O, now let Richmond and Elizabeth,
The true succeeders of each royal house,
By God's fair ordinance conjoin together!
And let their heirs, God, if thy will he so,)
Enrich the time to come with smooth-fac'd peace,
With siniling plenty, and fair prosperous days!
Abate the edge of traitors, gracious Lord,

That would reduce these bloody days again,
And make poor England weep in streams of blood!
Let them not live to taste this land's increase,
That would with treason wound this fair land's peace!
Now civil wounds are stopp'd, peace lives again;
That she may long live here, God say-Amen!

[Exeunt.

THIS play was not published till it appeared in the collected edition of our author's works, in the year 1623. It was probably written in 1601 or 1602.

In June, 163, this play was revived under the name of All is True, at the Globe theatre, when the prologue, which contains several manifest allusions to the new title; the epilogue, and the complimentary lines to King James, in Archbishop Cranmer's prophetic speech, were probably added. This representation was most unfortunate for the theatre; for, in dis

PERSONS REPRESENTED.

KING HENRY THE EIGHTH.

CARDINAL WOLSEY.

CARDINAL CAMPEIUS.

charging "certain cannons at the king's entry to a masque a the Cardinal Wolsey's house," the theatre was set on fire and burut to the ground.

This historical drama comprises a period of twelve years, commencing in the twelfth year of King Henry's reign, (1521) and ending with the christening of Elizabeth in 1533. Shakspeare has deviated from history in placing the death of Queen Katharine before the birth of Elizabeth, for in fact Katharine did not die till 1536.

PROLOGUE.

CRANMER, Archbishop of Canterbury.

DUKE OF NOrfolk.

DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM.

DUKE OF SUFFOLK.

EARL OF SURREY.
Lord Chamberlain.
Lord Chancellor.

GARDINER, Bishop of Winchester.
BISHOP OF LINCOLN.
LORD ABERGAVENNY.
LORD SANDS.

Sir HENRY GUILFORD.

Sir THOMAS LOVELL.
Sir ANTHONY DENNY.
Sir NICHOLAS VAUX.
Secretaries to Wolsey.

CROMWELL, servant to Wolsey.

GRIFFITH, Gentleman-Usher to Queen Katharine.
Three other Gentlemen.

Doctor BUTTS, physician to the King.
Garter, King at Arms.

Surveyor to the Duke of Buckingham.
BRANDON, and a Sergeant at Arms.
Door-keeper of the Council-Chamber.
Porter, and his man.
Page to Gardiner.

A Crier.

We now present. Those that can pity, here
May, if they think it well, let fall a tear;
The subject will deserve it Such, as give
Their money out of hope they may believe,
May here find truth too. Those, that come to see
Only a show or two, and so agree,

The play may pass; if they be still, and willing,
I'll undertake, may see away their shilling
Richly in two short hours. Only they,
That come to hear a merry, bawdy play,
A noise of targets; or to see a fellow
In a long motley coat, guarded with yellow,
Will be deceiv'd: for, gentle hearers, know,
To rank our chosen truth with such a show
As fool and fight is, beside forfeiting
Our own brains, and the opinion that we bring,
(To make that only true we now intend,)
Will leave us never an understanding friend.
Therefore, for goodness' sake, and, as you are known
The first and happiest hearers of the town,
Be sad, as we would make you: Think, ye see
The very persons of our noble story,

As they were living; think, you see them great,
And follow'd with the general throng, and sweat,
Of thousand friends; then, in a moment, see
How soon this mightiness meets misery!
And if you can be merry then, I'll say,
A man may weep upon his wedding day.

ACT I.

SCENE I.--London. An Ante-chamber in the Palace. Enter the DUKE OF NORFOLK, at one door; at the other, the DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM, and the LORD ABERGAVENNY.

Buck. Good morrow, and well met. How have you Since last we saw in France? [done,

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 horseback; Beheld them, when they lighted, how they clung In their embracement, as they grew together; Which had they, what four thron'd ones could have weigh'd

Such a compounded one?
Buck.

All the whole time,
I was my chamber's prisoner.
Nor.

Then you lost
The view of earthly glory: Men might say,
Till this time, pomp was single; but now married
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,
Shew'd like a mine. Their dwarfish pages were
As cherubins, all gilt: the madams too,
Not used to toil, did almost sweat to bear
The pride upon them, that their very labour
Was to them as a painting: Now this mask
Was cry'd incomparable; and the ensuing night
Made it a fool, and beggar. The two kings,
Equal in lustre, were now best, now worst,
As presence did present them; him in eye
Still him in praise; and, being present both,
Twas said they saw but one; and no discerner
Durst wag his tongue in censure. When these suns
(For so they phrase them,) by their heralds challeng'd
The noble spirits to arms, they did perform
Beyond thought's compass; that former fabulous
Being now seen possible enough, got credit, [story,
That Bevis was believ'd.

Buck.

O, you go far. Nor. As I belong to worship, and affect In honour honesty, the tract of every thing Would by a good discourser lose some life, Which action's self was tongue to. To the disposing of it nought rebell'd, Order gave each thing view; the office did Distinctly his full function."

