And Duke of Buckingham; now, poor Edward Bohun:
Yet I am richer than my base accusers,
That never knew what truth meant: I now seal it;
And with that blood will make 'em one day groan for't.
My noble father, Henry of Buckingham,
Who first raised head against usurping Richard,
Flying for succor to his servant Banister,
Being distress'd, was by that wretch betray'd,
And without trial fell; God's peace be with him!
Henry the Seventh succeeding, truly pitying
My father's loss, like a most royal prince,
Restored me to my honours, and, out of ruins,
Made my name once more noble. Now his son,
Henry the Eighth, life, honour, name and all
That made me happy at one stroke has taken
For ever from the world. I had my trial,
And, must needs say, a noble one; which makes me,
A little happier than my wretched father:
Yet thus far we are one in fortunes: both
Fell by our servants, by those men we loved most;
A most unnatural and faithless service!
Heaven has an end in all: yet, you that hear me,
This from a dying man receive as certain:
Where you are liberal of your loves and counsels
Be sure you be not loose; for those you make friends
And give your hearts to, when they once perceive
The least rub in your fortunes, fall away
Like water from ye, never found again
But where they mean to sink ye. All good people,
Pray for me! I must now forsake ye: the last hour
Of my long weary life is come upon me. Farewell:
And when you would say something that is sad,
Speak how I fell. I have done; and God forgive me!
No, Sir Nicholas,
let it be; my position would just mock me now.
When I came here I was Lord High Constable
and Duke of Buckingham: now I am poor Edward Bohun;
but I am richer than my low accusers,
who never knew what truth meant: I shall now prove it
with the blood price which one day they will suffer for.
My noble father Henry of Buckingham,
the first one to raise forces against usurping Richard,
running for assistance to his servant Banister,
when he was in need, was betrayed by that wretch,
and executed without trial; may God's peace be upon him.
Henry the Seventh succeeded, and as he truly pitied
the loss of my father, he gave me back my titles
like the Royal Prince he was; and out of the ruins
he reinstated my noble name. Now his son,
Henry the Eighth, in one blow has taken away
my life, honour, title and everything
that made me happy. I had my trial,
and I have to say it was a noble one; that makes me
a little happier than my wretched father:
but we are identical in one way; we were both
brought down by our servants, by those men we loved most:
very unnatural and faithless service.
Heaven always has a purpose; but you who hear me,
take this as the truth from a dying man:
when you are generous with your love and advice,
make sure you are not profligate; for those you have as friends
and give your hearts to, as soon as they see
that your fortunes are failing, they shall drop away from you
like water, you'll never see them again
until they try to drown you. Pray for me,
all good people; now I must leave you; the last hour
of my long weary life has come:
farewell; and when you want to speak about something that's sad,
talk of my end. I have finished, and may God forgive me.
Exeunt BUCKINGHAM and Train
First Gentleman
O, this is full of pity! Sir, it calls,
I fear, too many curses on their heads
That were the authors.
Oh, this is pitiable! Sir, I fear
it brings down too many curses on the heads
of those who are responsible.
Second Gentleman
If the duke be guiltless,
'Tis full of woe: yet I can give you inkling
Of an ensuing evil, if it fall,
Greater than this.
If the Duke is not guilty,
it's very sad: but I can give you a hint
of an even greater evil that is
coming, if it happens.
First Gentleman
Good angels keep it from us!
What may it be? You do not doubt my faith, sir?
May the good angels keep it from us!
What is it? You don't doubt my loyalty, sir?
Second Gentleman
This secret is so weighty, 'twill require
A strong faith to conceal it.
This secret is so great, it will need
great loyalty to keep it hidden.
First Gentleman
Let me have it;
I do not talk much.
Tell me;
I don't talk much.
Second Gentleman
I am confident,
You shall, sir: did you not of late days hear
A buzzing of a separation
Between the king and Katharine?
I trust you,
I shall tell you: haven't you recently heard
gossip about a divorce
between the King and Katherine?
First Gentleman
Yes, but it held not:
For when the king once heard it, out of anger
He sent command to the lord mayor straight
To stop the rumor, and allay those tongues
That durst disperse it.
