Henry VIII Act Five – “'Tis a cruelty to load a falling man.”

Henry VIII Act Five – “'Tis a cruelty to load a falling man.”

After seeing the demise of Buckingham in Act One, then the death of Buckingham and Henry VIII’s meeting with Anne Bullen in Act Two, followed in Act Three by the demise of Wolsey and the coronation of Queen Anne Bullen and the moving acceptance of death by Katherine in Act Four, Act Five (the final act) of ‘Henry VIII’ starts late at night, when Gardiner and Lovell meet to discuss Anne Bullen’s labor and her suitability as a queen. Gardiner thinks she is unfit to be queen and hopes that she and Cranmer and Cromwell are soon out of the way. Lovell says that all are valued by the king. Gardiner says that Cranmer is already accused of being a heretic and will come before the Council.

King Henry and Suffolk meet and see Lovell and ask for the latest news on Queen Anne Bullen’s labor and her baby. Henry sends them away and sees Archbishop Cranmer who he has summoned. The king talks to Cranmer, and tells him that he believes many have criticisms of Cranmer, and that he is to be summoned before the Council and King Henry VIII offers Cranmer his own ring for him to use in an emergency to show he has the king’s personal support:

“My good and gracious Lord of Canterbury.

Come, you and I must walk a turn together;

I have news to tell you: come, come, give me your hand.

Ah, my good lord, I grieve at what I speak,

And am right sorry to repeat what follows

I have, and most unwillingly, of late

Heard many grievous, I do say, my lord,

Grievous complaints of you; which, being consider'd,

Have moved us and our council, that you shall

This morning come before us; where, I know,

You cannot with such freedom purge yourself,

But that, till further trial in those charges

Which will require your answer, you must take

Your patience to you, and be well contented

To make your house our Tower: you a brother of us,

It fits we thus proceed, or else no witness

Would come against you…

Stand up, good Canterbury:

Thy truth and thy integrity is rooted

In us, thy friend: give me thy hand, stand up:

Prithee, let's walk. Now, by my holidame.

What manner of man are you? My lord, I look'd

You would have given me your petition, that

I should have ta'en some pains to bring together

Yourself and your accusers; and to have heard you,

Without indurance, further…

Know you not

How your state stands i' the world, with the whole world?

Your enemies are many, and not small; their practises

Must bear the same proportion; and not ever

The justice and the truth o' the question carries

The due o' the verdict with it: at what ease

Might corrupt minds procure knaves as corrupt

To swear against you? such things have been done.

You are potently opposed; and with a malice

Of as great size. Ween you of better luck,

I mean, in perjured witness, than your master,

Whose minister you are, whiles here he lived

Upon this naughty earth? Go to, go to;

You take a precipice for no leap of danger,

And woo your own destruction...

Be of good cheer;

They shall no more prevail than we give way to.

Keep comfort to you; and this morning see

You do appear before them: if they shall chance,

In charging you with matters, to commit you,

The best persuasions to the contrary

Fail not to use, and with what vehemency

The occasion shall instruct you: if entreaties

Will render you no remedy, this ring

Deliver them, and your appeal to us

There make before them. Look, the good man weeps!

He's honest, on mine honour. God's blest mother!

I swear he is true--hearted; and a soul

None better in my kingdom. Get you gone,

And do as I have bid you.”

Then an Old Lady and Lovell enter and announce to King Henry VIII, the birth of his child to Anne Bullen. King Henry asks whether the child is a boy or a girl and the Old Lady tells King Henry that the child is a boy. The King is happy and rewards her with a hundred marks before he exits to see his queen. King Henry VIII exits. The Old Lady is thankful for the money and says she was lying and that the baby is a girl and that the baby looks like the king himself:

“An hundred marks! By this light, I'll ha' more.

An ordinary groom is for such payment.

I will have more, or scold it out of him.

Said I for this, the girl was like to him?

I will have more, or else unsay't; and now,

While it is hot, I'll put it to the issue.”

With Queen Anne and King Henry VIII’s daughter Elizabeth born, we switch to Cranmer who is outside the Council meeting chamber where a doorkeeper makes Cranmer wait until he is called (even though he is a Council member). Doctor Butts comments on the vindictiveness of some in the chamber towards Cranmer. King Henry VIII enters and Butts points out the games being played and how Cranmer is being forced to wait. King Henry is shocked. The Lord Chancellor enters with Suffolk, Norfolk, Surrey, Lord Chamberlain, Gardiner, and Cromwell and Cranmer is allowed to enter the Council chamber.

