The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (309 page)

And you have sent countless sums–

how you got them is a matter for your conscience–

to supply Rome and to help your plans

for advancement; causing the utter ruin

of the whole kingdom. There are many more charges;

which, since they involve you, and are hateful,

I will not sully my mouth with.

Chamberlain

O my lord,

Press not a falling man too far! 'tis virtue:

His faults lie open to the laws; let them,

Not you, correct him. My heart weeps to see him

So little of his great self.

O my Lord,

do not kick a man when he's down! It would be good:

his crimes shall be punished by the law; let the law,

 not you, do that. My heart weeps to see him

in such reduced circumstances.

SURREY

I forgive him.

I forgive him.

SUFFOLK

Lord cardinal, the king's further pleasure is,

Because all those things you have done of late,

By your power legatine, within this kingdom,

Fall into the compass of a praemunire,

That therefore such a writ be sued against you;

To forfeit all your goods, lands, tenements,

Chattels, and whatsoever, and to be

Out of the king's protection. This is my charge.

Lord cardinal, the king further desires

that because all those things you have done recently

through your power from Rome, within this kingdom,

fall under the law against exercising Rome's power in England,

that a writ shall be issued against you,

to make you forfeit all your goods, lands, buildings,

movable property and anything else, and you shall

lose the protection of the King. These are my orders.

NORFOLK

And so we'll leave you to your meditations

How to live better. For your stubborn answer

About the giving back the great seal to us,

The king shall know it, and, no doubt, shall thank you.

So fare you well, my little good lord cardinal.

And now we’ll leave you to think how you should

live a better life. The King shall be told

of your stubborn refusal to return the great seal to us,

and no doubt he will thank you for it.

So farewell, my good little lord cardinal.

Exeunt all but CARDINAL WOLSEY

CARDINAL WOLSEY

So farewell to the little good you bear me.

Farewell! a long farewell, to all my greatness!

This is the state of man: to-day he puts forth

The tender leaves of hopes; to-morrow blossoms,

And bears his blushing honours thick upon him;

The third day comes a frost, a killing frost,

And, when he thinks, good easy man, full surely

His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root,

And then he falls, as I do. I have ventured,

Like little wanton boys that swim on bladders,

This many summers in a sea of glory,

But far beyond my depth: my high-blown pride

At length broke under me and now has left me,

Weary and old with service, to the mercy

Of a rude stream, that must for ever hide me.

Vain pomp and glory of this world, I hate ye:

I feel my heart new open'd. O, how wretched

Is that poor man that hangs on princes' favours!

There is, betwixt that smile we would aspire to,

That sweet aspect of princes, and their ruin,

More pangs and fears than wars or women have:

And when he falls, he falls like Lucifer,

Never to hope again.

So farewell to the little good you wish me.

Farewell! A long farewell, to all my greatness!

This is the life of man: today he puts out

the tender leaves of his hopes; tomorrow he flowers,

and a multitude of honours decorate him;

on the third day there is a frost, a killing frost,

and just as he thinks, good gullible man, that his

greatness is surely ripening, it nips at his roots,

and then he falls, as I do. I have swum,

like the little careless boys who swim on bladders,

for many years in a sea of glory,

but far out of my depth: eventually my great pride

burst underneath me and has now left me,

tired and old with service, to the mercy

of a rough tide that will roll over me for ever.

Vain pomp and the glory of this world, I hate you:

I feel that my heart has been torn open. Oh, how wretched

the poor man who relies on the favours of Princes is!

Between the sweet smile of Princes which we hope for

and their anger lie more pain and anguish than

war or women can ever suffer:

and when a man falls, he falls like Lucifer,

and can never hope again.

Enter CROMWELL, and stands amazed

Why, how now, Cromwell!

Why, what is it, Cromwell!

CROMWELL

I have no power to speak, sir.

I've lost my power of speech, sir.

CARDINAL WOLSEY

What, amazed

At my misfortunes? can thy spirit wonder

A great man should decline? Nay, an you weep,

I am fall'n indeed.

What, astonished

by my misfortunes? Are you really amazed

that a great man can fall? No, if you weep,

I am truly fallen.

CROMWELL

How does your grace?

How is your Grace?

