1    Whilst our commission from Rome is read,
2    Let silence be commanded.

3    What's the need?
4    It hath already publicly been read,
5    And on all sides the authority allow'd;
6    You may, then, spare that time.

7    Be't so. Proceed.

8    Say, Henry King of England, come into the court.

9    Henry King of England, &c.

10   Here.

11   Say, Katharine Queen of England, come into the court.

12   Katharine Queen of England, &c.

13   Sir, I desire you do me right and justice;
14   And to bestow your pity on me: for
15   I am a most poor woman, and a stranger,
16   Born out of your dominions; having here
17   No judge indifferent, nor no more assurance
18   Of equal friendship and proceeding. Alas, sir,
19   In what have I offended you? what cause
20   Hath my behavior given to your displeasure,
21   That thus you should proceed to put me off,
22   And take your good grace from me? Heaven witness,
23   I have been to you a true and humble wife,
24   At all times to your will conformable;
25   Ever in fear to kindle your dislike,
26   Yea, subject to your countenance, glad or sorry
27   As I saw it inclined: when was the hour
28   I ever contradicted your desire,
29   Or made it not mine too? Or which of your friends
30   Have I not strove to love, although I knew
31   He were mine enemy? what friend of mine
32   That had to him derived your anger, did I
33   Continue in my liking? nay, gave notice
34   He was from thence discharged. Sir, call to mind
35   That I have been your wife, in this obedience,
36   Upward of twenty years, and have been blest
37   With many children by you: if, in the course
38   And process of this time, you can report,
39   And prove it too, against mine honour aught,
40   My bond to wedlock, or my love and duty,
41   Against your sacred person, in God's name,
42   Turn me away; and let the foul'st contempt
43   Shut door upon me, and so give me up
44   To the sharp'st kind of justice. Please you sir,
45   The king, your father, was reputed for
46   A prince most prudent, of an excellent
47   And unmatch'd wit and judgment: Ferdinand,
48   My father, king of Spain, was reckon'd one
49   The wisest prince that there had reign'd by many
50   A year before: it is not to be question'd
51   That they had gather'd a wise council to them
52   Of every realm, that did debate this business,
53   Who deem'd our marriage lawful: wherefore I humbly
54   Beseech you, sir, to spare me, till I may
55   Be by my friends in Spain advised; whose counsel
56   I will implore: if not, i' the name of God,
57   Your pleasure be fulfill'd!

58   You have here, lady,
59   And of your choice, these reverend fathers; men
60   Of singular integrity and learning,
61   Yea, the elect o' the land, who are assembled
62   To plead your cause: it shall be therefore bootless
63   That longer you desire the court; as well
64   For your own quiet, as to rectify
65   What is unsettled in the king.

66   His grace
67   Hath spoken well and justly: therefore, madam,
68   It's fit this royal session do proceed;
69   And that, without delay, their arguments
70   Be now produced and heard.

71   Lord cardinal,
72   To you I speak.

73   Your pleasure, madam?

74   Sir,
75   I am about to weep; but, thinking that
76   We are a queen, or long have dream'd so, certain
77   The daughter of a king, my drops of tears
78   I'll turn to sparks of fire.

79   Be patient yet.

80   I will, when you are humble; nay, before,
81   Or God will punish me. I do believe,
82   Induced by potent circumstances, that
83   You are mine enemy, and make my challenge
84   You shall not be my judge: for it is you
85   Have blown this coal betwixt my lord and me;
86   Which God's dew quench! Therefore I say again,
87   I utterly abhor, yea, from my soul
88   Refuse you for my judge; whom, yet once more,
89   I hold my most malicious foe, and think not
90   At all a friend to truth.

91   I do profess
92   You speak not like yourself; who ever yet
93   Have stood to charity, and display'd the effects
94   Of disposition gentle, and of wisdom
95   O'ertopping woman's power. Madam, you do me wrong:
96   I have no spleen against you; nor injustice
97   For you or any: how far I have proceeded,
98   Or how far further shall, is warranted
99   By a commission from the consistory,
100  Yea, the whole consistory of Rome. You charge me
101  That I have blown this coal: I do deny it:
102  The king is present: if it be known to him
103  That I gainsay my deed, how may he wound,
104  And worthily, my falsehood! yea, as much
105  As you have done my truth. If he know
106  That I am free of your report, he knows
107  I am not of your wrong. Therefore in him
108  It lies to cure me: and the cure is, to
109  Remove these thoughts from you: the which before
110  His highness shall speak in, I do beseech
111  You, gracious madam, to unthink your speaking
112  And to say so no more.

113  My lord, my lord,
114  I am a simple woman, much too weak
115  To oppose your cunning. You're meek and
116  humble-mouth'd;
117  You sign your place and calling, in full seeming,
118  With meekness and humility; but your heart
119  Is cramm'd with arrogancy, spleen, and pride.
120  You have, by fortune and his highness' favours,
121  Gone slightly o'er low steps and now are mounted
122  Where powers are your retainers, and your words,
123  Domestics to you, serve your will as't please
124  Yourself pronounce their office. I must tell you,
125  You tender more your person's honour than
126  Your high profession spiritual: that again
127  I do refuse you for my judge; and here,
128  Before you all, appeal unto the pope,
129  To bring my whole cause 'fore his holiness,
130  And to be judged by him.

