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Sir Thomas More: Act IV, Scene 2

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Sir Thomas More
Act IV, Scene 2

Chelsea.

  1. Enter the Lady More, her two Daughters, and Master Roper, as
  2. walking.

Roper

1
  1. Madame, what ails ye for to look so sad?

Lady More

2 - 6
  1. Troth, son, I know not what; I am not sick,
  2. And yet I am not well. I would be merry;
  3. But somewhat lies so heavy on heart,
  4. I cannot choose but sigh. You are a scholar;
  5. I pray ye, tell me, may one credit dreams?

Roper

7
  1. Why ask you that, dear madame?

Lady More

8 - 25
  1. Because tonight I had the strangest dream
  2. That ere my sleep was troubled with. Methought ’twas night,
  3. And that the King and Queen went on the Thames
  4. In barges to hear music. My lord and I
  5. Were in a little boat methought,—Lord, Lord,
  6. What strange things live in slumbers!—and, being near,
  7. We grappled to the barge that bare the king.
  8. But after many pleasing voices spent
  9. In that still moving music house, methought
  10. The violence of the stream did sever us
  11. Quite from the golden fleet, and hurried us
  12. Unto the bridge, which with unused horror
  13. We entered at full tide. Thence some slight shoot
  14. Being carried by the waves, our boat stood still
  15. Just opposite the Tower, and there it turned
  16. And turned about, as when a whirl-pool sucks
  17. The circled waters. Methought that we both cried,
  18. Till that we sunk. Where arm in arm we died.

Roper

26 - 27
  1. Give no respect, dear madame, to fond dreams:
  2. They are but slight illusions of the blood.

Lady More

28 - 31
  1. Tell me not all are so; for often dreams
  2. Are true diviners, either of good or ill:
  3. I cannot be in quiet till I hear
  4. How my lord fares.

Roper

32 - 36
  1. Aside.
  2.                    No it. Come hither, wife:
  3. I will not fright thy mother, to interpret
  4. The nature of a dream; but trust me, sweet,
  5. This night I have been troubled with thy father
  6. Beyond all thought.

Roper’s Wife

37 - 42
  1.                     Truly, and so have I:
  2. Methought I saw him here in Chelsea Church,
  3. Standing upon the roodloft, now defac’d;
  4. And whilst he kneeled and prayed before the image,
  5. It fell with him into the upper-choir,
  6. Where my poor father lay all stained in blood.

Roper

43 - 44
  1. Our dreams all meet in one conclusion,
  2. Fatal, I fear.

Lady More

45
  1. What’s that you talk? I pray ye, let me know it.

Roper’s Wife

46
  1. Nothing, good mother.

Lady More

47 - 50
  1. This is your fashion still; I must know nothing.
  2. Call Master Catesby; he shall straight to court,
  3. And see how my lord does. I shall not rest,
  4. Until my heart leave panting on his breast.
  1. Enter Sir Thomas More merrily, Servants attending.

Daughter to More

51
  1. See where my father comes, joyful and merry.

More

52 - 59
  1. As seamen, having passed a troubled storm,
  2. Dance on the pleasant shore; so I—oh, I could speak
  3. Now like a poet! Now, afore God, I am passing light!—
  4. Wife, give me kind welcome. Thou wast wont to blame
  5. My kissing when my beard was in the stubble;
  6. But I have been trimmed of late; I have had
  7. A smooth court shaving, in good faith, I have.
  8. Daughters kneel.
  9. God bless ye!—Son Roper, give me your hand.

Roper

60
  1. Your honor’s welcome home.

More

61 - 62
  1.                            Honor! Ha ha!
  2. And how dost, wife?

Roper

63
  1.                     He bears himself most strangely.

Lady More

64
  1. Will your lordship in?

More

65 - 66
  1.                        Lordship! No, wife, that’s gone:
  2. The ground was slight that we did lean upon.

Lady More

67 - 68
  1. Lord, that your honor ne’er will leave these jests!
  2. In faith, it ill becomes ye.

More

69 - 71
  1.                              Oh, good wife,
  2. Honor and jests are both together fled;
  3. The merriest councillor of England’s dead.

Lady More

72
  1. Who’s that, my lord?

More

73
  1.                      Still lord! The Lord Chancellor, wife.

Lady More

74
  1. That’s you.

More

75 - 80
  1.             Certain; but I have changed my life.
  2. Am I not leaner than I was before?
  3. The fat is gone; my title’s only More.
  4. Contented with one style, I’ll live at rest:
  5. They that have many names are not still best.
  6. I have resigned mine office. Count’st me not wise?

Lady More

81
  1. Oh God!

More

82 - 83
  1. Come, breed not female children in your eyes:
  2. The king will have it so.

Lady More

84
  1.                           What’s the offense?

More

85 - 87
  1. Tush, let that pass; we’ll talk of that anon.
  2. The king seems a physician to my fate;
  3. His princely mind would train me back to state.

Roper

88
  1. Then be his patient, my most honored father.

More

89 - 96
  1. Oh, son Roper,
  2. Ubi turpis est medicine, sanari piget!—
  3. No, wife, be merry;—and be merry, all:
  4. You smiled at rising, weep not at my fall.
  5. Let’s in, and hear joy like to private friends,
  6. Since days of pleasure have repentant ends:
  7. The light of greatness is with triumph born;
  8. It sets at midday oft with public scorn.
  1. Exeunt.
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