The Life and Death of The Lord Cromwell, attributed in part to William
Shakespeare.
OLD CROMWELL, a Black-smith at Putney.
Young THOMAS CROMWELL his son.
HODGE, WILL, and TOM, old Cromwell’s servants.
Earl of BEDFORD and his Host.
Dukes of NORFOLK and SUFFOLK.
Sir CHRISTOPHER HALES.
Cardinal WOLSEY.
Sir THOMAS MOOR.
GARDINER Bishop of Winchester.
Sir RALPH SADLER.
M. BOUSER a Merchant.
BANISTER, a broken Merchant and his wife.
BAGOT, a cruel covetous Broker.
FRISKIBALL a Florentine Merchant.
The Governours of the ENGLISH house at ANTWERP.
States and Officers of BONONIA.
Good-man SEELY and his wife JOAN.
CHORUS.
A POST.
MESSENGERS.
USHERS and SERVANTS.
LIEUTENANT OF THE TOWER.
TWO CITIZENS.
TWO MERCHANTS.
[Enter three Smiths, Hodge and two other, old Cromwell’smen.]
HODGE.Come, masters, I think it be past five a clock; is it nottime we were at work: my old Master he’ll be stirringanon.
FIRST SMITH.I cannot tell whether my old master will be stirring orno: but I am sure I can hardly take my afternoon’s nap,for my young Master Thomas, he keeps such a quile inhis study, with the Sun, and the Moon, and the sevenstars, that I do verily think he’ll read out his wife.
HODGE.He skill of the stars! there’s good-man Car of Fulhum,he that carried us to the strong Ale, where goodyTrundell had her maid got with child: O he knows thestars. He’ll tickle you Charles Waine in nine degrees.That same man will tell you goody Trundell when herAle shall miscarry, only by the stars.
SECOND SMITH.Aye, that’s a great virtue; indeed I think Thomas be nobody in comparison to him.
FIRST SMITH.
Well, masters, come, shall we to our hammers?
HODGE.Aye, content; first let’s take our morning’s draught, andthen to work roundly.
SECOND SMITH.
Aye, agreed; go in, Hodge.
[Exit omnes.]
[Enter young Cromwell.]
CROMWELL.
Good morrow, morn, I do salute thy brightness.
The night seems tedious to my troubled soul,
Whose black obscurity binds in my mind
A thousand sundry cogitations:
And now Aurora, with a lively dye,
Adds comfort to my spirit that mounts on high—
Too high indeed, my state being so mean.
My study, like a mineral of gold,
Makes my heart proud, wherein my hopes enrolled;
My books is all the wealth I do possess.
[Here within they must beat with their hammers.]
And unto them I have engaged my heart.
O learning, how divine thou seems to me:
Within whose arms is all felicity.
Peace with your hammers! leave your knocking there:
You do disturb my study and my rest.
Leave off, I say, you mad me with the noise.
[Enter Hodge and the two Men.]
HODGE.Why, how now, Master Thomas, how now? Willyou not let us work for you?
CROMWELL.
You fret my heart, with making of this noise.
HODGE.How, fret your heart? Aye, but Thomas, you’ll fretyour father’s purse if you let us from working.
SECOND SMITH.
Aye, this tis for him to make him a gentleman