42 stay delay
45 creature dependant, servant
49 perceives him perceives
49 coasts And hedges is indirect and devious (as if traveling in a roundabout manner along a coastline or by hedgerows)
51 physic remedy
58 Trace the conjunction follow the marriage
60 All men’s puns on amen
62 Marry by the Virgin Mary (picks up on the notion of marriage)
62 young i.e. recent news
62 may … unrecounted perhaps not everyone will have heard it/not everyone needs to hear it
64 gallant fine, splendid
64 complete perfect
65 persuade me am convinced
66 fall befall/be born
67 memorized made memorable
69 Digest endure, stomach
76 cause i.e. the divorce
76 unhandled unresolved, without management
77 Is posted has gone in haste
84 He … opinions i.e. letters from him have been received ahead of his arrival; the opinions may be Cranmer’s own or, more likely, those that he was sent to gather on the divorce
88 published announced publicly
100 moody sullen, angry
101 packet dispatch, packet of letters
103 Looked … paper? i.e. Did he open it?
105 Presently immediately
107 heed care, attention
111 abroad out of his bedchamber
112 this this time
117 visage face
125 late former
127 clear bright
127 snuff it trim its wick
130 spleeny Lutheran hot-headed Protestant
130 wholesome beneficial, healthy
131 lie i’th’bosom of i.e. have sex with/share the secrets of
132 hard-ruled difficult to manage; possible erectile connotations
133 arch-one major, principal one (plays on “archbishop”)
134 Hath who has
136 schedule document
137 fret gnaw, fray/add frets or ridges (to aid tuning on a stringed instrument)
138 master-cord main sinew, chief string
138 on’s of his
141 portion share
146 commotion agitation
149 straight straight away
152 against toward
157 wot know
159 importing concerning
160 several parcels various pieces
160 plate gold or silver tableware
161 stuffs material, cloth
161 ornaments of household furnishings
162 proud rate great cost/vast quantity
162 outspeaks … subject far exceeds what a subject ought to own
166 withal with
168 contemplation thoughts/religious musing
169 should would be allowed (to)
171 below the moon i.e. worldly
176 stuff matter (plays on the sense of “(rich) fabric”; the king’s loaded language continues with inventory, steal, audit)
177 graces virtues
179 leisure time for contemplation
180 keep … audit see to your worldly accounts (as opposed to the spiritual reckoning at Judgment Day)
181 ill husband poor domestic manager
181 glad i.e. because Wolsey is so unconcerned with self-seeking material matters (ironic)
187 times of preservation life-sustaining activities (i.e. eating, sleeping)
187 perforce of necessity
189 tendance attention
197 crown … you i.e. by investing Wolsey with Church promotions
199 alone only
201 pared trimmed, reduced
201 havings fortune
206 prime foremost, most powerful (under the king)
207 pronounce declare
208 withal moreover, in addition
210 graces favors
211 could … requite my most deliberate efforts could repay
215 filed kept pace
216 so only to the extent
220 allegiant loyal
226 the … it “honor is the reward of virtue” was proverbial
228 foulness dishonor, public shame
232 power faculties
233 notwithstanding … duty despite your duty to the Church/beyond the debt of allegiance of any subject to his king
233 that your i.e. that
234 in love’s particular on account of the intimacy of close friendship
238 that … be I who am, have been and will be (after digressing, Wolsey never in fact finishes this sentence)
239 crack violate, destroy
242 horrid frightening
243 chiding tumultuous, angry
244 break interrupt/stem
254 chafèd enraged
255 galled wounded/angered
256 makes him nothing destroys him (the huntsman)
257 story cause/narrative
258 undone ruined
258 account may play on the sense of “story, narrative”
259 world vast quantity
261 fee pay/bribe
262 cross perverse, thwarting
263 main chief, significant
265 device strategy, trick
266 stir anger
267 take right works properly, succeeds
268 bring me off rescue me
272 meridian highest point (of the sun)
273 setting decline, sunset
274 exhalation shooting star, meteor
277 presently immediately
279 Asher House Esher House, Surrey, which belonged to Wolsey as Bishop of Winchester
282 commission warrant, authority
284 cross challenge
286 it i.e. obey their orders
289 metal material/mettle (i.e. disposition, spirit)
289 envy malice
291 sleek fawning, oily
291 wanton unprincipled, lawless, merciless
295 rewards i.e. punishments
298 enjoy use, benefit from
300 Tied authorized, confirmed
300 letters patents documents signed by the king conferring land, title or official position
305 forty hours used indefinitely to convey a broad period of time
308 scarlet sin refers to the color of a cardinal’s robes; also to Isaiah 1:18 which describes sins as “red like scarlet”
311 parts qualities
312 Weighed equaled in weight
312 of on
312 policy political strategy, cunning
