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Cran. It is my duty,

To attend your highness' pleasure.

King. 'Pray you, arise,

[Kneels.

My good and gracious lord of Canterbury.
Come, you and I must have some talk together:
Ah, my good lord, I grieve at what I speak,
And am right sorry to repeat what follows:
I have, and most unwillingly, of late
Heard many grievous, I do say, my lord,

Grievous complaints of you; which, being consider'd,
Have mov❜d us and our council, that you shall
This morning come before us; where, I know,
You cannot with such freedom purge yourself,
But that, till further trial, you must take
Your patience to you, and be well contented
To make your house our tower: You a brother
of us,

It fits we thus proceed, or else no witness

Would come against you.

Cran. I humbly thank your highness;

[Kneels.

And am right glad to catch this good occasion
Most thoroughly to be winnow'd, where my chaff
And corn shall fly asunder.

King. Stand up, good Canterbury;

Thy truth, and thy integrity, is rooted

In us, thy friend: Give me thy hand, stand up.-
Now, by my holy-dame,

What manner of man are you? My lord, I look'd
You would have given me your petition, that

I should have ta'en some pains to bring together
Yourself and your accusers; and to have heard you,
Without indurance, further.

Cran. Most dread liege,

The good I stand on is my truth and honesty;
If they shall fail, I, with mine enemies,

Will triumph o'er my person; which I weigh not,
Being of those virtues vacant.

King. Be of good cheer;

They shall no more prevail, than we give way to.
Keep comfort to you; and this morning see
You do appear before them: if they shall chance,
In charging you with matters, to commit you,
The best persuasions to the contrary

Fail not to use ;

If entreaties

Will render you no remedy, this ring

Deliver them, and your appeal to us

There make before them.- -Look, the good man

weeps!

He's honest, on mine honour; and a soul

None better in my kingdom.-Get you gone,

And do as I have bid you.

He has strangled

His language in his tears.

[Exit CRANMER.

[LOVEL and LADY DENNY, without.]

Lov. Come back; what mean you?

L. Den. I'll not come back; the tidings that I bring

Will make my boldness manners.—

Enter LADY DENNY.

Now, good angels

Fly o'er thy royal head,-
King. Now, by thy looks,
I guess thy message. Is the
Say, ay; and of a boy.

L. Den. Ay, ay, my liege;

queen

deliver❜d?

And of a lovely boy: Angels of heaven
Both now and ever bless her!-'tis a girl,
Promises boys hereafter. Sir, your queen
Desires your visitation, and to be

Acquainted with this stranger; 'tis as like you,
As cherry is to cherry.

King. Lovel,

Lov. Sir.

Enter LovEl.

King. Give her a hundred marks. I'll to the queen.

[Exit the KING. L. Den. A hundred marks! By this light, I'll have

more:

An ordinary groom is for such payment.
I will have more, or scold it out of him."
Said I for this, the girl was like to him?
I will have more, or else unsay't; and now,
While it is hot, I'll put it to the issue.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.

Before the Council Chamber.

Enter CRANMER.

Cran. I hope, I am not too late; and yet the gentleman,

That was sent to me from the council, pray'd me
To make great haste.-All fast? what means this?—
Hoa!

Who waits there?

Enter the KEEPER of the Council Chamber.

Sure, you know me?

Keep. Yes, my lord;

But

yet I cannot help you.

Enter GUILDFORD behind.

Cran. Why?

Keep. Your grace must wait, till you be call'd for. Cran. So.

Guild. This is a piece of malice. I am glad,

I came this way so happily. The king
Shall understand it presently.

Cran. It is

[Exit GUILDFORD.

Sir Henry Guildford: As he pass'd along,
How earnestly he cast his eyes upon me!

'Pray Heaven, he sound not my disgrace! For certain, This is of purpose laid, by some that hate me,

To quench mine honour: they would shame to make

me

Wait else at door; a fellow-counsellor,

Among boys, grooms, and lackeys. But their plea

sures

Must be fulfill'd, and I attend with patience.

[Exit CRANMER.

SCENE III.

The Council Chamber.

The KING'S Chair, raised, in the Centre,-the LORD CHANCELLOR at the upper End of the Table on the left Hand,-a Seat left void on the right, as for the ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY.-NORFOLK, SUF. FOLK, SURREY, CHAMBERLAIN, GARDINER, LOVEL, in Order on each Side,-and CROMWELL at the Table, as Secretary,-discovered.

Gard. Speak to the business, master secretary: Why are we met in council?

Crom. Please your honours,

The chief cause concerns his grace of Canterbury.
Gard. Has he had knowledge of it?

Crom. Yes.

Nor. Who waits there?

Enter the KEEPER.

Keep. Without, my noble lords?

Gard. Yes.

Keep. My lord archbishop;

And has done half an hour, to know your pleasures. Nor. Let him come in.

Keep. Your grace may enter now. [Exit KEEPER. Enter CRANMER.

Nor. My good lord archbishop, I am very sorry To sit here at this present, and behold

That chair stand empty.

You've misdemean'd yourself, and not a little,
Toward the king first, then his laws, in filling
The whole realm

With new opinions,

Divers, and dangerous; which are heresies,
And, not reform'd, may prove pernicious.

Gard. Which reformation must be sudden too,
My noble lords; for those, that tame wild horses,
Pace them not in their hands, to make them gentle;
But stop their mouths with stubborn bits, and spur them
Till they obey the manage.

Cran. My good lords, hitherto, in all the progress Both of my life and office, I have labour'd, And with no little study, that my teaching, And the strong course of my authority, Might go one way, and safely; and the end Was ever to do well.

'Pray Heaven, the king may never find a heart. With less allegiance in't!

'Beseech your lordships,

That, in this case of justice, my accusers,

Be what they will, may stand forth face to face,
And freely urge against me.

Suf. Nay, my lord,

That cannot be; you are a counsellor,

And, by that virtue, no man dare accuse you.

Gard. My lord, because we have business of more

moment,

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