King John & Henry VIII (78 page)

380
Flanders
part of the Netherlands

381
Item
next (on the list; Latin)

381
commission
delegation with specific instructions

382
Gregory de Cassado
English ambassador to the Pope

383
allowance
permission

384
Ferrara
the Duke of Ferrara (one of the Italian city-states)

385
mere
absolute, utter

387
innumerable substance
incalculable wealth

389
furnish … dignities
bribe Rome as a means of paving your way to personal titles and offices

390
to … kingdom
i.e. at England’s expense

391
Many more
i.e. accusations, offenses

395
virtue
i.e. virtuous not to list the offenses

396
lie open
are exposed, i.e. are at the mercy (of)

402
legative
as a papal legate

403
praemunire
the offense of recognizing papal legal authority over that of the English monarch

404
sued
instituted, legally enforced

405
tenements
houses/leased land or property

406
Castles
some editors emend to “chattels” on the basis of the equivalent passage in Holinshed, but the Folio reading is a suitable climax to the list

407
charge
order, instruction

409
For
as for

416
tender
young, fresh

417
blushing
glowing, vibrant (perhaps with reference to the red robes of a cardinal)

419
easy
comfortable, complacent

422
wanton
playful, wild, careless

422
bladders
inflated animal bladders used as floats

423
This
(for) these

424
high-blown
over-inflated (like the
bladders
; also a suggestion of “fully blooming,” recalling the vegetation imagery of a few lines earlier)

427
rude stream
rough current

428
Vain
proud/empty, meaningless/foolish, frivolous

432
aspect
facial appearance/gaze (with astrological connotations of “influential position of a planet”)

432
their ruin
the ruin they can cause

433
pangs
pains (often applied to labor pains)

434
Lucifer
the brightest angel in heaven, who rebelled, was cast into hell and became the devil

435
amazed
stunned

439
decline
fall

439
an
if

443
happy
fortunate

448
pillars
may recall the silver pillars that were emblems of Wolsey’s role as cardinal

452
it
i.e. self-knowledge

458
heaviest
saddest/most weighty

459
displeasure
disgrace

466
that
so that

468
orphans
the Lord Chancellor was the legal guardian of all orphans under the age of twenty-one

475
open
public

476
voice
talk

480
gone beyond
overreached

481
In
i.e. because of

483
troops
retinues, groups of followers

491
hopeful
promising

492
make use
take advantage, profit

495
forgo
forsake

503
truth
loyalty

503
play the woman
i.e. weep

506
dull
lifeless

509
sounded
fathomed, probed the depth of

509
shoals
shallows

510
wreck
shipwreck/ruin

512
Mark
note, heed

518
Still
always

530
naked
defenseless

4.1
Location: a street in Westminster, London

5
all my business
what I’m here for

8
general
public, universal

10
royal
generous/supportive of the monarchy

11
let … rights
to give them their due

11
forward
eager, ready

15
taken
received

22
High Steward
the officer presiding over the coronation

23
Earl Marshal
a high-ranking state office

25
beholding
beholden, indebted

30
order
rank, status (i.e. other bishops)

31
late
recent
Dunstable
Bedfordshire town, about thirty-five miles north of London

32
Ampthill
Ampthill Castle, in fact nearer ten miles north of Dunstable

32
lay
lodged

33
cited
summoned

34
short
brief

35
late scruple
recent doubt (over the validity of his marriage to Katherine)

35
main assent
general agreement

37
of none effect
null and void

38
Kimbolton
a castle in Cambridgeshire, not far from Huntingdon

41
close
quiet/to one side

41.1
flourish
fanfare

41.2
Garter
Garter King-at-Arms, chief herald of the College of Arms and a key official in the management of royal ceremonies

41.3
demi-coronal
small coronet

41.4
dove
emblematic of peace

41.6
estate
state

41.5
Collars of esses
ornamental gold chains composed of S-shaped links

41.7
Cinque Ports
five ports on the southeast coast of England, originally Dover, Hastings, Sandwich, Hythe and Romney; their barons had the right to hold the canopy over the king during processions