131  The queen is obstinate,
132  Stubborn to justice, apt to accuse it, and
133  Disdainful to be tried by't: 'tis not well.
134  She's going away.

135  Call her again.

136  Katharine Queen of England, come into the court.

137  Madam, you are call'd back.

138  What need you note it? pray you, keep your way:
139  When you are call'd, return. Now, the Lord help,
140  They vex me past my patience! Pray you, pass on:
141  I will not tarry; no, nor ever more
142  Upon this business my appearance make
143  In any of their courts.

144  Go thy ways, Kate:
145  That man i' the world who shall report he has
146  A better wife, let him in nought be trusted,
147  For speaking false in that: thou art, alone,
148  If thy rare qualities, sweet gentleness,
149  Thy meekness saint-like, wife-like government,
150  Obeying in commanding, and thy parts
151  Sovereign and pious else, could speak thee out,
152  The queen of earthly queens: she's noble born;
153  And, like her true nobility, she has
154  Carried herself towards me.

155  Most gracious sir,
156  In humblest manner I require your highness,
157  That it shall please you to declare, in hearing
158  Of all these ears,--for where I am robb'd and bound,
159  There must I be unloosed, although not there
160  At once and fully satisfied,--whether ever I
161  Did broach this business to your highness; or
162  Laid any scruple in your way, which might
163  Induce you to the question on't? or ever
164  Have to you, but with thanks to God for such
165  A royal lady, spake one the least word that might
166  Be to the prejudice of her present state,
167  Or touch of her good person?

168  My lord cardinal,
169  I do excuse you; yea, upon mine honour,
170  I free you from't. You are not to be taught
171  That you have many enemies, that know not
172  Why they are so, but, like to village-curs,
173  Bark when their fellows do: by some of these
174  The queen is put in anger. You're excused:
175  But will you be more justified? You ever
176  Have wish'd the sleeping of this business; never desired
177  It to be stirr'd; but oft have hinder'd, oft,
178  The passages made toward it: on my honour,
179  I speak my good lord cardinal to this point,
180  And thus far clear him. Now, what moved me to't,
181  I will be bold with time and your attention:
182  Then mark the inducement. Thus it came; give heed to't:
183  My conscience first received a tenderness,
184  Scruple, and prick, on certain speeches utter'd
185  By the Bishop of Bayonne, then French ambassador;
186  Who had been hither sent on the debating
187  A marriage 'twixt the Duke of Orleans and
188  Our daughter Mary: i' the progress of this business,
189  Ere a determinate resolution, he,
190  I mean the bishop, did require a respite;
191  Wherein he might the king his lord advertise
192  Whether our daughter were legitimate,
193  Respecting this our marriage with the dowager,
194  Sometimes our brother's wife. This respite shook
195  The bosom of my conscience, enter'd me,
196  Yea, with a splitting power, and made to tremble
197  The region of my breast; which forced such way,
198  That many mazed considerings did throng
199  And press'd in with this caution. First, methought
200  I stood not in the smile of heaven; who had
201  Commanded nature, that my lady's womb,
202  If it conceived a male child by me, should
203  Do no more offices of life to't than
204  The grave does to the dead; for her male issue
205  Or died where they were made, or shortly after
206  This world had air'd them: hence I took a thought,
207  This was a judgment on me; that my kingdom,
208  Well worthy the best heir o' the world, should not
209  Be gladded in't by me: then follows, that
210  I weigh'd the danger which my realms stood in
211  By this my issue's fail; and that gave to me
212  Many a groaning throe. Thus hulling in
213  The wild sea of my conscience, I did steer
214  Toward this remedy, whereupon we are
215  Now present here together: that's to say,
216  I meant to rectify my conscience,--which
217  I then did feel full sick, and yet not well,--
218  By all the reverend fathers of the land
219  And doctors learn'd: first I began in private
220  With you, my Lord of Lincoln; you remember
221  How under my oppression I did reek,
222  When I first moved you.

223  Very well, my liege.

224  I have spoke long: be pleased yourself to say
225  How far you satisfied me.

226  So please your highness,
227  The question did at first so stagger me,
228  Bearing a state of mighty moment in't
229  And consequence of dread, that I committed
230  The daring'st counsel which I had to doubt;
231  And did entreat your highness to this course
232  Which you are running here.

233  I then moved you,
234  My Lord of Canterbury; and got your leave
235  To make this present summons: unsolicited
236  I left no reverend person in this court;
237  But by particular consent proceeded
238  Under your hands and seals: therefore, go on:
239  For no dislike i' the world against the person
240  Of the good queen, but the sharp thorny points
241  Of my alleged reasons, drive this forward:
242  Prove but our marriage lawful, by my life
243  And kingly dignity, we are contented
244  To wear our mortal state to come with her,
245  Katharine our queen, before the primest creature
246  That's paragon'd o' the world.

247  So please your highness,
248  The queen being absent, 'tis a needful fitness
249  That we adjourn this court till further day:
250  Meanwhile must be an earnest motion
251  Made to the queen, to call back her appeal
252  She intends unto his holiness.

Aside
253   I may perceive
254  These cardinals trifle with me: I abhor
255  This dilatory sloth and tricks of Rome.
256  My learn'd and well-beloved servant, Cranmer,
257  Prithee, return: with thy approach, I know,
258  My comfort comes along. Break up the court:
259  I say, set on.