Open Source Shakespeare

Speeches (Lines) for Earl of Surrey
in "Henry VIII"

Total: 24

# Act, Scene, Line
(Click to see in context)
Speech text

1

III,2,1834

Duke of Norfolk. If you will now unite in your complaints,
And force them with a constancy, the cardinal
Cannot stand under them: if you omit
The offer of this time, I cannot promise
But that you shall sustain moe new disgraces,
With these you bear already.

Earl of Surrey. I am joyful
To meet the least occasion that may give me
Remembrance of my father-in-law, the duke,
To be revenged on him.


2

III,2,1855

Duke of Norfolk. O, fear him not;
His spell in that is out: the king hath found
Matter against him that for ever mars
The honey of his language. No, he's settled,
Not to come off, in his displeasure.

Earl of Surrey. Sir,
I should be glad to hear such news as this
Once every hour.


3

III,2,1862

Duke of Norfolk. Believe it, this is true:
In the divorce his contrary proceedings
Are all unfolded wherein he appears
As I would wish mine enemy.

Earl of Surrey. How came
His practises to light?


4

III,2,1865

Duke of Suffolk. Most strangely.

Earl of Surrey. O, how, how?


5

III,2,1873

Duke of Suffolk. The cardinal's letters to the pope miscarried,
And came to the eye o' the king: wherein was read,
How that the cardinal did entreat his holiness
To stay the judgment o' the divorce; for if
It did take place, 'I do,' quoth he, 'perceive
My king is tangled in affection to
A creature of the queen's, Lady Anne Bullen.'

Earl of Surrey. Has the king this?


6

III,2,1875

Duke of Suffolk. Believe it.

Earl of Surrey. Will this work?


7

III,2,1881

Lord Chamberlain. The king in this perceives him, how he coasts
And hedges his own way. But in this point
All his tricks founder, and he brings his physic
After his patient's death: the king already
Hath married the fair lady.

Earl of Surrey. Would he had!


8

III,2,1884

Duke of Suffolk. May you be happy in your wish, my lord
For, I profess, you have it.

Earl of Surrey. Now, all my joy
Trace the conjunction!


9

III,2,1895

Duke of Suffolk. There's order given for her coronation:
Marry, this is yet but young, and may be left
To some ears unrecounted. But, my lords,
She is a gallant creature, and complete
In mind and feature: I persuade me, from her
Will fall some blessing to this land, which shall
In it be memorised.

Earl of Surrey. But, will the king
Digest this letter of the cardinal's?
The Lord forbid!


10

III,2,1953

Duke of Suffolk. May be, he hears the king
Does whet his anger to him.

Earl of Surrey. Sharp enough,
Lord, for thy justice!


11

III,2,1968

Duke of Norfolk. He is vex'd at something.

Earl of Surrey. I would 'twere something that would fret the string,
The master-cord on's heart!


12

III,2,2038

Cardinal Wolsey. [Aside] What should this mean?

Earl of Surrey. [Aside] The Lord increase this business!


13

III,2,2140

Cardinal Wolsey. Till I find more than will or words to do it,
I mean your malice, know, officious lords,
I dare and must deny it. Now I feel
Of what coarse metal ye are moulded, envy:
How eagerly ye follow my disgraces,
As if it fed ye! and how sleek and wanton
Ye appear in every thing may bring my ruin!
Follow your envious courses, men of malice;
You have Christian warrant for 'em, and, no doubt,
In time will find their fit rewards. That seal,
You ask with such a violence, the king,
Mine and your master, with his own hand gave me;
Bade me enjoy it, with the place and honours,
During my life; and, to confirm his goodness,
Tied it by letters-patents: now, who'll take it?

Earl of Surrey. The king, that gave it.


14

III,2,2142

Cardinal Wolsey. It must be himself, then.

Earl of Surrey. Thou art a proud traitor, priest.


15

III,2,2146

Cardinal Wolsey. Proud lord, thou liest:
Within these forty hours Surrey durst better
Have burnt that tongue than said so.

