King John & Henry VIII (31 page)
Read King John & Henry VIII Online
Authors: William Shakespeare
NORFOLK
Not ‘almost appears’,
It doth appear: for, upon these taxations,
The
clothiers
34
all, not able to maintain
The many to them
longing
, have
put off
35
The
spinsters
,
carders
,
fullers
36
, weavers, who,
Unfit for other
life
37
, compelled by hunger
And lack of other means, in desperate manner
Daring th’event to th’teeth
39
, are all in uproar,
KING HENRY VIII
Taxation?
Wherein, and what taxation? My lord cardinal,
You that are blamed for it alike with us,
Know you of this taxation?
CARDINAL WOLSEY
Please you, sir,
I know but of a
single part
in
aught
46
Pertains to th’state, and
front but in that file
47
Where others
tell
48
steps with me.
QUEEN KATHERINE
No, my lord?
You know no more than others?
But you frame
Things that are known alike, which are not wholesome
To those which would not know them, and yet must
Perforce be their acquaintance.
53
These exactions,
Whereof my sovereign would
have note
54
, they are
Most pestilent to th’hearing, and to
bear
55
’em
The back
is sacrifice to th’load
56
. They say
They are devised by you, or else you suffer
Too hard an
exclamation
58
.
KING HENRY VIII
Still ‘exaction’:
The nature of it?
In what kind
60
, let’s know,
Is this exaction?
QUEEN KATHERINE
I am much too
venturous
62
In
tempting of
your patience, but am
boldened
63
Under your promised pardon. The subjects’
grief
64
Comes through commissions, which compels from each
The sixth part of his
substance
66
, to be levied
Without delay, and the
pretence
67
for this
Is named 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
71
did: and it’s come to pass
This
tractable
obedience is a
slave
72
To each incensèd will. I
would
73
your highness
Would give it quick consideration, for
There is no
primer baseness
75
.
KING HENRY VIII
By my life,
This is against our
pleasure
77
.
CARDINAL WOLSEY
And for me,
I have no further gone in this than by
A
single voice
, and that not
passed
80
me but
By learnèd
approbation
81
of the judges: if I am
Traduced
82
by ignorant tongues, which neither know
My
faculties
83
nor person, yet will be
The chronicles of my doing, let me say
’Tis but the fate of
place
, and the rough
brake
85
That virtue must go through: we must not
stint
86
Our necessary actions, in the fear
To cope
malicious
censurers
88
, which ever,
As rav’nous fishes, do a vessel follow
That is
new trimmed
90
, but benefit no further
Than
vainly longing
.
What we oft do best
91
,
By sick interpreters, once weak ones, is
Not ours, or not allowed:
what worst, as oft
93
,
Hitting a grosser quality, is cried up
For our best act: if we shall stand still,
In
fear our
motion
will be mocked or
carped at
96
,
We should take root here where we sit,
Or sit
state-statues
98
only.
KING HENRY VIII
Things done well,
And with a care, exempt themselves from fear:
Things done without
example
, in their
issue
101
Are to be feared. Have you a precedent
Of
103
this commission? I believe not any.
We must not
rend our subjects from our laws
104
,
And stick them in our will. Sixth part of each?
A
trembling
106
contribution; why, we take
From every tree
lop
107
, bark, and part o’th’timber:
And though we leave it with a root, thus hacked
The air will drink the sap
109
. To every county
Where this is
questioned
110
send our letters, with
Free pardon to each man that has denied
The force of this commission: pray, look to’t;
I put it to your care.
To the Secretary
CARDINAL WOLSEY
A word with you.
Let there be letters writ to every shire,
Aside to Secretary
Of the king’s
grace
and pardon.— The grievèd
commons
116
Hardly conceive
of me. Let it be
noised
117
That through
our
intercession this
revokement
118
And pardon comes: I shall
anon
119
advise you
Further in the proceeding.
Exit Secretary
Enter Surveyor
To the King
QUEEN KATHERINE
I am sorry that the Duke of Buckingham
Is run in
122
your displeasure.
