King John & Henry VIII (77 page)

3
omit … time
neglect this current opportunity

9
duke
i.e. of Buckingham

10
him
i.e. Wolsey

12
uncontemned
unscorned, not treated contemptuously

13
neglected
disregarded/slighted

15
Out of
beyond

19
Gives way
favors

19
fear
doubt

22
in’s
in his

24
out
ended, lost

26
he’s
may apply to Wolsey or to Henry

27
come off
escape (if Wolsey)/ desist (if Henry)

27
his
i.e. Henry’s

32
contrary
oppositional/contradictory

33
unfolded
exposed

36
practices
schemes

39
miscarried
went astray/were intercepted

42
stay
delay

45
creature
dependant, servant

49
perceives him
perceives

49
coasts And hedges
is indirect and devious (as if traveling in a roundabout manner along a coastline or by hedgerows)

51
physic
remedy

58
Trace the conjunction
follow the marriage

60
All men’s
puns on
amen

62
Marry
by the Virgin Mary (picks up on the notion of marriage)

62
young
i.e. recent news

62
may … unrecounted
perhaps not everyone will have heard it/not everyone needs to hear it

64
gallant
fine, splendid

64
complete
perfect

65
persuade me
am convinced

66
fall
befall/be born

67
memorized
made memorable

69
Digest
endure, stomach

76
cause
i.e. the divorce

76
unhandled
unresolved, without management

77
Is posted
has gone in haste

84
He … opinions
i.e. letters from him have been received ahead of his arrival; the
opinions
may be Cranmer’s own or, more likely, those that he was sent to gather on the divorce

88
published
announced publicly

100
moody
sullen, angry

101
packet
dispatch, packet of letters

103
Looked … paper?
i.e. Did he open it?

105
Presently
immediately

107
heed
care, attention

111
abroad
out of his
bedchamber

112
this
this time

117
visage
face

125
late
former

127
clear
bright

127
snuff it
trim its wick

130
spleeny Lutheran
hot-headed Protestant

130
wholesome
beneficial, healthy

131
lie i’th’bosom of
i.e. have sex with/share the secrets of

132
hard-ruled
difficult to manage; possible erectile connotations

133
arch-one
major, principal one (plays on “archbishop”)

134
Hath
who has

136
schedule
document

137
fret
gnaw, fray/add frets or ridges (to aid tuning on a stringed instrument)

138
master-cord
main sinew, chief string

138
on’s
of his

141
portion
share

146
commotion
agitation

149
straight
straight away

152
against
toward

157
wot
know

159
importing
concerning

160
several parcels
various pieces

160
plate
gold or silver tableware

161
stuffs
material, cloth

161
ornaments of household
furnishings

162
proud rate
great cost/vast quantity

162
outspeaks … subject
far exceeds what a subject ought to own

166
withal
with

168
contemplation
thoughts/religious musing

169
should
would be allowed (to)

171
below the moon
i.e. worldly

176
stuff
matter (plays on the sense of “(rich) fabric”; the king’s loaded language continues with
inventory
,
steal
,
audit
)

177
graces
virtues

179
leisure
time for contemplation

180
keep … audit
see to your worldly accounts (as opposed to the spiritual reckoning at Judgment Day)

181
ill husband
poor domestic manager

181
glad
i.e. because Wolsey is so unconcerned with self-seeking material matters (ironic)

187
times of preservation
life-sustaining activities (i.e. eating, sleeping)

187
perforce
of necessity

189
tendance
attention

197
crown … you
i.e. by investing Wolsey with Church promotions

199
alone
only

201
pared
trimmed, reduced

201
havings
fortune

206
prime
foremost, most powerful (under the king)

207
pronounce
declare

208
withal
moreover, in addition

210
graces
favors

211
could … requite
my most deliberate efforts could repay

215
filed
kept pace

216
so
only to the extent

220
allegiant
loyal

226
the … it
“honor is the reward of virtue” was proverbial

228
foulness
dishonor, public shame

232
power
faculties

233
notwithstanding … duty
despite your duty to the Church/beyond the debt of allegiance of any subject to his king

233
that your
i.e. that

234
in love’s particular
on account of the intimacy of close friendship

238
that … be
I who am, have been and will be (after digressing, Wolsey never in fact finishes this sentence)

239
crack
violate, destroy

242
horrid
frightening

243
chiding
tumultuous, angry

244
break
interrupt/stem

254
chafèd
enraged

255
galled
wounded/angered

256
makes him nothing
destroys him (the
huntsman
)

257
story
cause/narrative

258
undone
ruined

258
account
may play on the sense of “
story
, narrative”

259
world
vast quantity

261
fee
pay/bribe

262
cross
perverse, thwarting

263
main
chief, significant

265
device
strategy, trick

266
stir
anger

267
take right
works properly, succeeds

268
bring me off
rescue me

272
meridian
highest point (of the sun)

273
setting
decline, sunset

274
exhalation
shooting star, meteor

277
presently
immediately

279
Asher House
Esher House, Surrey, which belonged to Wolsey as Bishop of Winchester

282
commission
warrant, authority

284
cross
challenge

286
it
i.e. obey their orders

289
metal
material/mettle (i.e. disposition, spirit)

289
envy
malice

291
sleek
fawning, oily

291
wanton
unprincipled, lawless, merciless

295
rewards
i.e. punishments

298
enjoy
use, benefit from

300
Tied
authorized, confirmed

300
letters patents
documents signed by the king conferring land, title or official position

305
forty hours
used indefinitely to convey a broad period of time

308
scarlet sin
refers to the color of a cardinal’s robes; also to Isaiah 1:18 which describes sins as “red like scarlet”

311
parts
qualities

312
Weighed
equaled in weight

312
of
on

312
policy
political strategy, cunning

314
his succour
being able to help him (Buckingham)

315
fault
offense

315
gav’st
assigned to

319
credit
reputation

322
From
of

323
cause
case (tried in court)

326
That
I who

328
mate
be a match for, contend with

334
fellow
common man/servant/good-for-nothing (a contemptuous term for one of Wolsey’s status)

335
jaded
deceived, made fools of (plays on the sense of “made green”)

337
dare
daze

337
dare … larks
birds could be caught by being distracted with a piece of scarlet cloth while nets were dropped on them; there may be an implicit reference to Joan Larke, Wolsey’s mistress

348
issues
children, i.e. sons

349
he
i.e. Wolsey

350
articles
items in a list of formal charges

352
sacring bell
small bell rung at the consecration of the host, the holiest part of the Mass (after the Reformation it signified the bell rung to announce morning prayers)

352
brown
brunette/dark-complexioned (or sunburned; another dig at Wolsey, suggesting this particular lover is a common peasant)

352
wench
girl of the rustic or working class/mistress

356
hand
possession/handwriting

357
thus much
I can say this much

357
foul
plays on the sense of “illegible, blotted”

363
out
be revealed

367
dare
challenge, defy

367
objections
accusations

368
want
lack

369
Have at you!
i.e. here I come (standard utterance at the opening of a fight)

371
wrought
planned, connived, worked

371
legate
one of the Pope’s representatives

374
‘Ego … meus’
“My king and I” (Latin); literally “I and my king,” which leads Norfolk to claim that Wolsey places himself before the king; however, this is the required Latin word order and Wolsey’s real offense is to equate himself with the monarch

375
still
always

379
Ambassador
i.e. as Henry’s ambassador

379
emperor
the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V

379
made bold
dared

380
carry … seal
taking the great seal of England out of the country was forbidden