Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB
[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][graphic][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small]
[graphic][merged small][subsumed][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

1 GENT. You come to take your stand here, and behold

The lady Anne pass from her coronation?

2 GENT. T is all my business. At our last encounter, The duke of Buckingham came from his trial.

1 GENT. 'T is very true: but that time offer'd sorrow: This, general joy.

2 GENT.

"T is well: The citizens,

I am sure, have shown at full their royal minds,

(As, let them have their rights, they are ever forward,) In celebration of this day with shows,

Pageants, and sights of honour.

1 GENT.

Never greater,

Nor, I'll assure you, better taken, sir.

2 GENT. May I be bold to ask what that contains,

That paper in your hand?

1 GENT.

Yes; 't is the list
Of those that claim their offices this day,
By custom of the coronation.

The duke of Suffolk is the first, and claims

To be high-steward; next, the duke of Norfolk,

He to be earl marshal: you may read the rest.

2 GENT. I thank you, sir; had I not known those customs, I should have been beholding to your paper.

b

But, I beseech you, what 's become of Katharine,
The princess dowager? how goes her business?
1 GENT. That I can tell you too. The archbishop
Of Canterbury, accompanied with other

Learned and reverend fathers of his order,
Held a late court at Dunstable, six miles off
From Ampthill, where the princess lay; to which
She was often cited by them, but appear'd not:
And, to be short, for not appearance, and
The king's late scruple, by the main assent
Of all these learned men she was divorc'd,
And the late marriage made of none effect:
Since which, she was remov'd to Kimbolton,
Where she remains now, sick.

2 GENT.

Alas, good lady!-
The trumpets sound: stand close, the queen is coming.

1. Two Judges.

THE ORDER OF THE PROCESSION.

A lively flourish of trumpets: then, enter

2. Lord Chancellor, with the purse and mace before him. 3. Choristers singing.

a We have punctuated this according to a suggestion by Boswell.

[Trumpets.

[Music.

b Beholding. This is not a corrupt word, but one constantly used by the writers of Shakspere's day. We have an example of it in Greene's' Groat's Worth of Wit.'

4. Mayor of London, bearing the mace. Then Garter in his coat of arms, and, on his head, a gilt copper crown.

5. Marquis Dorset, bearing a sceptre of gold, on his head a demi-coronal of gold. With him, the Earl of Surrey, bearing the rod of silver with the dove, crowned with an earl's coronet. Collars of SS.

6. Duke of Suffolk, in his robe of estate, his coronet on his head, bearing a long white wand, as high-steward. With him, the Duke of Norfolk, with the rod of marshalship, a coronet on his head. Collars of SS.

7. A canopy borne by four of the Cinque-ports; under it, the Queen in her robe; in her hair richly adorned with pearl, crowned. On each side of her, the Bishops of London and Winchester.

8. The old Duchess of Norfolk, in a coronal of gold, wrought with flowers, bearing the Queen's train.

9. Certain Ladies or Countesses, with plain circlets of gold without flowers.

2 GENT. A royal train, believe me.-These I know;—

Who's that that bears the sceptre ?

1 GENT.

Marquis Dorset: And that the earl of Surrey, with the rod. 2 GENT. A bold brave gentleman. That should be

[blocks in formation]

Of the Cinque-ports.

2 GENT. Those men are happy; and so are all, are near her.

I take it, she that carries up the train

Is that old noble lady, duchess of Norfolk.

1 GENT. It is; and all the rest are countesses.

2 GENT. Their coronets say so.

And, sometimes, falling ones.

1 GENT.

These are stars, indeed;

No more of that.

[Exit Procession, with a great flourish of trumpets.

Enter a Third Gentleman.

God save you, sir! Where have you been broiling?

3 GENT. Among the crowd i' the abbey; where a finger Could not be wedg'd in more; I am stifled

With the mere rankness of their joy.

2 GENT. You saw the ceremony?

3 GENT. That I did.

1 GENT. How was it?

3 GENT. Well worth the seeing. 2 GENT. Good sir, speak it to us. 3 GENT. As well as I am able.

The rich stream

Of lords, and ladies, having brought the queen
To a prepar'd place in the choir, fell off

A distance from her: while her grace sat down
To rest a while, some half an hour, or so,
In a rich chair of state, opposing freely
The beauty of her person to the people.
Believe me, sir, she is the goodliest woman
That ever lay by man: which when the people
Had the full view of, such a noise arose
As the shrouds make at sea in a stiff tempest,
As loud, and to as many tunes: hats, cloaks,
Doublets, I think, flew up; and had their faces
Been loose, this day they had been lost. Such joy
I never saw before. Great-bellied women,

That had not half a week to go, like ramsa

In the old time of war, would shake the press,
And make them reel before them. No man living

Could say "This is my wife," there; all were woven
So strangely in one piece.

2 GENT

But, what follow'd?

3 GENT. At length her grace rose, and with modest paces
Came to the altar: where she kneel'd, and, saint-like,
Cast her fair eyes to heaven, and pray'd devoutly.
Then rose again, and bow'd her to the people:

When by the archbishop of Canterbury
She had all the royal makings of a queen;

As holy oil, Edward Confessor's crown,

The rod, and bird of peace, and all such emblems,
Laid nobly on her; which perform'd, the choir,
With all the choicest music of the kingdom,
Together sung Te Deum. So she parted,
And with the same full state pac'd back again
To York-place, where the feast is held.
1 GENT.

Sir,

a Rams-battering-rams.

« ZurückWeiter »