Then, if you fight against God s enemy, And who doth lead them, but a paltry fellow, God will, in justice, wardyou as his soldiers; Long kept in Bretagne at our mother's cost? If you do sweat to put a tyrant down, A milk-sop, one that never in his life Let's whip these stragglers o'er the seas again; selves : Then, in the name of God, and all these rights, If we be conquer'd, let men conquer us, Advance your standards, draw your willing swords: And not these bastard Bretagnes; whom our fathers For me, the ransom of my bold attempt Have in theirown land beaten, bobb'd, and thump'd, Shall be this cold corpse on the earth's cold face; And, on record, left them the heirs of shame. But if I thrive, the gain of my attempt Shall these enjoy our lands? lie with our wives? The least of you shall share his part thereof. Ravish our daughters ?-Hark, I hear their drum. Sound, drums and trumpets, boldly and cheerfully; [Drum afar off: God, and Saint George! Richmond, and victory! Fight, gentlemen of England! fighi, bold yeomen! (Exeunt. Draw, archers, draw your arrows to the head! Re-enter King RICHARD, RATCLIFF, Attendants, Amaze the welkin with your broken staves ! Spur your proud horses hard, and ride in blood; and Forces. K. Rich. What said Northumberland, as touch Enter a Messenger. ing Richmond ? What says lord Stanley! will he bring his power? Rat. That he was never trained up in arms. Mess. My lord, he doth deny to come. K. Rich. He said the truth: And what said Surrey K. Rich. Off instantly with his son George's head. then ? Rat. He smil'd and said, the better for our pur- After the battle let George Stanley die. Nor. My lord, the enemy is pass'd the marsh; pose. K. Rich. A thousand hearts are great within K. Rich. He was i' the right; and so, indeed, it is. my bosom: [Clock strikes. Advance our standards, set upon our foes; Tell the clock there.-Give me a calendar. Our ancient word of courage, fair Saint George, Who saw the sun to-day ! Inspire us with the spleen of tiery dragons ! Rat. Not I, my lord. R. Rich. Then he disdains to shine ; for, by the Upon them! Victory sits on our helms. [Exeunt. book, SCENE IV.- Another Part of the Field. He should have brav'd the east an hour ago: A black day will it be to somebody: Alarum: Excursions. Enter NORFOLK, and Ratcliti, Forces; to him CATESBY. Rat. My lord ? Cate. Rescue, my lord of Norfolk, rescue, rescue! Alarum. Enter KING RICHARD. K. Rich. A horse! a horse! my kingdom for a Nor. Arm, arm, my lord; the foe vaunts in the horse ! field. Cate. Withdraw, my lord, I'll help you to a horse. K. Rich. Come, bustle, bustle;-Caparison my K. Rich. Slave, I have set my life upon a cast, horse And I will stand the hazard of the die: Five have I slain to-day instead of him :- A horse! a horse! my kingdom for a horse ! My foreward shall be drawn out all in length, (Exeunt. Consisting equally of horse and foot; Our archers shall be placed in the midst : Alarums. Enter KING RICHARD and RICHMOND; John duke of Norfolk, Thomas earl of Surrey, und cxeunt fighting. Retreat, and Flourish. Shall have the leading of this foot and horse. Then enter RICHMOND, STANLEY bearing the They thus directed, we ourself will follow Crown, with divers other Lords, and Forces. In the main battle; whose puissance on either side Shall be well winged with our chiefest horse. Richm. God, and your arms, be prais'd, victorious This, and Saint George to boot!—What think’st The day is ours, the bloody dog is dead. friends ; thou, Norfolk? Nor. A good direction, warlike sovereign. Stan. Courageous Richmond, well hast thou This found I on my tent this morning: acquit thee! [Giving a Scroll. Lo, here, this long-usurped royalty, K. Rich. Jocky of Norfolk, be not too bold, [Reads. From the dead temples of this bloody wretch For Dickon thy master is bought and sold. Have I pluck'd off to grace thy brows withal; Wear it, enjoy it, and make much of it. A thing devised by the enemy: Richm. Great God of heaven, say, amen, to all : Go, gentleman, every man unto his charge: But, tell me