Henry VIII by William Shakespeare
Act 2 - Scene 1
Westminster. A street.
First Gentleman : Whither away so fast?
Second Gentleman : O, God save ye!
[p]Even to the hall, to hear what shall become
[p]Of
the great Duke of Buckingham.
First Gentleman : I'll save you
[p]That labour, sir. All's now done, but the
ceremony
[p]Of bringing back the prisoner.
Second Gentleman : Were you there?
First Gentleman : Yes, indeed, was I.
Second Gentleman : Pray, speak what has happen'd.
First Gentleman : You may guess quickly what.
Second Gentleman : Is he found guilty?
First Gentleman : Yes, truly is he, and condemn'd upon't.
Second Gentleman : I am sorry for't.
First Gentleman : So are a number more.
Second Gentleman : But, pray, how pass'd it?
First Gentleman : I'll tell you in a little. The great duke
[p]Came to the bar; where to
his accusations
[p]He pleaded still not guilty and alleged
[p]Many
sharp reasons to defeat the law.
[p]The king's attorney on the
contrary
[p]Urged on the examinations, proofs, confessions
[p]Of
divers witnesses; which the duke desired
[p]To have brought viva voce
to his face:
[p]At which appear'd against him his surveyor;
[p]Sir
Gilbert Peck his chancellor; and John Car,
[p]Confessor to him; with
that devil-monk,
[p]Hopkins, that made this mischief.
Second Gentleman : That was he
[p]That fed him with his prophecies?
First Gentleman : The same.
[p]All these accused him strongly; which he fain
[p]Would
have flung from him, but, indeed, he could not:
[p]And so his peers,
upon this evidence,
[p]Have found him guilty of high treason.
Much
[p]He spoke, and learnedly, for life; but all
[p]Was either
pitied in him or forgotten.
Second Gentleman : After all this, how did he bear himself?
First Gentleman : When he was brought again to the bar, to hear
[p]His knell rung out,
his judgment, he was stirr'd
[p]With such an agony, he sweat
extremely,
[p]And something spoke in choler, ill, and hasty:
[p]But he
fell to himself again, and sweetly
[p]In all the rest show'd a most
noble patience.
Second Gentleman : I do not think he fears death.
First Gentleman : Sure, he does not:
[p]He never was so womanish; the cause
[p]He may a
little grieve at.
Second Gentleman : Certainly
[p]The cardinal is the end of this.
First Gentleman : 'Tis likely,
[p]By all conjectures: first, Kildare's
attainder,
[p]Then deputy of Ireland; who removed,
[p]Earl Surrey was
sent thither, and in haste too,
[p]Lest he should help his father.
Second Gentleman : That trick of state
[p]Was a deep envious one.
First Gentleman : At his return
[p]No doubt he will requite it. This is noted,
[p]And
generally, whoever the king favours,
[p]The cardinal instantly will
find employment,
[p]And far enough from court too.
Second Gentleman : All the commons
[p]Hate him perniciously, and, o' my
conscience,
[p]Wish him ten fathom deep: this duke as much
[p]They
love and dote on; call him bounteous Buckingham,
[p]The mirror of all
courtesy;--
First Gentleman : Stay there, sir,
[p]And see the noble ruin'd man you speak
of.
[p][Enter BUCKINGHAM from his arraignment; tip-staves]
[p]before
him; the axe with the edge towards him;
[p]halberds on each side:
accompanied with LOVELL,
[p]VAUX, SANDS, and common people]
Second Gentleman : Let's stand close, and behold him.
Duke of Buckingham : All good people,
[p]You that thus far have come to pity me,
[p]Hear
what I say, and then go home and lose me.
[p]I have this day received
a traitor's judgment,
[p]And by that name must die: yet, heaven bear
witness,
[p]And if I have a conscience, let it sink me,
[p]Even as the
axe falls, if I be not faithful!
[p]The law I bear no malice for my
death;
[p]'T has done, upon the premises, but justice:
[p]But those
that sought it I could wish more Christians:
[p]Be what they will, I
heartily forgive 'em:
[p]Yet let 'em look they glory not in
mischief,
[p]Nor build their evils on the graves of great men;
[p]For
then my guiltless blood must cry against 'em.
[p]For further life in
this world I ne'er hope,
[p]Nor will I sue, although the king have
mercies
[p]More than I dare make faults. You few that loved me,
[p]And
dare be bold to weep for Buckingham,
[p]His noble friends and fellows,
whom to leave
[p]Is only bitter to him, only dying,
[p]Go with me,
like good angels, to my end;
[p]And, as the long divorce of steel
falls on me,
[p]Make of your prayers one sweet sacrifice,
[p]And lift
my soul to heaven. Lead on, o' God's name.
Sir Thomas Lovell : I do beseech your grace, for charity,
[p]If ever any malice in your
heart
[p]Were hid against me, now to forgive me frankly.
