Use us and it. [To Wol.] My good lord, have

Sir, you cannot.

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

King. [To Nor. and Suf.] We are busy; go.
Nor. [Aside to Suf.] This priest has no pride
in him?

Suf. [Aside to Nor.] Not to speak of:

I would not be so sick though for his place:
But this cannot continue.

[Aside to Suf.] If it do,

I'll venture one have-at-him.

Nor.

Suf.

[Aside to Nor.] I another.

[Exeunt Nor. and Suf.

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 judge-
ment,

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.
King. And once more in mine arms I bid him
welcome,

94. Have their free voices, can speak their opinion unrestrained.

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,

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.

King. Two equal men. The queen shall be
acquainted

Forthwith for what you come.

Where's Gardiner?

200

Wol. I know your majesty has always loved her 110

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.

King. Ay, and the best she shall have; and my favour

To him that does best: God forbid else. Cardinal,
Prithee, call Gardiner to me, my new secretary:
I find him a fit fellow.
[Exit Wolsey.

Re-enter WOLSEY, with GARDINER.

Wol. [Aside to Gard.] Give me your hand:

much joy and favour to you;

You are the king's now.

Gard. [Aside to Wol.] But to be commanded

For ever by your grace, whose hand has raised me. 120 King. Come hither, Gardiner.

[Walks and whispers. 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.

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 man still; which so grieved

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. King. 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. 140
My Wolsey, see it furnish'd. O, my lord,
Would it not grieve an able man to leave

So sweet a bedfellow? But, conscience, con

science!

O, 'tis a tender place; and I must leave her.

129. Kept him a foreign man still, employed him continually on foreign embassies, and the same oftentimes not necessary' (Holinshed).

[Exeunt.

139. such receipt of learning, the reception of such learning. 142. able, in the vigour of his prime.

SCENE III. An ante-chamber of 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 lived 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: O, now, after
So many courses of the sun enthroned,
Still growing in a majesty and pomp, the which
To leave 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.

O, God's will! much better

She ne'er had known pomp: though 't be temporal,
Yet, if that quarrel, fortune, do divorce

It from the bearer, 'tis a sufferance panging

As soul and body's severing.

I swear, 'tis better to be lowly born,
And range with humble livers in content,
Than to be perk'd up in a glistering grief,

14. quarrel (abstract for concrete), quarreller.

15. panging, causing such a pang.

17. stranger, alien.
20. range, be ranked.

IO

20

21. perk'd up, dressed up, adorned.

And venture maidenhead for 't; and so would you,
For all this spice of your hypocrisy :

You, that have so fair parts of woman on you,
Have too a woman's heart; which ever yet
Affected eminence, wealth, sovereignty;

Which, to say sooth, are blessings; and which
gifts,

Saving your mincing, the capacity

Of your soft cheveril conscience would receive,
If you might please to stretch it.

Anne.

Nay, good troth. Old L. Yes, troth, and troth; you would not be a queen?

Anne. No, not for all the riches under heaven.
Old L. 'Tis strange: a three-pence bow'd would

hire me,

Old as I am, to queen it: but, I pray you,

What think you of a duchess? have you limbs
To bear that load of title?

Anne.

No, in truth.

Old L. Then you are weakly made: pluck off a little ;

I would not be a young count in your way,
For more than blushing comes to: if your back
Cannot vouchsafe this burthen, 'tis too weak
Ever to get a boy.

23. having, possession.
32. cheveril, like kid-skin,
pliable, elastic.

36. a three-pence bow'd, a bent three-pence; probably with re

30

40

ference to ratifying an agreement with a bent coin.

40. pluck off a little; i.e. instead of 'duchess' suppose countess.