Chapter: Enter Lord Chamberlaine, reading this Letter.

My Lord, the Horses your Lordship sent for, with all the
care I had, I saw well chosen, ridden, and furnish'd.
They were young and handsome, and of the best breed in the
North. When they were ready to set out for London, a man
of my Lord Cardinalls, by Commission, and maine power tooke
'em from me, with this reason: his maister would bee seru'd before
a Subiect, if not before the King, which stop'd our mouthes
Sir.
I feare he will indeede; well, let him haue them; hee
will haue all I thinke.
Enter to the Lord Chamberlaine, the Dukes of Norfolke and
Suffolke.

Norf. Well met my Lord Chamberlaine

Cham. Good day to both your Graces

Suff. How is the King imployd?
Cham. I left him priuate,
    Full of sad thoughts and troubles

    Norf. What's the cause?
    Cham. It seemes the Marriage with his Brothers Wife
    Ha's crept too neere his Conscience

    Suff. No, his Conscience
    Ha's crept too neere another Ladie

    Norf. Tis so;
    This is the Cardinals doing: The King-Cardinall,
    That blinde Priest, like the eldest Sonne of Fortune,
    Turnes what he list. The King will know him one day

    Suff. Pray God he doe,
    Hee'l neuer know himselfe else

    Norf. How holily he workes in all his businesse,
    And with what zeale? For now he has crackt the League
Between vs & the Emperor (the Queens great Nephew)
    He diues into the Kings Soule, and there scatters
    Dangers, doubts, wringing of the Conscience,
    Feares, and despaires, and all these for his Marriage.
    And out of all these, to restore the King,
    He counsels a Diuorce, a losse of her
    That like a Iewell, ha's hung twenty yeares
    About his necke, yet neuer lost her lustre;
    Of her that loues him with that excellence,
    That Angels loue good men with: Euen of her,
    That when the greatest stroake of Fortune falls
    Will blesse the King: and is not this course pious?
    Cham. Heauen keep me from such councel: tis most true
    These newes are euery where, euery tongue speaks 'em,
    And euery true heart weepes for't. All that dare
    Looke into these affaires, see this maine end,
    The French Kings Sister. Heauen will one day open
    The Kings eyes, that so long haue slept vpon
    This bold bad man

    Suff. And free vs from his slauery

    Norf. We had need pray,
    And heartily, for our deliuerance;
Or this imperious man will worke vs all
From Princes into Pages: all mens honours
Lie like one lumpe before him, to be fashion'd
Into what pitch he please

Suff. For me, my Lords,
    I loue him not, nor feare him, there's my Creede:
    As I am made without him, so Ile stand,
    If the King please: his Curses and his blessings
    Touch me alike: th'are breath I not beleeue in.
    I knew him, and I know him: so I leaue him
    To him that made him proud; the Pope

    Norf. Let's in;
    And with some other busines, put the King
    From these sad thoughts, that work too much vpon him:
    My Lord, youle beare vs company?
    Cham. Excuse me,
    The King ha's sent me otherwhere: Besides
    You'l finde a most vnfit time to disturbe him:
    Health to your Lordships

    Norfolke. Thankes my good Lord Chamberlaine.
    Exit Lord Chamberlaine, and the King drawes the Curtaine and sits
    reading
    pensiuely.

    Suff. How sad he lookes; sure he is much afflicted

    Kin. Who's there? Ha?
    Norff. Pray God he be not angry

    Kin. Who's there I say? How dare you thrust your selues
    Into my priuate Meditations?
    Who am I? Ha?
    Norff. A gracious King, that pardons all offences
    Malice ne're meant: Our breach of Duty this way,
    Is businesse of Estate; in which, we come
    To know your Royall pleasure

    Kin. Ye are too bold:
    Go too; Ile make ye know your times of businesse:
    Is this an howre for temporall affaires? Ha?
    Enter Wolsey and Campeius with a Commission.

    Who's there? my good Lord Cardinall? O my Wolsey,
    The quiet of my wounded Conscience;
Thou art a cure fit for a King; you'r welcome
Most learned Reuerend Sir, into our Kingdome,
     Vse vs, and it: My good Lord, haue great care,
     I be not found a Talker

     Wol. Sir, you cannot;
     I would your Grace would giue vs but an houre
     Of priuate conference

     Kin. We are busie; goe

     Norff. This Priest ha's no pride in him?
     Suff. Not to speake of:
     I would not be so sicke though for his place:
     But this cannot continue

     Norff. If it doe, Ile venture one; haue at him

     Suff. I another.

