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Henry VIII: Act V, Scene 1

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Henry VIII
Act V, Scene 1

Scene 1

London. A gallery in the palace.

  1. Enter Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester, Gardiner’s Page with a
  2. torch before him, met by Sir Thomas Lovell.

Bishop of Winchester

1
  1. It’s one a’ clock, boy, is’t not?

Gardiner’s Page

2
  1.                                   It hath struck.

Bishop of Winchester

3 - 7
  1. These should be hours for necessities,
  2. Not for delights; times to repair our nature
  3. With comforting repose, and not for us
  4. To waste these times. Good hour of night, Sir Thomas!
  5. Whither so late?

Sir Thomas Lovell

8
  1.                  Came you from the King, my lord?

Bishop of Winchester

9 - 10
  1. I did, Sir Thomas, and left him at primero
  2. With the Duke of Suffolk.

Sir Thomas Lovell

11 - 12
  1.                           I must to him too,
  2. Before he go to bed. I’ll take my leave.

Bishop of Winchester

13 - 19
  1. Not yet, Sir Thomas Lovell. What’s the matter?
  2. It seems you are in haste. And if there be
  3. No great offense belongs to’t, give your friend
  4. Some touch of your late business. Affairs that walk
  5. (As they say spirits do) at midnight, have
  6. In them a wilder nature than the business
  7. That seeks dispatch by day.

Sir Thomas Lovell

20 - 24
  1.                             My lord, I love you;
  2. And durst commend a secret to your ear
  3. Much weightier than this work. The Queen’s in labor,
  4. They say in great extremity, and fear’d
  5. She’ll with the labor end.

Bishop of Winchester

25 - 28
  1.                            The fruit she goes with
  2. I pray for heartily, that it may find
  3. Good time, and live; but for the stock, Sir Thomas,
  4. I wish it grubb’d up now.

Sir Thomas Lovell

29 - 32
  1.                           Methinks I could
  2. Cry the amen, and yet my conscience says
  3. She’s a good creature, and, sweet lady, does
  4. Deserve our better wishes.

Bishop of Winchester

33 - 39
  1.                            But, sir, sir,
  2. Hear me, Sir Thomas, y’ are a gentleman
  3. Of mine own way; I know you wise, religious,
  4. And, let me tell you, it will ne’er be well—
  5. ’Twill not, Sir Thomas Lovell, take’t of me—
  6. Till Cranmer, Cromwell, her two hands, and she
  7. Sleep in their graves.

Sir Thomas Lovell

40 - 47
  1.                        Now, sir, you speak of two
  2. The most remark’d i’ th’ kingdom. As for Cromwell,
  3. Beside that of the Jewel House, is made Master
  4. O’ th’ Rolls, and the King’s secretary; further, sir,
  5. Stands in the gap and trade of more preferments,
  6. With which the time will load him. Th’ Archbishop
  7. Is the King’s hand and tongue, and who dare speak
  8. One syllable against him?

Bishop of Winchester

48 - 63
  1.                           Yes, yes, Sir Thomas,
  2. There are that dare, and I myself have ventur’d
  3. To speak my mind of him; and indeed this day,
  4. Sir (I may tell it you), I think I have
  5. Incens’d the lords o’ th’ Council that he is
  6. (For so I know he is, they know he is)
  7. A most arch-heretic, a pestilence
  8. That does infect the land; with which they moved
  9. Have broken with the King, who hath so far
  10. Given ear to our complaint, of his great grace
  11. And princely care foreseeing those fell mischiefs
  12. Our reasons laid before him, ’hath commanded
  13. Tomorrow morning to the Council-board
  14. He be convented. He’s a rank weed, Sir Thomas,
  15. And we must root him out. From your affairs
  16. I hinder you too long. Good night, Sir Thomas.

Sir Thomas Lovell

64
  1. Many good-nights, my lord! I rest your servant.
  1. Exeunt the Bishop of Winchester, and Gardiner’s Page.
  1. Enter King and Suffolk.

