DUKE OF NORFOLK

DUKE OF SUFFOLK

CARDINAL WOLSEY

SECRETARIES to Wolsey

CROMWELL, servant to Wolsey

CARDINAL CAMPEIUS

GARDINER, Bishop of Winchester

PAGE to Gardiner

QUEEN KATHERINE, wife to King Henry, afterwards divorced

GRIFFITH, gentleman usher to Queen Katherine

PATIENCE, woman to Queen Katherine

Queen’s GENTLEMAN USHER

CAPUTIUS, Ambassador from the Emperor Charles V

DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM

LORD ABERGAVENNY, Buckingham’s son-in-law

EARL OF SURREY, Buckingham’s son-in-law

SIR NICHOLAS VAUX

SURVEYOR to the Duke of Buckingham

BRANDON

SERGEANT-at-Arms

Three Gentlemen

ANNE BULLEN, her Maid of Honour, afterwards Queen

An OLD LADY, friend to Anne Bullen

LORD CHAMBERLAIN

LORD SANDYS (called also SIR WILLIAM SANDYS)

SIR THOMAS LOVELL

SIR HENRY GUILDFORD

BISHOP OF LINCOLN

CRANMER, archbishop of Canterbury

LORD CHANCELLOR

GARTER King-of-Arms

SIR ANTHONY DENNY

DOCTOR BUTTS, physician to the King

Door-KEEPER of the Council-chamber

PORTER, and his Man

A CRIER

PROLOGUE

EPILOGUE

Spirits, Several Lords and Ladies in the Dumb Shows; Women attending upon the Queen; Scribes, Officers, Guards, and other Attendants

THE PROLOGUE.

I come no more to make you laugh. Things now

That bear a weighty and a serious brow,

Sad, high, and working, full of state and woe,

Such noble scenes as draw the eye to flow,

We now present. Those that can pity, here

May, if they think it well, let fall a tear;

The subject will deserve it. Such as give

Their money out of hope they may believe

May here find truth too. Those that come to see

Only a show or two, and so agree

The play may pass, if they be still and willing,

I’ll undertake may see away their shilling

Richly in two short hours. Only they

That come to hear a merry bawdy play,

A noise of targets, or to see a fellow

In a long motley coat guarded with yellow,

Will be deceived. For, gentle hearers, know

To rank our chosen truth with such a show

As fool and fight is, beside forfeiting

Our own brains and the opinion that we bring

To make that only true we now intend,

Will leave us never an understanding friend.

Therefore, for goodness’ sake, and as you are known

The first and happiest hearers of the town,

Be sad, as we would make ye. Think ye see

The very persons of our noble story

As they were living; think you see them great,

And followed with the general throng and sweat

Of thousand friends; then, in a moment, see

How soon this mightiness meets misery;

And if you can be merry then, I’ll say

A man may weep upon his wedding day.