SCENE I. London. An ante-chamber in the palace. The Life of King Henry the Eighth  Shakespeare homepage  |  Henry VIII  | Act 1, Scene 1 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene  SCENE I. London. An ante-chamber in the palace. 

 Enter NORFOLK at one door; at the other, BUCKINGHAM and ABERGAVENNY  BUCKINGHAM  Good morrow, and well met. How have ye done 

 Since last we saw in France? 

 NORFOLK  I thank your grace, 

 Healthful; and ever since a fresh admirer 

 Of what I saw there. 

 BUCKINGHAM  An untimely ague 

 Stay'd me a prisoner in my chamber when 

 Those suns of glory, those two lights of men, 

 Met in the vale of Andren. 

 NORFOLK  'Twixt Guynes and Arde: 

 I was then present, saw them salute on horseback; 

 Beheld them, when they lighted, how they clung 

 In their embracement, as they grew together; 

 Which had they, what four throned ones could have weigh'd 

 Such a compounded one? 

 BUCKINGHAM  All the whole time 

 I was my chamber's prisoner. 

 NORFOLK  Then you lost 

 The view of earthly glory: men might say, 

 Till this time pomp was single, but now married 

 To one above itself. Each following day 

 Became the next day's master, till the last 

 Made former wonders its. To-day the French, 

 All clinquant, all in gold, like heathen gods, 

 Shone down the English; and, to-morrow, they 

 Made Britain India: every man that stood 

 Show'd like a mine. Their dwarfish pages were 

 As cherubins, all guilt: the madams too, 

 Not used to toil, did almost sweat to bear 

 The pride upon them, that their very labour 

 Was to them as a painting: now this masque 

 Was cried incomparable; and the ensuing night 

 Made it a fool and beggar. The two kings, 

 Equal in lustre, were now best, now worst, 

 As presence did present them; him in eye, 

 Still him in praise: and, being present both 

 'Twas said they saw but one; and no discerner 

 Durst wag his tongue in censure. When these suns-- 

 For so they phrase 'em--by their heralds challenged 

 The noble spirits to arms, they did perform 

 Beyond thought's compass; that former fabulous story, 

 Being now seen possible enough, got credit, 

 That Bevis was believed. 

 BUCKINGHAM  O, you go far. 

 NORFOLK  As I belong to worship and affect 

 In honour honesty, the tract of every thing 

 Would by a good discourser lose some life, 

 Which action's self was tongue to. All was royal; 

 To the disposing of it nought rebell'd. 

 Order gave each thing view; the office did 

 Distinctly his full function. 

 BUCKINGHAM  Who did guide, 

 I mean, who set the body and the limbs 

 Of this great sport together, as you guess? 

 NORFOLK  One, certes, that promises no element 

 In such a business. 

 BUCKINGHAM  I pray you, who, my lord? 

 NORFOLK  All this was order'd by the good discretion 

 Of the right reverend Cardinal of York. 

 BUCKINGHAM  The devil speed him! no man's pie is freed 

 From his ambitious finger. What had he 

 To do in these fierce vanities? I wonder 

 That such a keech can with his very bulk 

 Take up the rays o' the beneficial sun 

 And keep it from the earth. 

 NORFOLK  Surely, sir, 

 There's in him stuff that puts him to these ends; 

 For, being not propp'd by ancestry, whose grace 

 Chalks successors their way, nor call'd upon 

 For high feats done to the crown; neither allied 

 For eminent assistants; but, spider-like, 

 Out of his self-drawing web, he gives us note, 

 The force of his own merit makes his way 

 A gift that heaven gives for him, which buys 

 A place next to the king. 

 ABERGAVENNY  I cannot tell 

 What heaven hath given him,--let some graver eye 

 Pierce into that; but I can see his pride 

 Peep through each part of him: whence has he that, 

 If not from hell? the devil is a niggard, 

 Or has given all before, and he begins 

 A new hell in himself. 

 BUCKINGHAM  Why the devil, 

 Upon this French going out, took he upon him, 

 Without the privity o' the king, to appoint 

 Who should attend on him? He makes up the file 

 Of all the gentry; for the most part such 

 To whom as great a charge as little honour 

 He meant to lay upon: and his own letter, 

 The honourable board of council out, 

 Must fetch him in the papers. 