King

65 - 66
  1. Charles, I will play no more tonight,
  2. My mind’s not on’t, you are too hard for me.

Duke of Suffolk

67
  1. Sir, I did never win of you before.

King

68 - 70
  1. But little, Charles,
  2. Nor shall not, when my fancy’s on my play.
  3. Now, Lovell, from the Queen what is the news?

Sir Thomas Lovell

71 - 75
  1. I could not personally deliver to her
  2. What you commanded me, but by her woman
  3. I sent your message, who return’d her thanks
  4. In the great’st humbleness, and desir’d your Highness
  5. Most heartily to pray for her.

King

76 - 77
  1.                                What say’st thou? Ha?
  2. To pray for her? What, is she crying out?

Ay, ay, my liege, and of a lovely boy.

John Gilbert, 1872

Sir Thomas Lovell

78 - 79
  1. So said her woman, and that her suff’rance made
  2. Almost each pang a death.

King

80
  1.                           Alas, good lady!

Duke of Suffolk

81 - 83
  1. God safely quit her of her burden, and
  2. With gentle travail, to the gladding of
  3. Your Highness with an heir!

King

84 - 88
  1.                             ’Tis midnight, Charles,
  2. Prithee to bed, and in thy pray’rs remember
  3. Th’ estate of my poor queen. Leave me alone,
  4. For I must think of that which company
  5. Would not be friendly to.

Duke of Suffolk

89 - 91
  1.                           I wish your Highness
  2. A quiet night, and my good mistress will
  3. Remember in my prayers.

King

92 - 93
  1.                         Charles, good night.
  2. Exit Suffolk.
  3. Enter Sir Anthony Denny.
  4. Well, sir, what follows?

Sir Anthony Denny

94 - 95
  1. Sir, I have brought my lord the Archbishop,
  2. As you commanded me.

King

96
  1.                      Ha? Canterbury?

Sir Anthony Denny

97
  1. Ay, my good lord.

King

98
  1.                   ’Tis true; where is he, Denny?

Sir Anthony Denny

99
  1. He attends your Highness’ pleasure.

King

100
  1.                                     Bring him to us.
  1. Exit Denny.

Sir Thomas Lovell

101 - 102
  1. Aside.
  2. This is about that which the Bishop spake.
  3. I am happily come hither.
  1. Enter Cranmer and Denny.

King

103 - 105
  1. Avoid the gallery.
  2. Lovell seems to stay.
  3. Ha? I have said. Be gone.
  4. What?
  1. Exeunt Lovell and Denny.

Cranmer

106 - 107
  1. Aside.
  2.       I am fearful; wherefore frowns he thus?
  3. ’Tis his aspect of terror. All’s not well.

King

108 - 109
  1. How now, my lord? You do desire to know
  2. Wherefore I sent for you.

Cranmer

110 - 111
  1. Kneeling.
  2.                           It is my duty
  3. T’ attend your Highness’ pleasure.

King

112 - 129
  1.                                    Pray you arise,
  2. My good and gracious Lord of Canterbury.
  3. Come, you and I must walk a turn together;
  4. I have news to tell you. Come, come, give me your hand.
  5. Ah, my good lord, I grieve at what I speak,
  6. And am right sorry to repeat what follows.
  7. I have, and most unwillingly, of late
  8. Heard many grievous—I do say, my lord,
  9. Grievous—complaints of you; which, being consider’d,
  10. Have mov’d us and our Council, that you shall
  11. This morning come before us, where I know
  12. You cannot with such freedom purge yourself,
  13. But that till further trial, in those charges
  14. Which will require your answer, you must take
  15. Your patience to you, and be well contented
  16. To make your house our Tow’r. You, a brother of us
  17. It fits we thus proceed, or else no witness
  18. Would come against you.

Cranmer

130 - 135
  1. Kneeling.
  2.                         I humbly thank your Highness,
  3. And am right glad to catch this good occasion
  4. Most throughly to be winnowed, where my chaff
  5. And corn shall fly asunder; for I know
  6. There’s none stands under more calumnious tongues
  7. Than I myself, poor man.

