Are like sweet odours to embalm your friend.

Thank your good lady; since I was your guest

She has made me a very wanton, in good sooth.

LIEUTENANT

O, I had hoped we should not yet have parted!

MORE

But I must leave ye for a little while.

Within an hour or two you may look for me.

But there will be so many come to see me

That I shall be so proud I will not speak;

And sure my memory is grown so ill

I fear I shall forget my head behind me.

LIEUTENANT

God and his blessed angels be about ye!—

Here, Master Sheriffs, receive your prisoner.

MORE

Good morrow, Master Sheriffs of London, to ye both.

I thank ye that ye will vouchsafe to meet me.

I see by this you have not quite forgot

That I was in times past as you are now,

A sheriff of London.

FIRST SHERIFF

Sir, then you know our duty doth require it.

MORE

I know it well, sir, else I would have been glad

You might have saved a labour at this time.

[To Second Sheriff] Ah, Master Sheriff,

You and I have been of old acquaintance.

You were a patient auditor of mine

When I read the divinity lecture

At St Laurence’s.

SECOND SHERIFF

Sir Thomas More,

I have heard you oft, as many other did,

To our great comfort.

MORE

Pray God you may so now, with all my heart.

And, as I call to mind,

When I studied the law in Lincoln’s Inn

I was of counsel with ye in a cause.

SECOND SHERIFF

I was about to say so, good Sir Thomas.

〈 〉

[They pass over the stage. A ladder to the scaffold is

revealed, with the Hangman attending it]

MORE

O, is this the place?

I promise ye, it is a goodly scaffold.

In sooth, I am come about a headless errand,

For I have not much to say, now I am here.

Well, let’s ascend, i’ God’s name.

In troth, methinks your stair is somewhat weak.

[To the Hangman] I prithee, honest friend, lend me thy

hand

To help me up. As for my coming down,

Let me alone, I’ll look to that myself.

As he is going up the stairs, enters the Earls of Surrey and Shrewsbury

My lords of Surrey and of Shrewsbury, give me your

hands yet before we part. Ye see, though it pleaseth the

King to raise me thus high, yet I am not proud; for the

higher I mount the better I can see my friends about me.

I am now on a far voyage, and this strange wooden

horse must bear me thither. Yet I perceive by your looks

you like my bargain so ill that there’s not one of ye all

dare venture with me. (Walking) Truly, here’s a most

sweet gallery. I like the air of it better than my garden at

Chelsea. By your patience, good people that have

pressed thus into my bedchamber, if you’ll not trouble

me I’ll take a sound sleep here.

SHREWSBURY

My lord, ’twere good you’d publish to the world

Your great offence unto his majesty.

MORE My lord, I’ll bequeath this legacy to the hangman, and do it instantly.

Gives him his gown

I confess his majesty hath been ever good to me, and my

offence to his highness makes me of a state pleader, a

stage player—though I am old and have a bad voice—to

act this last scene of my tragedy. I’ll send him, for my

trespass, a reverend head: somewhat bald, for it is not

requisite any head should stand covered to so high

majesty. If that content him not, because I think my

body will then do me small pleasure, let him but bury it

and take it.

SURREY

My lord, my lord, hold conference with your soul.

You see, my lord, the time of life is short.

MORE I see it, my good lord. I dispatched that business the last night. I come hither only to be let blood by the hangman. My doctor here tells me it is good for the headache.

HANGMAN I beseech ye, my lord, forgive me.

MORE Forgive thee, honest fellow? Why?

HANGMAN For your death, my lord.

MORE O, my death! I had rather it were in thy power to forgive me, for thou hast the sharpest action against me. The law, my honest friend, lies in thy hands now. Here’s thy fee.

[He gives him] his purse

And, my good fellow, let my suit be dispatched presently;

for ‘tis all one pain to die a lingering death and to live

in the continual mill of a lawsuit. But I can tell thee,

my neck is so short that if thou shouldst behead an

hundred noblemen like myself, thou wouldst ne’er get

credit by it. Therefore—look ye, sir—do it handsomely,

or, of my word, thou shalt never deal with me

hereafter.

HANGMAN I’ll take an order for that, my lord.

MORE One thing more: take heed thou cutt’st not off my beard. O, I forgot, execution passed upon that last night, and the body of it lies buried in the Tower. Stay, is’t not possible to make a scape from all this strong guard? It is.

There is a thing within me that will raise

And elevate my better part ’bove sight

Of these same weaker eyes. And Master Sheriffs,

For all this troop of steel that tends my death,

I shall break from you and fly up to heaven.

Let’s seek the means for this.

HANGMAN My lord, I pray ye put off your doublet. 115

MORE

Speak not so coldly to me; I am hoarse already.

I would be loath, good fellow, to take more.

Point me the block; I ne’er was here before.

HANGMAN

To the east side, my lord.