To make great haste. All fast? what means this?— Hoa! Who waits there?-Sure, you know me? D. Keep. But yet I cannot help you. Cran. Yes, my lord; Why? D. Keep. Your grace must wait, till you be call'd Cran. for. Enter Doctor BUTTS. Butts. This is a piece of malice. I am glad, So. [Exit BUTTS. "Tis Butts, The king's physician; as he past along, Pray heaven, he sound not my disgrace! For certain, me Wait else at door; a fellow counsellor, Among boys, grooms, and lackeys. But their pleasures Must be fulfill'd, and I attend with patience. 8 Enter, at a Window above, the King and BUTTS. Butts. I'll show your grace the strangest sight,— 8 at a window above,] The suspicious vigilance of our ancestors contrived windows which overlooked the insides of chapels, halls, kitchens, passages, &c. Some of these convenient peepholes, may still be found in colleges, and such ancient houses as have not suffered from the reformations of modern architecture. K. Hen. Body o'me, where is it? Butts. There, my lord: The high promotion of his grace of Canterbury; Who holds his state at door, 'mongst pursuivants, Pages, and footboys. K. Hen. Ha! 'Tis he, indeed: Is this the honour they do one another? 'Tis well, there's one above them yet. I had thought, Let them alone, and draw the curtain close;1 [Exeunt. THE COUNCIL-CHAMBER. Enter the Lord Chancellor, the Duke of SUFFOLK, Earl of SURREY, Lord Chamberlain, GARDINER, and CROMWELL. The Chancellor places himself at the upper end of the table on the left hand; a seat being left void above him, as for the Archbishop of Canterbury. The rest seat themselves in order on each side. CROMWELL at the lower end, as secretary. Chan. Speak to the business, master secretary: Why are we met in council? Crom. Please your honours, The chief cause concerns his grace of Canterbury. Gar. Has he had knowledge of it? 9 They had parted, &c.] We should now say-They had shared, &c. i. e. had so much honesty among them: draw the curtain close;] i. e. the curtain of the balcony, or upper stage, where the King now is. Crom. Nor. Yes. Who waits there? Yes. My lord archbishop; D. Keep. Without, my noble lords? Gar. D. Keep. And has done half an hour, to know your pleasures. Chan. Let him come in. D. Keep. Your grace may enter now. [CRANMER approaches the Council-table. Chan. My good lord archbishop, I am very sorry To sit here at this present, and behold That chair stand empty: But we all are men, In our own natures frail; and capable Of our flesh, few are angels: out of which frailty, (For so we are inform'd,) with new opinions, Gar. Which reformation must be sudden too, Till they obey the manage. If we suffer —and capable Of our flesh, few are angels: &c.] If this passage means any thing, it may mean, few are perfect, while they remain in their mortal capacity; i. e. while they are capable [in a condition] of being invested with flesh. Of the whole state: as, of late days, our neighbours, The upper Germany, can dearly witness, 3 Yet freshly pitied in our memories. Cran. My good lords, hitherto, in all the progress Suf. And, by that virtue, no man dare accuse you. Gar. My lord, because we have business of more moment, We will be short with you. 'Tis his highness' pleasure, And our consent, for better trial of you, Cran. Ah, my good lord of Winchester, I thank you, The upper Germany, &c.] Alluding to the heresy of Thomas Muntzer, which sprung up in Saxony in the years 1521 and 1522. ✦ a single heart,] A heart void of duplicity or guile. You are always my good friend; if will 'Tis my undoing: Love, and meekness, lord, For what they have been: 'tis a cruelty, Gar. Good master secretary, I cry your honour mercy; you may, worst Of all this table, say so. Crom. Why, my lord? Gar. Do not I know you for a favourer Of this new sect? ye are not sound. Crom. Gar. Not sound, I say. Crom. Not sound? 'Would you were half so honest! Men's prayers then would seek you, not their fears. Gar. I shall remember this bold language. Crom. Remember your bold life too. Chan. Forbear, for shame, my lords. Do. This is too much; your painted gloss, &c.] Those that understand you, under this painted gloss, this fair outside, discover your empty talk and your false reasoning. |