first, is young George Stanley living? Let not our babbling dreams atlright our souls : Stan. He is, my lord, and safe in Leicester town, Conscience is but a word that cowards use, Whither, if it please you, we may now withdraw us. Devised at first to keep the strong in awe; Richm. What men of name are slain on either Our strong arms be our conscience, swords our law. side? Murch on, join bravely, let us to't pell-mell; Stan, John duke of Norfolk, Walter lord Ferrers, If not to leaven, then hand in hand to hell. Sir Robert Brackenbury, and sir William Brandon. What shall I say more than I have inferr'd? Richm. Inter their bodies as becomes their births. Remember whom you are to cope withal; Proclain a pardon to the soldiers fled, Smile heaven upon this fair conjunction, England hath long been mad, and scarr’d herself; * Guard. * Requite. The brother blindly shed the brother's blood, & The ancient familiarization of Richard. "Company. The father rashly slaughter'd his own son, The son, compell’d, been butcher to the sire; Abate the edge of traitors, gracious Lord, That would reduce these bloody days again, And make poor England weep in streams of 0, now, let Richmond and Elizabeth, blood! The true succeeders of each royal house, Let them not live to taste this land's increase, By God's fair ordinance conjoin together! That would with treason wound this fair land's And let their heirs, (God, it'thy will be so,). peace! Enrich the time to come with smooth-faced Now civil wounds are stopp'd, peace lives again: peace, That she may long live here, God say-Amen. With smiling plenty, and fair prosperous days! [Exeunt. KING HENRY VIII. PERSONS REPRESENTED. King HENRY THE EIGHTH. GRIFFITH, Gentleman-usher to Queen Katharine. CARDINAL WOLSEY. Three other Gentlemen. Doctor BUTTS, Physician to the King. Surveyor to the Duke of Buckingham. BRANDON, and a Sergeant at Arms. DUKE OF NORFOLK. Door-keeper of the Council-chamber. DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM. Porter and his Man. DCKE OF SUFFOLK. Page to Gardiner. A Crier. QUEEN KATHARINE, Wife to King Henry, afterGARDINER, Bishop of Winchester. wards divorced. BISHOP OF LINCOLN. ANNE BULLEN, her Maid of Honor; afterwards LORD ABERGAVENNY. Queen. LORD SANDS. An old Lady, Friend to Anne Bullen. PATIENCE, Woman to Queen Katharine Several Lords and Ladies in the dumb shows : Sir NICHOLAS VAUX. Women attending upon the Queen; Spirits, Secretaries to Wolsey. which appear to her; Scribes, Officers, Guards, CROMWELL, Servant to Wolsey. and other Attendants. SCENE, chiefly in London and Westminster; once at Kimbolton PROLOGUE. I come no more to make you laugh; things now, Will be deceiv'd; for, gentle heaiers, know, ACT I. SCENE 1.-London. An Ante-chamber in the Buck. An untimely ague Stay'd me a prisoner in my chamber, when Those suns of glory, those two lights of men, other the DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM, and the LORD Nor. 'Twixt Guynes and the Arde: ABERGAVENNY. I was then present, saw them salute on horseBuck. Good morrow, and well met. How have back; you done, Beheld them, when they lighted, how they clung Since last we saw in France ? In their embracement, as they grew together; Nor. I thank your grace: Which had they, what four thron'd ones could have Healthful; and ever since a fresh admirer weigh'd Of what I saw there. Such a compounded one? 1 Laced. , Pretend. : Henry VIII. and Francis I., king of France. suns Buck. O, many Have broke their backs with laying manors on them Nor. Then you lost For this great journey: What did this vanity, The view of earthly glory : Men might say, But minister communication of Till this time, pomp was single; but now married A most poor issue ? To one above itself. Each following day Nor. Grievingly I think Became the next day's master, till the last The peace between the French and us not values Made former wonders its : To-day, the French, The cost that did conclude it. All clinquant, all in gold, like heathen gods, Buck. Every man, Shone down the English: and, to-morrow, they After the hideous storm that follow'd, was Made Britain, India: every man that stood, A thing inspir’d: and, not consulting, broke Show'd like a mine. Their dwarfish pages were Into a general prophecy, -That this tempest, As cherubim, all gilt: the madams too, Dashing the garment of this peace, aboded Not used to toil, did almost sweat to bear The sudden breach on't. The pride upon them, that their very labor Nor. Which is budded out; Was to them as a painting: now this mask For France hath flaw'd the league, and hath atWas cry'd incomparable; and the ensuing night tach'd Made it a fool, and beggar. The two kings, Our merchants' goods at Bourdeaux. Equal in lustre, were now best, now worst, Aber. Is it therefore As presence did present them; him in eye, The abrassador is silenced? Stilî him in praise : and, being present both, Nor. Marry, is't. 'Twas said, they saw but one; and no discerner Aber. A proper title of a peace; and purchas'd Durst wag his tongue in censure. When these At a superfluous rate! Buck. Why, all this business (For so they phrase them) by their heralds chal-Our reverend cardinal carried.? lenged Nor. 'Like it, your grace, The noble spirits to arms, they did perform The state takes notice of the private difference Beyond thought's compass; that former fabulous Betwixt you and the cardinal. I advise you, story, (And take it from a heart that wishes towards you Being now seen possible enough, got credit, Honor and plenteous safety,) that you read That Bevish was believ'd. The cardinal's malice and his potency Buck. 0, you go far. Together: to consider further, that Nor. As I belong to worship, and affect What his high hatred would effect, wants not In honor honesty, the tract of every thing A minister in his power: You know his nature, Would by a good discourser lose some lite, That he's revengeful; and I know, his sword Which action's self was tongue to. All was royal; Hath a sharp edge; it's long, and, it may be said, To the disposing of it nought rebell'd, It reaches far; and where 'twill not extend, Order gave each thing view; the office did Thither he darts it. Bosom up my counsel, Distinctly his full function. You'll find it wholesome. Lo, where comes that rock, That I advise your shunning. Enter CARDINAL WOLSEY, (the Purse borne before Nor. One, certes7 that promises no elements him,) certain of the Guard, and two Secretaries In such a business. with Papers. The CARDINAL in his passage Buck. I pray you, who, my lord ? fixeth his eye on BUCKINGHAM, and BUCKINGHAM Nor. All this was order'd by the good discretion on him, both full of disdain. Of the right reverend cardinal of York. Wol. The duke of Buckingham's surveyor? ha? Buck. The devil speed him ! no man's pie is Where's his examination ? free'd 1 Secr. Here, so please you. From his ambitious finger. What had he Wol. Is he in person ready? To do in these fierce vanities? I wonder, 1 Secr. Ay, please your grace. That such a keecho can with his very bulk Wol. Well, we shall then know more; and BuckTake up the rays o' the beneficial sun, ingham And keep it from the earth. Shall lessen this big look. Exeunt WOLSEY, and Train. There's in him stuff that puts him to these ends: Buck. This butcher's cur3 is venom-mouth'd, For, being not propp'd by ancestry, (whose grace and I Chalks successors their way,) nor cali'd upon Have not the power to muzzle him : therefore best For high feats done to the crown; neither allied Not wake him in his slumber. A beggar's book To eminent assistance, but, spider-like, Out-worths a noble's blood. Out of his self-drawing web, he gives us note, Nor. What, are you cha fed? The force of his own merit makes his way; Ask God for temperance; that's the appliance only, A gift that heaven gives for him, which buys Which your disease requires. A place next to the king. Buck. I read in his looks Aber. I cannot tell Matter against me; and his eye revil'd What heaven hath given him, let some graver eye Me, as his abject object : at this instant Pierce into that; but I