The arden shakespeare co.., p.252
The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works, page 252
Against your sacred person, in God’s name
Turn me away and let the foulest contempt
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Shut door upon me, and so give me up
To the sharpest kind of justice. Please you, sir,
The King your father was reputed for
A prince most prudent, of an excellent
And unmatched wit and judgement. Ferdinand,
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My father, King of Spain, was reckoned one
The wisest prince that there had reigned by many
A year before. It is not to be questioned
That they had gathered a wise council to them
Of every realm, that did debate this business,
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Who deemed our marriage lawful. Wherefore I humbly
Beseech you, sir, to spare me till I may
Be by my friends in Spain advised, whose counsel
I will implore. If not, i’th’ name of God,
Your pleasure be fulfilled.
WOLSEY You have here, lady,
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And of your choice, these reverend fathers, men
Of singular integrity and learning,
Yea, the elect o’th’ land, who are assembled
To plead your cause. It shall be therefore bootless
That longer you desire the court, as well
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For your own quiet as to rectify
What is unsettled in the King.
CAMPEIUS His grace
Hath spoken well and justly. Therefore, madam,
It’s fit this royal session do proceed
And that without delay their arguments
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Be now produced and heard.
KATHERINE Lord Cardinal,
To you I speak.
WOLSEY Your pleasure, madam.
KATHERINE Sir,
I am about to weep; but, thinking that
We are a queen, or long have dreamed so, certain
The daughter of a king, my drops of tears
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I’ll turn to sparks of fire.
WOLSEY Be patient yet.
KATHERINE I will, when you are humble – nay, before,
Or God will punish me. I do believe,
Induced by potent circumstances, that
You are mine enemy, and make my challenge
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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 say again,
I utterly abhor, yea, from my soul
Refuse you for my judge, whom yet once more
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I hold my most malicious foe and think not
At all a friend to truth.
WOLSEY I do profess
You speak not like yourself, who ever yet
Have stood to charity and displayed th’effects
Of disposition gentle and of wisdom
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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 shall, is warranted
By a commission from the Consistory,
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Yea, the whole Consistory of Rome. You charge me
That I have ‘blown this coal’: I do deny it.
The King is present. If it be known to him
That I gainsay my deed, how may he wound,
And worthily, my falsehood – yea, as much
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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 lies to cure me, and the cure is to
Remove these thoughts from you, the which before
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His highness shall speak in, I do beseech
You, gracious madam, to unthink your speaking,
And to say so no more.
KATHERINE My lord, my lord,
I am a simple woman, much too weak
T’oppose your cunning. You’re meek and humble-mouthed;
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You sign your place and calling, in full seeming,
With meekness and humility; but your heart
Is crammed with arrogancy, spleen and pride.
You have, by fortune and his highness’ favours,
Gone slightly o’er low steps, and now are mounted
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Where powers are your retainers, and your words,
Domestics to you, serve your will as’t please
Yourself pronounce their office. I must tell you,
You tender more your person’s honour than
Your high profession spiritual; that again
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I do refuse you for my judge; and here
Before you all, appeal unto the Pope,
To bring my whole cause ’fore His Holiness,
And to be judged by him.
[She curtsies to the King and offers to depart.]
CAMPEIUS The Queen is obstinate,
Stubborn to justice, apt to accuse it, and
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Disdainful to be tried by’t. ’Tis not well.
She’s going away.
KING Call her again.
CRIER
Katherine, Queen of England, come into the court!
GRIFFITH Madam, you are called back.
KATHERINE
What need you note it? Pray you keep your way.
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When you are called, return. Now the Lord help:
They vex me past my patience. Pray you, pass on.
I will not tarry: no, nor ever more
Upon this business my appearance make
In any of their courts.
Exeunt Queen and her attendants.
KING Go thy ways, Kate.
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That man i’th’ world who shall report he has
A better wife, let him in naught be trusted
For speaking false in that. Thou art alone –
If thy rare qualities, sweet gentleness,
Thy meekness saint-like, wife-like government,
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Obeying in commanding, and thy parts
Sovereign and pious else, could speak thee out –
The queen of earthly queens. She’s noble born,
And like her true nobility she has
Carried herself towards me.
