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’—