30.

And out of all these to restore the king,
He counsels a divorce; a loss of her
That, like a jewel, has hung twenty years
About his neck, yet never lost her lustre;
Of her that loves him with that excellence
That angels love good men with; even of her
That, when the greatest stroke of fortune falls,
Will bless the king: and is not this course
pious?

Cham. Heaven keep me from such counsel ! "Tis most true

These news are everywhere; every tongue speaks 'em,

39

And every true heart weeps for 't: all that dare
Look into these affairs see this main end,
The French king's sister. Heaven will one day

open

The king's eyes, that so long have slept upon This bold bad man.

Suf.

And free us from his slavery. Nor. We had need pray,

87

Above all princes, in committing freely
Your scruple to the voice of Christendom:
Who can be angry now? what envy2 reach you?
The Spaniard, tied by blood and favour to her,
Must now confess, if they have any goodness,
The trial just and noble. All the clerks,
I mean the learned ones, in Christian kingdoms
Have their free voices: Rome, the nurse of
judgment,

Invited by your noble self, hath sent
One general tongue unto us, this good man,
This just and learned priest, Cardinal Cam-
peius;

Whom once more I present unto your highness. K. Hen. And once more in mine arms I bid him welcome,

And thank the holy conclave for their loves: They have sent me such a man I would have wish'd for.

101

SCENE III. The same. An ante-chamber in the Queen's apartments.

Enter ANNE BULLEN and an old Lady.

Anne. Not for that neither: here's the pang that pinches:

His highness having liv'd so long with her, and she

So good a lady that no tongue could ever
Pronounce dishonour of her,-by my life,
She never knew harm-doing-O, now, after
So many courses of the sun enthron'd,
Still growing in a majesty and pomp,-the
which

To leave's a thousand-fold more bitter than
"T is sweet at first to acquire,—after this pro-

I would not be a young count in your way,
For more than blushing comes to: if your back
Cannot vouchsafe this burden, 't is too weak
Ever to get a boy.

Anne.
How you
do talk!]
I swear again, I would not be a queen
For all the world.

Old L.
In faith, for little England
You'd venture an emballing:1 I myself
Would for Carnarvonshire, although there
long'd

No more to the crown but that. Lo, who comes here?

Enter the LORD CHAMBERLAIN. Cham. Good morrow, ladies. What were 't worth to know

The secret of your conference?

Anne.

50

My good lord, Not your demand; it values not your asking: Our mistress' sorrows we were pitying.

1 An emballing, i.e. a coronation (an investiture with the ball, one of the insignia of royalty).