For your own quiet, as to rectifie
What is unfettled in the King.
Cam. His Grace
Hath fpoken well, and juftly; therefore, Madam,
It's fit this Royal Seffion do proceed,
And that, without delay, their Arguments
Be now produc'd, and heard.
Queen. Lord Cardinal, to you I fpeak.
Wol. Your pleafure, Madam.
Queen. Sir, I am about to weep; but thinking that
We are a Queen, or long have dream'd fo, certain
The Daughter of a King, my drops of Tears
I'll turn to fparks of Fire.
Wol. Be patient yet→→→→→→→
Queen. I will, when you are humble, nay before,
Or God will punish me. I do believe,
Induc'd by potent Circumftances, that
You are mine Enemy, and make my Challenge.
You shall not be my Judge. For it is you
Have blown this Coal, betwixt my Lord and me,
Which God's dew quench; therefore, I fay again,
I utterly abhor, yea, from my Soul
Refuse you for my Judge, whom yet once more
I hold my moft malicious Foe, and think not
At all a Friend to Truth.
You fpeak not like your felf, who ever yet
Have food to Charity, and display'd th' effects
Of Difpofition gentle, and of Wisdom:
O'er-topping Woman's power. Madam, you do me wrong,
I have no Spleen against you, nor Injustice
For you, or any; how far I have proceeded,
Or how far further fall, is warranted
By a Commiffion from the Confiftory,
Yea, the whole Confiftory of Rome. You charge me,
Tha I have blown this Coal; I do deny it,
The King is prefent: If it be known to him,
That I gainfay my Deed, how may he wound,"
And worthily, my Falfhood? yea, as much
As you have done my Truth. If he know
That I am free of your Report, he knows
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 (peak 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 seeming,
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 pleafe
You felf pronounce their Office. I must tell you,
You tender more your Perfon's Honour, than
Your high Profeffion Spiritual. That again
I do refufe 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 curifies 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 th t; thou art alone,
If thy rare Qualities, fweet Gentleness,
Thy Meeknels 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, he has
Carried her felf towards me.
Wol. Moft gracious Sir,
In humbleft manner I require your Highness
That it shall please you to declare in hearing
Of all these Ears (for where I am robb'd and bound,
There muft I be unloos'd, although not there
At once, and fully fatisfy'd) whether ever I
Did broach this Bufinefs to your Highnefs, or
• Laid any fcruple in your way, which might
Induce you to the question 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 fome of these
The Queen is put in anger; y'are excus'd:
But will you be more juftify'd? You ever
Having with❜d the fleeping of this Bufinefs, never defir'd
It to be ftirr'd; but oft have hindred, oft,
The Paffages made towards 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 Conscience first receiv'd a tenderness,
Scruple, and prick, on certain Speeches utter'd
By the Bishop of Bayon, then French Ambaffador,
Who had been hither fent on the debating
And Marriage 'twixt the Duke of Orleans, and
Our Daughter Mary: I'th' Progress of this bufinefs,
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,
Sometime our Brother's Wife. This refpite fhook
The bofom of my Confcience, enter'd me,
Yea, with a fplitting 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-Iffue,
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 Conscience, I did steer
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 learred. First, I began in private,
With you, my Lord of Lincoln; you remember
How under my Oppreffion I did reel,
When I fift mov'd you.
Lin. Very well, my Liege.
King. I have fpoke long, be pleas'd your felf to fay
How far you fatisfy'd me.
Lin. So please your Highness,
The Queft on did at firft fo ftagger me,
Bearing a ftate of mighty moment în't,
And confequence of dread, that I committed
The daring'ft Councel which I had to doubt,
And did intreat your Highnefs 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 ro reverend Perfon in this Court,
But by particular confent proceeded
Under your Hands ard Seals; therefore go on,
For no diflike i'th' World against the Perfon
Of our good Queen, but the sharp 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:
Queen. TAKE thy Lute, Wench,
My Soul grows fad with Troubles,
Sing, and difperfe 'em if thou can'ft: leave working.
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