 ABERGAVENNY  I do know 

 Kinsmen of mine, three at the least, that have 

 By this so sickened their estates, that never 

 They shall abound as formerly. 

 BUCKINGHAM  O, many 

 Have broke their backs with laying manors on 'em 

 For this great journey. What did this vanity 

 But minister communication of 

 A most poor issue? 

 NORFOLK  Grievingly I think, 

 The peace between the French and us not values 

 The cost that did conclude it. 

 BUCKINGHAM  Every man, 

 After the hideous storm that follow'd, was 

 A thing inspired; and, not consulting, broke 

 Into a general prophecy; That this tempest, 

 Dashing the garment of this peace, aboded 

 The sudden breach on't. 

 NORFOLK  Which is budded out; 

 For France hath flaw'd the league, and hath attach'd 

 Our merchants' goods at Bourdeaux. 

 ABERGAVENNY  Is it therefore 

 The ambassador is silenced? 

 NORFOLK  Marry, is't. 

 ABERGAVENNY  A proper title of a peace; and purchased 

 At a superfluous rate! 

 BUCKINGHAM  Why, all this business 

 Our reverend cardinal carried. 

 NORFOLK  Like it your grace, 

 The state takes notice of the private difference 

 Betwixt you and the cardinal. I advise you-- 

 And take it from a heart that wishes towards you 

 Honour and plenteous safety--that you read 

 The cardinal's malice and his potency 

 Together; to consider further that 

 What his high hatred would effect wants not 

 A minister in his power. You know his nature, 

 That he's revengeful, and I know his sword 

 Hath a sharp edge: it's long and, 't may be said, 

 It reaches far, and where 'twill not extend, 

 Thither he darts it. Bosom up my counsel, 

 You'll find it wholesome. Lo, where comes that rock 

 That I advise your shunning. 



 Enter CARDINAL WOLSEY, the purse borne before him,  certain of the Guard, and two Secretaries with  papers. CARDINAL WOLSEY in his passage fixeth his  eye on BUCKINGHAM, and BUCKINGHAM on him, both full of disdain  CARDINAL WOLSEY  The Duke of Buckingham's surveyor, ha? 

 Where's his examination? 

 First Secretary  Here, so please you. 

 CARDINAL WOLSEY  Is he in person ready? 

 First Secretary  Ay, please your grace. 

 CARDINAL WOLSEY  Well, we shall then know more; and Buckingham 

 Shall lessen this big look. 



 Exeunt CARDINAL WOLSEY and his Train  BUCKINGHAM  This butcher's cur is venom-mouth'd, and I 

 Have not the power to muzzle him; therefore best 

 Not wake him in his slumber. A beggar's book 

 Outworths a noble's blood. 

 NORFOLK  What, are you chafed? 

 Ask God for temperance; that's the appliance only 

 Which your disease requires. 

 BUCKINGHAM  I read in's looks 

 Matter against me; and his eye reviled 

 Me, as his abject object: at this instant 

 He bores me with some trick: he's gone to the king; 

 I'll follow and outstare him. 

 NORFOLK  Stay, my lord, 

 And let your reason with your choler question 

 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, 

 Self-mettle tires him. Not a man in England 

 Can advise me like you: be to yourself 

 As you would to your friend. 

 BUCKINGHAM  I'll to the king; 

 And from a mouth of honour quite cry down 

 This Ipswich fellow's insolence; or proclaim 

 There's difference in no persons. 

 NORFOLK  Be advised; 

 Heat not a furnace for your foe so hot 

 That it do singe yourself: we may outrun, 

 By violent swiftness, that which we run at, 

 And lose by over-running. Know you not, 

 The fire that mounts the liquor til run o'er, 

 In seeming to augment it wastes it? Be advised: 

 I say again, there is no English soul 

 More stronger to direct you than yourself, 

 If with the sap of reason you would quench, 

 Or but allay, the fire of passion. 

 BUCKINGHAM  Sir, 

 I am thankful to you; and I'll go along 

 By your prescription: but this top-proud fellow, 

 Whom from the flow of gall I name not but 

 From sincere motions, by intelligence, 

 And proofs as clear as founts in July when 

 We see each grain of gravel, I do know 

 To be corrupt and treasonous. 