     Exeunt. Norfolke and Suffolke.

     Wol. Your Grace ha's giuen a President of wisedome
     Aboue all Princes, in committing freely
     Your scruple to the voyce of Christendome:
     Who can be angry now? What Enuy reach you?
     The Spaniard tide by blood and fauour to her,
     Must now confesse, if they haue any goodnesse,
     The Tryall, iust and Noble. All the Clerkes,
    (I meane the learned ones in Christian Kingdomes)
Haue their free voyces. Rome (the Nurse of Iudgement)
    Inuited by your Noble selfe, hath sent
    One generall Tongue vnto vs. This good man,
    This iust and learned Priest, Cardnall Campeius,
    Whom once more, I present vnto your Highnesse

    Kin. And once more in mine armes I bid him welcome,
    And thanke the holy Conclaue for their loues,
    They haue sent me such a Man, I would haue wish'd for

    Cam. Your Grace must needs deserue all strangers loues,
    You are so Noble: To your Highnesse hand
    I tender my Commission; by whose vertue,
    The Court of Rome commanding. You my Lord
    Cardinall of Yorke, are ioyn'd with me their Seruant,
    In the vnpartiall iudging of this Businesse

    Kin. Two equall men: The Queene shall be acquainted
    Forthwith for what you come. Where's Gardiner?
    Wol. I know your Maiesty, ha's alwayes lou'd her
    So deare in heart, not to deny her that
    A Woman of lesse Place might aske by Law;
    Schollers allow'd freely to argue for her

    Kin. I, and the best she shall haue; and my fauour
    To him that does best, God forbid els: Cardinall,
    Prethee call Gardiner to me, my new Secretary.
    I find him a fit fellow.
    Enter Gardiner.

    Wol. Giue me your hand: much ioy & fauour to you;
    You are the Kings now

    Gard. But to be commanded
    For euer by your Grace, whose hand ha's rais'd me

    Kin. Come hither Gardiner.

    Walkes and whispers.

    Camp. My Lord of Yorke, was not one Doctor Pace
    In this mans place before him?
    Wol. Yes, he was

    Camp. Was he not held a learned man?
    Wol. Yes surely

    Camp. Beleeue me, there's an ill opinion spread then,
    Euen of your selfe Lord Cardinall

    Wol. How? of me?
    Camp. They will not sticke to say, you enuide him;
And fearing he would rise (he was so vertuous)
    Kept him a forraigne man still, which so greeu'd him,
    That he ran mad, and dide

    Wol. Heau'ns peace be with him:
    That's Christian care enough: for liuing Murmurers,
    There's places of rebuke. He was a Foole;
For he would needs be vertuous. That good Fellow,
    If I command him followes my appointment,
    I will haue none so neere els. Learne this Brother,
    We liue not to be grip'd by meaner persons

    Kin. Deliuer this with modesty to th' Queene.

    Exit Gardiner.

    The most conuenient place, that I can thinke of
    For such receipt of Learning, is Black-Fryers:
    There ye shall meete about this waighty busines.
    My Wolsey, see it furnish'd, O my Lord,
    Would it not grieue an able man to leaue
    So sweet a Bedfellow? But Conscience, Conscience;
    O 'tis a tender place, and I must leaue her.

    Exeunt.

 This scene occurs in the palace. Lord Chamberlain has just received a letter informing him that Cardinal Wolsey has seized the horses that Chamberlain had sent for. The Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk encounter Chamberlain in a palace antechamber and inquire about the King. Chamberlain informs them that the King is worried about the legal status of his marriage. Norfolk says that it is Cardinal Wolsey who has placed the seeds of doubt in the Kings mind. They praise the queens virtue and regret the deterioration of her marriage. Chamberlain says that Wolseys real aim is to get the King married to the French Kings sister. Norfolk and Suffolk decide to distinct the King from his problems by bringing up state matters. It only serves to anger the King. Wolsey and Campeius enter and are warmly welcomed by the King. The King commands the two dukes to leave and they do so. Campeius is the representative that Rome has sent for participating in the matter of the Kings divorce. The King sends his secretary Gardiner with this news to the Queen. Gardiner although employed by the King is in truth Wolseys man. It is decided that the proceedings of the divorce be carried out in the hall of the Black-Friars.

