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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 of

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 inclin'd. 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 deriv'd your anger did
Continue in my liking? Nay, gave notice

He was from thence discharg'd? Sir, call to mind
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,

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 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

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
Be by my friends in Spain advis'd, whose counsel

I will implore. If not, i' th' name of God,
Your pleasure be fulfill'd!

WOLSEY. You have here, lady,
And of your choice, these reverend fathers-men

Of singularintegrity 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 produc'd and heard.
QUEEN KATHARINE. Lord Cardinal,

To you I speak.
WOLSEY. Your pleasure, madam?

QUEEN KATHARINE. Sir,
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.
WOLSEY. Be patient yet.

QUEEN KATHARINE. 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 professionspiritual; 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


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