The stamp of nobleness in any person,

Out of himself?

Cham. My lords, you speak your pleasures: What he deserves of you and me, I know; What we can do to him, (though now the time Gives way to us) I much fear. If you cannot Bar his access to the king, never attempt Any thing on him; for he hath a witchcraft Over the king in his tongue.

O, fear him not;

Nor.
His spell in that is out: the king hath found
Matter against him, that for ever mars

The honey of his language. No, he's settled,
Not to come off, in his displeasure.

Sur.

Sir,

I should be glad to hear such news as this
Once every hour.

Believe it, this is true.

Nor.
In the divorce, his contrary proceedings
Are all unfolded; wherein he appears,

As I could wish mine enemy.

Sur.

His practices to light?

Suf.

Sur.

How came

Suf. The cardinal's letter to the pope

Uncontemn'd, as I have before observed in a note on As you Like it, must be understood, as if the author had written not contemn'd. See Vol. V, p. 29, n. 7. Malone.

5 when did he regard

The stamp of nobleness in any person,

Out of himself?] The expression is bad, and the thought false For it supposes Wolsey to be noble, which was not so: we should read and point:

when did he regard

The stamp of nobleness in any person;

Out of 't himself?

i. e. When did he regard nobleness of blood in another, having none of his own to value himself upon? Warburton.

I do not think this correction proper. The meaning of the present reading is easy. When did he, however careful to carry his own dignity to the utmost height, regard any dignity of another? Johnson. contrary proceedings-] Private practices opposite to his publick procedure. Johnson.

And came to the eye o' the king: wherein was read,
How that the cardinal did entreat his holiness
To stay the judgment o' the divorce; For if
It did take place, I do, quoth he, perceive,
My king is tangled in affection to

A creature of the queen's, lady Anne Bullen.
Sur. Has the king this?

Suf.

Sur.

Believe it.

Will this work?

Cham. The king in this perceives him, how he coasts, And hedges, his own way. But in this point All his tricks founder, and he brings his physick After his patient's death; the king already Hath married the fair lady.

Sur.

'Would he had!

Suf. May you be happy in your wish, my lord;

For, I profess, you have it.

Sur.

Now all my joy

My amen to 't!

All men's.

9

Suf. There's order given for her coronation: Marry, this is yet but young, and may be left To some ears unrecounted.-But, my lords, She is a gallant creature, and complete

In mind and feature: I persuade me, from her Will fall some blessing to this land, which shall - In it be memoriz❜d.1

And hedges, his own way.] To hedge, is to creep along by the hedge: not to take the direct and open path, but to steal covertly through circumvolutions. Johnson.

Hedging is by land, what coasting is by sea. M. Mason.

8 Trace the conjunction!] To trace, is to follow. Johnson. So, in Macbeth:

The form of Surrey's wish has been anticipated by Richmond in King Richard III, sc. ult:

"Smile heaven upon this fair conjunction!" Steevens. but young,] The same phrase occurs again in Romeo and Juliet, Act I, sc. i:

9

There be more wasps that buz about his nose,
Will make this sting the sooner. Cardinal Campeius
Is stolen away to Rome; hath ta'en no leave;
Has left the cause o' the king unhandled; and
Is posted, as the agent of our cardinal,
To second all his plot. I do assure you

The king cry'd, ha!* at this.

Cham.

And let him cry ha, louder!

Nor.

When returns Cranmer?

Now, God incense him,

But, my lord,

Suf. He is return'd, in his opinions; which
Have satisfy'd the king for his divorce,
Together with all famous colleges

Almost in Christendom:2 shortly, I believe,
His second marriage shall be publish'd, and
Her coronation. Katharine no more

1 In it be memoriz'd.] To memorize is to make memorable. The word has been already used in Macbeth, Act I, sc. ii.

Steevens.

This exclamation is frequently used by the King when much incensed, and seems to be noticed here to prove that those of the court knew well, it indicated his mind highly inflamed with anger. Am. Ed.

