SCENE II. The same. The council-chamber. The Life of King Henry the Eighth  Shakespeare homepage  |  Henry VIII  | Act 1, Scene 2 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene  SCENE II. The same. The council-chamber. 

 Cornets. Enter KING HENRY VIII, leaning on  CARDINAL WOLSEY's shoulder, the Nobles, and LOVELL;  CARDINAL WOLSEY places himself under KING HENRY VIII's feet on his right side  KING HENRY VIII  My life itself, and the best heart of it, 

 Thanks you for this great care: I stood i' the level 

 Of a full-charged confederacy, and give thanks 

 To you that choked it. Let be call'd before us 

 That gentleman of Buckingham's; in person 

 I'll hear him his confessions justify; 

 And point by point the treasons of his master 

 He shall again relate. 



 A noise within, crying 'Room for the Queen!' Enter  QUEEN KATHARINE, ushered by NORFOLK, and SUFFOLK:  she kneels. KING HENRY VIII riseth from his state, takes her up, kisses and placeth her by him  QUEEN KATHARINE  Nay, we must longer kneel: I am a suitor. 

 KING HENRY VIII  Arise, and take place by us: half your suit 

 Never name to us; you have half our power: 

 The other moiety, ere you ask, is given; 

 Repeat your will and take it. 

 QUEEN KATHARINE  Thank your majesty. 

 That you would love yourself, and in that love 

 Not unconsider'd leave your honour, nor 

 The dignity of your office, is the point 

 Of my petition. 

 KING HENRY VIII  Lady mine, proceed. 

 QUEEN KATHARINE  I am solicited, not by a few, 

 And those of true condition, that your subjects 

 Are in great grievance: there have been commissions 

 Sent down among 'em, which hath flaw'd the heart 

 Of all their loyalties: wherein, although, 

 My good lord cardinal, they vent reproaches 

 Most bitterly on you, as putter on 

 Of these exactions, yet the king our master-- 

 Whose honour heaven shield from soil!--even he 

 escapes not 

 Language unmannerly, yea, such which breaks 

 The sides of loyalty, and almost appears 

 In loud rebellion. 

 NORFOLK  Not almost appears, 

 It doth appear; for, upon these taxations, 

 The clothiers all, not able to maintain 

 The many to them longing, have put off 

 The spinsters, carders, fullers, weavers, who, 

 Unfit for other life, compell'd by hunger 

 And lack of other means, in desperate manner 

 Daring the event to the teeth, are all in uproar, 

 And danger serves among then! 

 KING HENRY VIII  Taxation! 

 Wherein? and what taxation? My lord cardinal, 

 You that are blamed for it alike with us, 

 Know you of this taxation? 

 CARDINAL WOLSEY  Please you, sir, 

 I know but of a single part, in aught 

 Pertains to the state; and front but in that file 

 Where others tell steps with me. 

 QUEEN KATHARINE  No, my lord, 

 You know no more than others; but you frame 

 Things that are known alike; which are not wholesome 

 To those which would not know them, and yet must 

 Perforce be their acquaintance. These exactions, 

 Whereof my sovereign would have note, they are 

 Most pestilent to the bearing; and, to bear 'em, 

 The back is sacrifice to the load. They say 

 They are devised by you; or else you suffer 

 Too hard an exclamation. 

 KING HENRY VIII  Still exaction! 

 The nature of it? in what kind, let's know, 

 Is this exaction? 

 QUEEN KATHARINE  I am much too venturous 

 In tempting of your patience; but am bolden'd 

 Under your promised pardon. The subjects' grief 

 Comes through commissions, which compel from each 

 The sixth part of his substance, to be levied 

 Without delay; and the pretence for this 

 Is named, your wars in France: this makes bold mouths: 

 Tongues spit their duties out, and cold hearts freeze 

 Allegiance in them; their curses now 

 Live where their prayers did: and it's come to pass, 

 This tractable obedience is a slave 

 To each incensed will. I would your highness 

 Would give it quick consideration, for 

 There is no primer business. 

