Speeches (Lines) for Duke of Suffolk in "History of Henry VIII"

Lord Chamberlain. Good day to both your graces.

Duke of Suffolk. How is the king employ'd?

Lord Chamberlain. It seems the marriage with his brother's wife
Has crept too near his conscience.

Duke of Suffolk. No, his conscience
Has crept too near another lady.

Duke of Norfolk. 'Tis so:
This is the cardinal's doing, the king-cardinal:
That blind priest, like the eldest son of fortune,
Turns what he list. The king will know him one day.

Duke of Suffolk. Pray God he do! he'll never know himself else.

Lord Chamberlain. Heaven keep me from such counsel! 'Tis most true
These news are every where; every tongue speaks 'em,
And every true heart weeps for't: all that dare
Look into these affairs see this main end,
The French king's sister. Heaven will one day open
The king's eyes, that so long have slept upon
This bold bad man.

Duke of Suffolk. And free us from his slavery.

Duke of Norfolk. We had need pray,
And heartily, for our deliverance;
Or this imperious man will work us all
From princes into pages: all men's honours
Lie like one lump before him, to be fashion'd
Into what pitch he please.

Duke of Suffolk. For me, my lords,
I love him not, nor fear him; there's my creed:
As I am made without him, so I'll stand,
If the king please; his curses and his blessings
Touch me alike, they're breath I not believe in.
I knew him, and I know him; so I leave him
To him that made him proud, the pope.

Duke of Norfolk. Thanks, my good lord chamberlain.
[Exit Chamberlain; and KING HENRY VIII draws the]
curtain, and sits reading pensively]

Duke of Suffolk. How sad he looks! sure, he is much afflicted.

Duke of Norfolk. [Aside to SUFFOLK]
This priest has no pride in him?

Duke of Suffolk. [Aside to NORFOLK] Not to speak of:
I would not be so sick though for his place:
But this cannot continue.

Duke of Norfolk. [Aside to SUFFOLK] If it do,
I'll venture one have-at-him.

Duke of Suffolk. [Aside to NORFOLK] I another.

Earl of Surrey. I am joyful
To meet the least occasion that may give me
Remembrance of my father-in-law, the duke,
To be revenged on him.

Duke of Suffolk. Which of the peers
Have uncontemn'd gone by him, or at least
Strangely neglected? when did he regard
The stamp of nobleness in any person
Out of himself?

Earl of Surrey. How came
His practises to light?

Duke of Suffolk. Most strangely.

Earl of Surrey. O, how, how?

Duke of Suffolk. The cardinal's letters to the pope miscarried,
And came to the eye o' the king: wherein was read,
How that the cardinal did entreat his holiness
To stay the judgment o' the divorce; for if
It did take place, 'I do,' quoth he, 'perceive
My king is tangled in affection to
A creature of the queen's, Lady Anne Bullen.'

Earl of Surrey. Has the king this?

Duke of Suffolk. Believe it.

Earl of Surrey. Would he had!

Duke of Suffolk. May you be happy in your wish, my lord
For, I profess, you have it.

Earl of Surrey. Now, all my joy
Trace the conjunction!

Duke of Suffolk. My amen to't!

Duke of Norfolk. All men's!

Duke of Suffolk. There's order given for her coronation:
Marry, this is yet but young, and may be left
To some ears unrecounted. But, my lords,
She is a gallant creature, and complete
In mind and feature: I persuade me, from her
Will fall some blessing to this land, which shall
In it be memorised.

Duke of Norfolk. Marry, amen!

Duke of Suffolk. No, no;
There be moe wasps that buzz about his nose
Will make this sting the sooner. Cardinal Campeius
Is stol'n away to Rome; hath ta'en no leave;
Has left the cause o' the king unhandled; and
Is posted, as the agent of our cardinal,
To second all his plot. I do assure you
The king cried Ha! at this.

Duke of Norfolk. But, my lord,
When returns Cranmer?

Duke of Suffolk. He is return'd in his opinions; which
Have satisfied the king for his divorce,
Together with all famous colleges
Almost in Christendom: shortly, I believe,
His second marriage shall be publish'd, and
Her coronation. Katharine no more
Shall be call'd queen, but princess dowager
And widow to Prince Arthur.

Duke of Norfolk. This same Cranmer's
A worthy fellow, and hath ta'en much pain
In the king's business.

Duke of Suffolk. He has; and we shall see him
For it an archbishop.

Duke of Norfolk. So I hear.

Duke of Suffolk. 'Tis so.
The cardinal!

Duke of Norfolk. He's discontented.

Duke of Suffolk. May be, he hears the king
Does whet his anger to him.

Earl of Surrey. I would 'twere something that would fret the string,
The master-cord on's heart!

Duke of Suffolk. The king, the king!

Cardinal Wolsey. Stay:
Where's your commission, lords? words cannot carry
Authority so weighty.

Duke of Suffolk. Who dare cross 'em,
Bearing the king's will from his mouth expressly?

Duke of Norfolk. Then, that in all you writ to Rome, or else
To foreign princes, 'Ego et Rex meus'
Was still inscribed; in which you brought the king
To be your servant.

Duke of Suffolk. Then that, without the knowledge
Either of king or council, when you went
Ambassador to the emperor, you made bold
To carry into Flanders the great seal.

Earl of Surrey. Item, you sent a large commission
To Gregory de Cassado, to conclude,
Without the king's will or the state's allowance,
A league between his highness and Ferrara.

Duke of Suffolk. That, out of mere ambition, you have caused
Your holy hat to be stamp'd on the king's coin.

Earl of Surrey. I forgive him.

Duke of Suffolk. Lord cardinal, the king's further pleasure is,
Because all those things you have done of late,
By your power legatine, within this kingdom,
Fall into the compass of a praemunire,
That therefore such a writ be sued against you;
To forfeit all your goods, lands, tenements,
Chattels, and whatsoever, and to be
Out of the king's protection. This is my charge.

Henry VIII. Charles, I will play no more tonight;
My mind's not on't; you are too hard for me.

Duke of Suffolk. Sir, I did never win of you before.

Henry VIII. Alas, good lady!

Duke of Suffolk. God safely quit her of her burthen, and
With gentle travail, to the gladding of
Your highness with an heir!

Henry VIII. 'Tis midnight, Charles;
Prithee, to bed; and in thy prayers remember
The estate of my poor queen. Leave me alone;
For I must think of that which company
Would not be friendly to.

Duke of Suffolk. I wish your highness
A quiet night; and my good mistress will
Remember in my prayers.

Archbishop Cranmer. 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: nor is there living,
I speak it with a single heart, my lords,
A man that more detests, more stirs against,
Both in his private conscience and his place,
Defacers of a public peace, than I do.
Pray heaven, the king may never find a heart
With less allegiance in it! Men that make
Envy and crooked malice nourishment
Dare bite the best. I do 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.

Duke of Suffolk. Nay, my lord,
That cannot be: you are a counsellor,
And, by that virtue, no man dare accuse you.

Earl of Surrey. 'Tis no counterfeit.

Duke of Suffolk. 'Tis the right ring, by heaven: I told ye all,
When ye first put this dangerous stone a-rolling,
'Twould fall upon ourselves.