There be more wasps that buz about his nose, Is stolen away to Rome; hath ta'en no leave; Is posted, as the agent of our cardinal, To second all his plot. I do assure you The king cry'd, ha!* at this. Cham. And let him cry ha, louder! Nor. When returns Cranmer? Now, God incense him, But, my lord, Suf. He is return'd, in his opinions; which Have satisfy'd the king for his divorce, 1 In it be memoriz'd.] To memorize is to make memorable. The word has been already used in Macbeth, Act I, sc. ii. Steevens. * This exclamation is frequently used by the King when much incensed, and seems to be noticed here to prove that those of the court knew well, it indicated his mind highly inflamed with anger. 2 He is return'd, in his opinions; which Am. Ed. Almost in Christendom:] Thus the old copy. The meaning is this: Cranmer, says Suffolk, is returned in his opinions, i. e. with the same sentiments, which he entertained before he went abroad, which (sentiments) have satisfied the king, together with all the famous colleges referred to on the occasion. Or, perhaps the passage (as Mr. Tyrwhitt observes) may mean-He is return'd in fect, having sent his opinions, i. e. the opinions of divines, &c.collected by him. Mr. Rowe altered these lines as follows, and all succeeding editors have silently adopted his unnecessary change: He is return'd with his opinions, which Steevens. ef Shall be call'd, queen; but princess dowager, And widow to prince Arthur. Nor. This same Cranmer's A worthy fellow, and hath ta'en much pain In the king's business. Suf. He has; and we shall see him For it, an archbishop. Nor. So I hear. Suf. 'Tis so. The cardinal Nor. Enter WOLSEY and CROMWELL. Observe, observe, he's moody. Wol. The packet, Cromwell, gave it you the king? Wol. Look'd he o' the inside of the paper? He did unseal them: and the first he view'd, Was in his countenance: You, he bade Attend him here this morning. Wol. To come abroad? Crom. Presently Is he ready I think, by this he is. [Exit CROM. Wol. Leave me a while. It shall be to the duchess of Alençon, The French king's sister: he shall marry her. Anne Bullen! No; I'll no Anne Bullens for him: No, we 'll no Bullens. - Speedily I wish To hear from Rome. - The marchioness of Pembroke! 3 To his own hand, in his bedchamber.] Surely, both the syllable wanting in this line, and the respect due from the speaker to Wol sey, should authorize us to read: To his own hand, sir, in his bedchamber. And again, in Cromwell's next speech: Was in his countenance: you, sir, he bade -. or with Sir Thomas Hanmer: Wol. The late queen's gentlewoman; a knight's daugh ter, To be her mistress' mistress! the queen's queen!This candle burns not clear: 'tis I must snuff it; Then, out it goes. - What though I know her virtuous, And well-deserving? yet I know her for A spleeny Lutheran; and not wholesome to Our cause, that she should lie i' the bosom of Our hard-rul'd king. Again, there is sprung up An heretick, an arch one, Cranmer; one Hath crawl'd into the favour of the king, And is his oracle. Nor. He is vex'd at something. Sur. I would 'twere something that would fret the string, The master-cord of his heart! Enter the King, reading a Schedule; and LoVELL. 4 Enter the King, reading a Schedule;) That the Cardinal gave the King an inventory of his own private wealth, by mistake, and thereby ruined himself, is a known variation from the truth of history. Shakspeare, however, has not injudiciously represented the fall of that great man, as owing to an incident which he had once improved to the destruction of another. See Holinshed, Vol. II, p. 796 and 797: "Thomas Ruthall, bishop of Durham, was, after the death of King Henry VII, one of the privy council to Henry VIII, to whom the king gave in charge to write a book of the whole estate of the kingdom, &c. Afterwards, the king commanded cardinal Wolsey to go to this bishop, and to bring the book away with him. This bishop having written two books, (the one to answer the king's command, and the other intreating of his own private affairs,) did bind them both after one sort in vellum, &c. Now, when the cardinal came to demand the book due to the king, the bishop unadvisedly commanded his servant to bring hina the book bound in white vellum, lying in his study, in such a place. The servant accordingly brought forth one of the books so bound, being the book intreating of the state of the bishop, &c. The cardinal having the book went from the bishop, and after, (in his study by himself) understanding the contents thereof, he greatly rejoiced, having now occasion (which he long sought for) offered unto him, to brin bring the bishop into the king's disgrace. Wherefore he went forthwith to the king, delivered the book into his hands, and briefly informed him of the contents thereof; utting further into the king's head, that if at any time he were 1 To his own portion! and what expence by the hour Seems to flow from him! How, i' the name of thrift, Does he rake this together!-Now, my lords; Saw you the cardinal? Nor. My lord, we have Stood here observing him: Some strange commotion Is in his brain: he bites his lip, and starts; His eye against the moon: in most strange postures K. Hen. It may well be; Nor. It's heaven's will; Some spirit put this paper in the packet, To bless your eye withal. K. Hen. If we did think His contemplation were above the earth, destitute of a mass of money, he should not need to seek further therefore than to the coffers of the bishop. Of all which when the bishop had intelligence, &c. he was stricken with such grief of the same, that he shortly, through extreme sorrow, ended his life at London, in the year of Christ 1523 After which, the cardinal, who had long before gaped after his bishoprick, in singular hope to attain thereunto, had now his wish in effect," &c. Steevens. 5- then, stops again,] Sallust, describing the disturbed state of Catiline's mind, takes notice of the same circumstance: - citus modo, modo tardus incessus." Steevens. 6 Strikes his breast hard; and anon, he casts - Here I think we should be at liberty to complete a defective verse, by reading, with Sir Thomas Hanmer: and then, anon, he casts -. Steevens. Dwell in his musings; but, I am afraid, His serious considering. [He takes his seat, and whispers Wol. Lov. who goes to WOL. Heaven forgive me! Ever God bless your highness! K. Hen. Good my lord, You are full of heavenly stuff, and bear the inventory You were now running o'er; you have scarce time Wol. Sir, For holy offices I have a time; a time K. Hen. You have said well. Wol. And ever may your highness yoke together, As I will lend you cause, my doing well With my well saying! K. Ken. 'Tis well said again; And 'tis a kind of good deed, to say well: His word upon you. Since I had my office, I have kept you next my heart; have not alone Employ'd you where high profits might come home, But par'd my present havings, to bestow My bounties upon you. Wol, What should this mean? Sur. The lord increase this business! [Aside. Have I not made you The prime man of the state? I pray you, tell me, 7 with his deed did crown His word-] So, in Macbeth: "To crown my thoughts with acts -." Steevens. |