314 his succour being able to help him (Buckingham)
315 fault offense
315 gav’st assigned to
319 credit reputation
322 From of
323 cause case (tried in court)
326 That I who
328 mate be a match for, contend with
334 fellow common man/servant/good-for-nothing (a contemptuous term for one of Wolsey’s status)
335 jaded deceived, made fools of (plays on the sense of “made green”)
337 dare daze
337 dare … larks birds could be caught by being distracted with a piece of scarlet cloth while nets were dropped on them; there may be an implicit reference to Joan Larke, Wolsey’s mistress
348 issues children, i.e. sons
349 he i.e. Wolsey
350 articles items in a list of formal charges
352 sacring bell small bell rung at the consecration of the host, the holiest part of the Mass (after the Reformation it signified the bell rung to announce morning prayers)
352 brown brunette/dark-complexioned (or sunburned; another dig at Wolsey, suggesting this particular lover is a common peasant)
352 wench girl of the rustic or working class/mistress
356 hand possession/handwriting
357 thus much I can say this much
357 foul plays on the sense of “illegible, blotted”
363 out be revealed
367 dare chall
enge, defy
367 objections accusations
368 want lack
369 Have at you! i.e. here I come (standard utterance at the opening of a fight)
371 wrought planned, connived, worked
371 legate one of the Pope’s representatives
374 ‘Ego … meus’ “My king and I” (Latin); literally “I and my king,” which leads Norfolk to claim that Wolsey places himself before the king; however, this is the required Latin word order and Wolsey’s real offense is to equate himself with the monarch
375 still always
379 Ambassador i.e. as Henry’s ambassador
379 emperor the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V
379 made bold dared
380 carry … seal taking the great seal of England out of the country was forbidden
380 Flanders part of the Netherlands
381 Item next (on the list; Latin)
381 commission delegation with specific instructions
382 Gregory de Cassado English ambassador to the Pope
383 allowance permission
384 Ferrara the Duke of Ferrara (one of the Italian city-states)
385 mere absolute, utter
387 innumerable substance incalculable wealth
389 furnish … dignities bribe Rome as a means of paving your way to personal titles and offices
390 to … kingdom i.e. at England’s expense
391 Many more i.e. accusations, offenses
395 virtue i.e. virtuous not to list the offenses
396 lie open are exposed, i.e. are at the mercy (of)
402 legative as a papal legate
403 praemunire the offense of recognizing papal legal authority over that of the English monarch
404 sued instituted, legally enforced
405 tenements houses/leased land or property
406 Castles some editors emend to “chattels” on the basis of the equivalent passage in Holinshed, but the Folio reading is a suitable climax to the list
407 charge order, instruction
409 For as for
416 tender young, fresh
417 blushing glowing, vibrant (perhaps with reference to the red robes of a cardinal)
419 easy comfortable, complacent
422 wanton playful, wild, careless
422 bladders inflated animal bladders used as floats
423 This (for) these
424 high-blown over-inflated (like the bladders; also a suggestion of “fully blooming,” recalling the vegetation imagery of a few lines earlier)
427 rude stream rough current
428 Vain proud/empty, meaningless/foolish, frivolous
432 aspect facial appearance/gaze (with astrological connotations of “influential position of a planet”)
432 their ruin the ruin they can cause
433 pangs pains (often applied to labor pains)
434 Lucifer the brightest angel in heaven, who rebelled, was cast into hell and became the devil
435 amazed stunned
439 decline fall
439 an if
443 happy fortunate
448 pillars may recall the silver pillars that were emblems of Wolsey’s role as cardinal
452 it i.e. self-knowledge
458 heaviest saddest/most weighty
459 displeasure disgrace
466 that so that
468 orphans the Lord Chancellor was the legal guardian of all orphans under the age of twenty-one
475 open public
476 voice talk
480 gone beyond overreached
481 In i.e. because of
483 troops retinues, groups of followers
491 hopeful promising
492 make use take advantage, profit
495 forgo forsake
503 truth loyalty
503 play the woman i.e. weep
506 dull lifeless
509 sounded fathomed, probed the depth of
509 shoals shallows
510 wreck shipwreck/ruin
512 Mark note, heed
518 Still always
530 naked defenseless
4.1 Location: a street in Westminster, London
5 all my business what I’m here for
8 general public, universal
10 royal generous/supportive of the monarchy
11 let … rights to give them their due
11 forward eager, ready
15 taken received
22 High Steward the officer presiding over the coronation
23 Earl Marshal a high-ranking state office
25 beholding beholden, indebted
30 order rank, status (i.e. other bishops)
