Henry VIII

by William Shakespeare

Act Four, Scene I

Enter two Gentlemen, meeting one another.

1 Y'are well met once againe

2 So are you

   1 You come to take your stand heere, and behold
The Lady Anne, passe from her Corronation
   2 'Tis all my businesse. At our last encounter,
The Duke of Buckingham came from his Triall
   1 'Tis very true. But that time offer'd sorrow,
This generall ioy
   2 'Tis well: The Citizens
I am sure haue shewne at full their Royall minds,
As let 'em haue their rights, they are euer forward
In Celebration of this day with Shewes,
Pageants, and Sights of Honor
   1 Neuer greater,
Nor Ile assure you better taken Sir
   2 May I be bold to aske what that containes,
That Paper in your hand
   1 Yes, 'tis the List
Of those that claime their Offices this day,
By custome of the Coronation.
The Duke of Suffolke is the first, and claimes
To be high Steward; Next the Duke of Norfolke,
He to be Earle Marshall: you may reade the rest
   1 I thanke you Sir: Had I not known those customs,
I should haue beene beholding to your Paper:
But I beseech you, what's become of Katherine
The Princesse Dowager? How goes her businesse?
  1 That I can tell you too. The Archbishop
Of Canterbury, accompanied with other
Learned, and Reuerend Fathers of his Order,
Held a late Court at Dunstable; sixe miles off
From Ampthill, where the Princesse lay, to which
She was often cyted by them, but appear'd not:
And to be short, for not Appearance, and
The Kings late Scruple, by the maine assent
Of all these Learned men, she was diuorc'd,
And the late Marriage made of none effect:
Since which, she was remou'd to Kymmalton,
Where she remaines now sicke
2 Alas good Lady. The Trumpets sound: Stand close, 
The Queene is comming.

Ho-boyes. The Order of the Coronation. 1 A liuely Flourish of
Trumpets. 2
Then, two Iudges. 3 Lord Chancellor, with Purse and Mace before
him. 4
Quirristers singing. Musicke. 5 Maior of London, bearing the
Mace. Then
Garter, in his Coate of Armes, and on his head he wore a Gilt
Copper
Crowne. 6 Marquesse Dorset, bearing a Scepter of Gold, on his
head, a
Demy Coronall of Gold. With him, the Earle of Surrey, bearing the
Rod of
Siluer with the Doue, Crowned with an Earles Coronet. Collars of
Esses. 7
Duke of Suffolke, in his Robe of Estate, his Coronet on his head,
bearing
a long white Wand, as High Steward. With him, the Duke of
Norfolke, with
the Rod of Marshalship, a Coronet on his head. Collars of Esses. 8
A
Canopy, borne by foure of the Cinque-Ports, vnder it the Queene in
her
Robe, in her haire, richly adorned with Pearle, Crowned. On each
side her,
the Bishops of London, and Winchester. 9 The Olde Dutchesse of
Norfolke,
in a Coronall of Gold, wrought with Flowers bearing the Queenes
Traine. 10
Certaine Ladies or Countesses, with plaine Circlets of Gold,
without
Flowers. Exeunt, first passing ouer the Stage in Order and State,
and
then, A great Flourish of Trumpets.
  2 A Royall Traine beleeue me: These I know:
Who's that that beares the Scepter?
  1 Marquesse Dorset,
And that the Earle of Surrey, with the Rod
   2 A bold braue Gentleman. That should bee
The Duke of Suffolke
1 'Tis the same: high Steward

2 And that my Lord of Norfolke? 1 Yes

   2 Heauen blesse thee,
Thou hast the sweetest face I euer look'd on.
Sir, as I haue a Soule, she is an Angell;
Our King ha's all the Indies in his Armes,
And more, and richer, when he straines that Lady,
I cannot blame his Conscience
1 They that beare The Cloath of Honour ouer her, 
are foure Barons Of the Cinque-Ports

   2 Those men are happy,
And so are all, are neere her.
I take it, she that carries vp the Traine,
Is that old Noble Lady, Dutchesse of Norfolke
1 It is, and all the rest are Countesses

   2 Their Coronets say so. These are Starres indeed,
And sometimes falling ones

   2 No more of that.

Enter a third Gentleman.
  1 God saue you Sir. Where haue you bin broiling?

  3 Among the crowd i'th' Abbey, where a finger
Could not be wedg'd in more: I am stifled
With the meere ranknesse of their ioy

   2 You saw the Ceremony?

  3 That I did

   1 How was it?

  3 Well worth the seeing

   2 Good Sir, speake it to vs?

  3 As well as I am able. The rich streame
Of Lords, and Ladies, hauing brought the Queene
To a prepar'd place in the Quire, fell off
A distance from her; while her Grace sate downe
To rest a while, some halfe an houre, or so,
In a rich Chaire of State, opposing freely
The Beauty of her Person to the People.
Beleeue me Sir, she is the goodliest Woman
That euer lay by man: which when the people
Had the full view of, such a noyse arose,
As the shrowdes make at Sea, in a stiffe Tempest,
As lowd, and to as many Tunes. Hats, Cloakes,
(Doublets, I thinke) flew vp, and had their Faces
Bin loose, this day they had beene lost. Such ioy
I neuer saw before. Great belly'd women,
That had not halfe a weeke to go, like Rammes
In the old time of Warre, would shake the prease
And make 'em reele before 'em. No man liuing
Could say this is my wife there, all were wouen
So strangely in one peece

   2 But what follow'd?

  3 At length, her Grace rose, and with modest paces
Came to the Altar, where she kneel'd, and Saint-like
Cast her faire eyes to Heauen, and pray'd deuoutly.
Then rose againe, and bow'd her to the people:
When by the Arch-byshop of Canterbury,
She had all the Royall makings of a Queene;
As holy Oyle, Edward Confessors Crowne,
The Rod, and Bird of Peace, and all such Emblemes
Laid Nobly on her: which perform'd, the Quire
With all the choysest Musicke of the Kingdome,
Together sung Te Deum. So she parted,
And with the same full State pac'd backe againe
To Yorke-Place, where the Feast is held
   1 Sir,
You must no more call it Yorke-place, that's past:
For since the Cardinall fell, that Titles lost,
'Tis now the Kings, and call'd White-Hall
3 I know it: But 'tis so lately alter'd, that the old name Is fresh about me

2 What two Reuerend Byshops Were those that went 
on each side of the Queene? 3 Stokeley and Gardiner,
the one of Winchester, Newly preferr'd from the Kings Secretary:
The other London

2 He of Winchester Is held no great good louer of the Archbishops, 
The vertuous Cranmer

3 All the Land knowes that: How euer, yet there
 is no great breach, when it comes Cranmer will finde
 a Friend will not shrinke from him

2 Who may that be, I pray you

   3 Thomas Cromwell,
A man in much esteeme with th' King, and truly
A worthy Friend. The King ha's made him
Master o'th' Iewell House,
And one already of the Priuy Councell
2 He will deserue more

   3 Yes without all doubt.
Come Gentlemen, ye shall go my way,
Which is to'th Court, and there ye shall be my Guests:
Something I can command. As I walke thither,
Ile tell ye more
Both. You may command vs Sir.

Exeunt.