can see his pride He borest me with some trick: He's gone to the Peep through each part of him: Whence has he king; that? I'll follow, and out-stare him. If not from hell, the devil is a niggard; Nor. Stay, my lord, Or has given all before, and he begins And let your reason with your choler question A new hell in himself. What 'tis you go about: To climb steep hills Requires slow pace at first : Anger is like A full-hot horse; who being allow'd his way, Without the privity o' the king, to appoint Self-mettle tires him. Not a man in England Who should attend on him? He makes up the Can advise me like you; be to yourself file As you would to your friend. Of all the gentry; for the most part such Buck. I'll to the king, Too, whom as great a charge as little honor And from a mouth of honor quite cry down He meant to lay upon: and his own letter, This Ipswich fellow's insolence; or proclaim, The honorable board of council out, There's ditference in no persons. Must fetch him in the papers. Nor. Be advis'd: Aber. I do know Heat not a furnace for your foe so hot Kinsmen of mine, three at the least, that have That it do singe yourself: We may out-run, By this so sickend their estates, that never By violent swiftness, that which we run at, They shall abound as formerly. And lose by over-running. Know you not, • Glittering, shining. • In opinion, which was most noble. The fire, that mounts the liquor till it run o'er, • Sir Bevis, an old romance. 1 Certainly. In seeming to augment it, wastes it? Be advis'd: • Practice. • Lump of fat. I say again, there is no English soul "Suts down in his letter without consulting the council. • Conducted. 3 Wolsey was the son of a butcher. • Stabs con More stronger to direct you than yourself; Bran. Here is a warrant from If with the sap of reason you would quench, The king, to attach lord Montacute; and the bodies Or but allay, the fire of passion. Of the duke's confessor, John de la Court, Buck. Sir, One Gilbert Peck, bis chancellor,I am thankful to you: and I'll go along Buck. So, so; By your prescription :-but this top-proud fellow, These are the limbs of the plot: no more, I hope. (Whom from the flow of gall I name not, but Bram. A monk o' the Chartreux. from sincere motions,) by intelligence, Buck. 0, Nicholas Hopkins ? And proofs as clear as jounts in July, when Brun. He. We see each grain of gravel, I do know Buck. My surveyor is false; the o'er-great carTo be corrupt and treasonous. dinal Nor, Say not, treasonous. Hath show'd him gold: my life is spann'd already; Buck. To the king I'll say't; and make my vouch I am the shadow of poor Buckingham; as strong Whose figure even this instant cloud puts on, As shore of rock. Attend. This holy fox, By dark’ning my clear sun. My lord, farewell. Or wolf, or both, (for he is equal ravenous, (Exeunt. As he is subtle; and as prone to mischief, As able to perform it: his mind and place SCENE II.-The Council-chamber. Infecting one another, yea, reciprocally,) Cornets. Enter King HENRY, CARDINAL WOLOnly to show his pomp as well in France SEY, the Lords of the Council, Sir THOMAS As here at home, suggests the king our master LOVELL, Officers and Attendants. The King To this last costly treaty, the interview, enters, leaning on the Cardinal's shoulder. That swallow'd so much treasure, and, like a glass, K. Hen. My life itself and the best heart of it, Did break i' the rinsing. Thanks you for this great care: I stood i' the level Nur. 'Faith, and so it did. Of a full-charged confederacy, and give thanks Buck. Pray, give me favor, sir. This cunning To you that chok'd it.