The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (291 page)

BUCKINGHAM

So, so;

These are the limbs o' the plot: no more, I hope.

Alright, alright;

the plot is obvious: no more, I hope.

BRANDON

A monk o' the Chartreux.

A Carthusian monk.

BUCKINGHAM

O, Nicholas Hopkins?

Oh, Nicholas Hopkins?

BRANDON

He.

Him.

BUCKINGHAM

My surveyor is false; the o'er-great cardinal

Hath show'd him gold; my life is spann'd already:

I am the shadow of poor Buckingham,

Whose figure even this instant cloud puts on,

By darkening my clear sun. My lord, farewell.

My surveyor is a traitor; the too powerful cardinal

has bribed him; my life is already lost:

I am the ghost of poor Buckingham,

who now walks in the shadows,

his sun is darkened. My lord, farewell.

Exeunt

Cornets. Enter KING HENRY VIII, leaning on CARDINAL WOLSEY's shoulder, the Nobles, and LOVELL; CARDINAL WOLSEY places himself under KING HENRY VIII's feet on his right side

KING HENRY VIII

My life itself, and the best heart of it,

Thanks you for this great care: I stood i' the level

Of a full-charged confederacy, and give thanks

To you that choked it. Let be call'd before us

That gentleman of Buckingham's; in person

I'll hear him his confessions justify;

And point by point the treasons of his master

He shall again relate.

My life itself, and the very best part of it,

thanks you for your excellent work: I was threatened

by a full-blown conspiracy, and I thank

you who cut it off. Someone bring before us

that gentleman of Buckingham's; I'll hear him

explain his evidence in person;

he shall retell the treason of his master

point by point.

A noise within, crying 'Room for the Queen!' Enter QUEEN KATHARINE, ushered by NORFOLK, and SUFFOLK: she kneels. KING HENRY VIII riseth from his state, takes her up, kisses and placeth her by him

QUEEN KATHARINE

Nay, we must longer kneel: I am a suitor.

No, I must remain on my knees: I have come to beg.

KING HENRY VIII

Arise, and take place by us: half your suit

Never name to us; you have half our power:

The other moiety, ere you ask, is given;

Repeat your will and take it.

Get up, and take your place by me: don't mention

half of what you want; you have half my power:

the other share is given before you ask;

say what you want and you shall have it.

QUEEN KATHARINE

Thank your majesty.

That you would love yourself, and in that love

Not unconsider'd leave your honour, nor

The dignity of your office, is the point

Of my petition.

I thank your Majesty.

What I want is that you should

love yourself, and in your love

you should not forget your honour,

nor the dignity of your office.

KING HENRY VIII

Lady mine, proceed.

My lady, go on.

QUEEN KATHARINE

I am solicited, not by a few,

And those of true condition, that your subjects

Are in great grievance: there have been commissions

Sent down among 'em, which hath flaw'd the heart

Of all their loyalties: wherein, although,

My good lord cardinal, they vent reproaches

Most bitterly on you, as putter on

Of these exactions, yet the king our master--

Whose honour heaven shield from soil!--even he

escapes not

Language unmannerly, yea, such which breaks

The sides of loyalty, and almost appears

In loud rebellion.

I have been advised by many,

of noble position, that your subjects

are very unhappy: orders have been

distributed which have almost killed

their loyalty: although they have

saved their most bitter reproaches

for you, my good lord cardinal, as the

creator of these burdens, but the King our master–

may heaven prevent his honour being stained!–

even he does not escape from

rude language, which escapes from loyal people

and seems to be almost a rebellion.

NORFOLK

Not almost appears,

It doth appear; for, upon these taxations,

The clothiers all, not able to maintain

The many to them longing, have put off

The spinsters, carders, fullers, weavers, who,

Unfit for other life, compell'd by hunger

And lack of other means, in desperate manner

Daring the event to the teeth, are all in uproar,

And danger serves among them.

Not just almost,

it actually is; for, due to these taxes,

the tailors, unable to support

those who rely on them, have laid off

the spinners, carders, dyers and weavers who,

unable to find other work, driven by hunger

and lack of income, have been challenging

the matter with open defiance, they are in uproar,

and the situation is very dangerous.

KING HENRY VIII

Taxation!

Wherein? and what taxation? My lord cardinal,

You that are blamed for it alike with us,

Know you of this taxation?

Taxation!

How?  And what taxation?  My lord cardinal,

who is blamed for it alongside me,

do you know about this taxation?

CARDINAL WOLSEY

Please you, sir,

I know but of a single part, in aught

Pertains to the state; and front but in that file

Where others tell steps with me.

If you please, sir,

I only know my own business

in matters of state, and I'm just the most prominent

of all those who are doing the same.

QUEEN KATHARINE

No, my lord,

You know no more than others; but you frame

Things that are known alike; which are not wholesome

To those which would not know them, and yet must

Perforce be their acquaintance. These exactions,

Whereof my sovereign would have note, they are

Most pestilent to the bearing; and, to bear 'em,

The back is sacrifice to the load. They say

They are devised by you; or else you suffer

Too hard an exclamation.

No, my lord,

you know no more than others; but you

make the plans that everyone knows;

they are not agreeable to those they do not benefit,

but everyone has to agree to them.  These taxes,

which my sovereign wants to hear of, are

a terrible burden, and to carry them

breaks the back of those who suffer them.  They say

you invented them; otherwise you are

unfairly cursed.

KING HENRY VIII

Still exaction!

The nature of it? in what kind, let's know,

Is this exaction?

Still talking about taxes!

What taxes?  I want to know

what type of taxes these are.

QUEEN KATHARINE

I am much too venturous

In tempting of your patience; but am bolden'd

Under your promised pardon. The subjects' grief

Comes through commissions, which compel from each

The sixth part of his substance, to be levied

Without delay; and the pretence for this

Is named, your wars in France: this makes bold mouths:

Tongues spit their duties out, and cold hearts freeze

Allegiance in them; their curses now

Live where their prayers did: and it's come to pass,

This tractable obedience is a slave

To each incensed will. I would your highness

Would give it quick consideration, for

There is no primer business.

I am far too forward

in testing your patience; but your promised forgiveness

emboldens me.  The subjects' grievance

is with the writs, which demand from everyone

a sixth of his fortune, to be paid

at once; the excuse for this is given

as paying for your wars in France; this makes men speak boldly:

tongues reject their duties, and cold hearts

shun their loyalty; where once they prayed for you

 they now curse you; and their obedience

has been replaced by their anger.  I hope your highness

will give this urgent consideration; for

there's nothing needs dealing with more urgently.

KING HENRY VIII

By my life,

This is against our pleasure.

I swear,

I didn't want this.

CARDINAL WOLSEY

And for me,

I have no further gone in this than by

A single voice; and that not pass'd me but

By learned approbation of the judges. If I am

Traduced by ignorant tongues, which neither know

My faculties nor person, yet will be

The chronicles of my doing, let me say

'Tis but the fate of place, and the rough brake

That virtue must go through. We must not stint

Our necessary actions, in the fear

To cope malicious censurers; which ever,

As ravenous fishes, do a vessel follow

That is new-trimm'd, but benefit no further

Than vainly longing. What we oft do best,

By sick interpreters, once weak ones, is

Not ours, or not allow'd; what worst, as oft,

Hitting a grosser quality, is cried up

For our best act. If we shall stand still,

In fear our motion will be mock'd or carp'd at,

We should take root here where we sit, or sit

State-statues only.

As for me,

I have done no more in this than was ordered

by a unanimous vote; and that was not passed by me but

by the learned deliberations of the judges: if I am