Enter Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury. ⌜(Pages,
Footboys, Grooms, and other servants attend at the
Council door.)⌝CRANMER I hope I am not too late, and yet the gentleman That was sent to me from the Council prayed me To make great haste.⌜He tries the door.⌝ All fast? What means this? Ho!5 Who waits there?Enter Keeper. Sure you know me!KEEPER Yes, my lord, But yet I cannot help you.CRANMER Why?KEEPER 10 Your Grace must wait till you be called for.CRANMER So.
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Enter Doctor Butts.BUTTS, ⌜aside⌝ This is a ⌜piece⌝ of malice. I am glad I came this way so happily. The King Shall understand it presently.Butts exits.CRANMER, ⌜aside⌝ 15 ’Tis Butts, The King’s physician. As he passed along How earnestly he cast his eyes upon me! Pray heaven he sound not my disgrace. For certain This is of purpose laid by some that hate me—20 God turn their hearts! I never sought their malice— To quench mine honor. They would shame to make me Wait else at door, a fellow councillor, ’Mong boys, grooms, and lackeys. But their pleasures Must be fulfilled, and I attend with patience.Enter the King and Butts at a window above.BUTTS 25 I’ll show your Grace the strangest sight.KING What’s that, Butts?BUTTS I think your Highness saw this many a day.KING Body o’ me, where is it?BUTTS 30 There, my lord: The high promotion of his Grace of Canterbury, Who holds his state at door, ’mongst pursuivants, Pages, and footboys.KING Ha! ’Tis he indeed.35 Is this the honor they do one another? ’Tis well there’s one above ’em yet. I had thought They had parted so much honesty among ’em— At least good manners—as not thus to suffer
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A man of his place, and so near our favor,40 To dance attendance on their Lordships’ pleasures, And at the door, too, like a post with packets. By holy Mary, Butts, there’s knavery! Let ’em alone, and draw the curtain close. We shall hear more anon.⌜They draw the curtain.⌝A council table brought in with chairs and stools and
placed under the state. Enter Lord Chancellor, places
himself at the upper end of the table on the left hand, a
seat being left void above him, as for Canterbury’s seat.
Duke of Suffolk, Duke of Norfolk, Surrey, Lord
Chamberlain, Gardiner seat themselves in order on each
side, Cromwell at lower end as secretary.CHANCELLOR 45 Speak to the business, Master Secretary. Why are we met in council?CROMWELL Please your honors, The chief cause concerns his Grace of Canterbury.GARDINER Has he had knowledge of it?CROMWELL 50 Yes.NORFOLK, ⌜to Keeper⌝ Who waits there?KEEPER Without, my noble lords?GARDINER Yes.KEEPER My lord Archbishop,55 And has done half an hour, to know your pleasures.CHANCELLOR Let him come in.KEEPER, ⌜at door⌝ Your Grace may enter now.Cranmer approaches the council table.CHANCELLOR My good lord Archbishop, I’m very sorry To sit here at this present and behold60 That chair stand empty. But we all are men,
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In our own natures frail, and capable Of our flesh—few are angels—out of which frailty And want of wisdom you, that best should teach us, Have misdemeaned yourself, and not a little,65 Toward the King first, then his laws, in filling The whole realm, by your teaching and your chaplains’— For so we are informed—with new opinions, Divers and dangerous, which are heresies70 And, not reformed, may prove pernicious.GARDINER Which reformation must be sudden too, My noble lords; for those that tame wild horses Pace ’em not in their hands to make ’em gentle, But stop their mouths with stubborn bits, and spur ’em75 Till they obey the manage. If we suffer, Out of our easiness and childish pity To one man’s honor, this contagious sickness, Farewell, all physic. And what follows then? Commotions, uproars, with a general taint80 Of the whole state, as of late days our neighbors, The upper Germany, can dearly witness, Yet freshly pitied in our memories.CRANMER My good lords, hitherto, in all the progress Both of my life and office, I have labored,85 And with no little study, that my teaching And the strong course of my authority Might go one way and safely; and the end Was ever to do well. Nor is there living— I speak it with a single heart, my lords—90 A man that more detests, more stirs against, Both in his private conscience and his place, Defacers of a public peace than I do. Pray heaven the King may never find a heart
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With less allegiance in it! Men that make95 Envy and crookèd malice nourishment Dare bite the best. I do beseech your Lordships That, in this case of justice, my accusers, Be what they will, may stand forth face to face And freely urge against me.SUFFOLK 100 Nay, my lord, That cannot be. You are a councillor, And by that virtue no man dare accuse you.GARDINER My lord, because we have business of more moment, We will be short with you. ’Tis his Highness’ pleasure,105 And our consent, for better trial of you From hence you be committed to the Tower, Where, being but a private man again, You shall know many dare accuse you boldly— More than, I fear, you are provided for.CRANMER 110 Ah, my good Lord of Winchester, I thank you. You are always my good friend. If your will pass, I shall both find your Lordship judge and juror, You are so merciful. I see your end: ’Tis my undoing. Love and meekness, lord,115 Become a churchman better than ambition. Win straying souls with modesty again; Cast none away. That I shall clear myself, Lay all the weight you can upon my patience, I make as little doubt as you do conscience120 In doing daily wrongs. I could say more, But reverence to your calling makes me modest.GARDINER My lord, my lord, you are a sectary. That’s the plain truth. Your painted gloss discovers, To men that understand you, words and weakness.
