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|
 QUEEN KATHARINE. Sir, I desire you do me right and justice, |
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| And to bestow your pity on me; for |
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| I am a most poor woman and a stranger, |
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| Born out of your dominions, having here |
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| No judge indifferent, nor no more assurance |
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| Of equal friendship and proceeding. Alas, sir, |
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| In what have I offended you? What cause |
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| Hath my behaviour given to your displeasure |
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| That thus you should proceed to put me off |
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| And take your good grace from me? Heaven witness, |
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| I have been to you a true and humble wife, |
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| At all times to your will conformable, |
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| Ever in fear to kindle your dislike, |
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| Yea, subject to your countenance—glad or sorry |
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| As I saw it inclin'd. When was the hour |
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| I ever contradicted your desire |
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| Or made it not mine too? Or which of your friends |
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| Have I not strove to love, although I knew |
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| He were mine enemy? What friend of mine |
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| That had to him deriv'd your anger did |
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| Continue in my liking? Nay, gave notice |
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| He was from thence discharg'd? Sir, call to mind |
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| That I have been your wife in this obedience |
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| Upward of twenty years, and have been blest |
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| With many children by you. If, in the course |
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| And process of this time, you can report, |
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| And prove it too against mine honour, aught, |
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| My bond to wedlock or my love and duty, |
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| Against your sacred person, in God's name, |
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| Turn me away and let the foul'st contempt |
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| Shut door upon me, and so give me up |
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| To the sharp'st kind of justice. Please you, sir, |
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| The King, your father, was reputed for |
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| A prince most prudent, of an excellent |
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| And unmatch'd wit and judgment; Ferdinand, |
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| My father, King of Spain, was reckon'd one |
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| The wisest prince that there had reign'd by many |
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| A year before. It is not to be question'd |
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| That they had gather'd a wise council to them |
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| Of every realm, that did debate this business, |
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| Who deem'd our marriage lawful. Wherefore I humbly |
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| Beseech you, sir, to spare me till I may |
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| Be by my friends in Spain advis'd, whose counsel |
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| I will implore. If not, i' th' name of God, |
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| Your pleasure be fulfill'd! |
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| WOLSEY. You have here, lady, |
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| And of your choice, these reverend fathers-men |
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| Of singular integrity and learning, |
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| Yea, the elect o' th' land, who are assembled |
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| To plead your cause. It shall be therefore bootless |
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| That longer you desire the court, as well |
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| For your own quiet as to rectify |
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| What is unsettled in the King. |
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| CAMPEIUS. His Grace |
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| Hath spoken well and justly; therefore, madam, |
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| It's fit this royal session do proceed |
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| And that, without delay, their arguments |
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| Be now produc'd and heard. |
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| QUEEN KATHARINE. Lord Cardinal, |
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| To you I speak. |
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| WOLSEY. Your pleasure, madam? |
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| QUEEN KATHARINE. Sir, |
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| I am about to weep; but, thinking that |
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| We are a queen, or long have dream'd so, certain |
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| The daughter of a king, my drops of tears |
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| I'll turn to sparks of fire. |
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| WOLSEY. Be patient yet. |
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| QUEEN KATHARINE. I will, when you are humble; nay, before |
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| Or God will punish me. I do believe, |
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| Induc'd by potent circumstances, that |
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| You are mine enemy, and make my challenge |
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| You shall not be my judge; for it is you |
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| Have blown this coal betwixt my lord and me— |
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| Which God's dew quench! Therefore I say again, |
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| I utterly abhor, yea, from my soul |
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| Refuse you for my judge, whom yet once more |
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| I hold my most malicious foe and think not |
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| At all a friend to truth. |
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| WOLSEY. I do profess |
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| You speak not like yourself, who ever yet |
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| Have stood to charity and display'd th' effects |
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| Of disposition gentle and of wisdom |
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| O'ertopping woman's pow'r. Madam, you do me wrong: |
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| I have no spleen against you, nor injustice |
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| For you or any; how far I have proceeded, |
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| Or how far further shall, is warranted |
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| By a commission from the Consistory, |
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| Yea, the whole Consistory of Rome. You charge me |
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| That I have blown this coal: I do deny it. |
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| The King is present; if it be known to him |
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| That I gainsay my deed, how may he wound, |
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| And worthily, my falsehood! Yea, as much |
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| As you have done my truth. If he know |
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| That I am free of your report, he knows |
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| I am not of your wrong. Therefore in him |
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| It lies to cure me, and the cure is to |
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| Remove these thoughts from you; the which before |
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| His Highness shall speak in, I do beseech |
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| You, gracious madam, to unthink your speaking |
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| And to say so no more. |
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| QUEEN KATHARINE. My lord, my lord, |
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| I am a simple woman, much too weak |
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| T' oppose your cunning. Y'are meek and humble-mouth'd; |
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| You sign your place and calling, in full seeming, |
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| With meekness and humility; but your heart |
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| Is cramm'd with arrogancy, spleen, and pride. |
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| You have, by fortune and his Highness' favours, |
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| Gone slightly o'er low steps, and now are mounted |
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| Where pow'rs are your retainers, and your words, |
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| Domestics to you, serve your will as't please |
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| Yourself pronounce their office. I must tell you |
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| You tender more your person's honour than |
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| Your high profession spiritual; that again |
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| I do refuse you for my judge and here, |
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| Before you all, appeal unto the Pope, |
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| To bring my whole cause 'fore his Holiness |
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| And to be judg'd by him. |
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[She curtsies to the KING, and offers todepart]
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| CAMPEIUS. The Queen is obstinate, |
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| Stubborn to justice, apt to accuse it, and |
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| Disdainful to be tried by't; 'tis not well. |
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| She's going away. |
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| KING. Call her again. |
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| CRIER. Katharine Queen of England, come into the court. |
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| GENTLEMAN USHER. Madam, you are call'd back. |
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| QUEEN KATHARINE. What need you note it? Pray you keep your way; |
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| When you are call'd, return. Now the Lord help! |
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| They vex me past my patience. Pray you pass on. |
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| I will not tarry; no, nor ever more |
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| Upon this business my appearance make |
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| In any of their courts. Exeunt QUEEN and her |
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| attendants |
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| KING. Go thy ways, Kate. |
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| That man i' th' world who shall report he has |
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| A better wife, let him in nought be trusted |
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| For speaking false in that. Thou art, alone— |
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| If thy rare qualities, sweet gentleness, |
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| Thy meekness saint-like, wife-like government, |
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| Obeying in commanding, and thy parts |
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| Sovereign and pious else, could speak thee out— |
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| The queen of earthly queens. She's noble born; |
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| And like her true nobility she has |
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| Carried herself towards me. |
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| WOLSEY. Most gracious sir, |
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| In humblest manner I require your Highness |
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| That it shall please you to declare in hearing |
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| Of all these ears—for where I am robb'd and bound, |
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| There must I be unloos'd, although not there |
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| At once and fully satisfied—whether ever I |
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| Did broach this business to your Highness, or |
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| Laid any scruple in your way which might |
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| Induce you to the question on't, or ever |
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| Have to you, but with thanks to God for such |
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| A royal lady, spake one the least word that might |
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| Be to the prejudice of her present state, |
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| Or touch of her good person? |
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| KING. My Lord Cardinal, |
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| I do excuse you; yea, upon mine honour, |
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| I free you from't. You are not to be taught |
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| That you have many enemies that know not |
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| Why they are so, but, like to village curs, |
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| Bark when their fellows do. By some of these |
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| The Queen is put in anger. Y'are excus'd. |
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| But will you be more justified? You ever |
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| Have wish'd the sleeping of this business; never desir'd |
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| It to be stirr'd; but oft have hind'red, oft, |
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| The passages made toward it. On my honour, |