2 He is return'd, in his opinions; which Have satisfy'd the king for his divorce, Together with all famous colleges

Almost in Christendom:] Thus the old copy. The meaning is this: Cranmer, says Suffolk, is returned in his opinions, i. e. with the same sentiments, which he entertained before he went abroad, which (sentiments) have satisfied the king, together with all the famous colleges referred to on the occasion.-Or, perhaps the passage (as Mr. Tyrwhitt observes) may mean-He is return'd in effect, having sent his opinions, i. e. the opinions of divines, &c. collected by him. Mr. Rowe altered these lines as follows, and all succeeding editors have silently adopted his unnecessary change: He is return'd with his opinions, which Have satisfy'd the king for his divorce, Gather'd from all the famous colleges Almost in Christendom: Steevens.

Shall be call'd, queen; but princess dowager,

And widow to prince Arthur.

Nor.

This same Cranmer 's

A worthy fellow, and hath ta'en much pain

In the king's business.

Nor.

So I hear.

'Tis so.

Enter WOLSEY and CROMWELL.

Observe, observe, he's moody.
Wol. The packet, Cromwell, gave it you the king?
Crom. To his own hand, in his bedchamber. 3
Wol. Look'd he o' the inside of the paper?
Crom.

He did unseal them: and the first he view'd,
He did it with a serious mind; a heed
Was in his countenance: You, he bade
Attend him here this morning.

Wol.

To come abroad?

Crom.

Is he ready

I think, by this he is.

Wol. Leave me a while.

It shall be to the duchess of Alençon,

Presently

[Exit CROM.

The French king's sister: he shall marry her.—

Anne Bullen! No; I'll no Anne Bullens for him:
There is more in it than fair visage.-Bullen!

No, we 'll no Bullens.-Speedily I wish

To hear from Rome.-The marchioness of Pembroke! Nor. He's discontented.

3 To his own hand, in his bedchamber.] Surely, both the syllable wanting in this line, and the respect due from the speaker to Wol sey, should authorize us to read:

To his own hand, sir, in his bedchamber.

And again, in Cromwell's next speech:

Was in his countenance: you, sir, he bade

or with Sir Thomas Hanmer:

Wol. The late queen's gentlewoman; a knight's daugh

ter,

To be her mistress' mistress! the queen's queen!—
This candle burns not clear: 'tis I must snuff it;
Then, out it goes.-What though I know her virtuous,
And well-deserving? yet I know her for

A spleeny Lutheran; and not wholesome to
Our cause, that she should lie i' the bosom of
Our hard-rul'd king. Again, there is sprung up
An heretick, an arch one, Cranmer; one

Hath crawl'd into the favour of the king,
And is his oracle.

Nor.

He is vex'd at something.

Sur. I would 'twere something that would fret the

string,

The master-cord of his heart!

Enter the King, reading a Schedule; and LovELL.
Suf.
The king, the king.
K. Hen. What piles of wealth hath he accumulated

4 Enter the King, reading a Schedule;] That the Cardinal gave the King an inventory of his own private wealth, by mistake, and thereby ruined himself, is a known variation from the truth of history. Shakspeare, however, has not injudiciously represented the fall of that great man, as owing to an incident which he had once improved to the destruction of another. See Holinshed, Vol. II, p. 796 and 797:

"Thomas Ruthall, bishop of Durham, was, after the death of King Henry VII, one of the privy council to Henry VIII, to whom the king gave in charge to write a book of the whole estate of the kingdom, &c. Afterwards, the king commanded cardinal Wolsey to go to this bishop, and to bring the book away with him. This bishop having written two books, (the one to answer the king's command, and the other intreating of his own private affairs,) did bind them both after one sort in vellum, &c. Now, when the cardinal came to demand the book due to the king, the bishop unadvisedly commanded his servant to bring hira the book bound in white vellum, lying in his study, in such a place. The servant accordingly brought forth one of the books so bound, being the book intreating of the state of the bishop, &c. The cardinal having the book went from the bishop, and after, (in his study by himself) understanding the contents thereof, he greatly rejoiced, having now occasion (which he long sought for) offered unto him, to bring the bishop into the king's disgrace.

"Wherefore he went forthwith to the king, delivered the book into his hands, and briefly informed him of the contents thereof; utting further into the king's head, that if at any time he were