Yes, but it didn't last:
for as soon as the King heard of it he angrily
sent orders at once to the Lord Mayor
to stop the rumour, and control the people
who were spreading it.
Second Gentleman
But that slander, sir,
Is found a truth now: for it grows again
Fresher than e'er it was; and held for certain
The king will venture at it. Either the cardinal,
Or some about him near, have, out of malice
To the good queen, possess'd him with a scruple
That will undo her: to confirm this too,
Cardinal Campeius is arrived, and lately;
As all think, for this business.
But that slander, Sir,
is now proved to be true: it's sprung up again
stronger than it ever was; and it is thought certain
that the King will do it. Either the cardinal,
or someone else close to him, has, out of malice
towards the good Queen, placed doubts in him
that will be her downfall: to confirm this,
Cardinal Campeius has recently arrived;
everyone thinks it's to do with this affair.
First Gentleman
'Tis the cardinal;
And merely to revenge him on the emperor
For not bestowing on him, at his asking,
The archbishopric of Toledo, this is purposed.
It is the cardinal;
and he will agree to act in this matter
just to take revenge on the Emperor
for not giving him the archbishopric of Toledo
when he asked for it.
Second Gentleman
I think you have hit the mark: but is't not cruel
That she should feel the smart of this? The cardinal
Will have his will, and she must fall.
I think you've hi
t the nail on the head: but isn't it cruel
that the Queen should suffer for this? The cardinal
will get what he wants, and she must fall.
First Gentleman
'Tis woful.
We are too open here to argue this;
Let's think in private more.
It's woeful,
we are too exposed to talk about this here;
let's discuss it more privately.
Exeunt
Enter Chamberlain, reading a letter
Chamberlain
'My lord, the horses your lordship sent for, with
all the care I had, I saw well chosen, ridden, and
furnished. They were young and handsome, and of the
best breed in the north. When they were ready to
set out for London, a man of my lord cardinal's, by
commission and main power, took 'em from me; with
this reason: His master would be served before a
subject, if not before the king; which stopped our
mouths, sir.'
I fear he will indeed: well, let him have them:
He will have all, I think.
'My Lord, the horses your lordship sent for have been
chosen, trained and saddled with my very best care.
They were young and handsome, and from the
best breed in the north. When they were ready to
be sent to London, a man of my lord cardinal's
took them from me with his authority and by brute force;
he gave this reason: if his master was not served before the king,
he would at least be served before a subject; and that
stopped us arguing, sir.’
I'm afraid he certainly will; well, let him have them;
I think he will have everything.
Enter, to Chamberlain, NORFOLK and SUFFOLK
NORFOLK
Well met, my lord chamberlain.
Good to see you, my lord chamberlain.
Chamberlain
Good day to both your graces.
Good day to both your graces.
SUFFOLK
How is the king employ'd?
What is the king doing?
Chamberlain
I left him private,
Full of sad thoughts and troubles.
I left him sitting alone,
full of sad thoughts and troubles.
NORFOLK
What's the cause?
For what reason?
Chamberlain
It seems the marriage with his brother's wife
Has crept too near his conscience.
It seems he is feeling bad about
marrying his brother's wife.
SUFFOLK
No, his conscience
Has crept too near another lady.
No, he's feeling bad
about not being with a different lady.
NORFOLK
'Tis so:
This is the cardinal's doing, the king-cardinal:
That blind priest, like the eldest son of fortune,
Turns what he list. The king will know him one day.
That's right:
this is the cardinal's doing, the king-cardinal:
that man is like fate, he doesn't care who he
makes suffer. The king shall find him out one day.
SUFFOLK
Pray God he do! he'll never know himself else.
I pray to God he does! Otherwise he will never know himself.
NORFOLK
How holily he works in all his business!
And with what zeal! for, now he has crack'd the league
Between us and the emperor, the queen's great nephew,
He dives into the king's soul, and there scatters
Dangers, doubts, wringing of the conscience,
Fears, and despairs; and all these for his marriage:
And out of all these to restore the king,
He counsels a divorce; a loss of her
That, like a jewel, has hung twenty years
About his neck, yet never lost her lustre;
Of her that loves him with that excellence
That angels love good men with; even of her
That, when the greatest stroke of fortune falls,
Will bless the king: and is not this course pious?