-Let be call'd before us cardinal That gentleman of Buckingham's: in person The articles of the combination drew, I'll hear him his contessions justify; As himself pleas'd; and they were ratified, And point by point the treasons of his master As he cried, Thus set be: to as much end, He shall again relate. As give a crutch to the dead: But our count-cardinal The King takes his State. The Lords of the Council Has done this, and 'tis well; for worthy Wolsey, take their several Places. The CARDINAL places Who cannot err, he did it. Now this follows, himself under the King's Feet, on his right Side. (Which, as I take it, is a kind of puppy A Noise within, crying, Room for the Queen. Enter To the old dam, treason,)-Charles The emperor, the QUEEN, usher'd by the DUKES OF NORUnder pretence to see the queen his aunt, FOLK and SUFFOLK: she kneels. The KING (For 'twas indeed, his color; but he came riseth from his State, takes her up, kisses, and To whisper Wolsey,) here makes visitation: placeth her by him. His tears were, that the interview, betwixt England and France, might, through their amity, Q. Kath. Nay, we must longer kneel; I am a suitor. Breed him some prejudice; for from this league Peep'd arms that menaced him: He privily K. Hen. Arise, and take place by us: Half your suit Deals with our cardinal; and, as I trow,Which I do well; for, I am sure, the emperor Never name to us; you have half our power; Paid ere he promis'd; whereby his suit was granted, The other moiety, ere you ask, is given; Ere it was ask'd;—but when ihe way was made, Repeat your will, and take it. And pav'd with gold, the emperor thus desir'd; Q. Kath. Thank your majesty. That he would please to alter the king's course That you would love yourself; and, in that love, And break the aforesaid peace. Let the king know, Not unconsider'd leave your honor, nor (As soon he shall by me,) that thus the cardinal The dignity of your office, is the point Does buy and sell his honor as he pleases, Of my petition. K. Hen. Lady mine, proceed. Q. kath. I am solicited, not by a few, And those of true condition, that your subjects Something mistaken in't. Are in great grievance: there hath been commisBuck. No, not a syllable; sions I do pronounce him in that very shape, Sent down among them, which hath flaw'd the heart He shall appear in proof. Of all their loyalties :-wherein, although, Enter BRANDON; a Sergeant-at-Arms before him, Most bitterly on you, as putter-on My good lord cardinal, they vent reproaches and two or three of the Guard. Of these exactions, yet the king our master Bran. Your office, sergeant; execute it. (Whose honor Heaven shield from soil!) even he Serg. Sir, escapes not My lord the duke of Buckingham, and earl Language unmannerly, yea, such which breaks Ot Hereford, Stafford, and Northampton, I The sides of loyalty, and almost appears, Arrest thee of high treason, in the name In loud rebellion. Of our most sovereign king. Nor. Not almost appears Buck. Lo you, my lord, It doth appear; for, upon these taxations, The net has fallen upon me; I shall perish The clothiers all, not able to maintain Under device and practice. The many to them 'longing, have put off Bran. I am sorry The spinsters, carders, fullers, weavers, who, To see you ta'en from liberty, to look on Unfit for other life, compell’d by hunger The business present: 'Tis his highness' pleasure And lack of other means, in desperate manner You shall to the Tower. Daring the event to the teeth, are all in uproar, Buck. It will help me nothing, And danger serves among them. To plead mine innocence; for that dye is on me, K. Hen. Taxation! Which makes my whitest part black. The will of Wherein ? and what taxation ?--My lord cardinal, heaven You that are blamed for it alike with us, Be done in this and all things!-I obey Know you of this taxation ? O my lord Aberya'ny, fare you well. Wol. Please you, sir, Brun. Nay, he must bear you company :--The I know but of a single part, in aught king [TO ABERGAVENNY. Pertains to the state ; and front but in that file Is pleas'd, you shall to the Tower, till you know Where others tell steps with me.? How he determines further. Q. Kath. No, my lord, Aber. As the duke said, You know no more than others: but you frame The will of heaven be done, and the king's plea- Things that are known alike; which are not wholeBy me obey'd. To those which would not know them, and yet must • Excites, • Unfair stratagem. *I am only one among the other counsellors. sure some |