I am not of your Wrong. Therefore in him
It lyes to cure me, and the Cure is to
Remove these thoughts from you. The which before
His Highness fhall fpeak in, I do befeech
You, gracious Madam, to unthink your speaking,
And to fay no more.
Queen. My Lord, my Lord,
I am a fimple Woman, much too weak
T'oppofe your Cunning. Y'are meek, and humble mouth'd,
You fign your Place and Calling, in full feeming,
With Meeknefs and Humility; but your Heart
Is cramm'd with Arrogance, Spleen and Pride,
You have by Fortune and his Highness Favours,
Gone flightly o'er low Steps, and now are mounted
Where Powers are your Retainers, and your Words,
Domesticks to you, ferve your Will, as't please
Your felf pronounce their Office. I must tell you,
You tender more your Perfon's Honour, than
Your high Profeffion Spiritual. That again.
I do refuse you for my Judge, and here
Before you all, Appeal unto the Pope,
To bring my whole Caufe 'fore his Holiness,
And to be judg'd by him.
She curtfies to the King, and offers to depart.
Cam. The Queen is obftinate,
Stubborn to Juftice, apt to accufe it, and
Difdainful to be try'd by't; 'tis not well.
She's going away.
King Call her again.
Cryer. Katherine, Queen of England, come into the Court. Uber. Madam, you are call'd back.
Queen. What need you note it? pray you keep your way,
When you are call'd, return. Now the Lord help,
They vex me paft my patience-----pray you pass on ;
I will not tarry; no, nor ever more
Upon this bufinefs my appearance make
In any of their Courts.
[Exeunt Queen, and her Attendants. King. Go thy ways, Kate,
That Man i'th' World, who fhall report he has
A better Wife, let him in nought be trufted,
For fpeaking falfe in that; thou art alone,
If thy rare Qualities, fweet Gentleness,
Thy Meeknefs Saint-like, Wife-like Government;
Obeying in commanding, and thy Parts
Sovereign and Pious, could fpeak thee out,
The Queen of earthly Queens: She's Noble born ;
And like her true Nobility, fhe has
Carried her felf towards me.
In humbleft manner I require your Highness,
That it shall pleafe you to declare in hearing
Of all thefe Ears (for where I am robb'd and bound
There must I be unloos'd, although not there
At once, and fully fatisfy'd) whether ever I
Did broach this Bufinefs to your Highness, or
Laid any fcruple in your way, which might
Induce you to the queftion on't; or ever
Have to you, but with thanks to God for fuch
A Royal Lady, fpake one, the leaft word that might
Be the prejudice of her prefent State,
Or touch of her good Perfon?
King. My Lord Cardinal,
I do excufe you; yea, upon mine Honour,
I free you from't: You are not to be taught,
That you have many Enemies, that know not
Why they are fo, but like the Village Curs,
Bark when their fellows do. By some of these
The Queen is put in anger; y'are excus'd:
But will you be more juftify'd? You ever
Have wish'd the fleeping of this Bufinefs, never defir'd
It to be ftirr'd; but oft have hindred, oft,
The Paffages made toward it; on my Honour,
I fpeak my good Lord Cardinal to this point;
And thus far clear him.
