The best persuasions to the contrary
Fail not to use, and with what vehemency
Th’occasion shall instruct you. If entreaties
Will render you no remedy, ⌈giving his ring⌉ this ring
Deliver them, and your appeal to us
There make before them.
Cranmer weeps
Look, the good man weeps.
He’s honest, on mine honour. God’s blest mother,
I swear he is true-hearted, and a soul
None better in my kingdom. Get you gone,
And do as I have bid you.
Exit Cranmer
He has strangled
His language in his tears.
Enter the Old Lady
⌈LOVELL⌉ (within) Come back! What mean you?
⌈Enter Lovell, following her⌉
OLD LADY
I’ll not come back. The tidings that I bring
Will make my boldness manners. (To the King) Now
good angels
Fly o’er thy royal head, and shade thy person
Under their blessed wings.
KING HENRY
Now by thy looks
I guess thy message. Is the Queen delivered?
Say, ‘Ay, and of a boy.’
OLD LADY
Ay, ay, my liege,
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.
KING HENRY
Lovell—
LOVELL
Sir?
KING HENRY
Give her an hundred marks. I’ll to the Queen.
Exit
OLD LADY
An hundred marks? By this light, I’ll ha’ more.
An ordinary groom is for such payment.
I will have more, or scold it out of him.
Said I for this the girl was like to him? I’ll
Have more, or else unsay’t; and now, while ’tis hot,
I’ll put it to the issue.
Exeunt
5.2 Enter ⌈pursuivants, pages, footboys, and grooms. Then enter⌉ Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury
CRANMER
I hope I am not too late, and yet the gentleman
That was sent to me from the council prayed me
To make great haste. All fast? What means this?
(Calling at the door) Ho!
Who waits there?
Enter a Doorkeeper
Sure you know me?
DOORKEEPER
Yes, my lord,
But yet I cannot help you.
CRANMER
Why?
⌈Enter Doctor Butts, passing over the stage⌉
DOORKEEPER
Your grace must wait till you be called for.
CRANMER
So.
BUTTS (aside)
This is a piece of malice. I am glad
I came this way so happily. The King
Shall understand it presently.
Exit
CRANMER (aside)
‘Tis Butts, The King’s physician. As he passed along
How earnestly he cast his eyes upon me!
Pray heaven he found not my disgrace. For certain
This is of purpose laid 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 Councillor,
’Mong boys, grooms, and lackeys. But their pleasures
Must be fulfilled, and I attend with patience.
Enter King Henry and Doctor Butts at a window, above
BUTTS
I’ll show your grace the strangest sight—
KING HENRY
What’s that, Butts?
BUTTS
I think your highness saw this many a day.
KING HENRY
Body o’me, where is it?
BUTTS (pointing at Cranmer, below)
There, my lord. The high promotion of his grace of Canterbury,
Who holds his state at door, ’mongst pursuivants,
Pages, and footboys.
KING HENRY
Ha? ‘Tis he indeed.
Is this the honour they do one another?
’Tis well there’s one above ’em yet. I had thought
They had parted so much honesty among ’em—
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 ’em alone, and draw the curtain close.
We shall hear more anon.
⌈Cranmer and the doorkeeper stand to one side. Exeunt the lackeys⌉ Above, Butts ⌈partly⌉ draws the curtain close. Below, a council table is brought in along with chairs and stools, and placed under the cloth of state. Enter the Lord Chancellor, who places himself at the upper end of the table, on the left hand, leaving a seat void above him at the table’s head as for Canterbury’s seat. The Duke of Suffolk, the Duke of Norfolk, the Earl of Surrey, the Lord Chamberlain, and Gardiner, the Bishop of Winchester, seat themselves in order on each side of the table. Cromwell sits at the lower end, and acts as secretary
LORD CHANCELLOR (to Cromwell)
Speak to the business, master secretary.
Why are we met in council?
CROMWELL
Please your honours,
The chief cause concerns his grace of Canterbury.
GARDINER
Has he had knowledge of it?
CROMWELL
Yes.
NORFOLK (to the Doorkeeper)
Who waits there?
DOORKEEPER ⌈coming forward⌉
Without, my noble lords?
GARDINER
Yes.
DOORKEEPER
My lord Archbishop;
And has done half an hour, to know your pleasures.
LORD CHANCELLOR
Let him come in.
DOORKEEPER (to Cranmer) Your grace may enter now.
Cranmer approaches the Council table
LORD CHANCELLOR
My good lord Archbishop, I’m 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 misdemeaned yourself, and not a little,
Toward the King first, then his laws, in filling
The whole realm, by your teaching and your chaplains’—