THE famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eighth was first published in the folio collection of Shakspere's works in 1623. The text, taken as a whole, is singularly correct: it contains, no doubt, some few typographical errors, but certainly not so many as those which deform the ordinary reprints. The date of the original production of this drama has been a subject of much discussion. The opinions in favour of its having been produced in the reign of Elizabeth are far more numerous than those which hold it to be a later production. But the accomplished Sir Henry Wotton, writing to his nephew on the 6th of July, 1613, gives a minute and graphic account of the fire at the Globe in that year:-" Now to let matters of state sleep, I will entertain you at the present with what happened this week at the Bankside. The king's players had a new play, called All is True, representing some principal pieces of the reign of Henry the Eighth, which was set forth with many extraordinary circumstances of pomp and majesty, even to the matting of the stage; the knights of the order, with their Georges and Garter, the guards with their embroidered coats and the like; sufficient, in truth, within a while to make greatness very familiar, if not ridiculous. Now King Henry, making a mask at the Cardinal Wolsey's house, and certain cannons being shot off at his entry, some of the paper, or other stuff wherewith one of them was stopped, did light on the thatch, where, being thought at first but an idle smoke, and their eyes being more attentive to the show, it kindled inwardly, and ran round like a train, consuming, within less than an hour, the whole house to the very ground. This was the fatal period of that virtuous fabric, wherein yet nothing did perish but wood and straw, and a few forsaken cloaks: only one man had his breeches set on fire, that would perhaps have broiled him, if he had not, by the benefit of a provident wit, put it out with bottle ale." Here, then, is a new play described, "representing some principal pieces of the reign of Henry VIII. ;" and further, the passage of Shakspere's play in which the "chambers" are discharged, being the " entry "of the king to the "mask at the cardinal's house," is the same to the letter. But the title which Sir Henry Wotton gives the new play is All is True.' Other persons call the plav so represented Henry VIII.' Howes, in his continuation of Stow's Chronicle, so calls it. He writes some time after the destruction of the Globe, for he adds to his account of the fire," and the next spring it was new builded in far fairer manner than before." He speaks of the title of the play as a familiar thing :-" the house being filled with people to behold the play, viz. of Henry the Eighth." When Howes wrote, was the title All is True' merged in the more obvious title derived from the subject of the play, and following the character of the titles of Shakspere's other historical plays? The commentators also hold that the Prologue was written by Ben Jonson, to allow him an occasion of sneering at Shakspere's fools and battle-scenes. But we hold that the Prologue is a complete exposition of the idea of this drama. The Prologue is fastened upon Jouson, upon the theory that he wrote it after Shakspere's retirement from the stage, when the old play was revived in his absence. We believe in the one piece of external evidence,-that a 'Henry VIII. was produced in 1613, when the Globe was burned; that it was a new play; that it was then called All is True;'-and that this title agrees with the idea upon which Shakspere wrote the 'Henry VIII.' Those who believe that it was written in the time of Elizabeth have to reject this one piece of external evidence. We further believe, from the internal evidence, that the play, as it stands, was written in the time of James I., and that we have received it in its original form. Those who assert the contrary have to resort to the hypothesis of interpolation; and, further, have to explain how many things which are, to a plain understanding, inconsistent with their theory, may be interpreted, by great ingenuity, to be consistent. We believe that Shakspere, amongst his latest dramas, constructed an historical drama to conplete his great series,-one that was agreeable to the tone of his mind after his fiftieth