31 late recent Dunstable Bedfordshire town, about thirty-five miles north of London
32 Ampthill Ampthill Castle, in fact nearer ten miles north of Dunstable
32 lay lodged
33 cited summoned
34 short brief
35 late scruple recent doubt (over the validity of his marriage to Katherine)
35 main assent general agreement
37 of none effect null and void
38 Kimbolton a castle in Cambridgeshire, not far from Huntingdon
41 close quiet/to one side
41.1 flourish fanfare
41.2 Garter Garter King-at-Arms, chief herald of the College of Arms and a key official in the management of royal ceremonies
41.3 demi-coronal small coronet
41.4 dove emblematic of peace
41.6 estate state
41.5 Collars of esses ornamental gold chains composed of S-shaped links
41.7 Cinque Ports five ports on the southeast coast of England, originally Dover, Hastings, Sandwich, Hythe and Romney; their barons had the right to hold the canopy over the king during processions
41.8 in her hair with her hair loose, as was customary for brides
41.9 coronal coronet
41.10 train excess material at the back of a dress
42 train retinue
46 should must
54 Indies i.e. great wealth
55 strains embraces, with suggestion of sexual exertion
56 conscience plays on the sense of “genitals”
58 cloth of honour royal canopy
59 Cinque Ports five (later seven) ports on the southeast coast of England that provided the navy and were granted privileges in return
66 falling plays on the sense of “sexually receptive”
68 broiling becoming heated, sweating (from struggling for a good view amongst a crowd of onlookers)
69 i’th’Abbey in Westminster Abbey, venue for coronations
69 finger … more perhaps with sexual connotations (especially if rankness is given its sexual sense)
71 rankness exuberance/foul (sweaty) smell/lustfulness
77 speak describe
80 fell off withdrew
83 opposing displaying
85 goodliest finest, most good-looking
87 arose perhaps with connotations of penile erection
88 shrouds ropes attached to the mast, standard part of a ship’s rigging (perhaps with phallic connotations; a rope was a slang image for a penis)
88 stiff strong; again with connotations of penile erection
90 Doublets men’s close-fitting jackets
92 Great-bellied i.e. pregnant
93 rams battering rams
94 press crowd, throng
104 royal makings trappings of royalty bestowed during a coronation
105 As such as
108 music musicians
109 Te Deum thanksgiving hymn “Te Deum laudamus” (Latin; “We praise thee O God”)
109 parted departed
110 state procession/pomp/dignity
117 lately recently
121 the one i.e. Gardiner
122 preferred promoted
129 will who will
134 Master o’th’Jewel House i.e. responsible for the Crown Je
wels in the Tower of London
140 Something … command i.e. I have some degree of influence
4.2 Location: Kimbolton Castle, Cambridgeshire
3 loaden laden, overburdened
11 happily fittingly/fortunately/perhaps
13 voice word, rumor
14 stout brave, resolute
15 brought him forward escorted him
16 tainted disgraced/corrupted
16 answer trial
18 sit sit on
20 roads stages (of the journey)
20 Leicester chief town of Leicestershire, in central England
22 convent members of the monastery
26 little earth i.e. grave
27 eagerly keenly/fiercely
33 blessèd part i.e. soul
35 speak speak of/describe
37 stomach pride/ambitious appetite
38 suggestion incitement, prompting (to wrongdoing)
39 Tied subjected, tied up
39 Simony buying and selling ecclesiastical posts
40 I’th’presence in the royal reception chamber/presence of the king
41 double duplicitous/ambiguous
43 pitiful merciful, compassionate
46 body i.e. sexual appetites, love of worldly pleasures
46 ill immoral
51 good goodness, virtues
56 to for
57 ripe mature, sophisticated
59 Lofty haughty
61 unsatisfied in getting never satisfied with what he had acquired
64 you Griffith addresses Ipswich and Oxford
65 Ipswich and Oxford Wolsey founded colleges in both towns, though only that at Oxford survived him; originally intended to be Cardinal’s College, it was renamed Christ Church
66 did made, founded
68 art scholarship
68 rising growing (in reputation and excellence; plays on the idea of physical completion)
72 little humble
79 Whom he whom (i.e. Wolsey)
80 religious conscientious
80 modesty moderation, restraint
82 set me lower i.e. help me to lie back or sit lower in the chair
84 note tune
85 knell funeral bell
86 celestial harmony i.e. heaven
86.1 tripping moving nimbly and lightly
86.3 vizards masks
86.2 bays bay-tree leaves, a symbol of triumph
86.4 congee make a formal bow
86.5 changes turns or stages of the dance
86.6 in their i.e. still
102 fancy imagination
103 music leave musicians cease
104 heavy oppressive/sorrowful
111 An’t like if it please
112 saucy insolent
115 lose give up
115 wonted accustomed
118 staying waiting
122 emperor Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, Katherine’s nephew
137 physic medicine
137 had would have
148 willing willingly