Individual members of the Council attack Cranmer about his opinions and religious dealings which they see as heresies. Cranmer claims that has always always taught the church’s real way and says that he wants to hear the exact charges against him. Because Cranmer is a member of the council, no Council member wants to bring direct charges against Cranmer. Gardiner says that the Council wants to imprison Cranmer in the Tower. This would reduce Cranmer’s status to that of a Commoner and make him able to be charged with all sorts of crimes. The Lord Chancellor tells Cranmer that he is about to be taken to the Tower and Cranmer is asked is if he has any has any defense and Cranmer asks:

“Is there no other way of mercy,

But I must needs to the Tower, my lords?

… For me?

Must I go like a traitor thither?

… Stay, good my lords,

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

To a most noble judge, the king my master.”

The Council members know that they should not have sought to target target Cranmer, since he still has the King’s affections as proved by the ring. King Henry VIII enters. Gardiner gives thanks to the king and the king criticizes the Council:

“I had thought I had had men of some understanding

And wisdom of my council; but I find none.

Was it discretion, lords, to let this man,

This good man,--few of you deserve that title,--

This honest man, wait like a lousy footboy

At chamber--door? and one as great as you are?

Why, what a shame was this! Did my commission

Bid ye so far forget yourselves? I gave ye

Power as he was a counsellor to try him,

Not as a groom: there's some of ye, I see,

More out of malice than integrity,

Would try him to the utmost, had ye mean;

Which ye shall never have while I live.”

King Henry VIII tells the Council that they should trust Cranmer because he, the king, trusts Cranmer. The king then asks Cranmer to baptize his daughter Elizabeth.

In the next scene a Porter and a large crowd enters. The crowd is trying to catch a glimpse of Elizabeth's baptism. The porter points out that the crowd who are trying to the baptism are the same crowd who attend public executions and shout and cheer at plays. The Lord Chamberlain enters and criticizes the Porter for not controlling the crowd and blocking the path of the royal ladies. The royals enter and a path is cleared.

In the last scene of the main part of the play Cranmer baptizes Elizabeth and makes a speech about her future greatness:

“And to your royal grace, and the good queen,

My noble partners, and myself, thus pray:

All comfort, joy, in this most gracious lady,

Heaven ever laid up to make parents happy,

May hourly fall upon ye!

… For heaven now bids me; and the words I utter

Let none think flattery, for they'll find 'em truth.

This royal infant--heaven still move about her!--

Though in her cradle, yet now promises

Upon this land a thousand thousand blessings,

Which time shall bring to ripeness: she shall be--

But few now living can behold that goodness--

A pattern to all princes living with her,

And all that shall succeed: Saba was never

More covetous of wisdom and fair virtue

Than this pure soul shall be: all princely graces,

That mould up such a mighty piece as this is,

With all the virtues that attend the good,

Shall still be doubled on her: truth shall nurse her,

Holy and heavenly thoughts still counsel her:

She shall be loved and fear'd: her own shall bless her;

Her foes shake like a field of beaten corn,

And hang their heads with sorrow: good grows with her:

In her days every man shall eat in safety,

Under his own vine, what he plants; and sing

The merry songs of peace to all his neighbours:

God shall be truly known; and those about her

From her shall read the perfect ways of honour,

And by those claim their greatness, not by blood.

Nor shall this peace sleep with her: but as when

The bird of wonder dies, the maiden phoenix,

Her ashes new create another heir,

As great in admiration as herself;

So shall she leave her blessedness to one,

When heaven shall call her from this cloud of darkness,

Who from the sacred ashes of her honour

Shall star-like rise, as great in fame as she was,

And so stand fix'd: peace, plenty, love, truth, terror,

That were the servants to this chosen infant,

Shall then be his, and like a vine grow to him:

Wherever the bright sun of heaven shall shine,

His honour and the greatness of his name

Shall be, and make new nations: he shall flourish,

And, like a mountain cedar, reach his branches

To all the plains about him: our children's children

Shall see this, and bless heaven…

She shall be, to the happiness of England,

An aged princess; many days shall see her,

And yet no day without a deed to crown it.

Would I had known no more! but she must die,

She must, the saints must have her; yet a virgin,

A most unspotted lily shall she pass

To the ground, and all the world shall mourn her.”

Then the character of the Epilogue enters and says that although some men may have found the performance boring, that the many women would have found the good women in the play worthy of applause:

“'Tis ten to one this play can never please

All that are here: some come to take their ease,

And sleep an act or two; but those, we fear,

We have frighted with our trumpets; so, 'tis clear,

They'll say 'tis naught: others, to hear the city

Abused extremely, and to cry 'That's witty!'

Which we have not done neither: that, I fear,

All the expected good we're like to hear

For this play at this time, is only in

The merciful construction of good women;

For such a one we show'd 'em: if they smile,

And say 'twill do, I know, within a while

All the best men are ours; for 'tis ill hap,

If they hold when their ladies bid 'em clap.”