 KING HENRY VIII  By my life, 

 This is against our pleasure. 

 CARDINAL WOLSEY  And for me, 

 I have no further gone in this than by 

 A single voice; and that not pass'd me but 

 By learned approbation of the judges. If I am 

 Traduced by ignorant tongues, which neither know 

 My faculties nor person, yet will be 

 The chronicles of my doing, let me say 

 'Tis but the fate of place, and the rough brake 

 That virtue must go through. We must not stint 

 Our necessary actions, in the fear 

 To cope malicious censurers; which ever, 

 As ravenous fishes, do a vessel follow 

 That is new-trimm'd, but benefit no further 

 Than vainly longing. What we oft do best, 

 By sick interpreters, once weak ones, is 

 Not ours, or not allow'd; what worst, as oft, 

 Hitting a grosser quality, is cried up 

 For our best act. If we shall stand still, 

 In fear our motion will be mock'd or carp'd at, 

 We should take root here where we sit, or sit 

 State-statues only. 

 KING HENRY VIII  Things done well, 

 And with a care, exempt themselves from fear; 

 Things done without example, in their issue 

 Are to be fear'd. Have you a precedent 

 Of this commission? I believe, not any. 

 We must not rend our subjects from our laws, 

 And stick them in our will. Sixth part of each? 

 A trembling contribution! Why, we take 

 From every tree lop, bark, and part o' the timber; 

 And, though we leave it with a root, thus hack'd, 

 The air will drink the sap. To every county 

 Where this is question'd send our letters, with 

 Free pardon to each man that has denied 

 The force of this commission: pray, look to't; 

 I put it to your care. 

 CARDINAL WOLSEY  A word with you. 



 To the Secretary  Let there be letters writ to every shire, 

 Of the king's grace and pardon. The grieved commons 

 Hardly conceive of me; let it be noised 

 That through our intercession this revokement 

 And pardon comes: I shall anon advise you 

 Further in the proceeding. 



 Exit Secretary 

 Enter Surveyor  QUEEN KATHARINE  I am sorry that the Duke of Buckingham 

 Is run in your displeasure. 

 KING HENRY VIII  It grieves many: 

 The gentleman is learn'd, and a most rare speaker; 

 To nature none more bound; his training such, 

 That he may furnish and instruct great teachers, 

 And never seek for aid out of himself. Yet see, 

 When these so noble benefits shall prove 

 Not well disposed, the mind growing once corrupt, 

 They turn to vicious forms, ten times more ugly 

 Than ever they were fair. This man so complete, 

 Who was enroll'd 'mongst wonders, and when we, 

 Almost with ravish'd listening, could not find 

 His hour of speech a minute; he, my lady, 

 Hath into monstrous habits put the graces 

 That once were his, and is become as black 

 As if besmear'd in hell. Sit by us; you shall hear-- 

 This was his gentleman in trust--of him 

 Things to strike honour sad. Bid him recount 

 The fore-recited practises; whereof 

 We cannot feel too little, hear too much. 

 CARDINAL WOLSEY  Stand forth, and with bold spirit relate what you, 

 Most like a careful subject, have collected 

 Out of the Duke of Buckingham. 

 KING HENRY VIII  Speak freely. 

 Surveyor  First, it was usual with him, every day 

 It would infect his speech, that if the king 

 Should without issue die, he'll carry it so 

 To make the sceptre his: these very words 

 I've heard him utter to his son-in-law, 

 Lord Abergavenny; to whom by oath he menaced 

 Revenge upon the cardinal. 

 CARDINAL WOLSEY  Please your highness, note 

 This dangerous conception in this point. 

 Not friended by by his wish, to your high person 

 His will is most malignant; and it stretches 

 Beyond you, to your friends. 

 QUEEN KATHARINE  My learn'd lord cardinal, 

 Deliver all with charity. 

