THE COUNCIL CHAMBER. Enter the Lord Chancellor, the Duke of SUFFOLK, Earl of SURREY, Lord Chamberlain, GARDINER, and CROMWELL. The Chancellor places himself at the upper end of the table on the left hand; a seat being left void above him, as for the Archbishop of Canterbury. The rest seat themselves in orCROMWELL at the lower end, as der on each side. Secretary. Chan. Speak to the business, master secretary: Why are we met in council? Crom. Please your honours, The chief cause concerns his grace of Canterbury. Gar. Has he had knowledge of it? Crom. Yes. Nor. Who waits there? Doork. Without, my noble lords? Gar. Yes. Doork. My lord archbishop; And has done half an hour, to know your pleasures. Chan. Let him come in. king now is. The matter of this passage is thus given by Fox: "On the morrow, about nine of the clock before noone, the councell sent a gentleman usher for the archbishop, who, when hee came to the councell chamber doore, could not be let in, but of purpose, as it seemed, was compelled there to wait among the pages, Jackies, and serving men al alone. Doctor Buts, the kings physician, resorting that way, and espying how my lord of Canterbury was handled, went to the kings highnesse and said, My lord of Canterbury, if it please your grace, is well promoted : for now he is become a lackey or a serving man; for yonder he standeth this half hower at the councell chamber doore amongst them.' It is not so,' quoth the king, I trowe; nor the councell hath not so little discretion as to use the metropolitan of the realm in that sort, specially being one of their own number. But let them alone,' sayd the king, and we shall heare more soone.'" H. Doork Your grace may enter now.' [CRANMER approaches the Council table. Chan. My good lord archbishop, I am very sorry To sit here at this present, and behold That chair stand empty but we all are men, In our own natures frail, and culpable 5 Of our flesh; few are angels: out of which frailty And want of wisdom, you that best should teach us Have misdemean'd yourself, and not a little, Toward the king first, then his laws, in filling The whole realm, by your teaching, and your chaplains, (For so we are inform'd,) with new opinions, Divers, and dangerous; which are heresies, And, not reform'd, may prove pernicious. Gar. Which reformation must be sudden too, My noble lords; for those that tame wild horses Pace 'em not in their hands to make 'em gentle, But stop their mouths with stubborn bits, and spur 'em, Till they obey the manage. If we suffer, To one man's honour, this contagious sickness, 4 The old stage direction at the commencement of this scene is "A councell table brought in with chayres and stooles and placed under the state." Our ancestors were contented to be told that the same spot, without any change of its appearance, except perhaps the drawing back of a curtain, was at once the outside and the inside of the council chamber. The original here reads, " And capable of our flesh;" out of which it is not easy to extract any certain meaning. Malone changed and capable" to " incapable;" which change betters the sense indeed, but takes a very questionable liberty with the Monck Mason proposed culpable, and the same word is substituted in the copy of the second folio lately discovered by Mr. Collier. text. H. Of the whole state; as of late days our neighbours, Cran. My good lords, hitherto, in all the progress Dare bite the best. I do beseech your lordships, Be what they will, may stand forth face to face, Suf. Nay, my lord, That cannot be: you are a counsellor, And by that virtue no man dare accuse you. Gar. My lord, because we have business of more moment, We will be short with you. "Tis his highness' pleas ure, And our consent, for better trial of you, From hence you be committed to the Tower; You shall know many dare accuse you boldly, Cran. Ah! my good lord of Winchester, I thank you; You are always my good friend: if vour will pass, I shall both find your lordship judge and juror, I see your end; 'Tis my undoing. Love and meekness, lord, For what they have been: 'tis a cruelty, Gar. Good master secretary, I cry your honour mercy: you may, worst Crom. Why, my lord? Gar. Do not I know you for a favourer Of this new sect? ye are not sound. Crom Not sound! Gar. Not sound, I say. Crom. 'Would you were half so honest Men's prayers then would seek you, not their fears Gar. I shall remember this bold language. Remember your bold life too. Chan. Forbear, for shame, my lords. Do This is too much; Those that understand you, under this painted gloss, this fan outside, discover your empty talk and your false reasoning. I have done. And I. Gar. Crom. Chan. Then thus for you, my lord. - It stands agreed, I take it, by all voices, that forthwith You be convey'd to the Tower a prisoner; Is there no other way of mercy, But I must needs to the Tower, my lords? Gar. What other Would you expect? You are strangely troublesome! Let some o'the guard be ready there. I have a little yet to say. -Look there, my lords: By virtue of that ring, I take my cause Out of the gripes of cruel men, and give it It seems to have been a custom, begun probably before the regal power experienced the restraints of law, for every monarch. to have a ring, the temporary possession of which invested the holder with the same authority as the owner himself could exercise. The production of it was sufficient to suspend the execution of the law; it procured indemnity for offences committed, and imposed acquiescence and submission to whatever was done under its authority. The traditional story of the earl of Essex, Queen Elizabeth, and the countess of Nottingham, long considered as an incident of a romance, is generally known, and now as generally credited |