Buck.

All was royal;

Who did guide,
I mean, who set the body and the limbs
Of this great sport together, as you guess?
Nor. One, certes, that promises no element
In such a business.

Buck.
I pray you, who, my lord?
Nor. All this was order'd by the good discretion
Of the right reverend cardinal of York.

Buck. The devil speed him! no man's pie is free'd From his ambitious finger. What had he To do in these fierce vanities? I wonder, That such a keech, can with his very bulk Take up the rays o' the beneficial sun, And keep it from the earth.

Surely, sir,

Nor. 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 assistants, but, spider-like, Out of his self-drawing web, he gives us note, The force of his own merit makes his way;

I cannot tell What heaven hath given him, let some graver eye Pierce into that; but I can see his pride Peep through each part of him: Whence has he tha If not from hell, the devil is a niggard; Or has given all before, and he begins A new hell in himself.

Buck.

Why the devil,
Upon this French going-out, took he upon him,
Without the privity o' the king, to appoint
Who should attend on him? He makes up the file
Of all the gentry; for the most part such
Too, whom as great a charge as little honour
He meant to lay upon: and his own letter,
The honourable board of council out,
Must fetch him in the papers.

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. What did this vanity,
But minister communication of

'Like it your grace

Our reverend cardinal carried.

Nor.

The state takes notice of the private difference
Betwixt you and the cardinal.
I advise you,
(And take it from a heart that wishes towards you.
Honour and plenteous safety,) that you read
The cardinal's malice and his potency
Together to consider further, that
What his high hatred would effect, wants not
A minister in his power: You know his nature,
That he's revengeful; and I know, his sword
Hath a sharp edge it's long, and, it may be said,.
It reaches far; and where 'twill not extend,
Thither he darts it. Bosom up my counsel,
You'll find it wholesome. Lo, where comes that rock
That I advise your shunning.

Enter CARDINAL WOLSEY, (the purse borne before him,) certain of the Guard, and Two Secretaries with papers. The CARDINAL in his passage fizeth his eyes on BUCKINGHAM, and BUCKINGHAM on him, both full of disdain.

Wol. The duke of Buckingham's surveyor? ha? Where's his examination? 1 Secr. Here, so please you. Wol. Is he in person ready? 1 Secr.

Ay, please your grace

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

The KING takes his State. The Lords of the Council
take their several places. The CARDINAL places
himself under the KING's feet, on his right side.
A noise within, crying, Room for the Queen! Enter
the QUEEN, ushered by the DUKES OF NORFOLK and
SUFFOLK she kneels. The KING riseth from his
State, takes her up, kisses, and placeth her by him.
Q. Kath. Nay, we must longer kneel; I am a suitor.
K. Hen. Arise, and take place by us:- -Half your
Never name to us; your have half our power; [suit
The other moiety, ere you ask, is given;
Repeat your will, and take it.

Q. Kath.
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.

K. Hen.

Lady mine, proceed.

Q. Kath. 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 them, which have 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.

Nor.

:

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

K. Hen.

Taxation!

Wherein and what taxation?-My lord cardinal, You that are blain'd for it alike with us,

Know you of this taxation?

Wol.

Please you, sir,

1 know but of a single part, in aught

Pertains to the state; and front but in that file
Where others tell steps with me.
Q. Kath.
No, my lord,
You know no more than others: but frame
you
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 hearing; and to bear them.
The back is sacrifice to the load. They say,
They are devis'd by you; or else you suffer
Too hard an exclamation.

K. Hen.

Still exaction!

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 traduc'd by 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 st.nt
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.

K. Hen.

Things done well, And with a care, exempt themselves from fear; Things done without example, in their issue Are to be fear'd. Have you a precedent Of this commission? I believe, not any. We must not rend our subjects from our laws, And stick them in our will. Sixth part of each? A trembling contribution! Why, we take. From every tree, lop, bark, and part o'the timber; And, though we leave it with a root, thus hack'd, The air will drink the sap, To every county, Where this is question'd, send our letters, with Free pardon to each man that has denied The force of this commission: Pray, look to't; I put it to your care. Wol. A word with you.

[To the Secretary.

Let there be letters writ to every shire.

Of the king's grace and pardon. The griev'd commons
Hardly conceive of me; let it be nois'd,
That, through our intercession, this revokement
And pardon comes: I shall anon advise you
Further in the proceeding.
[Exit Secretary

Enter Surveyor.

Q. Kath. I am sorry, that the duke of Buckingham Is run in your displeasure.

K. Hen. It grieves many : The gentleman is learn'd. and a most rare speaker, To nature none more bound; his training such, That he may furnish and instruct great teachers, And never seek for aid out of himself.

Yet see

When these so noble benefits shall prove

Not well dispos'd, the mind growing once corrupt,
They turn to vicious forms ten times more ugly
Than ever they were fair. This man so complete
Who was enroll'd 'mongst wonders, and when we,
Almost with ravish'd list'ning, could not find
His hour of speech a minute; he, my lady,