King

136 - 144
  1.                          Stand up, good Canterbury!
  2. Thy truth and thy integrity is rooted
  3. In us, thy friend. Give me thy hand, stand up;
  4. Prithee let’s walk. Now, by my holidame,
  5. What manner of man are you? My lord, I look’d
  6. You would have given me your petition, that
  7. I should have ta’en some pains to bring together
  8. Yourself and your accusers, and to have heard you
  9. Without indurance further.

Cranmer

145 - 150
  1.                            Most dread liege,
  2. The good I stand on is my truth and honesty.
  3. If they shall fail, I, with mine enemies,
  4. Will triumph o’er my person, which I weigh not,
  5. Being of those virtues vacant. I fear nothing
  6. What can be said against me.

King

151 - 165
  1.                              Know you not
  2. How your state stands i’ th’ world, with the whole world?
  3. Your enemies are many, and not small; their practices
  4. Must bear the same proportion, and not ever
  5. The justice and the truth o’ th’ question carries
  6. The due o’ th’ verdict with it. At what ease
  7. Might corrupt minds procure knaves as corrupt
  8. To swear against you? Such things have been done.
  9. You are potently oppos’d, and with a malice
  10. Of as great size. Ween you of better luck,
  11. I mean in perjur’d witness, than your Master,
  12. Whose minister you are, whiles here he liv’d
  13. Upon this naughty earth? Go to, go to!
  14. You take a precipit for no leap of danger,
  15. And woo your own destruction.

Byam Shaw, 1901

Cranmer

166 - 168
  1.                               God and your Majesty
  2. Protect mine innocence, or I fall into
  3. The trap is laid for me!

King

169 - 185
  1.                          Be of good cheer,
  2. They shall no more prevail than we give way to.
  3. Keep comfort to you, and this morning see
  4. You do appear before them. If they shall chance,
  5. In charging you with matters, to commit you,
  6. The best persuasions to the contrary
  7. Fail not to use, and with what vehemency
  8. Th’ occasion shall instruct you. If entreaties
  9. Will render you no remedy, this ring
  10. Deliver them, and your appeal to us
  11. There make before them. Look, the good man weeps!
  12. He’s honest, on mine honor. God’s blest Mother!
  13. I swear he is true-hearted, and a soul
  14. None better in my kingdom. Get you gone,
  15. And do as I have bid you.
  16. Exit Cranmer.
  17.                           He has strangled
  18. His language in his tears.
  1. Enter Old Lady.

Gentleman

186
  1. Within.
  2. Come back! What mean you?

Old Lady

187 - 190
  1. I’ll not come back, the tidings that I bring
  2. Will make my boldness manners. Now good angels
  3. Fly o’er thy royal head, and shade thy person
  4. Under their blessed wings!

King

191 - 193
  1.                            Now by thy looks
  2. I guess thy message. Is the Queen deliver’d?
  3. Say ay, and of a boy.

Old Lady

194 - 200
  1.                       Ay, ay, my liege,
  2. And of a lovely boy. The God of heaven
  3. Both now and ever bless her! ’Tis a girl
  4. Promises boys hereafter. Sir, your queen
  5. Desires your visitation, and to be
  6. Acquainted with this stranger. ’Tis as like you
  7. As cherry is to cherry.

King

201
  1.                         Lovell!
  1. Enter Lovell.

Sir Thomas Lovell

202
  1.         Sir?

King

203
  1. Give her an hundred marks. I’ll to the Queen.
  1. Exit King.

Old Lady

204 - 209
  1. An hundred marks? By this light, I’ll ha’ more.
  2. An ordinary groom is for such payment.
  3. I will have more or scold it out of him.
  4. Said I for this, the girl was like to him?
  5. I’ll have more, or else unsay’t; and now,
  6. While ’tis hot, I’ll put it to the issue.
  1. Exit Lady with Lovell.
Costume designs for Gardiner's page

Costume designs for Gardiner's page

Emma Hamilton Smith, circa 1856

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