND GENTLEMAN
I do not think he fears death.
FIRST GENTLEMAN
Sure he does not:
He never was so womanish: the cause
He may a little grieve at.
SECOND GENTLEMAN
Certainly
The cardinal is the
end
50
of this.
FIRST GENTLEMAN
’Tis likely
By all conjectures: first,
Kildare’s attainder
52
,
Then
deputy
53
of Ireland, who, removed,
Earl Surrey was sent thither, and in haste too,
Lest he should help his
father
55
.
SECOND GENTLEMAN
That
trick of state
56