ACT V.

SCENE I. A Gallery in the Palace.

Enter GARDINER, Bishop of Winchester, a Page with a Torch before him, met by SIR THOMAS LOVELL.

Gar. It's one o'clock, boy, is't not?

Boy. It hath struck. Gar. These should be hours for necessities, Not for delights1: 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?

Lov.

Came you from the king, my lord? Gar. I did, Sir Thomas; and left him at primero2 With the duke of Suffolk.

I must to him too,

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

Gar. 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 despatch by day.

Lov.

My lord, I love you;

1 Gardiner himself is not much delighted. The delights at which he hints seem to be the king's diversions, which keep him in attendance.

2 Primero, prime, or primavista. A game at cards, said by some writers to be one of the oldest known in England. It is described by Duchat in his notes on Rabelais, Mr. Daines Barrington in the Archæologia, vol. viii. p. 132, and more fully by Mr. Nares in his Glossary, and in an Essay on the Origin of Playing Cards, 1816, to which our limits oblige us to refer the reader desirous of further information.

i. e. some hint of the business that keeps you awake so late.

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.

Gar.

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.

Lov.
Methinks, I could
Cry the amen; and yet my conscience says
She's a good creature, and, sweet lady, does
Deserve our better wishes.

Gar.
But, sir, sir,-
Hear me, Sir Thomas: You are 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.

Lov.

Now, sir, you speak of two The most remark'd i̇'the kingdom. As for Crom

well,

Beside that of the jewel-house, he's made master O'the rolls, and the king's secretary: further, sir, Stands in the gap and trades of more 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?

Gar. Yes, yes, Sir Thomas, There are that dare; and I myself have ventur'd To speak my mind of him: and, indeed, this day,

4 Of mine own opinion in religion.

5 i. e. course or way. Iter pro incepto et instituto, a way, trade, or course. COOPER. Again, in Udal's Apothegms, p. 75,

althoughe it repent them of the trade or way that they have chosen. So in a letter from the earl of Leicester to Sir Nicholas Throckmorton, among the Conway Papers: But methinks she had rather you followed the trade you take, and did what you with your credit might.' See King Richard II. Act iii. Sc. 3:

Some way of common trade,

Sir (I may tell it you), I think, I have Incens'd 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), he hath commanded
To-morrow morning to the council board
He be conventeds. 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.
Lov. Many good nights, my lord: I rest your
[Exeunt GARDINER and Page.

servant.

As LOVELL is going out, enter the King, and the DUKE of SUFFOlk.

K. Hen. Charles, I will play no more to-night;
My mind's not on't, you are too hard for me.
Suf. Sir, I did never win of you before.
K. Hen. But little, Charles;

Nor shall not, when my fancy's on my play.-
Now, Lovell, from the queen what is the news?
Lov. 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 greatest humbleness, and desir'd your highness
Most heartily to pray for her.

K. Hen.
What say'st thou? ha!
To pray for her? what, is she crying out?

6 Incens'd or insensed in this instance, and in some others, only means instructed, informed: still in use in Staffordshire. It properly signifies to infuse into the mind, to prompt or instigate, Invidiæ stimulo mentes Patrum fodit Saturnia: Juno incenseth the senators' minds with secret envy against,' &c. COOPER.

That is, have broken silence; told their minds to the king. So in The Two Gentlemen of Verona :

I am to break with thee of some affairs.'

8 i. e. summoned, convened. Thus in Coriolanus :

We are convented

Upon a pleasing treaty

Lov. So said her woman; and that her sufferance

made

Almost each pang a death9.

K. Hen,

Alas, good lady! Suf. God safely quit her of her burden, and With gentle travail, to the gladding of

Your highness with an heir!

K. Hen. "Tis midnight, Charles, Pr'ythee, 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.

Suf.

A quiet night, and my good mistress will
Remember in my prayers.

K. Hen.

I wish your highness

Charles, good night.—

[Exit SUFFOLK.

Enter SIR ANTONY DENNY10,

Well, sir, what follows?

Den. Sir, I have brought my lord the arch

bishop,

As you commanded me.

K. Hen.

Den. Ay, my good lord.

K. Hen.

Ha! Canterbury?

"Tis true: Where is he, Denny?

Bring him to us.

[Exit DENNY.

Den. He attends your highness' pleasure.

K. Hen.

Lov. This is about that which the bishop spake:

I am happily11 come hither.

[Aside.

9 We have almost the same sentiment before in Act ii. Sc. 3:

10 The substance of this and the two following scenes is taken from Fox's Acts and Monuments of the Christian Martyrs, &c. 1563.

11 i. e. luckily, opportunely. Vide note 2, p. 249.

K. Hen.

Re-enter DENNY, with CRANMER.

Avoid the gallery.

Ha! I have said.-Be gone.

What!

[LOVELL seems to stay.

[Exeunt LovELL and DENNY.

Cran. I am fearful:- -Wherefore frowns he thus? "Tis his aspect of terror. All's not well.

K. Hen. How now, my lord? You do desire to

know

Wherefore I sent for you.

Cran.

It is my duty To attend your highness' pleasure.

K. Hen.

'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 mov'd 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 us12,

It fits we thus proceed, or else no witness
Would come against you.

Cran.

I humbly thank your highness; And am right glad to catch this good occasion Most thoroughly to be winnow'd, where my chaff And corn shall fly asunder: for, I know,

12 You being one of the council, it is necessary to imprison you, that the witnesses against you may not be deterred.