Earl of Surrey. Thy ambition,
Thou scarlet sin, robb'd this bewailing land
Of noble Buckingham, my father-in-law:
The heads of all thy brother cardinals,
With thee and all thy best parts bound together,
Weigh'd not a hair of his. Plague of your policy!
You sent me deputy for Ireland;
Far from his succor, from the king, from all
That might have mercy on the fault thou gavest him;
Whilst your great goodness, out of holy pity,
Absolved him with an axe.


16

III,2,2169

Cardinal Wolsey. This, and all else
This talking lord can lay upon my credit,
I answer is most false. The duke by law
Found his deserts: how innocent I was
From any private malice in his end,
His noble jury and foul cause can witness.
If I loved many words, lord, I should tell you
You have as little honesty as honour,
That in the way of loyalty and truth
Toward the king, my ever royal master,
Dare mate a sounder man than Surrey can be,
And all that love his follies.

Earl of Surrey. By my soul,
Your long coat, priest, protects you; thou
shouldst feel
My sword i' the life-blood of thee else. My lords,
Can ye endure to hear this arrogance?
And from this fellow? if we live thus tamely,
To be thus jaded by a piece of scarlet,
Farewell nobility; let his grace go forward,
And dare us with his cap like larks.


17

III,2,2180

Cardinal Wolsey. All goodness
Is poison to thy stomach.

Earl of Surrey. Yes, that goodness
Of gleaning all the land's wealth into one,
Into your own hands, cardinal, by extortion;
The goodness of your intercepted packets
You writ to the pope against the king: your goodness,
Since you provoke me, shall be most notorious.
My Lord of Norfolk, as you are truly noble,
As you respect the common good, the state
Of our despised nobility, our issues,
Who, if he live, will scarce be gentlemen,
Produce the grand sum of his sins, the articles
Collected from his life. I'll startle you
Worse than the scaring bell, when the brown wench
Lay kissing in your arms, lord cardinal.


18

III,2,2201

Cardinal Wolsey. So much fairer
And spotless shall mine innocence arise,
When the king knows my truth.

Earl of Surrey. This cannot save you:
I thank my memory, I yet remember
Some of these articles; and out they shall.
Now, if you can blush and cry 'guilty,' cardinal,
You'll show a little honesty.


19

III,2,2209

Cardinal Wolsey. Speak on, sir;
I dare your worst objections: if I blush,
It is to see a nobleman want manners.

Earl of Surrey. I had rather want those than my head. Have at you!
First, that, without the king's assent or knowledge,
You wrought to be a legate; by which power
You maim'd the jurisdiction of all bishops.


20

III,2,2221

Duke of Suffolk. Then that, without the knowledge
Either of king or council, when you went
Ambassador to the emperor, you made bold
To carry into Flanders the great seal.

Earl of Surrey. Item, you sent a large commission
To Gregory de Cassado, to conclude,
Without the king's will or the state's allowance,
A league between his highness and Ferrara.


21

III,2,2227

Duke of Suffolk. That, out of mere ambition, you have caused
Your holy hat to be stamp'd on the king's coin.

Earl of Surrey. Then that you have sent innumerable substance—
By what means got, I leave to your own conscience—
To furnish Rome, and to prepare the ways
You have for dignities; to the mere undoing
Of all the kingdom. Many more there are;
Which, since they are of you, and odious,
I will not taint my mouth with.


22

III,2,2239

Lord 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.

Earl of Surrey. I forgive him.


23

V,3,3176

Lord Chamberlain. This is the king's ring.

Earl of Surrey. 'Tis no counterfeit.


24

V,3,3213

Henry VIII. You were ever good at sudden commendations,
Bishop of Winchester. But know, I come not
To hear such flattery now, and in my presence;
They are too thin and bare to hide offences.
To me you cannot reach, you play the spaniel,
And think with wagging of your tongue to win me;
But, whatsoe'er thou takest me for, I'm sure
Thou hast a cruel nature and a bloody.
[To CRANMER]
Good man, sit down. Now let me see the proudest
He, that dares most, but wag his finger at thee:
By all that's holy, he had better starve
Than but once think this place becomes thee not.

Earl of Surrey. May it please your grace,—