ROCHFORD. Anne, please.

ANNE. Farnham Forest, there’s a wise man there.

ROCHFORD. You have a fever! Back into bed, now.

ANNE. The man in the forest tells me about God.

Enter HENRY, CROMWELL behind, and behind him SLOOP and SIMPKIN.

HENRY stands over ANNE. Everyone else backs away.

HENRY is very gentle in this scene, no trace of anger.

HENRY. My love.

ANNE. Have you come to take it away?

HENRY. Take away what, my love?

ANNE. My dress.

HENRY. Why should I do that?

ANNE. Because I was made Queen in it. And now they won’t let me be Queen any more.

LADY ROCHFORD starts forward.

ROCHFORD. Sire, the Queen is feverish after the birth…

HENRY waves her away. He stoops and takes ANNE in his arms.

HENRY. You know me, Anne?

She looks at him. He strokes her face.

ANNE. My Lord, I… I was at my coronation, the great pillars of the Abbey all around me, and they became trees, and I was in a forest talking to… (Stops.) A man. Some man. I don’t know.

HENRY. The child is healthy. I am going to call her Elizabeth, after her two grandmothers.

ANNE. You’ve seen her?

HENRY. Oh, yes, the midwives brought her to me. She has eyes like mine.

ANNE. She is not. She is not…

HENRY. There is time, Anne. We are still young.

He kisses her lips. He stands and turns to the others.

(Publicly. Smiling.) By the Grace of God this day, is born the Princess Elizabeth! And Her Majesty the Queen and I are still young, we are still young!

Applause, music, HENRY sweeps away and exits.

ANNE. Dress me.

ROCHFORD. Your Majesty, I don’t think…

ANNE. Dress me. I want the Court to see me. I want them to see I’m joyful and healthy and me. Me.

LADY ROCHFORD helps her to her feet. They all exit.

Scene Four

Enter CROMWELL, SIMPKIN and SLOOP. SIMPKIN has a portable writing tray around his neck and is reading a paper, quill in hand.

CROMWELL. Read that back.

SIMPKIN. ‘Where by sundry old histories and chronicles…’

CROMWELL. ‘…old authentic histories and chronicles…’

SIMPKIN. ‘Where by divers sundry old authentic histories and chronicles, it is manifestly declared and expressed that this realm of England is an Empire governed by one Supreme Head and King…’

CROMWELL. No no, stiffen that up ‘…that this realm of England is an Empire…’ then put in ‘…and so has been accepted in the world…’

SIMPKIN and SLOOP look at each other, exhausted.

What?

SLOOP. We thought a little time for dinner…

CROMWELL. We are cutting down the Pope’s power in England and all you can think of is dinner?

SIMPKIN. The smells of the kitchen do come up the stairs…

SLOOP. Roast hog. Little squirts of fat through the crackling…

CROMWELL stares at him.

I can see… the little… squirts.