KING HENRY the Eighth. CRANMER, Archbishop of Canterbury. Duke of BUCKINGHAM. Duke of SUFFOLK. Earl of SURREY. N Lord Chamberlain.. Cardinal CAMPEIUS, the Pope's Legate. Sir THOMAS AUDLEY, Lord Keeper. Lord ABERGAVENNY. Sir HENRY GUILDFORD. Sir THOMAS LOVEL. GRIFFITH, Gentleman-usher to Queen Catharine. Doctor BUTTS, Phyfician to the King. GARTER, King at Arms. Surveyor to the Duke of Buckingham. BRANDON Serjeant at Arms. Door-keeper to the Council-chamber.. Porter and his Man. Queen CATHARINE. ANNE BULLEN. An old Lady, friend to Anne Bullen. -Several Lords and Ladies in the dumb fhows. Women attending upon the Queen; Spirits, which appear to her. Scribes, Officers, Guards, and other attendants. The SCENE lyes moftly in London and Westminster; once at Kimbolton. す PROLOGUE. I Come no more to make you laugh; things now * The play may pafs, if they be fill and willing, Our own brains, and the opinion that we bring • Alluding to the fools and buffoons introduced for the generality in the plays a little before our author's time, and of whom he has left us a imall tafte in his own. Theobald. This is not the only paffage in which Shakespeare has difcovered his conviction of the impropriety of battles reprefented on the ftage. He knew that five or fix men with fwords give a very unfatisfactory idea of an army; and therefore, without much care to excufe his former practice, he allows, that a theatrical fight would deftroy all opinion of truth, and leave him never an underStanding friend. Maguis ingeniis et multa nihilominus habituris fimplex convenit erroris confeffio. Yet I know not whether the coronation fhewn in this play may not be liable to all that can be objected against a battle. Johnson. A To make that only true we now intend*, As they were living; think you fee them great, Thefe lines I do not understand, and suspect them of corruption. I believe we may better read, thus: -the opinion which we bring Or make; that only truth we new intend. Johnfon KING HENRY VIII. ACT I. SCENE I. An Antechamber in the Palace. Enter the Duke of Norfolk, at one door; at the other the Duke of Buckingham, and the Lord Abergavenny, G Buckingham. OOD morrow, and well met. How have you done, I Since laft we faw in France? Nor. I thank your Grace, Healthful, and ever fince a fresh admirer Buck An untimely ague Staid me a prifoner in my chamber when Nor. 'Twixt Guynes and Arde: I was then present, faw 'em falute on horfe-back, Such a compounded one? Buck. All the whole time I was my chamber's prifoner. Nor. Then you loft The view of earthly glory. Men might say, 'Till this time Pomp was fingle, but now marry'd To one above itfelf. Each following day Became the next day's mafter, 'till the last * For fo they phrafe 'em, by their heralds challeng'd Buck. Oh, you go far. Nor. As I belong to worship, and affect In honour honefty, the tract of every thing Would by a good difcourfer lofe fome life, Which Action's felf was tongue to. All was royal, To the difpofing of it; nought rebell'd, Order gave each thing view: the office | did Distinctly his full function. Buck. Who did guide, I mean, who fet the body and the limbs Became the last day's mafter, till the next, &c. Canons of Criticism, + Cenfure for determination, of which had the nobleft appearance. Warburton. The old romantic legend of Bevis of Southampton. Each office. Canons of Criticism, Pope. |