SCENE I. A street in Westminster. The Life of King Henry the Eighth  Shakespeare homepage  |  Henry VIII  | Act 4, Scene 1 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene  SCENE I. A street in Westminster. 

 Enter two Gentlemen, meeting one another  First Gentleman  You're well met once again. 

 Second Gentleman  So are you. 

 First Gentleman  You come to take your stand here, and behold 

 The Lady Anne pass from her coronation? 

 Second Gentleman  'Tis all my business. At our last encounter, 

 The Duke of Buckingham came from his trial. 

 First Gentleman  'Tis very true: but that time offer'd sorrow; 

 This, general joy. 

 Second Gentleman  'Tis well: the citizens, 

 I am sure, have shown at full their royal minds-- 

 As, let 'em have their rights, they are ever forward-- 

 In celebration of this day with shows, 

 Pageants and sights of honour. 

 First Gentleman  Never greater, 

 Nor, I'll assure you, better taken, sir. 

 Second Gentleman  May I be bold to ask at what that contains, 

 That paper in your hand? 

 First Gentleman  Yes; 'tis the list 

 Of those that claim their offices this day 

 By custom of the coronation. 

 The Duke of Suffolk is the first, and claims 

 To be high-steward; next, the Duke of Norfolk, 

 He to be earl marshal: you may read the rest. 

 Second Gentleman  I thank you, sir: had I not known those customs, 

 I should have been beholding to your paper. 

 But, I beseech you, what's become of Katharine, 

 The princess dowager? how goes her business? 

 First Gentleman  That I can tell you too. The Archbishop 

 Of Canterbury, accompanied with other 

 Learned and reverend fathers of his order, 

 Held a late court at Dunstable, six miles off 

 From Ampthill where the princess lay; to which 

 She was often cited by them, but appear'd not: 

 And, to be short, for not appearance and 

 The king's late scruple, by the main assent 

 Of all these learned men she was divorced, 

 And the late marriage made of none effect 

 Since which she was removed to Kimbolton, 

 Where she remains now sick. 

 Second Gentleman  Alas, good lady! 



 Trumpets  The trumpets sound: stand close, the queen is coming. 



 Hautboys 

 THE ORDER OF THE CORONATION  1. A lively flourish of Trumpets. 

 2. Then, two Judges. 

 3. Lord Chancellor, with the purse and mace 

 before him. 

 4. Choristers, singing. 



 Music  5. Mayor of London, bearing the mace. Then 

 Garter, in his coat of arms, and on his 

 head a gilt copper crown. 

 6. Marquess Dorset, bearing a sceptre of gold, 

 on his head a demi-coronal of gold. With 

 him, SURREY, bearing the rod of silver with 

 the dove, crowned with an earl's coronet. 

 Collars of SS. 

 7. SUFFOLK, in his robe of estate, his coronet 

 on his head, bearing a long white wand, as 

 high-steward. With him, NORFOLK, with the 

 rod of marshalship, a coronet on his head. 

 Collars of SS. 

 8. A canopy borne by four of the Cinque-ports; 

 under it, QUEEN ANNE in her robe; in her hair 

 richly adorned with pearl, crowned. On each 

 side her, the Bishops of London and 

 Winchester. 

 9. The old Duchess of Norfolk, in a coronal of 

 gold, wrought with flowers, bearing QUEEN 

 ANNE's train. 

 10. Certain Ladies or Countesses, with plain 

 circlets of gold without flowers. 



 They pass over the stage in order and state  Second Gentleman  A royal train, believe me. These I know: 

 Who's that that bears the sceptre? 

 First Gentleman  Marquess Dorset: 

 And that the Earl of Surrey, with the rod. 

 Second Gentleman  A bold brave gentleman. That should be 

 The Duke of Suffolk? 

 First Gentleman  'Tis the same: high-steward. 

 Second Gentleman  And that my Lord of Norfolk? 

 First Gentleman  Yes; 

 Second Gentleman  Heaven bless thee! 



 Looking on QUEEN ANNE  Thou hast the sweetest face I ever look'd on. 

 Sir, as I have a soul, she is an angel; 

 Our king has all the Indies in his arms, 

 And more and richer, when he strains that lady: 

 I cannot blame his conscience. 

