SCENE I. London. A gallery in the palace. The Life of King Henry the Eighth  Shakespeare homepage  |  Henry VIII  | Act 5, Scene 1 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene  SCENE I. London. A gallery in the palace. 

 Enter GARDINER, Bishop of Winchester, a Page with a torch before him, met by LOVELL  GARDINER  It's one o'clock, boy, is't not? 

 Boy  It hath struck. 

 GARDINER  These should be hours for necessities, 

 Not for delights; times to repair our nature 

 With comforting repose, and not for us 

 To waste these times. Good hour of night, Sir Thomas! 

 Whither so late? 

 LOVELL  Came you from the king, my lord 

 GARDINER  I did, Sir Thomas: and left him at primero 

 With the Duke of Suffolk. 

 LOVELL  I must to him too, 

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

 GARDINER  Not yet, Sir 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 dispatch by day. 

 LOVELL  My lord, I love you; 

 And durst 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. 

 GARDINER  The fruit she goes with 

 I pray for heartily, that it may find 

 Good time, and live: but for the stock, Sir Thomas, 

 I wish it grubb'd up now. 

 LOVELL  Methinks I could 

 Cry the amen; and yet my conscience says 

 She's a good creature, and, sweet lady, does 

 Deserve our better wishes. 

 GARDINER  But, sir, sir, 

 Hear me, Sir Thomas: you're a gentleman 

 Of mine own way; I know you wise, religious; 

 And, let me tell you, it will ne'er be well, 

 'Twill not, Sir Thomas Lovell, take't of me, 

 Till Cranmer, Cromwell, her two hands, and she, 

 Sleep in their graves. 

 LOVELL  Now, sir, you speak of two 

 The most remark'd i' the kingdom. As for Cromwell, 

 Beside that of the jewel house, is made master 

 O' the rolls, and the king's secretary; further, sir, 

 Stands in the gap and trade of moe preferments, 

 With which the time will load him. The archbishop 

 Is the king's hand and tongue; and who dare speak 

 One syllable against him? 

 GARDINER  Yes, yes, Sir Thomas, 

 There are that dare; and I myself have ventured 

 To speak my mind of him: and indeed this day, 

 Sir, I may tell it you, I think I have 

 Incensed the lords o' the council, that he is, 

 For so I know he is, they know he is, 

 A most arch heretic, a pestilence 

 That does infect the land: with which they moved 

 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, hath commanded 

 To-morrow morning to the council-board 

 He be convented. He's a rank weed, Sir Thomas, 

 And we must root him out. From your affairs 

 I hinder you too long: good night, Sir Thomas. 

 LOVELL  Many good nights, my lord: I rest your servant. 



 Exeunt GARDINER and Page 

 Enter KING HENRY VIII and SUFFOLK  KING HENRY VIII  Charles, I will play no more tonight; 

 My mind's not on't; you are too hard for me. 

 SUFFOLK  Sir, I did never win of you before. 

 KING HENRY VIII  But little, Charles; 

 Nor shall not, when my fancy's on my play. 

 Now, Lovell, from the queen what is the news? 

 LOVELL  I could not personally deliver to her 

 What you commanded me, but by her woman 

 I sent your message; who return'd her thanks 

 In the great'st humbleness, and desired your highness 

 Most heartily to pray for her. 

 KING HENRY VIII  What say'st thou, ha? 

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

 LOVELL  So said her woman; and that her sufferance made 

 Almost each pang a death. 

 KING HENRY VIII  Alas, good lady! 

 SUFFOLK  God safely quit her of her burthen, and 

 With gentle travail, to the gladding of 

 Your highness with an heir! 

 KING HENRY VIII  'Tis midnight, Charles; 

 Prithee, to bed; and in thy prayers remember 

 The estate of my poor queen. Leave me alone; 

 For I must think of that which company 

 Would not be friendly to. 

 SUFFOLK  I wish your highness 

 A quiet night; and my good mistress will 

 Remember in my prayers. 

 KING HENRY VIII  Charles, good night. 



 Exit SUFFOLK 

 Enter DENNY  Well, sir, what follows? 

 DENNY  Sir, I have brought my lord the archbishop, 

 As you commanded me. 

 KING HENRY VIII  Ha! Canterbury? 

 DENNY  Ay, my good lord. 

 KING HENRY VIII  'Tis true: where is he, Denny? 

 DENNY  He attends your highness' pleasure. 



 Exit DENNY  LOVELL  [Aside]  This is about that which the bishop spake: 

 I am happily come hither. 



 Re-enter DENNY, with CRANMER  KING HENRY VIII  Avoid the gallery. 



 LOVELL seems to stay  Ha! I have said. Be gone. What! 