KING HENRY VIII
It grieves many:
The gentleman is learnèd, and a most
rare
124
speaker,
To nature none more bound
125
: his training such
That he may furnish and instruct great teachers,
And never seek for aid
out of
127
himself: yet see,
When these so noble benefits shall prove
Not well
disposed
129
, the mind growing once corrupt,
They turn to
vicious
130
forms, ten times more ugly
Than ever they were fair. This man so
complete
131
,
Who was enrolled ’mongst wonders — and when we,
Almost with
ravished
133
listening, could not find
His hour of speech a minute — he, my lady,
Hath into
monstrous
habits
135
put the graces
That once were his, and is become as black
As if besmeared in hell. Sit by us: you shall hear —
This was his
gentleman in trust
138
— of him
To Wolsey
Things to strike honour sad.— Bid him recount
The fore-recited
practices
140
, whereof
We cannot feel too little,
hear too much
141
.
To the Surveyor
CARDINAL WOLSEY
Stand forth, and with bold spirit relate what you
Most like a
careful
subject have
collected
143
Out of the Duke of Buckingham.
KING HENRY VIII
Speak freely.
SURVEYOR
First, it was usual with him — every day
It would infect his speech — that if the king
Should without
issue
die, he’ll
carry
148
it so
To make the
sceptre
149
his. These very words
I’ve heard him utter to his son-in-law,
Lord Aberga’nny, to whom by oath he
menaced
151
Revenge upon the cardinal.
CARDINAL WOLSEY
Please your highness note
His dangerous
conception
154
in this point,
Not friended by his wish to your high person
155
:
His will is most malignant, and it stretches
Beyond you to your
friends
157
.
QUEEN KATHERINE
My learnèd lord cardinal,
Deliver
159
all with charity.
To the Surveyor
KING HENRY VIII
Speak on:
How grounded he his title to the crown
161
Upon our fail?
To this point
162
hast thou heard him
At any time speak aught?
SURVEYOR
He was brought to this
By a vain prophecy of Nicholas Hopkins.
KING HENRY VIII
What was that Hopkins?
SURVEYOR
Sir, a
Chartreux
167
friar,
His confessor, who fed him every minute
With words of sovereignty.
KING HENRY VIII
How know’st thou this?
SURVEYOR
Not long before your highness sped to France,
The Duke being at
the Rose
172
, within the parish
St Lawrence Poultney
173
, did of me demand
What was the
speech
174
among the Londoners
Concerning the French journey. I replied
Men feared the French would prove
perfidious
176
To the king’s danger
:
presently
177
the duke
Said ’twas the fear indeed and that he
doubted
178
’Twould prove the verity of certain words
Spoke by a holy monk that oft, says he,
‘Hath sent to me, wishing me to permit
John de la Car, my chaplain, a
choice
182
hour
To hear from him a matter of some
moment
183
:
Whom after under the confession’s seal
He solemnly had sworn that what he spoke
My chaplain to no creature living but
To me should utter, with
demure confidence
187
This pausingly ensued: “Neither the king nor’s heirs,
Tell you the duke, shall prosper: bid him strive
To gain the love
o’th’commonalty
190
: the duke
Shall govern England.” ’
QUEEN KATHERINE
If I know you well,
You were the duke’s surveyor, and lost your office
On the complaint o’th’tenants: take good heed
You charge not in your
spleen
195
a noble person
And spoil your
nobler
196
soul: I say, take heed:
Yes, heartily beseech you.
KING HENRY VIII
Let him
on
198
:
To the Surveyor
Go forward.
SURVEYOR
On my soul, I’ll speak
but
200
truth.
I told my lord the duke, by th’devil’s illusions
The monk might be deceived, and that ’twas dangerous
For him to ruminate on this so far, until
It
forged
204
him some design, which being believed,
It was
much like to do
205
: he answered, ‘Tush,
It can do me no damage’, adding further,
That had the king in his last sickness
failed
207
,
The cardinal’s and Sir Thomas Lovell’s heads
Should have gone off.
