Scene + 

II + 

An ante-chamber in the palace. + 

Enter the Lord Chamberlain, reading a letter. + 

Chamberlain + 

“My lord, the horses your lordship sent for, with all the care I had, I saw well chosen, ridden, and furnished. They were young and handsome, and of the best breed in the north. When they were ready to set out for London, a man of my lord cardinal’s, by commission and main power, took ’em from me; with this reason: His master would be served before a subject, if not before the king; which stopped our mouths, sir.” + 

I fear he will indeed: well, let him have them: + 

He will have all, I think. + 

Enter, to the Lord Chamberlain, the Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk. + 

Norfolk + 

Well met, my lord chamberlain. + 

Chamberlain + 

Good day to both your graces. + 

Suffolk + 

How is the king employ’d? + 

Chamberlain + 

I left him private, + 

Full of sad thoughts and troubles. + 

Norfolk + 

What’s the cause? + 

Chamberlain + 

It seems the marriage with his brother’s wife + 

Has crept too near his conscience. + 

Suffolk + 

No, his conscience + 

Has crept too near another lady. + 

Norfolk + 

’Tis so: + 

This is the cardinal’s doing, the king-cardinal: + 

That blind priest, like the eldest son of fortune, + 

Turns what he list. The king will know him one day. + 

Suffolk + 

Pray God he do! he’ll never know himself else. + 

Norfolk + 

How holily he works in all his business! + 

And with what zeal! for, now he has crack’d the league + 

Between us and the emperor, the queen’s great nephew, + 

He dives into the king’s soul, and there scatters + 

Dangers, doubts, wringing of the conscience, + 

Fears, and despairs; and all these for his marriage: + 

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? + 

Chamberlain + 

Heaven keep me from such counsel! ’Tis most true + 

These news are every where; every tongue speaks ’em, + 

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. + 

Suffolk + 

And free us from his slavery. + 

Norfolk + 

We had need pray, + 

And heartily, for our deliverance; + 

Or this imperious man will work us all + 

From princes into pages: all men’s honours + 

Lie like one lump before him, to be fashion’d + 

Into what pitch he please. + 

Suffolk + 

For me, my lords, + 

I love him not, nor fear him; there’s my creed: + 

As I am made without him, so I’ll stand, + 

If the king please; his curses and his blessings + 

Touch me alike, they’re breath I not believe in. + 

I knew him, and I know him; so I leave him + 

To him that made him proud, the pope. + 

Norfolk + 

Let’s in; + 

And with some other business put the king + 

From these sad thoughts, that work too much upon him: + 

My lord, you’ll bear us company? + 

Chamberlain + 

Excuse me; + 

The king has sent me otherwhere: besides, + 

You’ll find a most unfit time to disturb him: + 

Health to your lordships. + 

Norfolk + 

Thanks, my good lord chamberlain. Exit Lord Chamberlain; and the King draws the curtain, and sits reading pensively. + 

Suffolk + 

How sad he looks! sure, he is much afflicted. + 

King + 

Who’s there, ha? + 

Norfolk + 

Pray God he be not angry. + 

King + 

Who’s there, I say? How dare you thrust yourselves + 

Into my private meditations? + 

Who am I? ha? + 

Norfolk + 

A gracious king that pardons all offences + 

Malice ne’er meant: our breach of duty this way + 

Is business of estate; in which we come + 

To know your royal pleasure. + 

King + 

Ye are too bold: + 

Go to; I’ll make ye know your times of business: + 

Is this an hour for temporal affairs, ha? + 

Enter Wolsey and Campeius, with a commission. + 

Who’s there? my good lord cardinal? O my Wolsey, + 

The quiet of my wounded conscience; + 

Thou art a cure fit for a king. To Campeius. You’re welcome, + 

Most learned reverend sir, into our kingdom: + 

Use us and it. To Wolsey. My good lord, have great care + 

I be not found a talker. + 

Wolsey + 

Sir, you cannot. + 

I would your grace would give us but an hour + 

Of private conference. + 

King + 

To Norfolk and Suffolk. We are busy; go. + 

Norfolk + 

Aside to Suffolk. This priest has no pride in him? + 

Suffolk + 

Aside to Norfolk. Not to speak of: + 

I would not be so sick though for his place: + 

But this cannot continue. + 

Norfolk + 

Aside to Suffolk. If it do, + 

I’ll venture one have-at-him. + 

Suffolk + 

Aside to Norfolk. I another. Exeunt Norfolk and Suffolk. + 

Wolsey + 

Your grace has given a precedent of wisdom + 

Above all princes, in committing freely + 

Your scruple to the voice of Christendom: + 

Who can be angry now? what envy reach you? + 

The Spaniard, tied 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 Campeius; + 

Whom once more I present unto your highness. + 

King + 

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. + 

Campeius + 

Your grace must needs deserve all strangers’ loves, + 

You are so noble. To your highness’ hand + 

I tender my commission; by whose virtue, + 

The court of Rome commanding, you, my lord + 

Cardinal of York, are join’d with me their servant + 

In the unpartial judging of this business. + 

King + 

Two equal men. The queen shall be acquainted + 

Forthwith for what you come. Where’s Gardiner? + 

Wolsey + 

I know your majesty has always loved her + 

So dear in heart, not to deny her that + 

A woman of less place might ask by law: + 

Scholars allow’d freely to argue for her. + 

King + 

Ay, and the best she shall have; and my favour + 

To him that does best: God forbid else. Cardinal, + 

Prithee, call Gardiner to me, my new secretary: + 

I find him a fit fellow. Exit Wolsey. + 

Reenter Wolsey, with Gardiner. + 

Wolsey + 

Aside to Gardiner. Give me your hand: much joy and favour to you; + 

You are the king’s now. + 

Gardiner + 

Aside to Wolsey. But to be commanded + 

For ever by your grace, whose hand has raised me. + 

King + 

Come hither, Gardiner. Walks and whispers. + 

Campeius + 

My Lord of York, was not one Doctor Pace + 

In this man’s place before him? + 

Wolsey + 

Yes, he was. + 

Campeius + 

Was he not held a learned man? + 

Wolsey + 

Yes, surely. + 

Campeius + 

Believe me, there’s an ill opinion spread then + 

Even of yourself, lord cardinal. + 

Wolsey + 

How! of me? + 

Campeius + 

They will not stick to say you envied him, + 

And fearing he would rise, he was so virtuous, + 

Kept him a foreign man still; which so grieved him, + 

That he ran mad and died. + 

Wolsey + 

Heaven’s peace be with him! + 

That’s Christian care enough: for living murmurers + 

There’s places of rebuke. He was a fool; + 

For he would needs be virtuous: that good fellow, + 

If I command him, follows my appointment: + 

I will have none so near else. Learn this, brother, + 

We live not to be grip’d by meaner persons. + 

King + 

Deliver this with modesty to the queen. Exit Gardiner. + 

The most convenient place that I can think of + 

For such receipt of learning is Black-Friars; + 

There ye shall meet about this weighty business. + 

My Wolsey, see it furnish’d. O, my lord, + 

Would it not grieve an able man to leave + 

So sweet a bedfellow? But, conscience, conscience! + 

O, ’tis a tender place; and I must leave her. Exeunt. + 