 KING HENRY VIII  Speak on: 

 How grounded he his title to the crown, 

 Upon our fail? to this point hast thou heard him 

 At any time speak aught? 

 Surveyor  He was brought to this 

 By a vain prophecy of Nicholas Hopkins. 

 KING HENRY VIII  What was that Hopkins? 

 Surveyor  Sir, a Chartreux friar, 

 His confessor, who fed him every minute 

 With words of sovereignty. 

 KING HENRY VIII  How know'st thou this? 

 Surveyor  Not long before your highness sped to France, 

 The duke being at the Rose, within the parish 

 Saint Lawrence Poultney, did of me demand 

 What was the speech among the Londoners 

 Concerning the French journey: I replied, 

 Men fear'd the French would prove perfidious, 

 To the king's danger. Presently the duke 

 Said, 'twas the fear, indeed; and that he doubted 

 'Twould prove the verity of certain words 

 Spoke by a holy monk; 'that oft,' says he, 

 'Hath sent to me, wishing me to permit 

 John de la Car, my chaplain, a choice hour 

 To hear from him a matter of some moment: 

 Whom after under the confession's seal 

 He solemnly had sworn, that what he spoke 

 My chaplain to no creature living, but 

 To me, should utter, with demure confidence 

 This pausingly ensued: neither the king nor's heirs, 

 Tell you the duke, shall prosper: bid him strive 

 To gain the love o' the commonalty: the duke 

 Shall govern England.' 

 QUEEN KATHARINE  If I know you well, 

 You were the duke's surveyor, and lost your office 

 On the complaint o' the tenants: take good heed 

 You charge not in your spleen a noble person 

 And spoil your nobler soul: I say, take heed; 

 Yes, heartily beseech you. 

 KING HENRY VIII  Let him on. 

 Go forward. 

 Surveyor  On my soul, I'll speak but truth. 

 I told my lord the duke, by the devil's illusions 

 The monk might be deceived; and that 'twas dangerous for him 

 To ruminate on this so far, until 

 It forged him some design, which, being believed, 

 It was much like to do: he answer'd, 'Tush, 

 It can do me no damage;' adding further, 

 That, had the king in his last sickness fail'd, 

 The cardinal's and Sir Thomas Lovell's heads 

 Should have gone off. 

 KING HENRY VIII  Ha! what, so rank? Ah ha! 

 There's mischief in this man: canst thou say further? 

 Surveyor  I can, my liege. 

 KING HENRY VIII  Proceed. 

 Surveyor  Being at Greenwich, 

 After your highness had reproved the duke 

 About Sir William Blomer,-- 

 KING HENRY VIII  I remember 

 Of such a time: being my sworn servant, 

 The duke retain'd him his. But on; what hence? 

 Surveyor  'If,' quoth he, 'I for this had been committed, 

 As, to the Tower, I thought, I would have play'd 

 The part my father meant to act upon 

 The usurper Richard; who, being at Salisbury, 

 Made suit to come in's presence; which if granted, 

 As he made semblance of his duty, would 

 Have put his knife to him.' 

 KING HENRY VIII  A giant traitor! 

 CARDINAL WOLSEY  Now, madam, may his highness live in freedom, 

 and this man out of prison? 

 QUEEN KATHARINE  God mend all! 

 KING HENRY VIII  There's something more would out of thee; what say'st? 

 Surveyor  After 'the duke his father,' with 'the knife,' 

 He stretch'd him, and, with one hand on his dagger, 

 Another spread on's breast, mounting his eyes 

 He did discharge a horrible oath; whose tenor 

 Was,--were he evil used, he would outgo 

 His father by as much as a performance 

 Does an irresolute purpose. 

 KING HENRY VIII  There's his period, 

 To sheathe his knife in us. He is attach'd; 

 Call him to present trial: if he may 

 Find mercy in the law, 'tis his: if none, 

 Let him not seek 't of us: by day and night, 

 He's traitor to the height. 



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