 Exeunt LOVELL and DENNY  CRANMER  [Aside] 

 I am fearful: wherefore frowns he thus? 

 'Tis his aspect of terror. All's not well. 

 KING HENRY VIII  How now, my lord! you desire to know 

 Wherefore I sent for you. 

 CRANMER  [Kneeling]              It is my duty 

 To attend your highness' pleasure. 

 KING HENRY VIII  Pray you, arise, 

 My good and gracious Lord of Canterbury. 

 Come, you and I must walk a turn together; 

 I have news to tell you: come, come, give me your hand. 

 Ah, my good lord, I grieve at what I speak, 

 And am right sorry to repeat what follows 

 I have, and most unwillingly, of late 

 Heard many grievous, I do say, my lord, 

 Grievous complaints of you; which, being consider'd, 

 Have moved us and our council, that you shall 

 This morning come before us; where, I know, 

 You cannot with such freedom purge yourself, 

 But that, till further trial in those charges 

 Which will require your answer, you must take 

 Your patience to you, and be well contented 

 To make your house our Tower: you a brother of us, 

 It fits we thus proceed, or else no witness 

 Would come against you. 

 CRANMER  [Kneeling] 

 I humbly thank your highness; 

 And am right glad to catch this good occasion 

 Most throughly to be winnow'd, where my chaff 

 And corn shall fly asunder: for, I know, 

 There's none stands under more calumnious tongues 

 Than I myself, poor man. 

 KING HENRY VIII  Stand up, good Canterbury: 

 Thy truth and thy integrity is rooted 

 In us, thy friend: give me thy hand, stand up: 

 Prithee, let's walk. Now, by my holidame. 

 What manner of man are you? My lord, I look'd 

 You would have given me your petition, that 

 I should have ta'en some pains to bring together 

 Yourself and your accusers; and to have heard you, 

 Without indurance, further. 

 CRANMER  Most dread liege, 

 The good I stand on is my truth and honesty: 

 If they shall fail, I, with mine enemies, 

 Will triumph o'er my person; which I weigh not, 

 Being of those virtues vacant. I fear nothing 

 What can be said against me. 

 KING HENRY VIII  Know you not 

 How your state stands i' the world, with the whole world? 

 Your enemies are many, and not small; their practises 

 Must bear the same proportion; and not ever 

 The justice and the truth o' the question carries 

 The due o' the verdict with it: at what ease 

 Might corrupt minds procure knaves as corrupt 

 To swear against you? such things have been done. 

 You are potently opposed; and with a malice 

 Of as great size. Ween you of better luck, 

 I mean, in perjured witness, than your master, 

 Whose minister you are, whiles here he lived 

 Upon this naughty earth? Go to, go to; 

 You take a precipice for no leap of danger, 

 And woo your own destruction. 

 CRANMER  God and your majesty 

 Protect mine innocence, or I fall into 

 The trap is laid for me! 

 KING HENRY VIII  Be of good cheer; 

 They shall no more prevail than we give way to. 

 Keep comfort to you; and this morning see 

 You do appear before them: if they shall chance, 

 In charging you with matters, to commit you, 

 The best persuasions to the contrary 

 Fail not to use, and with what vehemency 

 The occasion shall instruct you: if entreaties 

 Will render you no remedy, this ring 

 Deliver them, and your appeal to us 

 There make before them. Look, the good man weeps! 

 He's honest, on mine honour. God's blest mother! 

 I swear he is true--hearted; and a soul 

 None better in my kingdom. Get you gone, 

 And do as I have bid you. 



 Exit CRANMER  He has strangled 

 His language in his tears. 



 Enter Old Lady, LOVELL following  Gentleman  [Within]                 Come back: what mean you? 

 Old Lady  I'll not come back; the tidings that I bring 

 Will make my boldness manners. Now, good angels 

 Fly o'er thy royal head, and shade thy person 

 Under their blessed wings! 

 KING HENRY VIII  Now, by thy looks 

 I guess thy message. Is the queen deliver'd? 

 Say, ay; and of a boy. 

 Old Lady  Ay, ay, my liege; 

 And of a lovely boy: the God of heaven 

 Both now and ever bless her! 'tis a girl, 

 Promises boys hereafter. Sir, your queen 

 Desires your visitation, and to be 

 Acquainted with this stranger 'tis as like you 

 As cherry is to cherry. 

 KING HENRY VIII  Lovell! 

 LOVELL  Sir? 

 KING HENRY VIII  Give her an hundred marks. I'll to the queen. 



 Exit  Old Lady  An hundred marks! By this light, I'll ha' more. 

 An ordinary groom is for such payment. 

 I will have more, or scold it out of him. 

 Said I for this, the girl was like to him? 

 I will have more, or else unsay't; and now, 

 While it is hot, I'll put it to the issue. 



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