The Autobiography of Henry VIII_ With Notes by His Fool, Will Somers - Margaret George [39]
Katherine and I entered the room first and sat in the large royal chairs in front. It was November now, and Katherine’s gowns had had to be let out. Her movements were altered, and that made me proud. My heir lay beneath those green silken folds, growing toward his birth.
Memmo’s performance was dazzling. He played for almost three hours, and there was no stirring in the court audience. They were enthralled.
Afterwards, although it was not far from midnight, we gathered round the long tables, laid out with prawn jellies and custard and fritters with manchet. The dishes were still moist and fresh: Wolsey’s choices. Everyone was talking at once, and Memmo was surrounded by admirers. That pleased me. The well-prepared repast pleased me as well. I must commend Wolsey.
Just then Wolsey appeared from a small side door, as if I had called him up. He stood inconspicuously in the corner, observing his arrangements. Another man saw him and went over to him, and they conferred for a lengthy space.
Curious as to who it was, I made my way to them. Wolsey was listening raptthed deeply. It was cold and clear, a pristine autumn night. An ideal time for star-viewing; perhaps the best in the year.
Shortly before one, More appeared. He looked around, surprised at the extent to which my roof had been transformed into a facility for the study of astronomy.
“Thank you for coming, Thomas,” I said. I gestured proudly at my equipment. “It does not rival Bologna or Padua, I know, but in time—”
“Your Grace has done marvellously well in assembling this.” He strode over to my table with the charts and astrolabe and quickly examined them. “Excellent,” he pronounced.
“I have been trying to measure Auriga,” I said.
“You must sight Capella first. Then five degrees off that—”
The time passed quickly as More showed me things in the sky I had not seen before, revealed mathematical formulae for deducing the exact time from the height of a star. We talked excitedly and never noticed how light it was growing in the eastern part of the sky. He spent a great length of time figuring precisely where Aldebaran should be, then adjusting the torquetum accordingly to find it. When indeed it was there, we both laughed and cried out in joy.
“A superlative set of brass servants,” More pronounced.
“You handle them well,” I said. “What sort do you have yourself?”
He smiled and raised his finger slowly to his eyes.
“You shall have one of these! I shall order one to be made straightway, and by spring—”
“No, Your Grace.”
That brought me up sharp. “Why not?”
“I prefer to take no gifts.”
“But this would help—”
“I prefer not.” His voice was quiet, and something in the tone reminded me ... called forth a painful remembrance.... “My good Lord Henry—”
Adieu, Lord Henry ... yes, that was it. “You recited the elegy to my mother,” I said slowly, interrupting him.
“Yes, Your Grace.” The voice was the same. Why had I not recognized it earlier? Yet it was a span of nearly seven years since I had heard it....
“And wrote it as well.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“It was—moving.” I waited for him to reply, but he merely nodded solemnly. The growing light showed his features now, but I could read nothing on them. “It meant a great deal to me.” Again he inclined his head. “Thomas —come to court! Serve me! I have need of men such as you. I wish my court to be filled with Thomas Mores.”
“Then the presence of one more or less can hardly matter.”
I had said it wrong in my excitement. “I did not mean—I meant that your presence would be precious to me.”
“I cannot, Your Grace.”
“Why not?” I burst out. All the others had come, even from the Continennd o more important things, such as finding a servant like Wolsey ready at hand, and finally to my wife, Katherine, who was pleasing to me in every way and now pleasingly great with child. I remember leaning against the window in my work closet (through which I could feel the north wind; the sash was poorly fitted) and thanking God for all my blessings.
Warham