The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works

by William Shakespeare

  Against your sacred person, in God’s name

  Turn me away and let the foulest contempt

  40

  Shut door upon me, and so give me up

  To the sharpest 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,

  45

  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,

  50

  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,

  55

  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

  60

  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

  65

  Be now produced and heard.

  KATHERINE Lord Cardinal,

  To you I speak.

  WOLSEY Your pleasure, madam.

  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

  70

  I’ll turn to sparks of fire.

  WOLSEY Be patient yet.

  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

  75

  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

  80

  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

  85

  O’er-topping 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,

  90

  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

  95

  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

  100

  His highness shall speak in, I do beseech

  You, gracious madam, to unthink your speaking,

  And to say so no more.

  KATHERINE My lord, my lord,

  I am a simple woman, much too weak

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

  105

  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

  110

  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

  115

  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

  120

  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!

  GRIFFITH Madam, you are called back.

  KATHERINE

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

  125

  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.

  130

  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,

  135

  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,

  140

  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

  145

  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

  150

  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

  155

  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

  160

  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:

  165

  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

  170

  A marriage ’twixt the Duke of Orléans 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

  175

  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 spitting power, and made to tremble

  180

  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,

  185

  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

  190

  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

  195

  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

  200

  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

  205

  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

  210

  And consequence of dread, that I committed

  The daringest 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

  215

  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

  220

  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,

  225

  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

  230

  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,

  235

  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.

  3.1 Enter Queen KATHERINE and her Women, as at work.

  KATHERINE

  Take thy lute, wench. My soul grows sad with troubles.

  Sing, and disperse ’em if thou canst. Leave working.