And then, as we have ta'en the sacrament, The brother blindly shed the brother's blood, THIS historical play was probably written in the year 1601. It comprises a period of twelve years, com mencing in the 12th of Henry's reigu, (1521) and terminating with the baptism of Elizabeth, 1533. It has always been an easy medium for the display of pageantry and splendour; consequently a great favourite with the generality of audiences. Its most powerfully drawn characters are the Queen and the Cardinal. The dying moments of the former (Act IV. Sc. 2.) are pourtrayed with a mingled majesty and pathos, scarcely ever equalled by any other poet (Dr. Johnson numbers it, indeed, amongst "the greatest efforts of tragedy:") and the exquisite soliloquy of the latter, at the time of his degradation, would evince the superiority of Shakspeare's genius, had he never written another line. (It is a fine philosophical picture of fallen ambition, brought to reflectiou by a merited reverse of fortune: the assimilation of human greatness to the vegetation of a fruit tree, with the puerility of venturing upon “a sea of troubles,” for burdeasome and perishable acquisitions, affords a charming specimen of imaginative colouring and didactic morality. Yet this is one of the parts which, according to the Doctor, "may be easily conceived, and easily written." Perhaps Shakspeare found it otherwise. DRAMATIS PERSONE. KING HENRY THE EIGHTH. CRANMER, Archbishop of Canterbury. GARDINER, Bishop of Winchester. BISHOP OF LINCOLN.-LORD ABERGAVENNY. SIR HENRY GUILDFORD. SIR THOMAS LO- DOCTOR BUTTS, Physician to the King PAGE to Gardiner.-A CRIER. QUEEN KATHARINE, Wife to King Henry; afterwards divorced. ANNE BULLEN, her Maid of Honour ; afterwards Queen. AN OLD LADY, Friend to Anne Bullen. SIR ANTHONY DENNY.-SIR NICHOLAS VAUX. PATIENCE, Woman to Queen Katharine. SECRETARIES to Wolsey. CROMWELL, Servant to Wolsey. GRIFFITH, Gentleman-Usher to Queen Ka tharine. THREE OTHER GENTLEMEN. Several Lords and Ladies in the Dumb Shows; SCENE-chiefly in London and Westminster; once, at Kimbolton. ACT I. Buck. The devil speed him! no man's pie is free'd SCENE 1-London.-An Ante-chamber in From his ambitions finger. What had he the Palace. Stay'd me a prisoner in my chamber, when Those suns of glory, those two lights of men, Met in the vale of Arde. Nor. 'Twixt Guynes and Arde: I was then present, saw them salute on horse. Such a compounded one? I was my chamber's prisoner. The view of earthly glory: Men might say, To one above itself. Each following day Became the next day's master, till the last Made former wonders it's: To-day, the French, All clinquant, + all in gold, like heathen gods, Shone down the English: and, to-morrow, they Made Britain, India: every man that stood Show'd like a mine. Their dwarfish pages To do in these fierce vanities? I wonder, Nor. Surely, Sir, There's in him stuff that puts him to these ends: For being not propp'd by ancestry, (whose grace Chalks successors their way,) nor call'd upon For high feats done to the crown; neither allied To eminent assistance, but, spider-like, Oat of his self drawing web, he gives us note, [eye What heaven hath given him, let some graver If not from hell, the devil is a niggard; Buck. Why the devil, [file t Upon this French going-out, took he upon him, Aber. I do know Kinsmen of mine, three at the least, that have By this so sicken'd their estates, that never They shall abound as formerly. Buck. O many Have broke their backs with laying manors on them For this great journey. But minister communication of A most poor issue? Nor. Grievingly I think, What did this vanity [values The peace between the French and us not The cost that did conclude it. Buck. Every man, After the hideous storm that follow'd, was Nor. Which is budded out; For France hath flaw'd the league, and hath attach'd Our merchants" goods at Bourdeaux. Aber. Is it therefore The ambassador is silenc'd? Nor. Marry, is't. |