With what holiness he goes about his business!
How keen he is! for, now he has broken the alliance
between us and the Emperor, the great-nephew of the Queen,
he plunges into the soul of the King, and scatters about
fears, doubts, torment to his conscience,
despair; and always on account of his marriage:
and to save the King from these,
he advises divorce; throwing away her
who has hung around his neck like a jewel
for twenty years and never lost her shine;
someone who loves him with the purity
with which angels love good men; even
when the axe falls upon her she will
bless the King: is this holy behaviour?
Chamberlain
Heaven keep me from such counsel! 'Tis most true
These news are every where; every tongue speaks 'em,
And every true heart weeps for't: all that dare
Look into these affairs see this main end,
The French king's sister. Heaven will one day open
The king's eyes, that so long have slept upon
This bold bad man.
May heaven protect me from such advice! It's true
that this news is everywhere; everybody speaking about it,
and every true heart is weeping for it: everyone who dares
look into these affairs see the main purpose
is to get the sister of the French king. One day heaven will open
the eyes of the King, that have for so long been blind
to the badness of this bold man.
SUFFOLK
And free us from his slavery.
And free us from his slavery.
NORFOLK
We had need pray,
And heartily, for our deliverance;
Or this imperious man will work us all
From princes into pages: all men's honours
Lie like one lump before him, to be fashion'd
Into what pitch he please.
We must pray,
and heartily, to be saved from him;
or this arrogant man will turn us all
from Princes into servants: all the honours of men
lie in front of him like one big lump of clay, to be shaped
into anything he fancies.
SUFFOLK
For me, my lords,
I love him not, nor fear him; there's my creed:
As I am made without him, so I'll stand,
If the king please; his curses and his blessings
Touch me alike, they're breath I not believe in.
I knew him, and I know him; so I leave him
To him that made him proud, the pope.
For me, my lords,
I do not love him, nor do I fear him; this is what I believe:
as I do not owe him my position I shall stand firm,
if the King pleases; his curses and his blessings
are the same to me, I don't believe in either of them.
I knew him, and I know what he's like; and so I leave him
to the one who gave him his position, the Pope.
NORFOLK
Let's in;
And with some other business put the king
From these sad thoughts, that work too much upon him:
My lord, you'll bear us company?
Let's go indoors;
let's think about something else rather than
the sad business of the King, which we think about too much:
my lord, will you come with us?
Chamberlain
/> Excuse me;
The king has sent me otherwhere: besides,
You'll find a most unfit time to disturb him:
Health to your lordships.
Pardon me;
the King has sent me somewhere else: anyway,
you will find this is a very bad time to disturb him:
good health to your Lordships.
NORFOLK
Thanks, my good lord chamberlain.
Thank you, my good Lord Chamberlain.
Exit Chamberlain; and KING HENRY VIII draws the curtain, and sits reading pensively
SUFFOLK
How sad he looks! sure, he is much afflicted.
How sad he looks! He certainly is much affected.
KING HENRY VIII
Who's there, ha?
Who's there, hey?
NORFOLK
Pray God he be not angry.
Please God don't let him be angry.
KING HENRY VIII
Who's there, I say? How dare you thrust yourselves
Into my private meditations?
Who am I? ha?
Who's there, I say? How dare you barge in
on my private thoughts?
Who am I? Hey?
NORFOLK
A gracious king that pardons all offences
Malice ne'er meant: our breach of duty this way
Is business of estate; in which we come
To know your royal pleasure.
You are gracious king who pardons all offences
that were not meant in malice: we are only disturbing you
with matters of state; we have come
to take your royal orders.
KING HENRY VIII
Ye are too bold:
Go to; I'll make ye know your times of business:
Is this an hour for temporal affairs, ha?
Enter CARDINAL WOLSEY and CARDINAL CAMPEIUS, with a commission
Who's there? my good lord cardinal? O my Wolsey,
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) Page 182
