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Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: Diane Jakacki
Not Peer Reviewed

Henry The Eighth (Folio 1, 1623)

Actus Quartus. Scena Prima.
Enter two Gentlemen, meeting one another.
1 Y'are well met once againe.
2 So are you.
23801 You come to take your stand heere, and behold
The Lady Anne, passe from her Corronation.
2 'Tis all my businesse. At our last encounter,
The Duke of Buckingham came from his Triall.
1 'Tis very true. But that time offer'd sorrow,
2385This generall ioy.
2 'Tis well: The Citizens
I am sure haue shewne at full their Royall minds,
As let 'em haue their rights, they are euer forward
In Celebration of this day with Shewes,
2390Pageants, and Sights of Honor.
1 Neuer greater,
Nor Ile assure you better taken Sir.
2 May I be bold to aske what that containes,
That Paper in your hand.
23951 Yes, 'tis the List
Of those that claime their Offices this day,
By custome of the Coronation.
The Duke of Suffolke is the first, and claimes
To be high Steward; Next the Duke of Norfolke,
2400He to be Earle Marshall: you may reade the rest.
1 I thanke you Sir: Had I not known those customs,
I should haue beene beholding to your Paper:
But I beseech you, what's become of Katherine
The Princesse Dowager? How goes her businesse?
24051 That I can tell you too. The Archbishop
Of Canterbury, accompanied with other
Learned, and Reuerend Fathers of his Order,
Held a late Court at Dunstable; sixe miles off
From Ampthill, where the Princesse lay, to which
2410She was often cyted by them, but appear'd not:
And to be short, for not Appearance, and
The Kings late Scruple, by the maine assent
Of all these Learned men, she was diuorc'd,
And the late Marriage made of none effect:
2415Since which, she was remou'd to Kymmalton,
Where she remaines now sicke.
2 Alas good Lady.
The Trumpets sound: Stand close,
The Queene is comming. Ho-boyes.
2420The Order of the Coronation.
1 A liuely Flourish of Trumpets.
2 Then, two Iudges.
3 Lord Chancellor, with Purse and Mace before him.
4 Quirristers singing. Musicke.
24255 Maior of London, bearing the Mace. Then Garter, in
his Coate of Armes, and on his head he wore a Gilt Copper
Crowne.
6 Marquesse Dorset, bearing a Scepter of Gold, on his head,
a Demy Coronall of Gold. With him, the Earle of Surrey,
2430bearing the Rod of Siluer with the Doue, Crowned with an
Earles Coronet. Collars of Esses.
7 Duke of Suffolke, in his Robe of Estate, his Coronet on his
head, bearing a long white Wand, as High Steward. With
him, the Duke of Norfolke, with the Rod of Marshalship,
2435a Coronet on his head. Collars of Esses.
8 A Canopy, borne by foure of the Cinque-Ports, vnder it
the Queene in her Robe, in her haire, richly adorned with
Pearle, Crowned. On each side her, the Bishops of London,
and Winchester.
24409 The Olde Dutchesse of Norfolke, in a Coronall of Gold,
wrought with Flowers bearing the Queenes Traine.
10 Certaine Ladies or Countesses, with plaine Circlets of
Gold, without Flowers.
Exeunt, first passing ouer the Stage in Order and State, and
2445then, A great Flourish of Trumpets.
2 A Royall Traine beleeue me: These I know:
Who's that that beares the Scepter?
1 Marquesse Dorset,
And that the Earle of Surrey, with the Rod.
24502 A bold braue Gentleman. That should bee
The Duke of Suffolke.
1 'Tis the same: high Steward.
2 And that my Lord of Norfolke?
1 Yes.
24552 Heauen blesse thee,
Thou hast the sweetest face I euer look'd on.
Sir, as I haue a Soule, she is an Angell;
Our King ha's all the Indies in his Armes,
And more, and richer, when he straines that Lady,
2460I cannot blame his Conscience.
1 They that beare
The Cloath of Honour ouer her, are foure Barons
Of the Cinque-Ports.
2 Those men are happy,
2465And so are all, are neere her.
I take it, she that carries vp the Traine,
Is that old Noble Lady, Dutchesse of Norfolke.
1 It is, and all the rest are Countesses.
2 Their Coronets say so. These are Starres indeed,
2470And sometimes falling ones.
2 No more of that.
Enter a third Gentleman.
1 God saue you Sir. Where haue you bin broiling?
3 Among the crow'd i'th'Abbey, where a finger
2475Could not be wedg'd in more: I am stifled
With the meere ranknesse of their ioy.
2 You saw the Ceremony?
3 That I did.
1 How was it?
24803 Well worth the seeing.
2 Good Sir, speake it to vs?
3 As well as I am able. The rich streame
Of Lords, and Ladies, hauing brought the Queene
To a prepar'd place in the Quire, fell off
2485A distance from her; while her Grace sate downe
To rest a while, some halfe an houre, or so,
In a rich Chaire of State, opposing freely
The Beauty of her Person to the People.
Beleeue me Sir, she is the goodliest Woman
2490That euer lay by man: which when the people
Had the full view of, such a noyse arose,
As the shrowdes make at Sea, in a stiffe Tempest,
As lowd, and to as many Tunes. Hats, Cloakes,
(Doublets, I thinke) flew vp, and had their Faces
2495Bin loose, this day they had beene lost. Such ioy
I neuer saw before. Great belly'd women,
That had not halfe a weeke to go, like Rammes
In the old time of Warre, would shake the prease
And make 'em reele before 'em. No man liuing
2500Could say this is my wife there, all were wouen
So strangely in one peece.
2 But what follow'd?
3 At length, her Grace rose, and with modest paces
Came to the Altar, where she kneel'd, and Saint-like
2505Cast her faire eyes to Heauen, and pray'd deuoutly.
Then rose againe, and bow'd her to the people:
When by the Arch-byshop of Canterbury,
She had all the Royall makings of a Queene;
As holy Oyle, Edward Confessors Crowne,
2510The Rod, and Bird of Peace, and all such Emblemes
Laid Nobly on her: which perform'd, the Quire
With all the choysest Musicke of the Kingdome,
Together sung Te Deum. So she parted,
And with the same full State pac'd backe againe
2515To Yorke-Place, where the Feast is held.
1 Sir,
You must no more call it Yorke-place, that's past:
For since the Cardinall fell, that Titles lost,
'Tis now the Kings, and call'd White-Hall.
25203 I know it:
But 'tis so lately alter'd, that the old name
Is fresh about me.
2 What two Reuerend Byshops
Were those that went on each side of the Queene?
25253 Stokeley and Gardiner, the one of Winchester,
Newly preferr'd from the Kings Secretary:
The other London.
2 He of Winchester
Is held no great good louer of the Archbishops,
2530The vertuous Cranmer.
3 All the Land knowes that:
How euer, yet there is no great breach, when it comes
Cranmer will finde a Friend will not shrinke from him.
2 Who may that be, I pray you.
25353 Thomas Cromwell,
A man in much esteeme with th'King, and truly
A worthy Friend. The King ha's made him
Master o'th'Iewell House,
And one already of the Priuy Councell.
25402 He will deserue more.
3 Yes without all doubt.
Come Gentlemen, ye shall go my way,
Which is to'th Court, and there ye shall be my Guests:
Something I can command. As I walke thither,
2545Ile tell ye more.
Both. You may command vs Sir. Exeunt.
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