Then lay me forth: although unqueen'd, yet like

A queen, and daughter to a king, inter me.

I can no more.

[Exeunt, leading KATHARINE.

Enter GARDINER, Bishop of Winchester, a Page with a torch before him.

GARDINER. It's one o'clock, boy, is 't not?

Boy.

It hath struck.

Gar. These should be hours for necessities,
Not for delights; times to repair our nature
With comforting repose, and not for us
To waste these times.

Enter Sir THOMAS LOVELL.

Good hour of night, Sir Thomas :

Whither so late?

Lov.

Came you from the King, my lord?

Gar. I did, Sir Thomas; and left him at primero With the Duke of Suffolk.

Lov.

I must to him too,

Before he go to bed. I'll take my leave.

Gar. Not yet, Sir Thomas Lovell. What's the

matter?

In the Fifth Act chronology is disregarded. Sir Thomas Lovell died 1524; Anne Bullen gave birth to Elizabeth September 7, 1533; Cranmer was summoned before the Council in 1544 or 1545. (R)

10

2 hours, dissyllabic here. (R) 7 primero. A game at cards, mentioned before in the Merry Wives of Windsor, IV. v. 104. (w)

It seems you are in haste: an if there be

No great offence belongs to 't, give your friend
Some touch of your late business. Affairs that walk
(As they say spirits do) at midnight have

In them a wilder nature than the business

That seeks dispatch by day.

Lov.

My lord, I love you

The Queen's in

And durst commend a secret to your ear

Much weightier than this work.

labour,

They say, in great extremity; and fear'd
She'll with the labour end.

Good time, and live: but for the stock, Sir Thomas,

I wish it grubb'd up now.

Lov.

Methinks I could

Cry the amen; and yet my conscience says
She's a good creature, and, sweet lady, does
Deserve our better wishes.

Hear me, Sir Thomas: y' are a gentleman

Of mine own way; I know you wise, religious;
And, let me tell you, it will ne'er be well,
"T will not, Sir Thomas Lovell, take 't of me,
Till Cranmer, Cromwell, her two hands, and she,
Sleep in their graves.

Lov.

Now, sir, you speak of two

The most remark'd i' th' kingdom. As for Cromwell,

13 touch, hint. late, i. e. so late at night. (R)

19 and fear'd, i. e. and it is feared. (R)

22 Good time, good fortune.

30

Cf. Winter's Tale, II. i. 20, "good time encounter her!" (R)

28 Of mine own way, i. e. of thinking or of religious faith. (R)

Beside that of the Jewel-house, is made Master
O' th' Rolls, and the King's Secretary; farther, sir,
Stands in the gap and trade of more preferments,
With which the time will load him. Th' Archbishop
Is the King's hand and tongue; and who dare speak
One syllable against him?

Gar.
Yes, yes, Sir Thomas,
There are that dare; and I myself have ventur'd

To speak my mind of him: and, indeed, this day,
Sir, (I may tell it you,) I think I have
Incens'd the lords o' the Council that he is
(For so I know he is, they know he is)
A most arch heretic, a pestilence

That does infect the land: with which they moved
Have broken with the King; who hath so far
Given ear to our complaint, (of his great grace
And princely care, forseeing those fell mischiefs
Our reasons laid before him,) hath commanded,
To-morrow morning to the council-board

He be convented. He's a rank weed, Sir Thomas;
And we must root him out. From your affairs
I hinder you too long: good night, Sir Thomas.

66

66

34 is made Master. So the original, which Theobald improperly altered to he's made Master. Cromwell," or "he," understood, is nominative to is, according to the grammatical usage of Shakespeare's time. See the Notes on has, I. iii. 59, above, "namely, is no time to recover hair," Comedy of Errors, II. ii. 103, and "this counterfeit module h'as deceived me," All's Well that Ends Well, IV. iii. 114; and observe hath commanded, l. 50, below. (w)

40

50

Lov. Many good nights, my lord.

servant.

I rest your

[Exeunt GARDINER and Page.

As LOVELL is going out, enter the King and the Duke

of SUFFOLK.

K. Hen. Charles, I will play no more to-night:
My mind's not on 't; you are too hard for me.
Suf. Sir, I did never win of you before.
K. Hen. But little, Charles;

Nor shall not when my fancy 's on my play.
Now, Lovell, from the Queen what is the news?
Lov. I could not personally deliver to her
What you commanded me; but by her woman
I sent your message; who return'd her thanks
In the greatest humbleness, and desir'd your Highness
Most heartily to pray for her.

K. Hen.

What say'st thou, ha?

To pray for her? what, is she crying out?

Lov. So said her woman: and that her suff'rance

made

Almost each pang a death.

K. Hen.

Alas, good lady!

Suf. God safely quit her of her burthen, and With gentle travail, to the gladding of

Your Highness with an heir!

K. Hen.

'Tis midnight, Charles :

Pr'ythee to bed; and in thy prayers remember
Th' estate of my poor Queen. Leave me alone,
For I must think of that which company
Would not be friendly to.

(R)

Suf.

67 crying out, i. e. in labour.

I wish your Highness

68 suffrance, suffering. (R) estate, state. (R)

60

70

A quiet night; and my good mistress will

Remember in my prayers.

K. Hen.

Charles, good night.

[Exit SUFFOLK.

Enter Sir ANTHONY DENNY.

Well, sir, what follows?

Denny. Sir, I have brought my Lord the Arch

Lov. [Aside.] This is about that which the Bishop

80

Ha! - I have said. - Be gone.

[Exeunt LOVELL and DENNY.

What!

Wherefore frowns he thus ?

"Tis his aspect of terror: all's not well.

79 [Enter Sir ANTHONY DENNY.] This and the two following Scenes are based upon a passage in Foxe's Actes and Monuments of the Christian Martyrs. But Shakespeare was indebted to that work only for the incidents which it relates, which he has adopted without

variation, and not for any part of his dialogue. Sir ANTHONY DENNY was a companion of Henry's younger days who was made a member of the Privy Council. (R)

85 Avoid, leave. (R)