Mojo, The Bard, & Me

On each side of her, the BISHOPS OF LONDON and WINCHESTER.

-Stage Direction

King Henry The Eighth                   Act IV, Scene i,  Before Line 38

This is something I haven’t seen in the previous 326 days of Totally Random lines. Today’s line is just a piece in the middle of over 20 lines of stage direction. Here’s the whole thing

Hautboys

THE ORDER OF THE CORONATION

1. A lively flourish of Trumpets.
2. Then, two Judges.
3. Lord Chancellor, with the purse and mace before him.
4. Choristers, singing.

Music

5. Mayor of London, bearing the mace. ThenGarter, in his coat of arms, and on his
head a gilt copper crown.
6. Marquess Dorset, bearing a sceptre of gold, on his head a demi-coronal of gold. With
him, SURREY, bearing the rod of silver with the dove, crowned with an earl's coronet.
Collars of SS.
7. SUFFOLK, in his robe of estate, his coronet on his head, bearing a long white wand, as
high-steward. With him, NORFOLK, with the rod of marshalship, a coronet on his head.
Collars of SS.
8. A canopy borne by four of the Cinque-ports; under it, QUEEN ANNE in her robe; in her hair
richly adorned with pearl, crowned. On each side her, the Bishops of London and
Winchester.
9. The old Duchess of Norfolk, in a coronal of gold, wrought with flowers, bearing QUEEN
ANNE's train.
10. Certain Ladies or Countesses, with plain circlets of gold without flowers.

They pass over the stage in order and state

Yes, all of that is included as stage direction in this play. The lines before and after it are spoken by the Second Gentleman who’s talking to the First and Third Gentleman as they comment on the what’s taking place. These three gentlemen are the only speaking parts in this scene.

I don’t know if this is Will’s longest piece of stage direction, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it is.

Okay, this is not a stage directions. But they are directions; in English and Irish, just in case you don't understand one or the other.