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 the Dukes of NORFOLK and SUFFOLK.

I left him private,

What's the cause?

Full of sad thoughts and troubles.

Nor. Cham. It seems, the marriage with his brother's wife Has crept too near his conscience.

Suf.

Has crept too near another lady.

Nor.

No, his conscience

'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.
Suf. Pray God, he do! he 'll never know himself else.
Nor. 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?

7 Well met, my good-] The epithet-good, was inserted by Sir Thomas Hanmer for the sake of measure. Steevens.

& That, like a jewel, has hung twenty years &c.] See Vol. VI, p. 185, n. 2. Malone.

Cham. Heaven keep me from such counsel! 'Tis most

true,

These news are every where; every tongue speaks them,
And every true heart weeps for 't: All, that dare
Look into these affairs, see this main end,9—

The French king's sister.1 Heaven will one day open
The king's eyes, that so long have slept upon
This Lold bad man.

Suf.

And free us from his slavery.

Nor. 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 in one lump before him, to be fashion'd
Into what pitch he please.3

Suf.

For me, my lords,

my

creed:

I love him not, nor fear him; there 's
As I am made without him, so I'll stand,
If the king please; his curses and his blessings
Touch me alike, they are breath I not believe in.
I knew him, and I know him; so I leave him
To him, that made him proud, the pope.

Nor.

Let's in; And, with some other business, put the king

9

see this main end,] Thus the old copy. All, &c. perceive this main end of these counsels, namely, the French king's sister. The editor of the fourth folio and all the subsequent editors read --his; but yt or this were not likely to be confounded with his. Besides, the King, not Wolsey, is the person last mentioned; and it was the main end or object of Wolsey to bring about a marriage between Henry and the French king's sister. End has already been used for cause, and may be so here. See p. 238:

"The cardinal is the end of this." Malone.

1 The French king's sister.] i. e. the Duchess of Alençon.

Steevens.

2 From princes into pages:] This may allude to the retinue of the Cardinal, who had several of the nobility among his menial servants. Johnson.

3 Into what pitch he please.] The mass must be fashioned into pitch or height, as well as into particular form. The meaning is, that the Cardinal can, as he pleases, make high or low. Johnson.

The allusion seems to be to the 21st verse of the 9th chapter of the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans: "Hath not the potter power over the clay of the same lump, to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour" Collins.

From these sad thoughts, that work too much upon

him:

My lord, you'll bear us company?

Cham. Excuse me; The king hath sent me other-where: besides,

You'll find a most unfit time to disturb him:

Health to your lordships.

Nor.

し

Thanks, my good lord chamberlain. [Exit Ld. Cham.

NORFOLK opens a folding-door. The King is discovered sitting, and reading pensively.

Suf. How sad he looks! sure, he is much afflicted.
K. Hen. Who is there? ha?

Nor.

'Pray God, he be not angry. K. Hen. Who's there, I say? How dare you thrust

yourselves

Into my private meditations?

Who am I? ha?

Nor. 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.

K. Hen.

You are too bold:

Go to; I'll make ye know your times of business:
Is this an hour for temporal affairs? ha?—

4 The stage direction, in the old copy, is a singular one. Exit Lord Chamberlain, and the King draws the curtain, and sits reading pensively. Steevens.

This stage direction was calculated for, and ascertains precisely the state of, the theatre in Shakspeare's time. When a person was to be discovered in a different apartment from that in which the original speakers in the scene are exhibited, the artless mode of our author's time was to place such person in the back part of the stage, behind the curtains, which were occasionally suspended across it. These the person, who was to be discovered, (as Henry, in the present case,) drew back just at the proper time. Mr. Rowe, who seems to have looked no further than the modern stage, changed the direction thus: "The scene opens, and discovers the King," &c. but, besides the impropriety of introducing scenes, when there were none, such an exhibition would not be proper here, for Norfolk has just said "Let 's in," and therefore should himself do some act, in order to visit the King. This, indeed, in the simple state of the old stage, was not attended to the King very civilly discovering himself. Malone.

Enter WOLSEY and CAMPEIUS.

Who's there? my good lord Cardinal?-O my Wolsey, The quiet of my wounded conscience,

Thou art a cure fit for a king.-You 're welcome,

[To CAMP.

Most learned reverend sir, into our kingdom;
Use us, and it:-My good lord, have great care
I be not found a talker.5

Wol.

Sir, you cannot.

[To WOL.

I would, your grace would give us but an hour
Of private conference.

K. Hen.

We are busy; go.

[To NOR. and Sur.

Nor. This priest has no pride in him?

Suf.
Not to speak of;
I would not be so sick though, for his place:
But this cannot continue.

Nor.

I'll venture one heave at him.”

Suf.

If it do,

I another.

>Aside.

[Exeunt NoR. and SUF. Wol. 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 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,

5

have great care

I be not found a talker.] I take the meaning to be, Let care be taken that my promise be performed, that my professions of welcome be not found empty talk. Johnson.

So, in King Richard III:

7

66 we will not stand to prate,

"Talkers are no good doers." Steevens.

so sick though,] That is, so sick as he is proud. Johnson.

one heave at him.] So, in King Henry VI, Part II :

"To heave the traitor Somerset from hence."

The first folio gives the passage thus:

Ile venture one; haue at him.

The reading in the text is that of the second folio. Steevens

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.

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. Cam. 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.

K. Hen. Two equal men. The queen shall be acquainted Forthwith, for what you come :- Where 's Gardiner? Wol. I know, your majesty has always lov'd 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.

K. Hen. Ay, and the best, she shall have; and my fa

vour

To him that does best; God forbid else. Cardinal,
Pr'ythee, call Gardiner to me, my new secretary;
I find him a fit fellow.

[Exit WOL.

Re-enter WOLSEY, with GARDINER. Wol. Give me your hand: much joy and favour to

you;

You are the king's now.

Gard.

But to be commanded

For ever by your grace, whose hand has raised me. [Aside.
K. Hen. Come hither, Gardiner. [They converse apart.
Cam. My lord of York, was not one doctor Pace
In this man's place before him?

Wol.

Yes, he was.

Cam. Was he not held a learned man?
Wol.

Yes, surely.

Cam. Believe me, there's an ill opinion spread then

8 Have their free voices;] The construction is, have sent their free voices; the word sent, which occurs in the next line, being understood here. Malone.