ACT V. SCENE I.

A Gallery in the Palace.

Enter GARDINER Bishop of Winchester, a Page with a torch before him, met by Sir THOMAS LOVELL.

GAR. It's one o'clock, boy, is't not?

Bor.

It hath struck.

GAR. These should be hours for neceffities,

Not for delights; times to repair our nature
With comforting repose, and not for us

To waste these times. Good hour of night, fir

Thomas!

Whither so late?

Lor.

Came you from the king, my lord?

GAR. I did, fir Thomas; and left him at primero*

With the duke of Suffolk.

Lor.

I must to him too,

Before he go to bed. I'll take my leave.

9 Not for delights;) Gardiner himself is not much delighted. The delight at which he hints, seems to be the king's diversion, which keeps him in attendance. JOHNSON.

2

at primero-] Primero and Primavista, two games at cards, H. I. Primera, Primavista. La Primiere, G. Prime, f. Prime veue. Primum, et primum vifum, that is, first, and first seen: because he that can show fuch an order of cards first, wins the game. Minsheu's Guide into Tongues, col. 575. GREY.

So, in Woman's a Weathercock, 1612:

"Come will your worship make one at primero?"

- when

Again, in the Preface to The Rival Friends, 1632: it may be, fome of our butterfly judgements expected a fet at maw or primavista from them." STEEVENS.

GAR. Not yet, fir Thomas Lovell. What's the matter?

It seems, you are in haste: an if there be
No great offence belongs to't, give your friend
Some touch of your late business: Affairs, that

walk

(As, they say, spirits do,) at midnight, have In them a wilder nature, than the business

That seeks despatch by day.

Lov.

My lord, I love you;

And durft commend a secret to your ear
Much weightier than this work. The queen's in

labour,

They say, in great extremity; and fear'd,

She'll with the labour end.

GAR.

The fruit, she goes with,

I pray for heartily; that it may find
Good time, and live: but for the stock, fir Thomas,

I with it grubb'd up now.

Lor.

Methinks, I could

Cry the amen; and yet my confcience says
She's a good creature, and, sweet lady, does
Deferve our better wishes.

GAR.
But, fir, fir,-
Hear me, fir Thomas: You are a gentleman
Of mine own way; + I know you wife, religious;
And, let me tell you, it will ne'er be well,-
'Twill not, fir Thomas Lovell, take't of me,
Till Cranmer, Cromwell, her two hands, and she,

Sleep in their graves.

Lor.

Now, fir, you speak of two

3 Some touch of your late business:) Some hint of the business that keeps you awake so late. JOHNSON.

4

- mine own way;] Mine own opinion in religion.

JOHNSON.

The most remark'd i'the kingdom. As for Crom

well,

Beside that of the jewel-house, he's made' master O'the rolls, and the king's fecretary; further, fir, Stands in the gap and trade of more preferments, With which the time will load him: The archbi

shop

Is the king's hand, and tongue; And who dare

fpeak

One fyllable against him?

GAR.

Yes, yes, fir Thomas, There are that dare; and I myself have ventur'd To speak my mind of him: and, indeed, this day, Sir, (I may tell it you,) I think, I have Incens'd the lords o'the council, that he is (For fo I know he is, they know he is,) A most arch heretick, a pestilence

7

That does infect the land: with which they moved,

5he's made-) The pronoun, which was omitted in the old copy, was inferted by Mr. Theobald. MALONE.

6 Stands in the gap and trade of more preferments,] Trade is the practised method, the general course. JOHNSON.

Trade has been already used by Shakspeare with this meaning in King Richard II :

"Some way of common trade."

See Vol. VIII. p. 291, n. 7. STEEVENS.

Incens'd the lords o'the council, that he is &c.

A most arch beretick, This passage, according to the old elliptical mode of writing, may mean-I have incens'd the lords of the council, for that he is, i. e. because. STEEVENS.

I have roused the lords of the council by suggesting to them that he is a most arch heretick:--I have thus incited them against him.

MALONE.

Incenfed, I believe, in this instance, and some others, only means prompted, fet on. So, in King Richard III :

"Think you, my lord, this little prating York
"Was not incensed by his fubtle mother?" STEEVENS,

1

Have broken with the king; who hath so far
Given ear to our complaint, (of his great grace
And princely care; foreseeing those fell mischiefs
Our reasons laid before him,) he hath commanded,
To-morrow morning to the council-board

2

He be convented. He's a rank weed, fir Thomas,
And we must root him out. From your affairs
I hinder you too long: good night, fir Thomas.

Lor. Many good nights, my lord; I rest your
fervant. [Exeunt GARDINER and Page.

As LOVELL is going out, enter the King, and the
Duke of SUFFOLK.

K. HEN. Charles, I will play no more to-night;
My mind's not on't, you are too hard for me.
SUF. Sir, I did never win of you before.
K. HEN. But little, Charles;

Nor shall not, when my fancy's on my play.-
Now, Lovell, from the queen what is the news?

Lov. I could not perfonally deliver to her
What you commanded me, but by her woman
I fent your message; who return'd her thanks
In the greatest humbleness, and defir'd your highness
Moft heartily to pray for her.

8-broken with the king; They have broken filence; told their minds to the king. JOHNSON.

So, in Much Ado about nothing: "I will break with her." Again, in The Two Gentlemen of Verona:

"I am to break with thee of fome affairs." STEEVENS. 9-he bath commanded, He, which is not in the old copy, was inferted by Mr. Pope. He hath was often written contractedly b'ath. Hence probably the error. MALONE.

2 He be convented.] Convented is fummoned, convened. See Vol. IV. p. 364, n. 2. STEEVENS.

!

K. HEN.

What say'st thou? ha!

To pray for her? what, is she crying out?

Lor. So faid her woman; and that her fufferance

made

Almost each pang a death.

K. HEN.

3

Alas, good lady!

SUF. God fafely quit her of her burden, and

With gentle travail, to the gladding of

Your highness with an heir!

'Tis midnight, Charles,

K. HEN.
Pr'ythee, to bed; and in thy prayers remember
The estate of my poor queen.

Leave me alone;

For I must think of that, which company

Will not be friendly to.

SUF.

I wish your highness

A quiet night, and my good mistress will
Remember in my prayers.

"it is a fufferance panging

" As foul and body's severing." MALONE.

4 Enter Sir Anthony Denny.) The substance of this and the two following scenes is taken from Fox's Acts and Monuments of the Christian Martyrs, &c. 1563:

"When night came, the king fent fir Anthonie Denie about midnight to Lambeth to the archbishop, willing him forthwith to refort unto him at the court. The message done, the archbishop speedily addressed himselfe to the court, and comming into the