SCENE III. The Council-Chamber. The Life of King Henry the Eighth  Shakespeare homepage  |  Henry VIII  | Act 5, Scene 3 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene  SCENE III. The Council-Chamber. 

 Enter Chancellor; places himself at the upper end  of the table on the left hand; a seat being left  void above him, as for CRANMER's seat. SUFFOLK,  NORFOLK, SURREY, Chamberlain, GARDINER, seat  themselves in order on each side. CROMWELL at lower end, as secretary. Keeper at the door  Chancellor  Speak to the business, master-secretary: 

 Why are we met in council? 

 CROMWELL  Please your honours, 

 The chief cause concerns his grace of Canterbury. 

 GARDINER  Has he had knowledge of it? 

 CROMWELL  Yes. 

 NORFOLK  Who waits there? 

 Keeper  Without, my noble lords? 

 GARDINER  Yes. 

 Keeper  My lord archbishop; 

 And has done half an hour, to know your pleasures. 

 Chancellor  Let him come in. 

 Keeper  Your grace may enter now. 



 CRANMER enters and approaches the council-table  Chancellor  My good lord archbishop, I'm very sorry 

 To sit here at this present, and behold 

 That chair stand empty: but we all are men, 

 In our own natures frail, and capable 

 Of our flesh; few are angels: out of which frailty 

 And want of wisdom, you, that best should teach us, 

 Have misdemean'd yourself, and not a little, 

 Toward the king first, then his laws, in filling 

 The whole realm, by your teaching and your chaplains, 

 For so we are inform'd, with new opinions, 

 Divers and dangerous; which are heresies, 

 And, not reform'd, may prove pernicious. 

 GARDINER  Which reformation must be sudden too, 

 My noble lords; for those that tame wild horses 

 Pace 'em not in their hands to make 'em gentle, 

 But stop their mouths with stubborn bits, and spur 'em, 

 Till they obey the manage. If we suffer, 

 Out of our easiness and childish pity 

 To one man's honour, this contagious sickness, 

 Farewell all physic: and what follows then? 

 Commotions, uproars, with a general taint 

 Of the whole state: as, of late days, our neighbours, 

 The upper Germany, can dearly witness, 

 Yet freshly pitied in our memories. 

 CRANMER  My good lords, hitherto, in all the progress 

 Both of my life and office, I have labour'd, 

 And with no little study, that my teaching 

 And the strong course of my authority 

 Might go one way, and safely; and the end 

 Was ever, to do well: nor is there living, 

 I speak it with a single heart, my lords, 

 A man that more detests, more stirs against, 

 Both in his private conscience and his place, 

 Defacers of a public peace, than I do. 

 Pray heaven, the king may never find a heart 

 With less allegiance in it! Men that make 

 Envy and crooked malice nourishment 

 Dare bite the best. I do beseech your lordships, 

 That, in this case of justice, my accusers, 

 Be what they will, may stand forth face to face, 

 And freely urge against me. 

 SUFFOLK  Nay, my lord, 

 That cannot be: you are a counsellor, 

 And, by that virtue, no man dare accuse you. 

 GARDINER  My lord, because we have business of more moment, 

 We will be short with you. 'Tis his highness' pleasure, 

 And our consent, for better trial of you, 

 From hence you be committed to the Tower; 

 Where, being but a private man again, 

 You shall know many dare accuse you boldly, 

 More than, I fear, you are provided for. 

 CRANMER  Ah, my good Lord of Winchester, I thank you; 

 You are always my good friend; if your will pass, 

 I shall both find your lordship judge and juror, 

 You are so merciful: I see your end; 

 'Tis my undoing: love and meekness, lord, 

 Become a churchman better than ambition: 

 Win straying souls with modesty again, 

 Cast none away. That I shall clear myself, 

 Lay all the weight ye can upon my patience, 

 I make as little doubt, as you do conscience 

 In doing daily wrongs. I could say more, 

 But reverence to your calling makes me modest. 

 GARDINER  My lord, my lord, you are a sectary, 

 That's the plain truth: your painted gloss discovers, 

 To men that understand you, words and weakness. 

 CROMWELL  My Lord of Winchester, you are a little, 

 By your good favour, too sharp; men so noble, 

 However faulty, yet should find respect 

 For what they have been: 'tis a cruelty 

 To load a falling man. 

 GARDINER  Good master secretary, 

 I cry your honour mercy; you may, worst 

 Of all this table, say so. 

 CROMWELL  Why, my lord? 

 GARDINER  Do not I know you for a favourer 

 Of this new sect? ye are not sound. 

 CROMWELL  Not sound? 

 GARDINER  Not sound, I say. 

 CROMWELL  Would you were half so honest! 

 Men's prayers then would seek you, not their fears. 

 GARDINER  I shall remember this bold language. 

 CROMWELL  Do. 

 Remember your bold life too. 

 Chancellor  This is too much; 

 Forbear, for shame, my lords. 

 GARDINER  I have done. 

 CROMWELL  And I. 

