And every true heart weeps for't: All, that dare open The king's eyes, that fo long have slept upon SUF. And free us from his flavery. NOR. We had need pray, And heartily, for our deliverance; Or this imperious man will work us all SUF. For me, my lords, I love him not, nor fear him; there's my creed: As I am made without him, fo I'll ftand, 9 -fee this main end,] Thus the old copy. All, &c. perceive this main end of thefe counfels, namely, the French king's fifter. The editor of the fourth folio and all the fubfequent editors read-his; but yt or this were not likely to be confounded with his. Befides, the king, not Wolfey, is the perfon laft mentioned; and it was the main end or object of Wolfey to bring about a marriage between Henry and the French king's fifter. End has already been ufed for caufe, and may be fo here. See P. 58: "The cardinal is the end of this." MALONE. The French king's fifter.] i. e. the duchefs of Alençon. STEEVENS. 3 From princes into pages:] This may allude to the retinue of the Cardinal, who had feveral of the nobility among his menial fervants. JOHNSON. + Into what pitch he pleafe.] The mafs must be fafhioned into pitch or height, as well as into particular form. The meaning is, that the cardinal can, as he pleafes, make high or low. JOHNSON. The allufion feems to be to the 21ft verfe of the 9th chapter of the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans: "Hath not the potter over the clay of the fame lump, to make one vellel unto and another unto difhonour ?" COLLINS. If the king please; his curfes and his bleffings Nor. Let's in; And, with fome other bu nefs, put the king From these fad thoughts, that work too much upon him: My lord, you'll bear us company? Снам. Excufe me; The king hath fent me otherwhere: befides, You'll find a moft unfit time to disturb him: Health to your lordships. NOR. Thanks, my good lord chamberlain. [Exit Lord Chamberlain. NORFOLK opens a folding-door. The King is dif covered fitting, and reading penfively." SUF. How fad he looks! fure, he is much afAlicted. K. HEN. Who is there? ha? Exit 5 The ftage direction in the old copy is a fingular one. Lord Chamberlain, and the King draws the curtain, and fits reading penfively. STEEVENS. This ftage-direction was calculated for, and afcertains precisely the state of, the theatre in Shakspeare's time. When a person was to be discovered in a different apartment from that in which the original fpeakers in the scene are exhibited, the artlefs mode of our author's time, was to place fuch perfon in the back part of the ftage behind the curtains, which were occafionally fufpended across it. These the perfon, who was to be difcovered, (as Henry, in the prefent cafe,) drew back juft at the proper time. Mr. Rowe, who feems to have looked no further than the modern ftage, changed the direction thus: "The Scene opens, and difcovers the King," &c. but, befides the impropriety of introducing Scenes, Nor. 'Pray God, he be not angry. K. HEN. Who's there, I fay? How dare you thruft yourselves Into my private meditations? Who am I? ha? NOR. A gracious king, that pardons all offences Malice ne'er meant: our breach of duty, this way, Is bufinefs of eftate; in which, we come To know your royal pleasure. K. HEN. You are too bold; Go to; I'll make ye know your times of business: Is this an hour for temporal affairs? ha?— Enter WOLSEY and CAMPEIUS. Who's there? my good lord cardinal?-O my Wolfey, The quiet of my wounded confcience, Thou art a cure fit for a king.-You're welcome, WOL. when there were none, fuch an exhibition would not be proper here, for Norfolk has juft faid-" Let's in,"-and therefore fhould himself do fome act, in order to vifit the king. This indeed, in the fimple ftate of the old ftage, was not attended to; the king very civilly discovering himself. See An Account of our old Theatres, Vol. I. MALONE. 6 have great care I be not found a talker.] I take the meaning to be, Let care be taken that my promife be performed, that my profeffions of welcome be not found empty talk. JOHNSON. K. HEN. We are bufy; go. [To NORFOLK and SUFFOLK. Not to speak of; NOR. This prieft has no pride in him? SUF. I would not be fo fick though," for his [Exeunt NORFOLK and SUFFOLK. WOL. Your grace has given a precedent of wisdom Above all princes, in committing freely Your fcruple to the voice of Christendom: Who can be angry now? what envy reach you? The Spaniard, tied by blood and favour to her, Muft now confefs, if they have any goodness, The trial juft and noble. All the clerks, I mean, the learned ones, in chriftian kingdoms, Have their free voices; Rome, the nurse of judge ment, Invited by your noble felf, hath fent One general tongue unto us, this good man, 7-fo fick though,] That is, fo fick as he is proud. 8 JOHNSON. one heave at him.] So, in King Henry VI. Part II: "To heave the traitor Somerfet from hence." The first folio gives the paffage thus: Ile venture one; haue at him. The reading in the text is that of the fecond folio. STEEVENS. 9 Have their free voices ;] The construction is, have sent their free voices; the word fent, which occurs in the next line, being understood here. MALONE. K. HEN. And, once more, in mine arms I bid him welcome, And thank the holy conclave for their loves; They have sent me fuch a man I would have wish'd for. CAM. Your grace muft needs deserve all strangers' loves, You are fo noble: To your highness' hand I tender my commiffion; by whose virtue, (The court of Rome commanding,)-you, my lord Cardinal of York, are join'd with me their fervant, In the unpartial judging of this business. K. HEN. Two equal men. The queen fhall be acquainted Forthwith, for what you come :-Where's Gardiner? WOL. I know, your majefty has always lov'd her So dear in heart, not to deny her that A woman of lefs place might ask by law, K. HEN. Ay, and the best, she fhall have; and my favour To him that does beft; God forbid elfe. Cardinal, Re-enter WOLSEY, with GARDiner. WOL. Give me your hand: much joy and favour to you; You are the king's now. GARD. But to be commanded For ever by your grace, whofe hand has rais'd me. [Afide. |