you?

Above all princes, in committing freely
Your scruple to the voice of Christendom:
Who
can be
angry now ? what envy reach
The Spaniard, tied by blood and favour to her,
Must now confess, if they have any goodness,
The trial just and noble. All the clerks,

I mean the learned ones, in christian kingdoms, Have their free voices-Rome, the nurse of judgment,

Invited by your noble self, hath sent,
One general tongue unto us, this good man,
This just and learned priest, cardinal Campeius,-
Whom once more I present unto your highness.

a I'll venture one have at-him] The second folio reads, "one heave at him."

K. HEN. And once more in mine arms I bid him welcome,

And thank the holy conclave for their loves; They have sent me such a man I would have wish'd for.

CAM.

Your grace must needs deserve all
strangers' loves,

You are so noble. To your highness' hand
I tender my commission ;-by whose virtue,
(The court of Rome commanding) you, my lord
Cardinal of York, are join'd with me their servant
In the unpartial judging of this business.

K. HEN. Two equal men. The queen shall be
acquainted

Forthwith for what you come.-Where's Gardiner?
WOL. I know your majesty has always lov'd her
So dear in heart, not to deny her that
A woman of less place might ask by law,-
Scholars allow'd freely to argue for her.

K. HEN. Ay, and the best she shall have;
and my favour

To him that does best; God forbid else. Cardinal,
Pry'thee, call Gardiner to me, my new secretary;
I find him a fit fellow.
[Exit WOLSEY.

That he ran mad, and died.

WOL. Heaven's peace be with him! That's christian care enough: for living murmurers There's places of rebuke. He was a fool; For he would needs be virtuous: that good fellow, If I command him, follows my appointment; I will have none so near else. Learn this, brother, We live not to be grip'd by meaner persons. K. HEN. Deliver this with modesty to the queen. [Exit GARDINER.

SCENE III.-The same. An Ante-chamber in the Queen's Apartments.

Enter ANNE BULLEN and an old Lady. ANNE. Not for that neither;-here's the pang that pinches :

a Yet, if that quarrel, Fortune,-] "She calls Fortune a quarrel or arrow, from her striking so deep and suddenly," says Warburan emendation ton. Hanmer reads, "That quarr'ler fortune;" on a par with Warburton's portentous gloss. Mr. Collier's annotator suggests, "that cruel fortune," which is as miserably prosaic and commonplace as may be. Shakespeare has elsewhere characterised her humorous ladyship as, "strumpet Fortune,' "harlot Fortune," and, which is the same thing, "giglot For

His highness having liv'd so long with her, and

she

So good a lady that no tongue could ever
Pronounce dishonour of her,-by my life,
She never knew harm-doing ;-O now, after
So many courses of the sun enthron'd,
Still growing in a majesty and pomp,-the which
To leave's * a thousand-fold more bitter, than
"Tis sweet at first to acquire,-after this process,
To give her the avaunt! it is a pity
Would move a monster.

OLD L.

Hearts of most hard temper

It from the bearer, 'tis a sufferance, panging As soul and body's severing.

OLD L.

She's a stranger now again.

Alas, poor lady!

So much the more Verily,

ANNE. Must pity drop upon her. I swear, 'tis better to be lowly born, And range with humble livers in content, Than to be perk'd up in a glist'ring grief, And wear a golden sorrow.

OLD L.

Is our best having.

ANNE.

Our content

By my troth and maidenhead,

I would not be a queen. OLD L.

Beshrew me, I would,

And venture maidenhead for't; and so would

No, in truth.

The secret of your conference?

ANNE.

Not your demand; it values not your asking: Our mistress' sorrows we were pitying.

CHAM. It was a gentle business, and becoming The action of good women: there is hope All will be well.

ANNE.

Now, I

pray

God, amen! CHAM. You bear a gentle mind, and heavenly

blessings

Follow such creatures. That you may, fair lady,
Perceive I speak sincerely, and high note's
Ta'en of your many virtues, the king's majesty
Commends his good opinion of you to you," and
Does purpose honour to you no less flowing
Than marchioness of Pembroke; to which title
A thousand pound a year, annual support,
Out of his grace he adds.(2)

ANNE.
I do not know,
What kind of my obedience I should tender;
More than my all is nothing: nor my prayers
Are not words duly hallow'd, nor my wishes
More worth than empty vanities; yet prayers

wishes

and

Are all I can return. Beseech your lordship, Vouchsafe to speak my thanks and my obedience, As from a blushing handmaid, to his highness; Whose health and royalty I pray for.

CHAM.

Lady,

I shall not fail to approve the fair conceit
The king hath of you.-[Aside.] I have perus'd

her well;

a Soft cheveril conscience-] Cheveril is kid-skin leather. See note (e), p. 180, Vol. I.

b A three-pence bow'd would hire me,-] Bow'd means bent: it is spelt bowed in modern editions; but Mr. Dyce is right in saying hire should, in this place, be pronounced as a dissyllable.

e Pluck off a little;] Let us come down a little; if you will neither queen it nor be a duchess, perhaps you have strength enough to bear the honours of a countess. This is Stevens' ex

Trumpets, sennet, and cornets. Enter two Vergers, with short silver wands; next them, two Scribes, in the habits of doctors; after them, the ARCHBISHOP of CANTERBURY alone; after him, the BISHOPS of LINCOLN, ELY, ROCHESTER, and SAINT ASAPH; next them, with some small distance, follows a Gentleman, bearing the purse, with the great seal, and a cardinal's hat; then two Priests, bearing each a silver cross; then a Gentleman-usher bare-headed, accompanied with a Sergeant-at-arms, bearing a silver mace; then two Gentlemen, bearing two great silver pillars ;(3) after them, side by side, the two Cardinals, WOLSEY and CAMPEIUS; two Noblemen with the sword and Then enter the KING and QUEEN, and their Trains. The KING takes place under the cloth of state; the two Cardinals

mace.

(*) Old text, mo.

a Forty pence, no.] That is, I'd wager forty-pence, it does not. Steevens has cited several passages to show that forty pence, or three and four pence, was a proverbial expression for any small wager or sum.

b If this salute my blood a jot;] Some critics have made a difficulty of the word salute in this passage; and Mr. Collier's annotator substitutes elate. Salute here means move or exhilarate. So, in our author's Sonnets (cxxi.):

[The QUEEN makes no answer, rises out of her chair, goes about the court, comes to the KING, and kneels at his feet; then speaks.]

Q. KATH. Sir, I desire you do me right and justice;

And to bestow your pity on me; for

d

I am a most poor woman, and a stranger,
Born out of your dominions; having here
No judge indifferent, nor no more assurance
Of equal friendship and proceeding. Alas, sir,
In what have I offended you? what cause
Hath my behaviour given to your displeasure,
That thus you should proceed to put me off,
And take your good grace from me? Heaven witness,
I have been to you a true and humble wife,
At all times to your will conformable :
Ever in fear to kindle your dislike,

Yea, subject to your countenance,―glad or sorry,
As I saw it inclin'd. When was the hour
I ever contradicted desire,
your
Or made it not mine too?
friends

Or which of your

Have I not strove to love, although I knew He were mine enemy? what friend of mine, That had to him deriv'd your anger, did I

"For why should others' false adulterate eyes
Give salutation to my sportive blood?"

c Place-] Place of old meant something more emphatic than mere seat; it implied the appropriate sent. We have it in "The Merchant of Venice," where the Duke bids Portia, the supposed young judge, take his "place," which is the judgment-seat, beneath the Duke's throne.

d Indifferent,-] Impartial.