 Chancellor  Then thus for you, my lord: it stands agreed, 

 I take it, by all voices, that forthwith 

 You be convey'd to the Tower a prisoner; 

 There to remain till the king's further pleasure 

 Be known unto us: are you all agreed, lords? 

 All  We are. 

 CRANMER  Is there no other way of mercy, 

 But I must needs to the Tower, my lords? 

 GARDINER  What other 

 Would you expect? you are strangely troublesome. 

 Let some o' the guard be ready there. 



 Enter Guard  CRANMER  For me? 

 Must I go like a traitor thither? 

 GARDINER  Receive him, 

 And see him safe i' the Tower. 

 CRANMER  Stay, good my lords, 

 I have a little yet to say. Look there, my lords; 

 By virtue of that ring, I take my cause 

 Out of the gripes of cruel men, and give it 

 To a most noble judge, the king my master. 

 Chamberlain  This is the king's ring. 

 SURREY  'Tis no counterfeit. 

 SUFFOLK  'Tis the right ring, by heaven: I told ye all, 

 When ye first put this dangerous stone a-rolling, 

 'Twould fall upon ourselves. 

 NORFOLK  Do you think, my lords, 

 The king will suffer but the little finger 

 Of this man to be vex'd? 

 Chancellor  'Tis now too certain: 

 How much more is his life in value with him? 

 Would I were fairly out on't! 

 CROMWELL  My mind gave me, 

 In seeking tales and informations 

 Against this man, whose honesty the devil 

 And his disciples only envy at, 

 Ye blew the fire that burns ye: now have at ye! 



 Enter KING, frowning on them; takes his seat  GARDINER  Dread sovereign, how much are we bound to heaven 

 In daily thanks, that gave us such a prince; 

 Not only good and wise, but most religious: 

 One that, in all obedience, makes the church 

 The chief aim of his honour; and, to strengthen 

 That holy duty, out of dear respect, 

 His royal self in judgment comes to hear 

 The cause betwixt her and this great offender. 

 KING HENRY VIII  You were ever good at sudden commendations, 

 Bishop of Winchester. But know, I come not 

 To hear such flattery now, and in my presence; 

 They are too thin and bare to hide offences. 

 To me you cannot reach, you play the spaniel, 

 And think with wagging of your tongue to win me; 

 But, whatsoe'er thou takest me for, I'm sure 

 Thou hast a cruel nature and a bloody. 



 To CRANMER  Good man, sit down. Now let me see the proudest 

 He, that dares most, but wag his finger at thee: 

 By all that's holy, he had better starve 

 Than but once think this place becomes thee not. 

 SURREY  May it please your grace,-- 

 KING HENRY VIII  No, sir, it does not please me. 

 I had thought I had had men of some understanding 

 And wisdom of my council; but I find none. 

 Was it discretion, lords, to let this man, 

 This good man,--few of you deserve that title,-- 

 This honest man, wait like a lousy footboy 

 At chamber--door? and one as great as you are? 

 Why, what a shame was this! Did my commission 

 Bid ye so far forget yourselves? I gave ye 

 Power as he was a counsellor to try him, 

 Not as a groom: there's some of ye, I see, 

 More out of malice than integrity, 

 Would try him to the utmost, had ye mean; 

 Which ye shall never have while I live. 

 Chancellor  Thus far, 

 My most dread sovereign, may it like your grace 

 To let my tongue excuse all. What was purposed 

 Concerning his imprisonment, was rather, 

 If there be faith in men, meant for his trial, 

 And fair purgation to the world, than malice, 

 I'm sure, in me. 

 KING HENRY VIII  Well, well, my lords, respect him; 

 Take him, and use him well, he's worthy of it. 

 I will say thus much for him, if a prince 

 May be beholding to a subject, I 

 Am, for his love and service, so to him. 

 Make me no more ado, but all embrace him: 

 Be friends, for shame, my lords! My Lord of 

 Canterbury, 

 I have a suit which you must not deny me; 

 That is, a fair young maid that yet wants baptism, 

 You must be godfather, and answer for her. 

 CRANMER  The greatest monarch now alive may glory 

 In such an honour: how may I deserve it 

 That am a poor and humble subject to you? 

 KING HENRY VIII  Come, come, my lord, you'ld spare your spoons: you 

 shall have two noble partners with you; the old 

 Duchess of Norfolk, and Lady Marquess Dorset: will 

 these please you? 

 Once more, my Lord of Winchester, I charge you, 

 Embrace and love this man. 

 GARDINER  With a true heart 

 And brother-love I do it. 

 CRANMER  And let heaven 

 Witness, how dear I hold this confirmation. 

 KING HENRY VIII  Good man, those joyful tears show thy true heart: 

 The common voice, I see, is verified 

 Of thee, which says thus, 'Do my Lord of Canterbury 

 A shrewd turn, and he is your friend for ever.' 

 Come, lords, we trifle time away; I long 

 To have this young one made a Christian. 

 As I have made ye one, lords, one remain; 

 So I grow stronger, you more honour gain. 



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