Health to your lordships.
Nor.

Thanks, my good lord chamberlain,

[Exit Lord Chamberlain,

NORFOLK opens a folding-door. The King is dis

covered sitting, and reading pensively. Suf. How sad he looks! sure, he is much afflicted. K. Hen. Who is there? ha? Nor.

'Pray God, he be not angry. K. Hen. Who's there, I say? How dare you

thrust yourselves Into my private meditations ? Who am I? ha?

Nor. 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.
K. Hen.

You are too bold;
Go to; I'll make

ye
know
your

times of business : Is this an hour for temporal affairs ? ha?

Enter Wolsey and CAMPEIUS.

Who's there ? my good lord cardinal ?-O my Wol

sey, The quiet of my wounded conscience, Thou art a cure fit for a king.--You're welcome,

[To CAMPEIUS. Most learned reverend sir, into our kingdom ; Use us, and it :-My good lord, have great care I be not found a talker.

[T. WOLSEY. Wol.

Sir, you cannot.

I would, your grace would give us but an hour
Of private conference.
K. Hen.

We are busy; go.

[To NORFOLK and SUFFOLK. Nor. This priest has no pride in him? Suf.

Not to speak of; I would not be so sick though, 8 for his place: But this cannot continue.

Aside. Nor.

If it do,
I'll venture one heave at him.
Suf.

I another.
[Exeunt NORFOLK and SUFFOLK.
Wol. Your grace has given a precedent of wisdom
Above all princes, in committing freely
Your scruple to the voice of Christendom:
Who can be angry now ? what envy reach you?
The Spaniard, tied by blood and favour to her,
Must now confess, if they have any goodness,
The trial just and noble. All the clerks,
I mean, the learned ones, in christian kingdoms,
Have their free voices; Rome, the nurse of judgment,
Invited by your noble self, hath sent
One general tongue unto us, this good man,
This just and learned priest, cardinal Campeius ;
Whom, once more, I present unto your highness.
K. Hen. And, once more, in mine arms I bid him

welcome, And thank the holy conclave for their loves ; They have sent me such a man I would have wish'd for. Cam. Your grace must needs deserve all strangers'

loves,

8 So sick as he is proud.

You are so noble: To your highness' hand
I tender my commission ; by whose virtue,
(The court of Rome commanding,)-you, my lord
Cardinal of York, are join'd with me their servant,
In the unpartial judging of this business,
K. Hen. Two equal men. The queen shall be ac-

quainted Forthwith, for what you come :- Where's Gardiner?

Wol. I know, your majesty has always lov'd her So dear in heart, not to deny her that A woman of less place might ask by law, Scholars, allow'd freely to argue for her.

K. Hen. Ay, and the best, she shall have ; and

my favour

To him that does best; God forbid else. Cardinal,
Pr’ythee, call Gardiner to me, my new secretary;
I find him a fit fellow.

[Exit Wolsey.

Re-enter Wolsey, with GARDINER. Wol. Give me your hand : much joy and favour to

you ; You are the king's now. Gard.

But to be commanded For ever by your grace, whose hand has rais'd me.

[.4 side. K. Hen. Come hither, Gardiner.

[They converse upart.
Cam. My lord of York, was not one doctor Pace
In this man's place before him?
Wol.

Yes, he was.
Cam. Was he not held a learned man?
Wol.

Yes, surely

Cam. Believe me, there's an ill opinion spread then Even of yourself, lord cardinal. Wol.

How ! of me! Cam. They will not stick to say, you envied him ; And, fearing he would rise, he was so virtuous, Kept him a foreign mano still; which so griev'd him, That he ran mad, and died. Wol.

Heaven's peace

be with him? That's christian care enough: for living murmurers, There's places of rebuke. He was a fool ; For he would needs be virtuous: That good fellow, If I command him, follows my appointment; I will have none so near else. Learn, this brother, We live not to be grip'd by meaner persons. K. Hen. Deliver this with modesty to the queen.

[Exit GARDINER. The most convenient place that I can think of, For such receipt of learning, is Black-Friars ; There ye shall meet about this weighty business :My Wolsey, see it furnish'd.- my lord Would it not grieve an able man, to leave So sweet a bedfellow? But, conscience, conscience, O, 'tis a tender place, and I must leave her. [Ereunt.

SCENE III.

An Ante-chamber in the Queen's Apartments.

Enter Anne BULLEN, and an old Lady.
Anne. Not for that neither ;-Here's the pang that

pinches :
His highness having liv'd so long with her: and she
So good a lady, that no tongue could ever
Pronounce dishonour of her, -by my life,
She never knew harm-doing ;-0 now, after
So many courses of the sun enthron'd,
Still growing in a majesty and pomp,—the which
To leave is a thousand-fold more bitter, than
Tis sweet at first to acquire,-after this process,
To give her the avaunt!' it is a pity
Would move a monster.
Old L.

Hearts of most hard temper
Melt and lament for her.
Anne.

0, God's will! much better,
She ne'er had known pomp: though it be temporal,
Yet, if that quarrel,a fortune, do divorce
It from the bearer, 'tis a sufferance, panging
As soul and body's severing.
Old L.

Alas, poor lady!
She's a stranger now again. 3
Anne.

So much the more
Must pity drop upon her. Verily,
I swear, 'tis better to be lowly born,

* A sentence of ejection. 2 Quarreller.

3 No longer an English woman.