GARDINER. And be you all one mind to supplicate The Legate here for pardon, and acknowledge The primacy of the Pope?
VOICES. We are all one mind.
GARDINER. Then must I play the vassal to this Pole. [_Aside_.
[_He draws a paper from under his robes and presents it to the_ KING _and_ QUEEN, _who look through it and return it to him; then ascends a tribune, and reads_.
We, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, And Commons here in Parliament assembled, Presenting the whole body of this realm Of England, and dominions of the same, Do make most humble suit unto your Majesties, In our own name and that of all the state, That by your gracious means and intercession Our supplication be exhibited To the Lord Cardinal Pole, sent here as Legate From our most Holy Father Julius, Pope, And from the Apostolic see of Rome; And do declare our penitence and grief For our long schism and disobedience, Either in making laws and ordinances Against the Holy Father's primacy, Or else by doing or by speaking aught Which might impugn or prejudice the same; By this our supplication promising, As well for our own selves as all the realm, That now we be and ever shall be quick, Under and with your Majesties' authorities, To do to the utmost all that in us lies Towards the abrogation and repeal Of all such laws and ordinances made; Whereon we humbly pray your Majesties, As persons undefiled with our offence, So to set forth this humble suit of ours That we the rather by your intercession May from the Apostolic see obtain, Thro' this most reverend Father, absolution, And full release from danger of all censures Of Holy Church that we be fall'n into, So that we may, as children penitent, Be once again received into the bosom And unity of Universal Church; And that this noble realm thro' after years May in this unity and obedience Unto the holy see and reigning Pope Serve God and both your Majesties.
VOICES. Amen.
[_All sit.
[He again presents the petition to the_ KING _and_ QUEEN, _who hand it reverentially to_ POLE.
POLE (_sitting_). This is the loveliest day that ever smiled On England. All her breath should, incenselike, Rise to the heavens in grateful praise of Him Who now recalls her to His ancient fold.
Lo! once again God to this realm hath given A token of His more especial Grace; For as this people were the first of all The islands call'd into the dawning church Out of the dead, deep night of heathendom, So now are these the first whom God hath given Grace to repent and sorrow for their schism; And if your penitence be not mockery, Oh how the blessed angels who rejoice Over one saved do triumph at this hour In the reborn salvation of a land So noble. [_A pause_.
For ourselves we do protest That our commission is to heal, not harm; We come not to condemn, but reconcile; We come not to compel, but call again; We come not to destroy, but edify; Nor yet to question things already done; These are forgiven--matters of the past-- And range with jetsam and with offal thrown Into the blind sea of forgetfulness. [_A pause_.
Ye have reversed the attainder laid on us By him who sack'd the house of God; and we, Amplier than any field on our poor earth Can render thanks in fruit for being sown, Do here and now repay you sixty-fold, A hundred, yea, a thousand thousand-fold, With heaven for earth.
[_Rising and stretching forth his hands. All kneel but_ SIR RALPH BAGENHALL, _who rises and remains standing_.
The Lord who hath redeem'd us With His own blood, and wash'd us from our sins, To purchase for Himself a stainless bride; He, whom the Father hath appointed Head Of all his church, He by His mercy absolve you! [_A pause_.
And we by that authority Apostolic, Given unto us, his Legate, by the Pope, Our Lord and Holy Father, Julius, God's Vicar and Vicegerent upon earth, Do here absolve you and deliver you And every one of you, and all the realm And its dominions from all heresy, All schism, and from all and every censure, Judgment, and pain accruing thereupon; And also we restore you to the bosom And unity of Universal Church.
[_Turning to_ GARDINER.
Our letters of commission will declare this plainlier.
[QUEEN _heard sobbing. Cries of_ Amen! Amen! _Some of the Members embrace one another. All but_ SIR RALPH BAGENHALL _pass out into the neighboring chapel, whence is heard the Te Deum_.
