Enter an old Lady.

Gent. [Within.] Come back; What mean you? Lady. I'll not come back: the tidings that I bring Will make my boldness manners.-Now, good an

gels

Fly o'er thy royal head, and shade thy person
Under their blessed wings!

And of a lovely boy: The God of heaven
Both now and ever bless her!-'tis a girl,
Promises boys hereafter. Sir, your queen
Desires your visitation, and to be

Acquainted with this stranger; 'tis as like you,
As cherry is to cherry.

K. Hen.

Lovell,

Enter LOVELL.

Sir.

Lov.

K. Hen. Give her an hundred marks. I'll to the

queen.

[Exit King.

Lady. An hundred marks! By this light, I'll have

more.

An ordinary groom is for such payment.
I will have more, or scold it out of him.
Said I for this, the girl is like to him?
I will have more, or else unsay't; and now
While it is hot, I'll put it to the issue.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.

Lobby before the Council-Chamber.

Enter CRANMER; Servants, Door-keeper, &c. attending.

Cran. I hope, I am not too late; and yet the

gentleman,

That was sent to me from the council, pray'd me
To make great haste. All fast? what means this?-

Hoa!

Who waits there?-Sure, you know me?

D. Keep.

But yet I cannot help you.

Cran.

Yes, my lord;

Why?

D. Keep. Your grace must wait, till you be call'd

Cran.

for.

Enter Doctor BUTTS.

So.

Butts. This is a piece of malice. I am glad, I came this way so happily: The king

Shall understand it presently.

Cran. [Aside.]

[Exit BUTTS.

"Tis Butts,

The king's physician; As he past along,

How earnestly he cast his eyes upon me!

Pray heaven, he sound not my disgrace! For certain,
This is of purpose lay'd, by some that hate me,
(God turn their hearts! I never sought their malice,)
To quench mine honour they would shame to

make me

Wait else at door; a fellow counsellor,

Among boys, grooms, and lackeys. But their plea

sures

Must be fulfill'd, and I attend with patience.

Enter at a window above, the King and BUTTS.

Butts. I'll show your grace the strangest sight,—
K. Hen.
What's that, Butts?
Butts. I think, your highness saw this many a day.
K. Hen. Body o'me, where is it?

Butts.
There, my lord:
The high promotion of his grace of Canterbury;
Who holds his state at door, 'mongst pursuivants,
Pages, and footboys..

K. Hen.

Ha! 'Tis he, indeed:

Is this the honour they do one another?

'Tis well, there's one above them yet. I had thought,
They had parted so much honesty among them,
(At least, good manners,) as not thus to suffer
A man of his place, and so near our favour,
To dance attendance on their lordships' pleasures,
And at the door too, like a post with packets.
By holy Mary, Butts, there's knavery:

Let them alone, and draw the curtain close;
We shall hear more anon.—

THE COUNCIL-CHAMBER.

[Exeunt.

Enter the Lord Chancellor, the Duke of SUFFOLK, Earl of SURREY, Lord Chamberlain, GARDINER, and CROMWELL. The Chancellor places himself at the upper end of the table on the left hand; a seat

being left void above him, as for the Archbishop of Canterbury. The rest seat themselves in order on each side. CROMWELL at the lower end, as secretary.

Chan. Speak to the business, master secretary: Why are we met in council?

Crom.

Please your honours, The chief cause concerns his grace of Canterbury.

Gar. Has he had knowledge of it?

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

Chan. Let him come in.

D. Keep.

Your grace may enter now.

[CRANMER approaches the Council-table. Chan. My good lord archbishop, I am 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 chap-

lains,

(For so we are inform'd,) with new opinions, Divers, and dangerous; which are heresies, And, not reform'd, may prove pernicious.

Gar. Which reformation must be sudden too,

My noble lords: for those, that tame wild horses, Pace them not in their hands to make them gentle; But stop their mouths with stubborn bits, and spur

them,

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 physick: 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.

6

Cran. 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.

Suf.

Nay, my lord,

"In singleness of heart." Acts II. 46.