year : Sad, high, and working, full of state and woe." Those who take the opposite view hold that the chief object of the poet was to produce something which might be ac ceptable to Queen Elizabeth. Our belief is the obvious one; the contrary belief may be the more ingenious. Shakspere has in this play closed his great series of Chronicle Histories.' This last of them was to be "sad. high, and working." It has laid bare the hollowness of worldly glory; it has shown the heavy "load" of "to much honour." It has given us a picture of the times which succeeded the feudal strifes of the other 'His tories.' Were they better times? To the mind of the poet the age of corruption was as "sad" as the age force. The one tyrant rides over the obligations of justice, wielding a power more terrible thau that of the sword. The poet's consolation is to be found in the prophetic views of the future. of We have a few words to add on the style of this drama. It is remarkable for the elliptical construction of many of the sentences, and for an occasional peculiarity in the versification, which is not found in any other of Shakspere's works. A theory has been set up that Jonson “ tampered” with the versification. We hold this notion to be utterly untenable; for there is no play of Shakspere's which has a more decided character of unity, no one from which any passage could be less easily struck out. We believe that Shakspere worked in this particular upon a princip'e of art which he had proposed to himself to adhere to, wherever the nature of the scene would allow. The elliptical construction, and the licence of versification, brought the dialogue, whenever the speaker was not uscessarily rhetorical, closer to the language of commun life. Of all his historical plays, the 'Henry VIII.' is the nearest in its story to his own times. It professed to be a "truth." It belongs to his own country. It has no poetical indistinctness about it, either of time or place: all is defined. If the diction and the versification ha been more artificial, it would have been less a reality. Act V. sc. 2; sc. 3. Lord Chancellor. GARDINER, bishop of Winchester. Appears, Act II. sc. 2. Act V. sc. 1; sc. 2. BISHOP OF LINCOLN. Appeurs, Act II. sc. 4. LORD ABERGAVENNY. Appears, Act I. sc. 1. LORD SANDS. Appears, Act I. sc. 3; sc. 4. Act II. sc. 1. SIR HENRY GUILDFORD. Appears, Act I. se. 4. SIR THOMAS LOVELL. Appears, Act I. sc. 2; se. 3: sc. 4. Act II. sc. 1. Act III. sc. 2. Act V. sc. 1. SIR ANTHONY Denny. SCENE, SIR NICHOLAS VAUX. Appeur, Act I. sc. 1. CROMWELL, Servant to Wolsey. GRIFFITH, Gentleman-Usher to Queen Katnarine Three Gentlemen. Appear, Act II. sc. 1. Act IV. sc. 1. Surveyor to the Duke of Buckingham. BRANDON. Door-Keeper of the Council Chamber. A Crier. Appears, Act II. sc. 4. QUEEN KATHARINE, wife to King Henry, afterwarde divorced. Appears, Act I. sc. 2. Act II. sc. 4. Act III. sc. 1. Act IV. sc. 2 and afterwards Queen. Several Lords and Ladies in the dumb shows; Women CHIEFLY in London and WestminSTER; ONCE, AT KIMBOLTON. PROLOGUE. I come no more to make you laugh; things now, The play may pass, if they be still and willing, In a long motley coat, guarded with yellow, Will be deceiv'd: for, gentle hearers, know, As fool and fight is, beside forfeiting Our own brains, and the opinion that we bring, Will leave us never an understanding friend. Therefore, for goodness' sake, and, as you are known As they were living; think, you see them great, I was my chamber's prisoner. Nor. Then you lost The view of earthly glory: Men might say, Till this time pomp was single, but now married To one above itself. Each following day Became the next day's master, till the last Made former wonders its: To-day, the French, All clinquant, all in gold, like heathen gods, Shone down the English; and, to-morrow, they Made Britain, India: every man that stood Show'd like a mine. Their dwarfish pages were As cherubins, all gilt: the madams too, Not us'd to toil, did almost sweat to bear The pride upon them, that their very labour Was to them as a painting: Now this mask Was cry'd incomparable; and the ensuing night Made it a fool, and beggar. The two kings, Equal in lustre, were now best, now worst, As presence did present them; him in eye Still him in praise: and, being present both, 'Twas said they saw but one; and no discerner Durst wag his tongue in censure. When these suns (For so they phrase them) by their heralds challeng'd The noble spirits to arms, they did perform Beyond thought's compass; that former fabulous Nor. As you guess: One, certes, that promises no element Buck. Buck. The devil speed him! no man's pie is freed From his ambitious finger. What had he To do in these fierce vanities? I wonder That such a keechb can with his very bulk Take up the rays o' the beneficial sun, And keep it from the earth. Surely, sir, Nor. Out of his self-drawing web,-O! give us note!