I will,when you are humble;nay,before Or God will punish me.I do believe,Induc'd 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 display'd th'effects Of disposition gentle and of wisdom O'ertopping woman's pow'r.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 KATHARINE.My lord,my lord,I am a simple woman,much too weak T'oppose your cunning.Y'are meek and humble-mouth'd;You sign your place and calling,in full seeming,With meekness and humility;but your heart Is cramm'd with arrogancy,spleen,and pride.You have,by fortune and his Highness'favours,Gone slightly o'er low steps,and now are mounted Where pow'rs 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 judg'd 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.Katharine Queen of England,come into the court.GENTLEMAN USHER.Madam,you are call'd back.QUEEN KATHARINE.What need you note it?Pray you keep your way;When you are call'd,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 nought 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 robb'd and bound,There must I be unloos'd,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.Y'are excus'd.But will you be more justified?You ever Have wish'd the sleeping of this business;never desir'd It to be stirr'd;but oft have hind'red,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 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 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,enter'd me,Yea,with a splitting power,and made to tremble
The region of my breast,which forc'd such way That many maz'd considerings did throng And press'd 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 conceiv'd a male child by me,should Do no more offices of life to't than The grave does to the dead;for her male issue 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 best heir o'th'world,should not Be gladded in't by me.Then follows that I weigh'd 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 learn'd.First,I began in private With you,my Lord of Lincoln;you remember How under my oppression I did reek,When I first mov'd you.LINCOLN.Very well,my liege.KING.I have spoke long;be pleas'd 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 mov'd 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 moral state to come with her,Katharine our queen,before the primest creature That's paragon'd 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 learn'd and well-beloved servant,
Cranmer,Prithee return.With thy approach I know My comfort comes along.--Break up the court;I say,set on.Exuent in manner as they entered.