 NORFOLK  Say not 'treasonous.' 

 BUCKINGHAM  To the king I'll say't; and make my vouch as strong 

 As shore of rock. Attend. This holy fox, 

 Or wolf, or both,--for he is equal ravenous 

 As he is subtle, and as prone to mischief 

 As able to perform't; his mind and place 

 Infecting one another, yea, reciprocally-- 

 Only to show his pomp as well in France 

 As here at home, suggests the king our master 

 To this last costly treaty, the interview, 

 That swallow'd so much treasure, and like a glass 

 Did break i' the rinsing. 

 NORFOLK  Faith, and so it did. 

 BUCKINGHAM  Pray, give me favour, sir. This cunning cardinal 

 The articles o' the combination drew 

 As himself pleased; and they were ratified 

 As he cried 'Thus let be': to as much end 

 As give a crutch to the dead: but our count-cardinal 

 Has done this, and 'tis well; for worthy Wolsey, 

 Who cannot err, he did it. Now this follows,-- 

 Which, as I take it, is a kind of puppy 

 To the old dam, treason,--Charles the emperor, 

 Under pretence to see the queen his aunt-- 

 For 'twas indeed his colour, but he came 

 To whisper Wolsey,--here makes visitation: 

 His fears were, that the interview betwixt 

 England and France might, through their amity, 

 Breed him some prejudice; for from this league 

 Peep'd harms that menaced him: he privily 

 Deals with our cardinal; and, as I trow,-- 

 Which I do well; for I am sure the emperor 

 Paid ere he promised; whereby his suit was granted 

 Ere it was ask'd; but when the way was made, 

 And paved with gold, the emperor thus desired, 

 That he would please to alter the king's course, 

 And break the foresaid peace. Let the king know, 

 As soon he shall by me, that thus the cardinal 

 Does buy and sell his honour as he pleases, 

 And for his own advantage. 

 NORFOLK  I am sorry 

 To hear this of him; and could wish he were 

 Something mistaken in't. 

 BUCKINGHAM  No, not a syllable: 

 I  do pronounce him in that very shape 

 He shall appear in proof. 



 Enter BRANDON, a Sergeant-at-arms before him, and two or three of the Guard  BRANDON  Your office, sergeant; execute it. 

 Sergeant  Sir, 

 My lord the Duke of Buckingham, and Earl 

 Of Hereford, Stafford, and Northampton, I 

 Arrest thee of high treason, in the name 

 Of our most sovereign king. 

 BUCKINGHAM  Lo, you, my lord, 

 The net has fall'n upon me! I shall perish 

 Under device and practise. 

 BRANDON  I am sorry 

 To see you ta'en from liberty, to look on 

 The business present: 'tis his highness' pleasure 

 You shall to the Tower. 

 BUCKINGHAM  It will help me nothing 

 To plead mine innocence; for that dye is on me 

 Which makes my whitest part black. The will of heaven 

 Be done in this and all things! I obey. 

 O my Lord Abergavenny, fare you well! 

 BRANDON  Nay, he must bear you company. The king 



 To ABERGAVENNY  Is pleased you shall to the Tower, till you know 

 How he determines further. 

 ABERGAVENNY  As the duke said, 

 The will of heaven be done, and the king's pleasure 

 By me obey'd! 

 BRANDON  Here is a warrant from 

 The king to attach Lord Montacute; and the bodies 

 Of the duke's confessor, John de la Car, 

 One Gilbert Peck, his chancellor-- 

 BUCKINGHAM  So, so; 

 These are the limbs o' the plot: no more, I hope. 

 BRANDON  A monk o' the Chartreux. 

 BUCKINGHAM  O, Nicholas Hopkins? 

 BRANDON  He. 

 BUCKINGHAM  My surveyor is false; the o'er-great cardinal 

 Hath show'd him gold; my life is spann'd already: 

 I am the shadow of poor Buckingham, 

 Whose figure even this instant cloud puts on, 

 By darkening my clear sun. My lord, farewell. 



 Exeunt  Shakespeare homepage  |  Henry VIII  | Act 1, Scene 1 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene 