Ch. 332: SCENE IV. A hall in Blackfriars.

SCENE IV. A hall in Blackfriars. ****

Trumpets, sennet, and cornets. Enter two Vergers, with short silver wands; next them, two Scribes, in the habit of doctors; after them, the Archbishop of Canterbury alone; after him, the Bishops of Lincoln, Ely, Rochester, and Saint Asaph; next them, with some small distance, follows a Gentleman bearing the purse with the great seal, and a cardinal’s hat; then two Priests, bearing each a silver cross; then a Gentleman Usher bare-headed, accompanied with a Sergeant-at-arms bearing a silver mace; then two Gentlemen, bearing two great silver pillars; after them, side by side, the two Cardinals; two Noblemen with the sword and mace. The King takes place under the cloth of state. The two Cardinals sit under him as judges. The Queen takes place some distance from the King. The Bishops place themselves on each side the court, in manner of consistory; below them the Scribes. The Lords sit next the Bishops. The rest of the Attendants stand in convenient order about the stage.

WOLSEY.

Whilst our commission from Rome is read,

Let silence be commanded.

KING.

What’s the need?

It hath already publicly been read,

And on all sides th’ authority allowed;

You may then spare that time.

WOLSEY.

Be’t so. Proceed.

SCRIBE.

Say, “Henry King of England, come into the court.”

CRIER.

Henry King of England, come into the court.

KING.

Here.

SCRIBE.

Say, “Katherine Queen of England, come into the court.”

CRIER.

Katherine Queen of England, come into the court.

[_The Queen makes no answer, rises out of her chair, goes about the court, comes to the King, and kneels at his feet; then speaks. _]

QUEEN KATHERINE.

Sir, I desire you do me right and justice,

And to bestow your pity on me; for

I am a most poor woman and a stranger,

Born out of your dominions, having here

No judge indifferent nor no more assurance

Of equal friendship and proceeding. Alas, sir,

In what have I offended you? What cause

Hath my behaviour given to your displeasure

That thus you should proceed to put me off

And take your good grace from me? Heaven witness

I have been to you a true and humble wife,

At all times to your will conformable,

Ever in fear to kindle your dislike,

Yea, subject to your countenance, glad or sorry

As I saw it inclined. When was the hour

I ever contradicted your desire,

Or made it not mine too? Or which of your friends

Have I not strove to love, although I knew

He were mine enemy? What friend of mine

That had to him derived your anger did I

Continue in my liking? Nay, gave notice

He was from thence discharged? Sir, call to mind

That I have been your wife in this obedience

Upward of twenty years, and have been blessed

With many children by you. If, in the course

And process of this time, you can report,

And prove it too, against mine honour aught,

My bond to wedlock, or my love and duty

Against your sacred person, in God’s name,

Turn me away and let the foul’st contempt

Shut door upon me, and so give me up

To the sharp’st 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,

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,

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,

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

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

Be now produced and heard.

QUEEN KATHERINE.

Lord Cardinal,

To you I speak.

WOLSEY.

Your pleasure, madam.

QUEEN 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

I’ll turn to sparks of fire.

WOLSEY.

Be patient yet.

QUEEN 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

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,

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

O’ertopping 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,

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

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

His Highness shall speak in, I do beseech

You, gracious madam, to unthink your speaking

And to say so no more.

QUEEN KATHERINE.

My lord, my lord,

I am a simple woman, much too weak

T’ oppose your cunning. You’re meek and humble-mouthed;

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

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

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

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.

GENTLEMAN USHER.

Madam, you are called back.

QUEEN KATHERINE.

What need you note it? Pray you keep your way.

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.

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,

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,

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

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

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

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

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.

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

A marriage ’twixt the Duke of Orleans 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

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 splitting power, and made to tremble

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,

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

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

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

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

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

And consequence of dread, that I committed

The daring’st 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

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

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,

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

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,

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. _]