KING HENRY VIII.

Cardinal WOLSEY, his firft Minister and Favourites
CRANMER, Archbishop of Canterbury.

Sir THOMAS MORE, Lord Chancellor
Duke of NORFOLK.

Duke of BUCKINGHAM.

CHARLES BRANDON, Duke of Suffolk.
Earl of SURREY.

Lord Chamberlain.

Cardinal CAMPEIUS, the Pope's Legat.
CAPUCIUS, Ambafador from the Emperor Charles V.
GARDINER, Bishop of Winchefter.

Lord ABERGAVENNY

Bishop of LINCOLN.

Lord SANDS.

Sir HENRY GUILDFORD.
Sir THOMAS LOVELL.
ANTHONY DENNY.

Sir NICHOLAS VAUX,
WALTER SANDS.

CROMWELL, Servant first toWolley, afterwards to the King. GRIFFITH, Gentleman-Uher to Queen Catharine.

Three Gentlemen.

Dr. BUTTS, Phyfician to the King.
Surveyor to the Duke of Buckingham.
Porter and bis Man.

Queen CATHARINE, firft Wife to King Henry, after wards Divorc'd.

ANNE BULLEN, belov'd by the King, and afterwards married to him.

An old Lady, Friend to Anne Bullen.

PATIENCE, Woman of the Bed-chamber to 2. Catharine.

Several Lords and Ladies in the dumb Shews. Women at tending upon the Queen. Spirits which appear to ber Scribes, Officers, Guards, and other Attendants,

The SCENE lyes moftly in London, Once at Kimbolton.

THE

LIF
IF E

O F

HENRY

VIII.

ACT I. SCENE I.
An Antichamber in the Palace,

Enter the Duke of Norfolk at one door: at the other the Duke of Buckingham, and the Lord Abergavenny.

Buck.

G

OOD morrow, and well met. How have ye done
Since last we faw y' in France?
Nor. I thank your Grace:

Healthful, and ever fince a fresh admirer
Of what I faw there.

Buck. An untimely ague

Staid me a prifoner in my chamber, when
Thofe funs of glory, thofe two lights of men,
Met in the vale of Arde.

Nor. 'Twixt Guynes and Arde:

I was then prefent, faw 'em falute on horse-back,
Beheld them when they lighted, how they clung
In their embracement, as they grew together;

Which had they, what four thron'd ones could have weigh'd
Such a compounded one?

I

Buck.

Buck. All the whole time

I was my chamber's prifoner.
Nor. Then you loft

The view of earthly glory: men might say
'Till this time pomp was fingle, but now marry'd
To one above it felf. Each following day
Became the next day's mafter, 'till the laft
Made former wonders, his. To-day the French,
All clinquant, all in gold, like heathen gods
Shone down the English; and to-morrow they
Made Britain, India: every man that food,
Shew'd like a mine. Their dwarfish pages were
As Cherubins, all gilt; the Madams too,
Not us'd to toil, did almoft fweat to bear
The pride upon them, that their very labour
Was to them as a painting. Now this mask
Was cry'd incomparable; and th' ensuing night
Made it a fool and beggar. The two Kings
Equal in luftre, were now beft, now worst,
As prefence did present them; him in eye,
Still him in praise; and being present both,
'Twas faid they faw but one, and no difcerner
Durft wag his tongue in cenfure. When these funs,
(For fo they phrafe 'em) by their heralds, challeng'd
The noble fpirits to arms, they did perform
Beyond thought's compass, that old fabulous ftory
(Being now feen poffible enough) got credit;
That Bevis was believ'd.

Buck. Oh, you go far.

Nor. As I belong to worship, and affect
In honour, honefty; the tract of ev'ry thing
Would by a good difcourfer lofe some life,
Which action's felf was tongue to. All was royal;
To the difpofing of it nought rebell'd,
Order gave each thing view. The office did
Diftinctly his full function.

Buck. Who did guide,

I mean who fet the body and the limbs
Of this great sport together, as you guess?

* The old romantic legend of Bevis of Southampton.

Ner.

Nor. One fure, that promises no * element

In fuch a business.

Buck. Pray you, who, my Lord?

Nor. All this was order'd by the good difcretion Of the right rev'rend Cardinal of York.

Buck. The devil speed him! no man's pye is freed
From his ambitious finger. What had he

To do in these fierce vanities? I wonder
That fuch a ketch can with his very bulk
Take up the rays o' th' beneficial fun,
And keep it from the earth.

Nor. Yet furely, Sir,

There's in him ftuff that puts him to these ends.
For being not propt by ancestry, whofe grace
Chalks fucceffors their way; nor call'd upon
For high feats done to th' crown; neither ally'd
To eminent affiftants; but spider-like

Out of his felf-drawn web; this gives us note,
The force of his own merit makes his way,
A gift that heaven gives, which for him buys
A place next to the King.

Aber. I cannot tell

What heav'n hath giv'n him; let some graver eye

Pierce into that: but I can fee his pride

Peep through each part of him; whence has he that?

If not from hell, the devil is a niggard,

Or has giv'n all before; and he begins

A new hell in himself.

Buck. But why the devil,

Upon this French going out, took he upon him,
Without the privity o' th' King, t'appoint
Who fhould attend him? He makes up the file
Of all the gentry; for the moft part such
On whom as great a charge as little honour
He meant to lay: And his own letter only
(The honourable board of council out)
Muft fetch in him he† papers.

No rudiment or beginning.

† He papers, a verb; His own letter, by his own fingle authority and without the concurrence of the Council, muft fetch in Him whom he papers down.

VOL. VI.

A a

Aber.

Aber. I do know

Kinsmen of mine, three at the leaft, that have
By this fo ficken'd their eftates, that never
They shall abound as formerly.

Buck. O, many

Have broke their backs with laying mannors on 'em

For this great journey.

What did this great vanity

But minifter communication of

A most poor iffue?

Nor. Grievingly I think,

The peace between the French and us not values
The coft that did conclude it.

Buck. Every man,

After the hideous ftorm that follow'd, was
A thing infpir'd; and not confulting, broke
Into a gen'ral prophefie, that this tempeft,
Dashing the garment of this peace, aboaded
The fudden breach on't.

Nor. Which is budded out:

For France hath flaw'd the league, and hath attach'd Our merchants goods at Bourdeaux.

Aber. Is it therefore

Th' ambaffador is filenc'd?

Nor. Marry is't.

Aber. A proper title of a peace, and purchas'a At a fuperfluous rate!

Buck. Why, all this business

Our rev'rend Cardinal carried.

Nor. Like't your Grace,

The state takes notice of the private difference
Betwixt you and the Cardinal. I advise you
(And take it from a heart that wishes you
Honour and plenteous fafety) that you read
The Cardinal's malice and his potency
Together to confider further, that

:

What his high hatred would effect, wants not
A minifter in his pow'r. You know his nature,
That he's revengeful; and I know his fword
Hath a fharp edge: it's long, and't may be said,
I reaches far; and where 'twill not extend,