DRAMATIS PERSONÆ1.

KING HENRY the Eighth.

CARDINAL WOLSEY.

CARDINAL CAMPEIUS.

CAPUCIUS, Ambassador from the Emperor Charles V.

CRANMER, Archbishop of Canterbury.

DUKE OF NORFOLK.

DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM.

DUKE OF SUffolk.

EARL OF SURREY.

Lord Chamberlain.

Lord Chancellor.

GARDINER, Bishop of Winchester.

Bishop of Lincoln.

LORD ABERGAVENNY.

LORD SANDS.

SIR HENRY GUILDFORD.

SIR THOMAS LOVELL.

SIR ANTHONY DENNY.

SIR NICHOLAS VAUX.
Secretaries to Wolsey.

CROMWELL, Servant to Wolsey.

GRIFFITH, Gentleman-usher to Queen Katharine.

Three Gentlemen.

DOCTOR BUTTS, Physician to the King.

Garter King-at-Arms.

Surveyor to the Duke of Buckingham.

BRANDON, and a Sergeant-at-Arms.

Door-keeper of the Council-chamber. Porter, and his Man.
Page to Gardiner. A Crier.

QUEEN KATHARINE, wife to King Henry, afterwards divorced.
ANNE BULLEN, her Maid of Honour, afterwards Queen.

An old Lady, friend to Anne Bullen.

PATIENCE, woman to Queen Katharine.

Several Lords and Ladies in the Dumb Shows; Women attending upon the Queen; Scribes, Officers, Guards, and other Attendants.

Spirits.

SCENE: London; Westminster; Kimbolton.

1 DRAMATIS PERSONA. First given, imperfectly, by Rowe.

THE FAMOUS HISTORY OF THE LIFE OF

KING HENRY VIII.

THE PROLOGUE.

I COME no more to make you laugh: things now,
That bear a weighty and a serious brow,
Sad, high and working, full of state and woe,
Such noble scenes as draw the eye to flow,
We now present. Those that can pity, here

May, if they think it well, let fall a tear;
The subject will deserve it. Such as give
Their money out of hope they may believe,

May here find truth too. Those that come to see
Only a show or two and so agree

The play may pass, if they be still and willing,
I'll undertake may see away their shilling

Richly in two short hours. Only they
That come to hear a merry bawdy play,
A noise of targets, or to see a fellow
In a long motley coat guarded with yellow,
Will be deceived; for, gentle hearers, know,
To rank our chosen truth with such a show
As fool and fight is, beside forfeiting

Our own brains and the opinion that we bring
To make that only true we now intend,

3. high and working] and highworking Staunton.

full] FF4. fall FF3.

5. now] shall Pope.

10. agree] Pope. a gree, F. agree, F2F3F4

19. beside] besides Pope (ed. 2).
21. To make] That make Rowe.

To make...intend] Or make;
that only truth we now intend Johnson
conj. That only true to make we now
intend Tyrwhitt conj.

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TO

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Will leave us never an understanding friend.

Therefore, for goodness' sake, and as you are known
The first and happiest hearers of the town,
Be sad, as we would make ye: think ye see
The very persons of our noble story

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As they were living; think you see them great
And follow'd with the general throng and sweat
Of thousand friends; then, in a moment, see
How soon this mightiness meets misery:
And if you can be merry then, I'll say
A man may weep upon his wedding-day.

ACT I.

SCENE I. London. An ante-chamber in the palace.

Enter the DUKE of NorfolK at one door; at the other, the DUKE OF
BUCKINGHAM and the LORD ABERGAVENNY.

Buck. Good morrow, and well met.
done

Since last we saw in France?

Nor.

How have ye

I thank your grace,

Stay'd me a prisoner in my chamber when

Those suns of glory, those two lights of men,

Met in the vale of Andren.

Nor.

'Twixt Guynes and Arde:

I was then present, saw them salute on horseback;
Beheld them, when they 'lighted, how they clung

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In their embracement, as they grew together;

Which had they, what four throned ones could have weigh'd

pages were

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
As cherubins, all gilt: the madams too,
Not used to toil, did almost sweat to bear
The pride upon them, that their very labour
Was to them as a painting: now this masque
Was cried 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 'em-by their heralds challenged
The noble spirits to arms, they did perform
Beyond thought's compass; that former fabulous story,
Being now seen possible enough, got credit,
That Bevis was believed.

II.

Nor. As I belong to worship and affect

Which...weigh'd] One line in Rowe (ed. 2). Two lines, the first ending they, in Ff.

17. next...last] last...next Capell (Theobald conj.).

18. wonders] wond'rers Theobald conj.

its] it's Ff. his Hanmer.
19. heathen] Fr. Heathens F2F3F4.
33. censure. When] Rowe.
sure, when Ff.

36. former] old Pope.

38. That] And Seymour conj.

cen

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In honour honesty, the tract of every thing
Would by a good discourser lose some life
Which action's self was tongue to. All was royal;
To the disposing of it nought rebell'd;"

Order gave each thing view; the office did

Distinctly his full function.

I mean, who set the body and the limbs

Of this great sport together, as you guess?

Nor. One, certes, that promises no element In such a business.

Buck.

I pray you, who, my lord?

Nor. All this was order'd by the good discretion

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50

Of the right reverend Cardinal of York.

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 keech can with his very bulk
Take up the rays o' the beneficial sun,
And keep it from the earth.

Surely, sir,

Nor.
There's in him stuff that puts him to these ends;
For, being not propp'd by ancestry, whose grace
Chalks successors their way, nor call'd upon
For high feats done to the crown; neither allied
To eminent assistants; but, spider-like,
Out of his self-drawing web, he gives us note,

42. to] tco F.

42-49. All was royal...business.] Arranged as by Theobald. Buc. All ...function: who...together? Nor. As you...businesse. F,F2F3. Buck. All... function: who...together, As you guess. Nor. Once certes...business. F4.

44. the office] each office Roderick conj.

47, 48. guess? Nor. One, certes] Theobald. guesse: One certes F1. guesse: Once certes F2F3. guess? Nor. One sure Pope.

48. that] om. Seymour conj. 49. I pray Pray Pope.

55. keech] Ketch F4.

bulk] hulk Grey conj.
57. Surely] Yet surely Pope. Now,
surely Seymour conj.

63. his self-drawing] his self-drawn
Rowe (ed. 2) and Capell. himself draw-
ing Theobald conj. his self drawing
Staunton. 's self-drawing Dyce (ed.
2). his self-wrapping Bullock conj.

web, he gives us note] Capell. web, a' gives us note or web erecting all The building of his greatness, he gives us note Id. conj. web. O gives us note F web. O gives us note F2F3F4. web; this gives us note Pope. web.

I'

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