Duke of Buckingham : Sir Thomas Lovell, I as free forgive you
[p]As I would be forgiven: I
forgive all;
[p]There cannot be those numberless offences
[p]'Gainst
me, that I cannot take peace with:
[p]no black envy
[p]Shall mark my
grave. Commend me to his grace;
[p]And if he speak of Buckingham,
pray, tell him
[p]You met him half in heaven: my vows and
prayers
[p]Yet are the king's; and, till my soul forsake,
[p]Shall cry
for blessings on him: may he live
[p]Longer than I have time to tell
his years!
[p]Ever beloved and loving may his rule be!
[p]And when old
time shall lead him to his end,
[p]Goodness and he fill up one
monument!
Sir Thomas Lovell : To the water side I must conduct your grace;
[p]Then give my charge up
to Sir Nicholas Vaux,
[p]Who undertakes you to your end.
Sir Nicholas Vaux : Prepare there,
[p]The duke is coming: see the barge be ready;
[p]And
fit it with such furniture as suits
[p]The greatness of his person.
Duke of Buckingham : Nay, Sir Nicholas,
[p]Let it alone; my state now will but mock
me.
[p]When I came hither, I was lord high constable
[p]And Duke of
Buckingham; now, poor Edward Bohun:
[p]Yet I am richer than my base
accusers,
[p]That never knew what truth meant: I now seal it;
[p]And
with that blood will make 'em one day groan for't.
[p]My noble father,
Henry of Buckingham,
[p]Who first raised head against usurping
Richard,
[p]Flying for succor to his servant Banister,
[p]Being
distress'd, was by that wretch betray'd,
[p]And without trial fell;
God's peace be with him!
[p]Henry the Seventh succeeding, truly
pitying
[p]My father's loss, like a most royal prince,
[p]Restored me
to my honours, and, out of ruins,
[p]Made my name once more noble. Now
his son,
[p]Henry the Eighth, life, honour, name and all
[p]That made
me happy at one stroke has taken
[p]For ever from the world. I had my
trial,
[p]And, must needs say, a noble one; which makes me,
[p]A
little happier than my wretched father:
[p]Yet thus far we are one in
fortunes: both
[p]Fell by our servants, by those men we loved
most;
[p]A most unnatural and faithless service!
[p]Heaven has an end
in all: yet, you that hear me,
[p]This from a dying man receive as
certain:
[p]Where you are liberal of your loves and counsels
[p]Be
sure you be not loose; for those you make friends
[p]And give your
hearts to, when they once perceive
[p]The least rub in your fortunes,
fall away
[p]Like water from ye, never found again
[p]But where they
mean to sink ye. All good people,
[p]Pray for me! I must now forsake
ye: the last hour
[p]Of my long weary life is come upon me.
Farewell:
[p]And when you would say something that is sad,
[p]Speak
how I fell. I have done; and God forgive me!
First Gentleman : O, this is full of pity! Sir, it calls,
[p]I fear, too many curses on
their beads
[p]That were the authors.
Second Gentleman : If the duke be guiltless,
[p]'Tis full of woe: yet I can give you
inkling
[p]Of an ensuing evil, if it fall,
[p]Greater than this.
First Gentleman : Good angels keep it from us!
[p]What may it be? You do not doubt my
faith, sir?
Second Gentleman : This secret is so weighty, 'twill require
[p]A strong faith to conceal
it.
First Gentleman : Let me have it;
[p]I do not talk much.
Second Gentleman : I am confident,
[p]You shall, sir: did you not of late days hear
[p]A
buzzing of a separation
[p]Between the king and Katharine?
First Gentleman : Yes, but it held not:
[p]For when the king once heard it, out of
anger
[p]He sent command to the lord mayor straight
[p]To stop the
rumor, and allay those tongues
[p]That durst disperse it.
Second Gentleman : But that slander, sir,
[p]Is found a truth now: for it grows
again
[p]Fresher than e'er it was; and held for certain
[p]The king
will venture at it. Either the cardinal,
[p]Or some about him near,
have, out of malice
[p]To the good queen, possess'd him with a
scruple
[p]That will undo her: to confirm this too,
[p]Cardinal
Campeius is arrived, and lately;
[p]As all think, for this business.
First Gentleman : 'Tis the cardinal;
[p]And merely to revenge him on the emperor
[p]For
not bestowing on him, at his asking,
[p]The archbishopric of Toledo,
this is purposed.
Second Gentleman : I think you have hit the mark: but is't not cruel
[p]That she should
feel the smart of this? The cardinal
[p]Will have his will, and she
must fall.
First Gentleman : 'Tis woful.
[p]We are too open here to argue this;
[p]Let's think in
private more.
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Next: Act 2 - Scene 2
