Читать книгу King Henry the Eighth - William Shakespeare - Страница 7

The same. The council-chamber.

Cornets. Enter KING HENRY VIII, leaning on CARDINAL WOLSEY's shoulder, the Nobles, and LOVELL; CARDINAL WOLSEY places himself under KING HENRY VIII's feet on his right side

KING HENRY VIII

My life itself, and the best heart of it,

Thanks you for this great care: I stood i' the levelOf a full-charged confederacy, and give thanksTo you that choked it. Let be call'd before usThat gentleman of Buckingham's; in personI'll hear him his confessions justify;And point by point the treasons of his masterHe shall again relate.

A noise within, crying 'Room for the Queen!' Enter QUEEN KATHARINE, ushered by NORFOLK, and SUFFOLK: she kneels. KING HENRY VIII riseth from his state, takes her up, kisses and placeth her by him

QUEEN KATHARINE

Nay, we must longer kneel: I am a suitor.

KING HENRY VIII

Arise, and take place by us: half your suit

Never name to us; you have half our power:The other moiety, ere you ask, is given;Repeat your will and take it.

QUEEN KATHARINE

Thank your majesty.

That you would love yourself, and in that loveNot unconsider'd leave your honour, norThe dignity of your office, is the pointOf my petition.

KING HENRY VIII

Lady mine, proceed.

QUEEN KATHARINE

I am solicited, not by a few,

And those of true condition, that your subjectsAre in great grievance: there have been commissionsSent down among 'em, which hath flaw'd the heartOf all their loyalties: wherein, although,My good lord cardinal, they vent reproachesMost bitterly on you, as putter onOf these exactions, yet the king our master--Whose honour heaven shield from soil!--even heescapes notLanguage unmannerly, yea, such which breaksThe sides of loyalty, and almost appearsIn loud rebellion.

NORFOLK

Not almost appears,

It doth appear; for, upon these taxations,The clothiers all, not able to maintainThe many to them longing, have put offThe spinsters, carders, fullers, weavers, who,Unfit for other life, compell'd by hungerAnd lack of other means, in desperate mannerDaring the event to the teeth, are all in uproar,And danger serves among then!

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 aughtPertains to the state; and front but in that fileWhere others tell steps with me.

QUEEN KATHARINE

No, my lord,

You know no more than others; but you frameThings that are known alike; which are not wholesomeTo those which would not know them, and yet mustPerforce be their acquaintance. These exactions,Whereof my sovereign would have note, they areMost pestilent to the bearing; and, to bear 'em,The back is sacrifice to the load. They sayThey are devised by you; or else you sufferToo hard an exclamation.

KING HENRY VIII

Still exaction!

The nature of it? in what kind, let's know,Is this exaction?

QUEEN KATHARINE

I am much too venturous

In tempting of your patience; but am bolden'dUnder your promised pardon. The subjects' griefComes through commissions, which compel from eachThe sixth part of his substance, to be leviedWithout delay; and the pretence for thisIs named, your wars in France: this makes bold mouths:Tongues spit their duties out, and cold hearts freezeAllegiance in them; their curses nowLive where their prayers did: and it's come to pass,This tractable obedience is a slaveTo each incensed will. I would your highnessWould give it quick consideration, forThere is no primer business.

KING HENRY VIII

By my life,

This is against our pleasure.

CARDINAL WOLSEY

And for me,

I have no further gone in this than byA single voice; and that not pass'd me butBy learned approbation of the judges. If I amTraduced by ignorant tongues, which neither knowMy faculties nor person, yet will beThe chronicles of my doing, let me say'Tis but the fate of place, and the rough brakeThat virtue must go through. We must not stintOur necessary actions, in the fearTo cope malicious censurers; which ever,As ravenous fishes, do a vessel followThat is new-trimm'd, but benefit no furtherThan vainly longing. What we oft do best,By sick interpreters, once weak ones, isNot ours, or not allow'd; what worst, as oft,Hitting a grosser quality, is cried upFor our best act. If we shall stand still,In fear our motion will be mock'd or carp'd at,We should take root here where we sit, or sitState-statues only.

KING HENRY VIII

Things done well,

And with a care, exempt themselves from fear;Things done without example, in their issueAre to be fear'd. Have you a precedentOf this commission? I believe, not any.We must not rend our subjects from our laws,And stick them in our will. Sixth part of each?A trembling contribution! Why, we takeFrom every tree lop, bark, and part o' the timber;And, though we leave it with a root, thus hack'd,The air will drink the sap. To every countyWhere this is question'd send our letters, withFree pardon to each man that has deniedThe force of this commission: pray, look to't;I put it to your care.

CARDINAL WOLSEY

A word with you.

