I feel my heart new open'd: O, how wretched Never to hope again. Enter CROMWELL, amazedly. Why, how now, Cromwell? What, amaz'd Crom. I have no power to speak, sir. Wol. Crom. Wol. How does your grace? Never so truly happy, my good Cromwell. Why, well; A still and quiet conscience. The king has cur'd me, I humbly thank his grace; and from these shoulders, These ruin'd pillars, out of pity, taken A load would sink a navy, too much honour: O, 'tis a burden, Cromwell, 'tis a burden, Too heavy for a man that hopes for heaven. Crom. I am glad your grace has made that right use of it. Wol. I hope, I have: I am able now, methinks, (Out of a fortitude of soul I feel,) To endure more miseries, and greater far, Than my weak-hearted enemies dare offer. Crom. The heaviest, and the worst, Is your displeasure with the king. 2 and their ruin,] Their ruin is their displeasure, producing the downfall and ruin of him on whom it lights. Wol. God bless him! Crom. The next is, that sir Thomas More is chosen Lord chancellor in your place. Wol. That's somewhat sudden; But he's a learned man. May he continue Long in his highness' favour, and do justice For truth's sake, and his conscience; that his bones, When he has run his course, and sleeps in blessings, May have a tomb of orphans' tears wept on 'em! What more? Crom. That Cranmer is return'd with welcome, Wol. That's news indeed. Last, that the lady Anne, Whom the king hath in secrecy long married, This day was view'd in open, as his queen, Only about her coronation. Wol. There was the weight that pull'd me down. O Cromwell, The king has gone beyond me, all my glories In that one woman I have lost for ever: No sun shall ever usher forth mine honours, Or gild again the noble troops that waited Upon my smiles. Go, get thee from me, Cromwell; To be thy lord and master: Seek the king; That sun, I pray, may never set! I have told him What, and how true thou art: he will advance thee; Some little memory of me will stir him, (I know his noble nature,) not to let 4 Thy hopeful service perish too: Good Cromwell, Crom. O my lord, in open,] i. e. in a place exposed on all sides to view. Must I then leave you? must I needs forego Wol. Cromwell, I did not think to shed a tear Let's dry our eyes: and thus far hear me, Cromwell; And sleep in dull cold marble, where no mention And sounded all the depths and shoals of honour,- Love thyself last cherish those hearts that hate thee; Corruption wins not more than honesty. Still in thy right hand carry gentle peace, To silence envious tongues. Be just, and fear not: Thy God's, and truth's; then if thou fall'st, O Cromwell, And,-Pr'ythee, lead me in: There, take an inventory of all I have, To the last penny; 'tis the king's: my robe And my integrity to heaven, is all I dare now call mine own. O Cromwell, Cromwell, Had I but served my God, &c.] This sentence was really uttered by Wolsey. But it was a strange sentence for him to utter, who was disgraced for the basest treachery to his king in I serv'd my king, he would not in mine age Crom. Good sir, have patience. Wol. So I have. Farewell The hopes of court! my hopes in heaven do dwell. ACT IV. [Exeunt. SCENE I-A Street in Westminster. Enter Two Gentlemen, meeting. 1 Gent. You are well met once again. 2 Gent. And so are you †. 1 Gent. You come to take your stand here, and behold The lady Anne pass from her coronation? 2 Gent. 'Tis all my business. At our last encounter, The duke of Buckingham came from his trial. 1 Gent. 'Tis very true: but that time offer'd sorrow ; This, general joy. 2 Gent. 'Tis well: The citizens, I am sure, have shown at full their royal minds; 6 Pageants, and sights of honour. 1 Gent. Never greater, Nor, I'll assure you, better taken, sir. 2 Gent. May I be bold to ask what that contains, That paper in your hand? 1 Gent. Yes; 'tis the list Of those, that claim their offices this day, the affair of the divorce: but it shows how naturally men en deavour to palliate their crimes even to themselves. + "So are you."-MALONE. 6 this day] i. e. such a day as this, a coronation day. By custom of the coronation. The duke of Suffolk is the first, and claims. To be high steward; next, the duke of Norfolk, 2 Gent. I thank you, sir; had I not known those customs, I should have been beholden to your paper. But, I beseech you, what's become of Katharine, 1 Gent. That I can tell you too. The archbishop 2 Gent. Alas, good lady! [Trumpets. The trumpets sound: stand close, the queen is coming. THE ORDER OF THE PROCESSION. A lively flourish of Trumpets: then, enter 1. Two Judges. 2. Lord Chancellor, with the purse and mace before him. 3. Choristers singing. 4. Mayor of London bearing the mace. 7 [Musick. Then Garter, in his coat of arms, and, on his head, a gilt copper crown. the late marriage-] i. e. the marriage lately considered as a valid one. |