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CROMWELL 125 My Lord of Winchester, you’re a little, By your good favor, too sharp. Men so noble, However faulty, yet should find respect For what they have been. ’Tis a cruelty To load a falling man.GARDINER 130 Good Master Secretary— I cry your Honor mercy—you may worst Of all this table say so.CROMWELL Why, my lord?GARDINER Do not I know you for a favorer135 Of this new sect? You are not sound.CROMWELL Not sound?GARDINER Not sound, I say.CROMWELL Would you were half so honest! Men’s prayers then would seek you, not their fears.GARDINER 140 I shall remember this bold language.CROMWELL Do. Remember your bold life too.⌜CHANCELLOR⌝ This is too much! Forbear, for shame, my lords.GARDINER 145 I have done.CROMWELL And I.⌜CHANCELLOR, to Cranmer⌝ Then thus for you, my lord: it stands agreed, I take it, by all voices, that forthwith You be conveyed to th’ Tower a prisoner,150 There to remain till the King’s further pleasure Be known unto us.—Are you all agreed, lords?ALL We are.CRANMER Is there no other way of mercy But I must needs to th’ Tower, my lords?
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GARDINER 155 What other Would you expect? You are strangely troublesome. Let some o’ th’ guard be ready there.Enter the Guard.CRANMER For me? Must I go like a traitor thither?GARDINER 160 Receive him, And see him safe i’ th’ Tower.CRANMER Stay, good my lords, I have a little yet to say. Look there, my lords.⌜He holds out the ring.⌝ By virtue of that ring, I take my cause165 Out of the grips of cruel men and give it To a most noble judge, the King my master.CHAMBERLAIN This is the King’s ring.SURREY ’Tis no counterfeit.SUFFOLK ’Tis the right ring, by heaven! I told you all,170 When we first put this dangerous stone a-rolling, ’Twould fall upon ourselves.NORFOLK Do you think, my lords, The King will suffer but the little finger Of this man to be vexed?CHAMBERLAIN 175 ’Tis now too certain. How much more is his life in value with him! Would I were fairly out on ’t!CROMWELL My mind gave me, In seeking tales and informations180 Against this man, whose honesty the devil And his disciples only envy at, You blew the fire that burns you. Now, have at you!Enter King, frowning on them; takes his seat.
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GARDINER Dread sovereign, how much are we bound to heaven In daily thanks, that gave us such a prince,185 Not only good and wise, but most religious; One that in all obedience makes the Church The chief aim of his honor, and to strengthen That holy duty out of dear respect, His royal self in judgment comes to hear190 The cause betwixt her and this great offender.KING You were ever good at sudden commendations, Bishop of Winchester. But know I come not To hear such flattery now, and in my presence They are too thin and base to hide offenses.195 To me you cannot reach. You play the spaniel, And think with wagging of your tongue to win me; But whatsoe’er thou tak’st me for, I’m sure Thou hast a cruel nature and a bloody.— Good man, sit down.⌜Cranmer takes his seat.⌝200 Now let me see the proudest He, that dares most, but wag his finger at thee. By all that’s holy, he had better starve Than but once think ⌜this⌝ place becomes thee not.SURREY May it please your Grace—KING 205 No, sir, it does not please me. I had thought I had had men of some understanding And wisdom of my Council, but I find none. Was it discretion, lords, to let this man,210 This good man—few of you deserve that title— This honest man, wait like a lousy footboy At chamber door? And one as great as you are? Why, what a shame was this! Did my commission Bid you so far forget yourselves? I gave you215 Power as he was a councillor to try him,
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Not as a groom. There’s some of you, I see, More out of malice than integrity, Would try him to the utmost, had you mean, Which you shall never have while I live.CHANCELLOR 220 Thus far, My most dread sovereign, may it like your Grace To let my tongue excuse all. What was purposed Concerning his imprisonment was rather, If there be faith in men, meant for his trial225 And fair purgation to the world than malice, I’m sure, in me.KING Well, well, my lords, respect him. Take him, and use him well; he’s worthy of it. I will say thus much for him: if a prince230 May be beholding to a subject, I Am, for his love and service, so to him. Make me no more ado, but all embrace him. Be friends, for shame, my lords.⌜They embrace Cranmer.⌝ My Lord of Canterbury,235 I have a suit which you must not deny me: That is, a fair young maid that yet wants baptism. You must be godfather and answer for her.CRANMER The greatest monarch now alive may glory In such an honor. How may I deserve it,240 That am a poor and humble subject to you?KING Come, come, my lord, you’d spare your spoons. You shall have two noble partners with you: the old Duchess of Norfolk and Lady Marquess Dorset. Will these please you?—245 Once more, my lord of Winchester, I charge you, Embrace and love this man.GARDINER With a true heart And brother-love I do it.⌜He embraces Cranmer.⌝
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CRANMER, ⌜weeping⌝ And let heaven250 Witness how dear I hold this confirmation.KING Good man, those joyful tears show thy true ⌜heart.⌝ The common voice, I see, is verified Of thee, which says thus: “Do my Lord of Canterbury A shrewd turn, and he’s your friend forever.”—255 Come, lords, we trifle time away. I long To have this young one made a Christian. As I have made you one, lords, one remain. So I grow stronger, you more honor gain.They exit.
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