Now, what mov'd me to't,
I will be bold with time and your attention:
Then mark th'inducement. Thus it came; give heed to't:
My Confcience firft receiv'd a tenderness,
Scruple, and prick, on certain Speeches utter'd
By the Bishop of Bayon, then French Ambassador,
Who had been hither fent on the debating
And Marriage 'twixt the Duke of Orleans, and
Our Daughter Mary: I'th' Progrefs of this business,
E'er a determinate refolution, he,
I mean the Bishop, did require a refpite,
Wherein he might the King his Lord advertise,
Whether our Daughter were Legitimate,
Refpecting this our Marriage with the Dowager,
Sometimes our Brother's Wife. This refpite hook
The bofom of my Confcience, enter'd me,
Yea, with a splitting Power, and made to tremble
The region of my Breaft, which forc'd fuch way,
That many maz'd Confiderings did throng
And preft in with this Caution. Firft, methought
I ftood not in the fmile of Heav'n, who had
Commanded Nature, that my Lady's Womb,
If it conceiv'd a Male-child by me; fhould
Do no more Offices of Life to't, than
The Grave does to th' Dead; for her Male-Iffu,
Or died where they were made, or shortly after
This World had air'd them. Hence I took a thought,
This was a Judgment on me, that my Kingdom,
Well worthy the beft Heir o'th' World, fhould not
Be glad in't by me. Then follows, that
I weigh'd the Danger which my Realms stood in
By this my Iffues fail, and that gave to me
Many a groaning throw; thus hulling in
The wild Sea of my Confcience, I did fteer
Towards this Remedy, whereupon we are
Now prefent here together; that's to fay,
I meant to rectifie my Confcience, which
I then did feel full fick, and yet not well,
By all the Reverend Fathers of the Land,
And Doctors learned. First, I began in private,
With
you, my Lord of Lincoln; you remember
How under my Oppreffion I did reel,
When I first mov'd you.
Lin. Very well, my Liege.
King. I have fpoke long, be pleas'd your self to fay
How far you fatisfy'd me.
Lin. So please your Highness,
The Queftion did at firft fo ftagger me,
Bearing a ftate of mighty moment in't,
And confequence of dread, that I committed
The daring'ft Councel which I had to doubt,
And did intreat your Highness to this Course,
Which you are running here.
King. I then mov'd you,
My Lord of Canterbury, and got your leave
To make this prefent Summons unfollicited.
I left no reverend Perfon in this Court,
But by particular confent proceeded
Under your Hands and Seals; therefore go on,
For no diflike i'th' World against the Perfon
Of our good Quden, but the fharp thorny Points
Of my alledged Reafons, drives this forward:
Prove but our Marriage lawful, by my Life
And kingly Dignity, we are contented
To wear our mortal State to come, with her
(Katharine our Queen) before the primeft Creature
That's Paragon'd o'th' World.
Cam. So please your Highness,
The Queen being abfent, 'tis a needful fitness,
That we Adjourn this Court to a further day;
Mean while must be an earnest motion
Made to the Queen, to call back her Appeal
She intends unto his Holiness.
Thefe Cardinals trifle with me: I abhor
This dilatory Sloth, and Tricks of Rome.
My learned and well-beloved Servant Cranmer,
Prithee return; with thy approach, I know,
My comfort comes along: break up the Court;
I fay, fet on.
[Exeunt, in manner as they enter'd. •
Enter Queen and her Women, as at Work
AKE thy Lute, Wench,
My Soul grows fad with Troubles,
Sing, and difperfe 'em if thou can'ft: leave working.
Rpheus, with his Lute, made Trees,
And the Mountain tops, that freeze,
Bow themselves when he did fing.
To his Mufick, Plants and Flowers
Ever Spring, as Sun and Showers
There had made a lafting Spring.
Every thing that heard him play,
Even the Billows of the Sea,
Hung their Heads, and then lay by.
In fweet Mufick is such Art,
Killing Care, and Grief of Heart,
Fall asleep, or hearing dye.
Gent. And't pleafe your Grace, the two great Cardinals Wait in the Prefence.
Queen. Would they fpeak with me?
Gent. They will'd me fay fo, Madam.
Queen. Pray their Graces
To come near; what can be their Bufinefs
With me, a poor weak Woman, fall'n from Favour?
I do not like their coming. Now I think on't,
They fhould be good Men, their Affairs are Righteous, But, All Hoods make not Monks.
Enter the Cardinals Wolfey and Campeius.
Wol. Peace to your Highness.
Queen. Your Graces find me here part of a Houfe-wife
(I would be all) against the worft may happen:
What are your Pleafures with me, Reverend Lords?
Wol. May it pleafe you, Noble Madam, to withdraw
Into your private Chamber; we fhall give you
The full Caufe of our coming.
There's nothing I have done yet, o'my Confcience,
Deferves a Corner; would all other Women
Could fpeak this with as free a Soul, as I do:
My Lords, I care not (fo much I am happy
Above a number) if my Actions
VOL. IV.
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