To keep your earthly audit. Sure, in that
I deem you an ill husband, and am glad
To have you therein my companion.

Wol.

Sir,

For holy offices I have a time; a time
To think upon the part of business, which
I bear i' the state; and nature does require
Her times of preservation, which, perforce,
I, her frail son, amongst my brethren mortal,
Must give my tendance to.

K. Hen.

You have said well.

Wol. And ever may your highness yoke together, As I will lend you cause, my doing well

With my well-saying!

K. Hen.

"T is well said again;

And 't is a kind of good deed, to say well:

And yet words are no deeds. My father loved

you;

He said he did, and with his deed did crown

His word upon you. Since I had my office,

I have kept you next my heart; have not alone Employed you where high profits might come

home,

But pared my present havings, to bestow

My bounties upon you.

Wol. [Aside.]

What should this mean?

Sur. [Aside, to the others.] The Lord increase

K. Hen.

this business!

Have I not made you

The prime man of the State? I pray you, tell

me,

If what I now pronounce you have found true:
And, if you may confess it, say withal,

If you are bound to us, or no.

What say you?

Wol. My sovereign, I confess, your royal graces, Showered on me daily, have been more than

could

My studied purposes requite; which went
Beyond all man's endeavours: my endeavours
Have ever come too short of my desires,
Yet filed with my abilities. Mine own ends
Have been mine so, that evermore they pointed
To the good of your most sacred person and
The profit of the state. For your great graces
Heaped upon me, poor undeserver, I
Can nothing render but allegiant thanks,
My prayers to Heaven for you, my loyalty,
Which ever has, and ever shall be growing,
Till death, that winter, kill it.

K. Hen.

Fairly answered;

A loyal and obedient subject is
Therein illustrated.

The honour of it

Does pay the act of it, as, i' the contrary,
The foulness is the punishment. I presume,
That, as my hand has opened bounty to you,

My heart dropped love, my power rained honour,

On you

more

than any; so your hand, and heart, Your brain, and every function of your power,

Should, notwithstanding that your bond of duty, As 't were in love's particular, be more

To me, your friend, than any.

Wol.

I do profess,

That for your highness' good I ever laboured

More than mine own: that am, have, and will

be

Though all the world should crack their duty

to you,

And throw it from their soul; though perils did
Abound, as thick as thought could make 'em, and
Appear in forms more horrid,—yet my duty,
As doth a rock against the chiding flood,
Should the approach of this wild river break,
And stand unshaken yours.

K. Hen.

"T is nobly spoken.

Take notice, lords, he has a loyal breast,

For

you have seen him open 't.

Read o'er this:

[Giving him papers.

And, after, this and then to breakfast with

What appetite you

Wol.

have.

[Exit KING, frowning upon the Cardinal. The Nobles throng after him, smiling, and whispering.

What should this mean?

What sudden anger 's this? how have I reaped it?
He parted frowning from me, as if ruin
Leaped from his eyes: so looks the chaféd lion
Upon the daring huntsman that has galled him;
Then makes him nothing. I must read this paper;
I fear, the story of his anger.-'T is so :

This paper has undone me !-'T is the account

Of all that world of wealth I have drawn together
For mine own ends; indeed, to gain the Popedom,
And fee my friends in Rome. O negligence,
Fit for a fool to fall by! What cross devil
Made me put this main secret in the packet
I sent the King?—Is there no way to cure this?
No new device to beat this from his brains?
I know 't will stir him strongly ;-yet I know

A way, if it take right, in spite of fortune

Will bring me off again.- What 's this?—To the

Pope!

The letter, as I live, with all the business

132

KING HENRY VIII.

I have touched the highest point of all my

greatness;

And, from that full meridian of my glory,

I haste now to my setting: I shall fall
Like a bright exhalation in the evening,
And no man see me more.

Re-enter the Dukes of NORFOLK and SUFFOLK, the Earl of SURREY, and the Lord Chamberlain.

Nor. Hear the King's pleasure, Cardinal; who commands you

To render up the Great Seal presently

Into our hands, and to confine yourself
To Asher House, my Lord of Winchester's,
Till you hear further from his highness.

Wol.

Stay:

Where's your commission, lords? words cannot

carry

Authority so weighty.

Suf.

Who dare cross 'em,

Bearing the King's will from his mouth expressly?
Wol. Till I find more than will or words to

do it,

I mean your malice,-know, officious lords,

Now I feel