Act II, Scene 4

A hall in Black-Friars.

[Trumpets, sennet, and cornets. Enter two Vergers,] [p]with short silver wands; next them, two Scribes, in [p]the habit of doctors; after them, CANTERBURY alone; [p]after him, LINCOLN, Ely, Rochester, and Saint [p]Asaph; next them, with some small distance, follows [p]a Gentleman bearing the purse, with the great seal, [p]and a cardinal's hat; then two Priests, bearing [p]each a silver cross; then a Gentleman-usher [p]bare-headed, accompanied with a Sergeant-at-arms [p]bearing a silver mace; then two Gentlemen bearing [p]two great silver pillars; after them, side by side, [p]CARDINAL WOLSEY and CARDINAL CAMPEIUS; two Noblemen [p]with the sword and mace. KING HENRY VIII takes [p]place under the cloth of state; CARDINAL WOLSEY and [p]CARDINAL CAMPEIUS sit under him as judges. QUEEN [p]KATHARINE takes place some distance from KING [p]HENRY VIII. The Bishops place themselves on each [p]side the court, in manner of a consistory; below [p]them, the Scribes. The Lords sit next the Bishops. [p]The rest of the Attendants stand in convenient [p]order about the stage]

• Cardinal Wolsey. Whilst our commission from Rome is read,
  Let silence be commanded. 1355

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

• Cardinal Wolsey. Be't so. Proceed. 1360

• Scribe. Say, Henry King of England, come into the court.

• Crier. Henry King of England, &c.

• Henry VIII. Here.

• Scribe. Say, Katharine Queen of England, come into the court.

• Crier. Katharine Queen of England, &c. 1365
  [QUEEN KATHARINE makes no answer, rises out of her]
  chair, goes about the court, comes to KING HENRY
  VIII, and kneels at his feet; then speaks]

• Queen Katharine. Sir, I desire you do me right and justice;
  And to bestow your pity on me: for 1370
  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 1375
  Hath my behavior 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; 1380
  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 1385
  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 1390
  That I have been your wife, in this obedience,
  Upward of twenty years, and have been blest
  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, 1395
  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, 1400
  The king, your father, was reputed for
  A prince most prudent, of an excellent
  And unmatch'd wit and judgment: Ferdinand,
  My father, king of Spain, was reckon'd one
  The wisest prince that there had reign'd by many 1405
  A year before: it is not to be question'd
  That they had gather'd a wise council to them
  Of every realm, that did debate this business,
  Who deem'd our marriage lawful: wherefore I humbly
  Beseech you, sir, to spare me, till I may 1410
  Be by my friends in Spain advised; whose counsel
  I will implore: if not, i' the name of God,
  Your pleasure be fulfill'd!

• Cardinal Wolsey. You have here, lady,
  And of your choice, these reverend fathers; men 1415
  Of singular integrity and learning,
  Yea, the elect o' the 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 1420
  What is unsettled in the king.

• Cardinal Campeius. His grace
  Hath spoken well and justly: therefore, madam,
  It's fit this royal session do proceed;
  And that, without delay, their arguments 1425
  Be now produced and heard.

• Queen Katharine. Lord cardinal,
  To you I speak.

• Cardinal Wolsey. Your pleasure, madam?

• Queen Katharine. Sir, 1430
  I am about to weep; but, thinking that
  We are a queen, or long have dream'd so, certain
  The daughter of a king, my drops of tears
  I'll turn to sparks of fire.

• Cardinal Wolsey. Be patient yet. 1435

• Queen Katharine. 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 1440
  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 1445
  At all a friend to truth.

• Cardinal Wolsey. I do profess
  You speak not like yourself; who ever yet
  Have stood to charity, and display'd the effects
  Of disposition gentle, and of wisdom 1450
  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, 1455
  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 1460
  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 1465
  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 1470
  To oppose your cunning. You're 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. 1475
  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, 1480
  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, 1485
  And to be judged by him.

[She curtsies to KING HENRY VIII, and offers to depart]

• Cardinal Campeius. The queen is obstinate,
  Stubborn to justice, apt to accuse it, and
  Disdainful to be tried by't: 'tis not well. 1490
  She's going away.

• Henry VIII. Call her again.

• Crier. Katharine Queen of England, come into the court.

• Griffith. Madam, you are call'd back.

• Queen Katharine. What need you note it? pray you, keep your way: 1495
  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. 1500

[Exeunt QUEEN KATHARINE and her Attendants]

• Henry VIII. Go thy ways, Kate:
  That man i' the world who shall report he has
  A better wife, let him in nought be trusted,
  For speaking false in that: thou art, alone, 1505
  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; 1510
  And, like her true nobility, she has
  Carried herself towards me.

• Cardinal Wolsey. Most gracious sir,
  In humblest manner I require your highness,
  That it shall please you to declare, in hearing 1515
  Of all these ears,—for where I am robb'd 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 1520
  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? 1525

• Henry VIII. 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, 1530
  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 wish'd the sleeping of this business; never desired
  It to be stirr'd; but oft have hinder'd, oft, 1535
  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 the inducement. Thus it came; give heed to't: 1540
  My conscience first received a tenderness,
  Scruple, and prick, on certain speeches utter'd
  By the Bishop of Bayonne, then French ambassador;
  Who had been hither sent on the debating
  A marriage 'twixt the Duke of Orleans and 1545
  Our daughter Mary: i' the 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, 1550
  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 forced such way, 1555
  That many mazed 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 conceived a male child by me, should 1560
  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, 1565
  Well worthy the best heir o' the 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 1570
  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,— 1575
  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 moved you. 1580

• Bishop Lincoln. Very well, my liege.

• Henry VIII. I have spoke long: be pleased yourself to say
  How far you satisfied me.

• Bishop Lincoln. So please your highness,
  The question did at first so stagger me, 1585
  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. 1590

• Henry VIII. 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 1595
  Under your hands and seals: therefore, go on:
  For no dislike i' the world against the person
  Of the good queen, but the sharp thorny points
  Of my alleged reasons, drive this forward:
  Prove but our marriage lawful, by my life 1600
  And kingly dignity, we are contented
  To wear our mortal state to come with her,
  Katharine our queen, before the primest creature
  That's paragon'd o' the world.

• Cardinal Campeius. So please your highness, 1605
  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. 1610

• Henry VIII. [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, 1615
  My comfort comes along. Break up the court:
  I say, set on.

[Exeunt in manner as they entered]