41.8
in her hair
with her hair loose, as was customary for brides

41.9
coronal
coronet

41.10
train
excess material at the back of a dress

42
train
retinue

46
should
must

54
Indies
i.e. great wealth

55
strains
embraces, with suggestion of sexual exertion

56
conscience
plays on the sense of “genitals”

58
cloth of honour
royal canopy

59
Cinque Ports
five (later seven) ports on the southeast coast of England that provided the navy and were granted privileges in return

66
falling
plays on the sense of “sexually receptive”

68
broiling
becoming heated, sweating (from struggling for a good view amongst a
crowd
of onlookers)

69
i’th’Abbey
in Westminster Abbey, venue for coronations

69
finger … more
perhaps with sexual connotations (especially if
rankness
is given its sexual sense)

71
mere
absolute, utter

71
rankness
exuberance/foul (sweaty) smell/lustfulness

77
speak
describe

80
fell off
withdrew

83
opposing
displaying

85
goodliest
finest, most good-looking

87
arose
perhaps with connotations of penile erection

88
shrouds
ropes attached to the mast, standard part of a ship’s rigging (perhaps with phallic connotations; a rope was a slang image for a penis)

88
stiff
strong; again with connotations of penile erection

90
Doublets
men’s close-fitting jackets

92
Great-bellied
i.e. pregnant

93
rams
battering rams

94
press
crowd, throng

104
royal makings
trappings of royalty bestowed during a coronation

105
As
such as

108
music
musicians

109
Te Deum
thanksgiving hymn “
Te Deum laudamus
” (Latin; “We praise thee O God”)

109
parted
departed

110
state
procession/pomp/dignity

117
lately
recently

121
the one
i.e. Gardiner

122
preferred
promoted

129
will
who will

134
Master o’th’Jewel House
i.e. responsible for the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London

140
Something … command
i.e. I have some degree of influence

4.2
Location: Kimbolton Castle, Cambridgeshire

3
loaden
laden, overburdened

11
happily
fittingly/fortunately/perhaps

13
voice
word, rumor

14
stout
brave, resolute

15
brought him forward
escorted him

16
tainted
disgraced/corrupted

16
answer
trial

18
sit
sit on

20
roads
stages (of the journey)

20
Leicester
chief town of Leicestershire, in central England

22
convent
members of the monastery

26
little earth
i.e. grave

27
eagerly
keenly/fiercely

33
blessèd part
i.e. soul

35
speak
speak of/describe

37
stomach
pride/ambitious appetite

38
suggestion
incitement, prompting (to wrongdoing)

39
Tied
subjected, tied up

39
Simony
buying and selling ecclesiastical posts

40
I’th’presence
in the royal reception chamber/presence of the king

41
double
duplicitous/ambiguous

43
pitiful
merciful, compassionate

46
body
i.e. sexual appetites, love of worldly pleasures

46
ill
immoral

51
good
goodness, virtues

56
to
for

57
ripe
mature, sophisticated

59
Lofty
haughty

61
unsatisfied in getting
never satisfied with what he had acquired

64
you
Griffith addresses Ipswich and Oxford

65
Ipswich and Oxford
Wolsey founded colleges in both towns, though only that at Oxford survived him; originally intended to be Cardinal’s College, it was renamed Christ Church

66
did
made, founded

68
art
scholarship

68
rising
growing (in reputation and excellence; plays on the idea of physical completion)

72
little
humble

79
Whom
he whom (i.e. Wolsey)

80
religious
conscientious

80
modesty
moderation, restraint

82
set me lower
i.e. help me to lie back or sit lower in the chair

84
note
tune

85
knell
funeral bell

86
celestial harmony
i.e. heaven

86.1
tripping
moving nimbly and lightly