- Aber. Peep through each part of him: Whence has he that? Or has given all before, and he begins A new hell in himself. Buck. Why the devil, Upon this French going-out, took he upon him, Aber. I do know Kinsmen of mine, three at the least, that have By this so sicken'd their estates, that never They shall abound as formerly. Grievingly I think, Buck. Nor. Which is budded out; For France hath flaw'd the league, and hath attach'd Our merchants' goods at Bourdeaux. Aber. The ambassador is silenc'd? Nor. Is it therefore Marry, is 't. Element-constituent quality of mind. Thus in Twe Ab Night' (Act III Sc. 4) Malvolie says, "Go, hang yourselves all! you are idle shallow things. I am not of your element. b Keech. A "keech" is a lump of tat: and Buckingham here denounces Wolsey as an overgrown bloated favourite. Buck. Why, all this business 'Like it your grace, Enter CARDINAL WOLSEY, (the purse borne before him,) certain of the Guard, and Two Secretaries with papers. The CARDINAL in his passage fixeth eye on BUCKINGHAM, and BUCKINGHAM on him, both full of disdain. his Wol. The duke of Buckingham's surveyor? ha? Where 's his examination? Me, as his abject object: at this instant a And proofs as clear as founts in July, when As shore of rock. Attend. This holy fox, Nor. a 'Faith, and so it did. Buck. Pray, give me favour, sir. cardinal vouch This cunning The articles o' the combination drew As give a crutch to the dead: But our count-car dinal Has done this, and 't is well; for worthy Wolsey, He bores me with some trick: He's gone to the king; (As soon he shall by me,) that thus the cardinal I'll follow, and out-stare him. Nor. Stay, my lord, And let your reason with your choler question What 't is you go about: To climb steep hills Requires slow pace at first: Anger is like A full-hot horse; who being allow'd his way Self-mettle tires him. Not a man in England Can advise me like you: be to yourself As you would to your friend. Buck. I'll to the king: And from a mouth of honour quite cry down This Ipswich fellow's insolence; or proclaim There's difference in no persons. Nor. Be advis'd. More stronger to direct you than yourself; Buck. Sir, I am thankful to you: and I'll go along By your prescription :--but this top-proud fellow, (Whom from the flow of gall I name not, but From sincere motions,) by intelligence, Bores-wounds-thrusts. So in the Winter's Tale' Now the ship boring the moon with her mainmast." Motions-impulses. Does buy and sell his honour as he pleases, And for his own advantage. I am sorry Nor. To hear this of him; and could wish he were Something mistaken in t. SCENE II.-The Council-Chamber. Cornets. Enter KING HENRY, CARDINAL WOLSEY, the Lords of the Council, SIR THOMAS LOVELL, Officers, and Attendants. The KING enters, leaning on the CARDINAL's shoulder. K. Hen. My life itself, and the best heart of it, And point by point the treasons of his master The KING takes his State. The Lords of the Council : suit Please you, sir, I know but of a single part, in aught Q. Kath. K. Hen. Q. Kath. I am much too venturous In tempting of your patience; but am bolden'd Is nam'd, your wars in France: This makes bold mouths: Tongues spit their duties out; and cold hearts freeze Allegiance in them; their curses now Live where their prayers did; and it 's come to pass, To each incensed will. I would your highness This is against our pleasure. By my life, And for me, I have no further gone in this, than by The chronicles of my doing,-let me say To cope malicious censurers; which ever, K. Hen. Things done well, Things done without example, in their issue And with a care, exempt themselves from fear Are to be fear'd. Have you a precedent Of this commission? I believe not any a Once is here used in the sense of sum times. |