To the Secretary

Let there be letters writ to every shire,

Of the king's grace and pardon. The grieved commonsHardly conceive of me; let it be noisedThat through our intercession this revokementAnd pardon comes: I shall anon advise youFurther in the proceeding.

Exit Secretary

Enter Surveyor

QUEEN KATHARINE

I am sorry that the Duke of Buckingham

Is run in your displeasure.

KING HENRY VIII

It grieves many:

The gentleman is learn'd, and a most rare speaker;To nature none more bound; his training such,That he may furnish and instruct great teachers,And never seek for aid out of himself. Yet see,When these so noble benefits shall proveNot well disposed, the mind growing once corrupt,They turn to vicious forms, ten times more uglyThan ever they were fair. This man so complete,Who was enroll'd 'mongst wonders, and when we,Almost with ravish'd listening, could not findHis hour of speech a minute; he, my lady,Hath into monstrous habits put the gracesThat once were his, and is become as blackAs if besmear'd in hell. Sit by us; you shall hear--This was his gentleman in trust--of himThings to strike honour sad. Bid him recountThe fore-recited practises; whereofWe cannot feel too little, hear too much.

CARDINAL WOLSEY

Stand forth, and with bold spirit relate what you,

Most like a careful subject, have collectedOut 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 kingShould without issue die, he'll carry it soTo make the sceptre his: these very wordsI've heard him utter to his son-in-law,Lord Abergavenny; to whom by oath he menacedRevenge upon the cardinal.

CARDINAL WOLSEY

Please your highness, note

This dangerous conception in this point.Not friended by by his wish, to your high personHis will is most malignant; and it stretchesBeyond you, to your friends.

QUEEN KATHARINE

My learn'd lord cardinal,

Deliver all with charity.

KING HENRY VIII

Speak on:

How grounded he his title to the crown,Upon our fail? to this point hast thou heard himAt 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 friar,

His confessor, who fed him every minuteWith 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, within the parishSaint Lawrence Poultney, did of me demandWhat was the speech among the LondonersConcerning the French journey: I replied,Men fear'd the French would prove perfidious,To the king's danger. Presently the dukeSaid, 'twas the fear, indeed; and that he doubted'Twould prove the verity of certain wordsSpoke by a holy monk; 'that oft,' says he,'Hath sent to me, wishing me to permitJohn de la Car, my chaplain, a choice hourTo hear from him a matter of some moment:Whom after under the confession's sealHe solemnly had sworn, that what he spokeMy chaplain to no creature living, butTo me, should utter, with demure confidenceThis pausingly ensued: neither the king nor's heirs,Tell you the duke, shall prosper: bid him striveTo gain the love o' the commonalty: the dukeShall govern England.'

QUEEN KATHARINE

If I know you well,

You were the duke's surveyor, and lost your officeOn the complaint o' the tenants: take good heedYou charge not in your spleen a noble personAnd spoil your nobler soul: I say, take heed;Yes, heartily beseech you.

KING HENRY VIII

Let him on.

Go forward.

Surveyor

On my soul, I'll speak but truth.

I told my lord the duke, by the devil's illusionsThe monk might be deceived; and that 'twas dangerous for himTo ruminate on this so far, untilIt forged him some design, which, being believed,It was much like to do: he answer'd, 'Tush,It can do me no damage;' adding further,That, had the king in his last sickness fail'd,The cardinal's and Sir Thomas Lovell's headsShould have gone off.

KING HENRY VIII

Ha! what, so rank? Ah ha!

There's mischief in this man: canst thou say further?

Surveyor

I can, my liege.

KING HENRY VIII

Proceed.

Surveyor

Being at Greenwich,

After your highness had reproved the dukeAbout Sir William Blomer,--

KING HENRY VIII

I remember

Of such a time: being my sworn servant,The duke retain'd him his. But on; what hence?

Surveyor

'If,' quoth he, 'I for this had been committed,

As, to the Tower, I thought, I would have play'dThe part my father meant to act uponThe usurper Richard; who, being at Salisbury,Made suit to come in's presence; which if granted,As he made semblance of his duty, wouldHave put his knife to him.'

KING HENRY VIII

A giant traitor!

CARDINAL WOLSEY

Now, madam, may his highness live in freedom,

and this man out of prison?

QUEEN KATHARINE

God mend all!

KING HENRY VIII

There's something more would out of thee; what say'st?

Surveyor

After 'the duke his father,' with 'the knife,'

He stretch'd him, and, with one hand on his dagger,Another spread on's breast, mounting his eyesHe did discharge a horrible oath; whose tenorWas,--were he evil used, he would outgoHis father by as much as a performanceDoes an irresolute purpose.

KING HENRY VIII

There's his period,

To sheathe his knife in us. He is attach'd;Call him to present trial: if he mayFind mercy in the law, 'tis his: if none,Let him not seek 't of us: by day and night,He's traitor to the height.

Exeunt