BAGENHALL. We strove against the papacy from the first, In William's time, in our first Edward's time, And in my master Henry's time; but now, The unity of Universal Church, Mary would have it; and this Gardiner follows; The unity of Universal Hell, Philip would have it; and this Gardiner follows!
A Parliament of imitative apes!
Sheep at the gap which Gardiner takes, who not Believes the Pope, nor any of them believe-- These spaniel-Spaniard English of the time, Who rub their fawning noses in the dust, For that is Philip's gold-dust, and adore This Vicar of their Vicar. Would I had been Born Spaniard! I had held my head up then.
I am ashamed that I am Bagenhall, English.
_Enter_ OFFICER.
OFFICER. Sir Ralph Bagenhall!
BAGENHALL. What of that?
OFFICER. You were the one sole man in either house Who stood upright when both the houses fell.
BAGENHALL. The houses fell!
OFFICER. I mean the houses knelt Before the Legate.
BAGENHALL. Do not scrimp your phrase, But stretch it wider; say when England fell.
OFFICER. I say you were the one sole man who stood.
BAGENHALL. I am the one sole man in either house, Perchance in England, loves her like a son.
OFFICER. Well, you one man, because you stood upright, Her Grace the Queen commands you to the Tower.
BAGENHALL. As traitor, or as heretic, or for what?
OFFICER. If any man in any way would be The one man, he shall be so to his cost.
BAGENHALL. What! will she have my head?
OFFICER. A round fine likelier.
Your pardon. [_Calling to_ ATTENDANT.
By the river to the Tower.
[_Exeunt_.
SCENE IV.--WHITEHALL. A ROOM IN THE PALACE.
MARY, GARDINER, POLE, PAGET, BONNER, _etc_.
MARY. The King and I, my Lords, now that all traitors Against our royal state have lost the heads Wherewith they plotted in their treasonous malice, Have talk'd together, and are well agreed That those old statutes touching Lollardism To bring the heretic to the stake, should be No longer a dead letter, but requicken'd.
ONE OF THE COUNCIL. Why, what hath fluster'd Gardiner? how he rubs His forelock!
PAGET. I have changed a word with him In coming, and may change a word again.
GARDINER. Madam, your Highness is our sun, the King And you together our two suns in one; And so the beams of both may shine upon us, The faith that seem'd to droop will feel your light, Lift head, and flourish; yet not light alone, There must be heat--there must be heat enough To scorch and wither heresy to the root.
For what saith Christ? 'Compel them to come in.'
And what saith Paul? 'I would they were cut off That trouble you.' Let the dead letter live!
Trace it in fire, that all the louts to whom Their A B C is darkness, clowns and grooms May read it! so you quash rebellion too, For heretic and traitor are all one: Two vipers of one breed--an amphisbaena, Each end a sting: Let the dead letter burn!
PAGET. Yet there be some disloyal Catholics, And many heretics loyal; heretic throats Cried no God-bless-her to the Lady Jane, But shouted in Queen Mary. So there be Some traitor-heretic, there is axe and cord.
To take the lives of others that are loyal, And by the churchman's pitiless doom of fire, Were but a thankless policy in the crown, Ay, and against itself; for there are many.
MARY. If we could burn out heresy, my Lord Paget, We reck not tho' we lost this crown of England-- Ay! tho' it were ten Englands!
GARDINER. Right, your Grace.
Paget, you are all for this poor life of ours, And care but little for the life to be.
PAGET. I have some time, for curiousness, my Lord Watch'd children playing at _their_ life to be, And cruel at it, killing helpless flies; Such is our time--all times for aught I know.
GARDINER. We kill the heretics that sting the soul-- They, with right reason, flies that prick the flesh.
PAGET. They had not reach'd right reason; little children!
They kill'd but for their pleasure and the power They felt in killing.
GARDINER. A spice of Satan, ha!
Why, good! what then? granted!--we are fallen creatures; Look to your Bible, Paget! we are fallen.