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| I speak my good Lord Cardinal to this point, |
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| And thus far clear him. Now, what mov'd me to't, |
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| I will be bold with time and your attention. |
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| Then mark th' inducement. Thus it came—give heed to't: |
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| My conscience first receiv'd a tenderness, |
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| Scruple, and prick, on certain speeches utter'd |
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| By th' Bishop of Bayonne, then French ambassador, |
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| Who had been hither sent on the debating |
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| A marriage 'twixt the Duke of Orleans and |
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| Our daughter Mary. I' th' progress of this business, |
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| Ere a determinate resolution, he— |
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| I mean the Bishop-did require a respite |
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| Wherein he might the King his lord advertise |
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| Whether our daughter were legitimate, |
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| Respecting this our marriage with the dowager, |
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| Sometimes our brother's wife. This respite shook |
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| The bosom of my conscience, enter'd me, |
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| Yea, with a splitting power, and made to tremble |
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| The region of my breast, which forc'd such way |
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| That many maz'd considerings did throng |
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| And press'd in with this caution. First, methought |
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| I stood not in the smile of heaven, who had |
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| Commanded nature that my lady's womb, |
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| If it conceiv'd a male child by me, should |
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| Do no more offices of life to't than |
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| The grave does to the dead; for her male issue |
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| Or died where they were made, or shortly after |
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| This world had air'd them. Hence I took a thought |
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| This was a judgment on me, that my kingdom, |
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| Well worthy the best heir o' th' world, should not |
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| Be gladded in't by me. Then follows that |
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| I weigh'd the danger which my realms stood in |
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| By this my issue's fail, and that gave to me |
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| Many a groaning throe. Thus hulling in |
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| The wild sea of my conscience, I did steer |
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| Toward this remedy, whereupon we are |
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| Now present here together; that's to say |
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| I meant to rectify my conscience, which |
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| I then did feel full sick, and yet not well, |
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| By all the reverend fathers of the land |
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| And doctors learn'd. First, I began in private |
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| With you, my Lord of Lincoln; you remember |
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| How under my oppression I did reek, |
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| When I first mov'd you. |
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| LINCOLN. Very well, my liege. |
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| KING. I have spoke long; be pleas'd yourself to say |
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| How far you satisfied me. |
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| LINCOLN. So please your Highness, |
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| The question did at first so stagger me— |
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| Bearing a state of mighty moment in't |
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| And consequence of dread—that I committed |
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| The daring'st counsel which I had to doubt, |
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| And did entreat your Highness to this course |
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| Which you are running here. |
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| KING. I then mov'd you, |
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| My Lord of Canterbury, and got your leave |
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| To make this present summons. Unsolicited |
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| I left no reverend person in this court, |
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| But by particular consent proceeded |
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| Under your hands and seals; therefore, go on, |
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| For no dislike i' th' world against the person |
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| Of the good Queen, but the sharp thorny points |
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| Of my alleged reasons, drives this forward. |
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| Prove but our marriage lawful, by my life |
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| And kingly dignity, we are contented |
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| To wear our moral state to come with her, |
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| Katharine our queen, before the primest creature |
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| That's paragon'd o' th' world. |
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| CAMPEIUS. So please your Highness, |
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| The Queen being absent, 'tis a needful fitness |
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| That we adjourn this court till further day; |
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| Meanwhile must be an earnest motion |
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| Made to the Queen to call back her appeal |
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| She intends unto his Holiness. |
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| KING.[Aside]I may perceive |
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| These cardinals trifle with me. I abhor |
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| This dilatory sloth and tricks of Rome. |
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| My learn'd and well-beloved servant, Cranmer, |
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| Prithee return. With thy approach I know |
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| My comfort comes along.—Break up the court; |
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| I say, set on. Exuent in manner as they |
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| entered |
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