 First Gentleman  They that bear 

 The cloth of honour over her, are four barons 

 Of the Cinque-ports. 

 Second Gentleman  Those men are happy; and so are all are near her. 

 I take it, she that carries up the train 

 Is that old noble lady, Duchess of Norfolk. 

 First Gentleman  It is; and all the rest are countesses. 

 Second Gentleman  Their coronets say so. These are stars indeed; 

 And sometimes falling ones. 

 First Gentleman  No more of that. 



 Exit procession, and then a great flourish of trumpets 

 Enter a third Gentleman  First Gentleman  God save you, sir! where have you been broiling? 

 Third Gentleman  Among the crowd i' the Abbey; where a finger 

 Could not be wedged in more: I am stifled 

 With the mere rankness of their joy. 

 Second Gentleman  You saw 

 The ceremony? 

 Third Gentleman  That I did. 

 First Gentleman  How was it? 

 Third Gentleman  Well worth the seeing. 

 Second Gentleman  Good sir, speak it to us. 

 Third Gentleman  As well as I am able. The rich stream 

 Of lords and ladies, having brought the queen 

 To a prepared place in the choir, fell off 

 A distance from her; while her grace sat down 

 To rest awhile, some half an hour or so, 

 In a rich chair of state, opposing freely 

 The beauty of her person to the people. 

 Believe me, sir, she is the goodliest woman 

 That ever lay by man: which when the people 

 Had the full view of, such a noise arose 

 As the shrouds make at sea in a stiff tempest, 

 As loud, and to as many tunes: hats, cloaks-- 

 Doublets, I think,--flew up; and had their faces 

 Been loose, this day they had been lost. Such joy 

 I never saw before. Great-bellied women, 

 That had not half a week to go, like rams 

 In the old time of war, would shake the press, 

 And make 'em reel before 'em. No man living 

 Could say 'This is my wife' there; all were woven 

 So strangely in one piece. 

 Second Gentleman  But, what follow'd? 

 Third Gentleman  At length her grace rose, and with modest paces 

 Came to the altar; where she kneel'd, and saint-like 

 Cast her fair eyes to heaven and pray'd devoutly. 

 Then rose again and bow'd her to the people: 

 When by the Archbishop of Canterbury 

 She had all the royal makings of a queen; 

 As holy oil, Edward Confessor's crown, 

 The rod, and bird of peace, and all such emblems 

 Laid nobly on her: which perform'd, the choir, 

 With all the choicest music of the kingdom, 

 Together sung 'Te Deum.' So she parted, 

 And with the same full state paced back again 

 To York-place, where the feast is held. 

 First Gentleman  Sir, 

 You must no more call it York-place, that's past; 

 For, since the cardinal fell, that title's lost: 

 'Tis now the king's, and call'd Whitehall. 

 Third Gentleman  I know it; 

 But 'tis so lately alter'd, that the old name 

 Is fresh about me. 

 Second Gentleman  What two reverend bishops 

 Were those that went on each side of the queen? 

 Third Gentleman  Stokesly and Gardiner; the one of Winchester, 

 Newly preferr'd from the king's secretary, 

 The other, London. 

 Second Gentleman  He of Winchester 

 Is held no great good lover of the archbishop's, 

 The virtuous Cranmer. 

 Third Gentleman  All the land knows that: 

 However, yet there is no great breach; when it comes, 

 Cranmer will find a friend will not shrink from him. 

 Second Gentleman  Who may that be, I pray you? 

 Third Gentleman  Thomas Cromwell; 

 A man in much esteem with the king, and truly 

 A worthy friend. The king has made him master 

 O' the jewel house, 

 And one, already, of the privy council. 

 Second Gentleman  He will deserve more. 

 Third Gentleman  Yes, without all doubt. 

 Come, gentlemen, ye shall go my way, which 

 Is to the court, and there ye shall be my guests: 

 Something I can command. As I walk thither, 

 I'll tell ye more. 

 Both  You may command us, sir. 



 Exeunt  Shakespeare homepage  |  Henry VIII  | Act 4, Scene 1 

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