WOLSEY Most gracious sir,
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In humblest manner I require your highness
That it shall please you to declare in hearing
Of all these ears – for where I am robbed and bound,
There must I be unloosed, although not there
At once and fully satisfied – whether ever I
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Did broach this business to your highness, or
Laid any scruple in your way which might
Induce you to the question on’t, or ever
Have to you, but with thanks to God for such
A royal lady, spake one the least word that might
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Be to the prejudice of her present state
Or touch of her good person?
KING My lord Cardinal,
I do excuse you – yea, upon mine honour,
I free you from’t. You are not to be taught
That you have many enemies that know not
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Why they are so but, like to village curs,
Bark when their fellows do. By some of these
The Queen is put in anger. You’re excused.
But will you be more justified? You ever
Have wished the sleeping of this business, never desired
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It to be stirred, but oft have hindered, oft,
The passages made toward it. On my honour,
I speak my good lord Cardinal to this point
And thus far clear him. Now, what moved me to’t,
I will be bold with time and your attention:
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Then mark th’inducement. Thus it came: give heed to’t.
My conscience first received a tenderness,
Scruple and prick on certain speeches uttered
By th’ Bishop of Bayonne, then French ambassador,
Who had been hither sent on the debating
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A marriage ’twixt the Duke of Orléans and
Our daughter Mary. I’th’ progress of this business,
Ere a determinate resolution, he –
I mean the Bishop – did require a respite,
Wherein he might the King his lord advertise
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Whether our daughter were legitimate
Respecting this our marriage with the dowager,
Sometimes our brother’s wife. This respite shook
The bosom of my conscience, entered me,
Yea, with a spitting power, and made to tremble
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The region of my breast; which forced such way
That many mazed considerings did throng
And pressed in with this caution. First, methought
I stood not in the smile of heaven, who had
Commanded nature that my lady’s womb,
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If it conceived a male child by me, should
Do no more offices of life to’t than
The grave does to th’ dead: for her male issue
Or died where they were made, or shortly after
This world had aired them. Hence I took a thought
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This was a judgement on me, that my kingdom –
Well worthy the best heir o’th’ world – should not
Be gladded in’t by me. Then follows that
I weighed the danger which my realms stood in
By this my issue’s fail, and that gave to me
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Many a groaning throe. Thus hulling in
The wild sea of my conscience, I did steer
Toward this remedy whereupon we are
Now present here together: that’s to say,
I meant to rectify my conscience – which
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I then did feel full sick, 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 oppression I did reek
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When I first moved you?
LINCOLN Very well, my liege.
KING I have spoke long. Be pleased yourself to say
How far you satisfied me.
LINCOLN So please your highness,
The question did at first so stagger me,
Bearing a state of mighty moment in’t
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And consequence of dread, that I committed
The daringest counsel which I had to doubt
And did entreat your highness to this course
Which you are running here.
KING I then moved you,
My lord of Canterbury, and got your leave
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To make this present summons. Unsolicited
I left no reverend person in this court,
But by particular consent proceeded
Under your hands and seals. Therefore go on,
For no dislike i’th’ world against the person
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Of the good Queen, but the sharp thorny points
Of my alleged reasons, 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,
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Katherine, our Queen, before the primest creature
That’s paragoned o’th’ world.
CAMPEIUS So please your highness,
The Queen being absent, ’tis a needful fitness
That we adjourn this court till further day.
Meanwhile must be an earnest motion
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Made to the Queen to call back her appeal
She intends unto His Holiness.
KING [aside] I may perceive
These cardinals trifle with me. I abhor
This dilatory sloth and tricks of Rome.
My learned and well-beloved servant, Cranmer,
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Prithee return. With thy approach I know
My comfort comes along. – Break up the court!
I say, set on. Exeunt in manner as they entered.
3.1 Enter Queen KATHERINE and her Women, as at work.
KATHERINE
Take thy lute, wench. My soul grows sad with troubles.
Sing, and disperse ’em if thou canst. Leave working.
