Henry VIII: Act 4, Scene 1 Translation

Enter two Gentlemen, meeting one another, the First
Gentleman carrying a paper.

FIRST GENTLEMAN
You’re well met once again.

SECOND GENTLEMAN So are you.

FIRST GENTLEMAN
You come to take your stand here and behold
The Lady Anne pass from her coronation?

SECOND GENTLEMAN
’Tis all my business. At our last encounter, 5
The Duke of Buckingham came from his trial.

FIRST GENTLEMAN
’Tis very true. But that time offered sorrow,
This general joy.

SECOND GENTLEMAN ’Tis well. The citizens
I am sure have shown at full their royal minds, 10
As, let ’em have their rights, they are ever forward
In celebration of this day with shows,
Pageants, and sights of honor.

FIRST GENTLEMAN Yes, ’tis the list
Of those that claim their offices this day
By custom of the coronation. 20
The Duke of Suffolk is the first, and claims
To be High Steward; next, the Duke of Norfolk,
He to be Earl Marshal. You may read the rest.

He offers him the paper.

SECOND GENTLEMAN
I thank you, sir. Had I not known those customs,
I should have been beholding to your paper. 25
But I beseech you, what’s become of Katherine,
The Princess Dowager? How goes her business?

FIRST GENTLEMAN
That I can tell you too. The Archbishop
Of Canterbury, accompanied with other
Learnèd and reverend fathers of his order, 30
Held a late court at Dunstable, six miles off
From Ampthill, where the Princess lay, to which
She was often cited by them, but appeared not;
And, to be short, for not appearance and
The King’s late scruple, by the main assent 35
Of all these learnèd men she was divorced,
And the late marriage made of none effect;
Since which she was removed to Kymmalton,
Where she remains now sick.

SECOND GENTLEMAN Alas, good lady! 40

Hautboys. A lively flourish of trumpets.
The trumpets sound. Stand close. The Queen is coming.

Then, enter two Judges; Lord Chancellor, with purse
and mace before him. Choristers singing. Music.
Enter Mayor of London, bearing the mace. Then
Garter, in his coat of arms, and on his head he wore a
gilt copper crown.

A royal train, believe me! These I know.

Enter Marques Dorset, bearing a scepter of gold; on his
head a demi-coronal of gold. With him, the Earl of
Surrey, bearing the rod of silver with the dove, crowned
with an earl’s coronet. Collars of S’s.

Who’s that that bears the scepter?

FIRST GENTLEMAN Marques Dorset,
And that the Earl of Surrey with the rod. 45

SECOND GENTLEMAN
A bold brave gentleman.

Enter Duke of Suffolk, in his robe of estate, his
coronet on his head, bearing a long white wand, as High
Steward. With him, the Duke of Norfolk, with the rod of
Marshalship, a coronet on his head. Collars of S’s.

That should be
The Duke of Suffolk.

FIRST GENTLEMAN ’Tis the same: High Steward.

SECOND GENTLEMAN
And that my Lord of Norfolk? 50

FIRST GENTLEMAN Yes.

Enter a canopy, borne by four of the Cinque-ports,
under it the Queen in her robe, in her hair, richly
adorned with pearl, crowned. On each side her, the
Bishops of London and Winchester.

SECOND GENTLEMAN Heaven bless thee!
Thou hast the sweetest face I ever looked on.—
Sir, as I have a soul, she is an angel.
Our king has all the Indies in his arms, 55
And more, and richer, when he strains that lady.
I cannot blame his conscience.

FIRST GENTLEMAN They that bear
The cloth of honor over her are four barons
Of the Cinque-ports. 60

SECOND GENTLEMAN
Those men are happy, and so are all are near her.

Enter the Old Duchess of Norfolk, in a coronal of
gold wrought with flowers, bearing the Queen’s train.
Certain Ladies or Countesses, with plain circlets of gold
without flowers.

I take it she that carries up the train
Is that old noble lady, Duchess of Norfolk.

FIRST GENTLEMAN
It is, and all the rest are countesses.

SECOND GENTLEMAN
Their coronets say so. These are stars indeed. 65

FIRST GENTLEMAN
And sometimes falling ones.

SECOND GENTLEMAN No more of that.
The Coronation procession exits, having
passed over the stage in order and state, and then
a great flourish of trumpets.

Enter a third Gentleman.

FIRST GENTLEMAN
God save you, sir. Where have you been broiling?

THIRD GENTLEMAN
Among the crowd i’ th’ Abbey, where a finger
Could not be wedged in more. I am stifled 70
With the mere rankness of their joy.

SECOND GENTLEMAN You saw
The ceremony?

THIRD GENTLEMAN That I did.

FIRST GENTLEMAN How was it? 75

THIRD GENTLEMAN
Well worth the seeing.

SECOND GENTLEMAN Good sir, speak it to us!

THIRD GENTLEMAN
As well as I am able. The rich stream
Of lords and ladies, having brought the Queen
To a prepared place in the choir, fell off 80
A distance from her, while her Grace sat down
To rest awhile, some half an hour or so,
In a rich chair of state, opposing freely
The beauty of her person to the people.
Believe me, sir, she is the goodliest woman 85
That ever lay by man, which when the people
Had the full view of, such a noise arose
As the shrouds make at sea in a stiff tempest—
As loud and to as many tunes. Hats, cloaks,
Doublets, I think, flew up, and had their faces 90
Been loose, this day they had been lost. Such joy
I never saw before. Great-bellied women
That had not half a week to go, like rams
In the old time of war, would shake the press
And make ’em reel before ’em. No man living 95
Could say “This is my wife there,” all were woven
So strangely in one piece.

SECOND GENTLEMAN But what followed?

THIRD GENTLEMAN
At length her Grace rose, and with modest paces
Came to the altar, where she kneeled and saintlike 100
Cast her fair eyes to heaven and prayed devoutly,
Then rose again and bowed her to the people.
When by the Archbishop of Canterbury
She had all the royal makings of a queen—
As, holy oil, Edward Confessor’s crown, 105
The rod, and bird of peace, and all such emblems—
Laid nobly on her; which performed, the choir,
With all the choicest music of the kingdom,
Together sung Te Deum. So she parted,
And with the same full state paced back again 110
To York Place, where the feast is held.

FIRST GENTLEMAN Sir,
You must no more call it “York Place”; that’s past,
For since the Cardinal fell, that title’s lost.
’Tis now the King’s and called “Whitehall.” 115

THIRD GENTLEMAN I know it,
But ’tis so lately altered that the old name
Is fresh about me.

SECOND GENTLEMAN What two reverend bishops
Were those that went on each side of the Queen? 120

THIRD GENTLEMAN
Stokeley and Gardiner, the one of Winchester,
Newly preferred from the King’s secretary,
The other London.

SECOND GENTLEMAN He of Winchester
Is held no great good lover of the Archbishop’s, 125
The virtuous Cranmer.

THIRD GENTLEMAN All the land knows that.
However, yet there is no great breach. When it comes,
Cranmer will find a friend will not shrink from him.

SECOND GENTLEMAN
Who may that be, I pray you? 130

THIRD GENTLEMAN Thomas Cromwell,
A man in much esteem with th’ King, and truly
A worthy friend. The King has made him
Master o’ th’ Jewel House,
And one already of the Privy Council. 135

SECOND GENTLEMAN
He will deserve more.

THIRD GENTLEMAN Yes, without all doubt.
Come, gentlemen, you shall go my way,
Which is to th’ court, and there you shall be my
guests, 140
Something I can command. As I walk thither,
I’ll tell you more.

BOTH You may command us, sir.

They exit.