Henry VIII by William Shakespeare
Act 5 - Scene 5
The palace.
Garter : Heaven, from thy endless goodness, send prosperous
[p]life, long, and
ever happy, to the high and mighty
[p]princess of England, Elizabeth!
Archbishop Cranmer : [Kneeling] And to your royal grace, and the good queen,
[p]My noble
partners, and myself, thus pray:
[p]All comfort, joy, in this most
gracious lady,
[p]Heaven ever laid up to make parents happy,
[p]May
hourly fall upon ye!
Henry VIII : Thank you, good lord archbishop:
[p]What is her name?
Archbishop Cranmer : Elizabeth.
Henry VIII : Stand up, lord.
[p][KING HENRY VIII kisses the child]
[p]With this
kiss take my blessing: God protect thee!
[p]Into whose hand I give thy
life.
Archbishop Cranmer : Amen.
Henry VIII : My noble gossips, ye have been too prodigal:
[p]I thank ye heartily;
so shall this lady,
[p]When she has so much English.
Archbishop Cranmer : Let me speak, sir,
[p]For heaven now bids me; and the words I
utter
[p]Let none think flattery, for they'll find 'em truth.
[p]This
royal infant--heaven still move about her!--
[p]Though in her cradle,
yet now promises
[p]Upon this land a thousand thousand
blessings,
[p]Which time shall bring to ripeness: she shall
be--
[p]But few now living can behold that goodness--
[p]A pattern to
all princes living with her,
[p]And all that shall succeed: Saba was
never
[p]More covetous of wisdom and fair virtue
[p]Than this pure
soul shall be: all princely graces,
[p]That mould up such a mighty
piece as this is,
[p]With all the virtues that attend the
good,
[p]Shall still be doubled on her: truth shall nurse her,
[p]Holy
and heavenly thoughts still counsel her:
[p]She shall be loved and
fear'd: her own shall bless her;
[p]Her foes shake like a field of
beaten corn,
[p]And hang their heads with sorrow: good grows with
her:
[p]In her days every man shall eat in safety,
[p]Under his own
vine, what he plants; and sing
[p]The merry songs of peace to all his
neighbours:
[p]God shall be truly known; and those about her
[p]From
her shall read the perfect ways of honour,
[p]And by those claim their
greatness, not by blood.
[p]Nor shall this peace sleep with her: but
as when
[p]The bird of wonder dies, the maiden phoenix,
[p]Her ashes
new create another heir,
[p]As great in admiration as herself;
[p]So
shall she leave her blessedness to one,
[p]When heaven shall call her
from this cloud of darkness,
[p]Who from the sacred ashes of her
honour
[p]Shall star-like rise, as great in fame as she was,
[p]And so
stand fix'd: peace, plenty, love, truth, terror,
[p]That were the
servants to this chosen infant,
[p]Shall then be his, and like a vine
grow to him:
[p]Wherever the bright sun of heaven shall shine,
[p]His
honour and the greatness of his name
[p]Shall be, and make new
nations: he shall flourish,
[p]And, like a mountain cedar, reach his
branches
[p]To all the plains about him: our children's
children
[p]Shall see this, and bless heaven.
Henry VIII : Thou speakest wonders.
Archbishop Cranmer : She shall be, to the happiness of England,
[p]An aged princess; many
days shall see her,
[p]And yet no day without a deed to crown
it.
[p]Would I had known no more! but she must die,
[p]She must, the
saints must have her; yet a virgin,
[p]A most unspotted lily shall she
pass
[p]To the ground, and all the world shall mourn her.
Henry VIII : O lord archbishop,
[p]Thou hast made me now a man! never,
before
[p]This happy child, did I get any thing:
[p]This oracle of
comfort has so pleased me,
[p]That when I am in heaven I shall
desire
[p]To see what this child does, and praise my Maker.
[p]I thank
ye all. To you, my good lord mayor,
[p]And your good brethren, I am
much beholding;
[p]I have received much honour by your
presence,
[p]And ye shall find me thankful. Lead the way, lords:
[p]Ye
must all see the queen, and she must thank ye,
[p]She will be sick
else. This day, no man think
[p]Has business at his house; for all
shall stay:
[p]This little one shall make it
holiday.
[p][Exeunt]
[p]EPILOGUE
Chorus : 'Tis ten to one this play can never please
[p]All that are here: some
come to take their ease,
[p]And sleep an act or two; but those, we
fear,
[p]We have frighted with our trumpets; so, 'tis
clear,
[p]They'll say 'tis naught: others, to hear the city
[p]Abused
extremely, and to cry 'That's witty!'
[p]Which we have not done
neither: that, I fear,
[p]All the expected good we're like to
hear
[p]For this play at this time, is only in
[p]The merciful
construction of good women;
[p]For such a one we show'd 'em: if they
smile,
[p]And say 'twill do, I know, within a while
[p]All the best
men are ours; for 'tis ill hap,
[p]If they hold when their ladies bid
'em clap.
Previous: Act 5 - Scene 4
Next: Act 5 - Scene 5