CARDINAL WOLSEY

Why, well;

Never so truly happy, my good Cromwell.

I know myself now; and I feel within me

A peace above all earthly dignities,

A still and quiet conscience. The king has cured me,

I humbly thank his grace; and from these shoulders,

These ruin'd pillars, out of pity, taken

A load would sink a navy, too much honour:

O, 'tis a burthen, Cromwell, 'tis a burthen

Too heavy for a man that hopes for heaven!

Why, I am well;

I have never been so truly happy, good Cromwell.

I know who I am now; and I feel inside me

a peace greater than all earthly honours,

an easy and quiet conscience. The King has cured me,

I humbly thank his grace; out of pity he has taken

away from these shoulders, these ruined pillars,

a weight that could sink a Navy, too much honour:

oh, it's a burden, Cromwell, it's a burden

too heavy for a man who hopes to go to heaven!

CROMWELL

I am glad your grace has made that right use of it.

I'm glad to see your Grace looking at it that way.

CARDINAL WOLSEY

I hope I have: I am able now, methinks,

Out of a fortitude of soul I feel,

To endure more miseries and greater far

Than my weak-hearted enemies dare offer.

What news abroad?

I hope I am: I think that I am now able

through the strength of soul that I feel

to endure far greater misery, and more of it,

and my weak hearted enemies can offer me.

What news is going round?

CROMWELL

The heaviest and the worst

Is your displeasure with the king.

The worst and most serious

is your trouble with the king.

CARDINAL WOLSEY

God bless him!

God bless him!

CROMWELL

The next is, that Sir Thomas More is chosen

Lord chancellor in your place.

The next is, that Sir Thomas More has been chosen

as Lord Chancellor in your place.

CARDINAL WOLSEY

That's somewhat sudden:

But he's a learned man. May he continue

Long in his highness' favour, and do justice

For truth's sake and his conscience; that his bones,

When he has run his course and sleeps in blessings,

May have a tomb of orphans' tears wept on em! What more?

That's rather sodden:

but he's an educated man. May he remain

in his Highness' favour for a long time, and do the right thing

for the sake of truth and his conscience; so that his bones,

when his life has run out and he gains blessed sleep,

may be covered with the tears of orphans! What else?

CROMWELL

That Cranmer is return'd with welcome,

Install'd lord archbishop of Canterbury.

Cranmer has been welcomed back,

and made Lord Archbishop of Canterbury.

CARDINAL WOLSEY

That's news indeed.

That's certainly news.

CROMWELL

Last, that the Lady Anne,

Whom the king hath in secrecy long married,

This day was view'd in open as his queen,

Going to chapel; and the voice is now

Only about her coronation.

Lastly that the Lady Anne,

who has been secretly married to the King for a long time,

was today seen out in the open as his Queen,

going to chapel; and all the gossip is now

about her coronation.

CARDINAL WOLSEY

There was the weight that pull'd me down. O Cromwell,

The king has gone beyond me: all my glories

In that one woman I have lost for ever:

No sun shall ever usher forth mine honours,

Or gild again the noble troops that waited

Upon my smiles. Go, get thee from me, Cromwell;

I am a poor fall'n man, unworthy now

To be thy lord and master: seek the king;

That sun, I pray, may never set! I have told him

What and how true thou art: he will advance thee;

Some little memory of me will stir him--

I know his noble nature--not to let

Thy hopeful service perish too: good Cromwell,

Neglect him not; make use now, and provide

For thine own future safety.

That was the weight that pulled me down. Oh Cromwell,

the King is lost to me; through that one woman

I have lost all my glory forever:

no sun shall ever shine again on my honours,

or on the crowds of followers who waited

for my approval. Go away from me, Cromwell;

I am a fallen man, unworthy now

of being your lord and master: find the king;

I pray that that sun may never set! I have told him

who you are and how loyal you are: he will promote you;

some small memory of me will motivate him–

I know his noble nature–to allow your

good services to be rewarded: good Cromwell,

do not ignore him; use him now, and solidify

your position for the future.

CROMWELL

O my lord,

Must I, then, leave you? must I needs forego

So good, so noble and so true a master?

Bear witness, all that have not hearts of iron,