The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 187
For goodness' sake, consider what you do;
How you may hurt yourself, ay, utterly
Grow from the king's acquaintance, by this carriage.
The hearts of princes kiss obedience,
So much they love it; but to stubborn spirits
They swell, and grow as terrible as storms.
I know you have a gentle, noble temper,
A soul as even as a calm: pray, think us
Those we profess, peace-makers, friends, and servants.
If your Grace
could only see that our purposes are honest,
you would be happier. Why should we, good lady,
and for what reason, harm you? Alas, our positions
and the obligations of our calling are against it;
we have to heal such sorrows, not cause them.
For goodness' sake think of what you do,
how you can damage yourself, completely
alienate the King by this behaviour.
The hearts of Princes kiss obedience,
they love it so much; but to people who are stubborn
they become like terrible storms.
I know you have a gentle and noble disposition,
and your soul is just as calm; please think that we are
what we say we are, peacemakers, friends and servants
CARDINAL CAMPEIUS
Madam, you'll find it so. You wrong your virtues
With these weak women's fears: a noble spirit,
As yours was put into you, ever casts
Such doubts, as false coin, from it. The king loves you;
Beware you lose it not: for us, if you please
To trust us in your business, we are ready
To use our utmost studies in your service.
Madam, you'll find this is true. You are insulting your goodness
with these weak womanish fears: a noble spirit,
such was the one you have, always pushes
these doubts away, like counterfeit money. The King loves you;
make sure you don't lose that love: as for us, if you
will trust us with your business, we are ready
to do our very best to serve you.
QUEEN KATHARINE
Do what ye will, my lords: and, pray, forgive me,
If I have used myself unmannerly;
You know I am a woman, lacking wit
To make a seemly answer to such persons.
Pray, do my service to his majesty:
He has my heart yet; and shall have my prayers
While I shall have my life. Come, reverend fathers,
Bestow your counsels on me: she now begs,
That little thought, when she set footing here,
She should have bought her dignities so dear.
Do what you want, my lords: and please forgive me
if I have shown a lack of manners;
you know I am a woman, without the intelligence
to make a proper answer to such people.
Please, give my compliments to his Majesty:
he still has my heart, and he shall have my prayers
as long as I have my life. Come, reverend fathers,
give me your advice: this woman is now begging,
who hardly thought, when she set foot in this land,
that she would pay such a high price for her titles.
Exeunt
Enter NORFOLK, SUFFOLK, SURREY, and Chamberlain
NORFOLK
If you will now unite in your complaints,
And force them with a constancy, the cardinal
Cannot stand under them: if you omit
The offer of this time, I cannot promise
But that you shall sustain moe new disgraces,
With these you bear already.
If you will now be united in your complaints,
and insist on them with determination, the cardinal
cannot avoid them: if you miss
this chance, I can't guarantee
that you won't suffer more disgraces to add
to those you already have.
SURREY
I am joyful
To meet the least occasion that may give me
Remembrance of my father-in-law, the duke,
To be revenged on him.
I am happy
to take any opportunity I'm given
to take revenge in memory of
my father-in-law the Duke.
SUFFOLK
Which of the peers
Have uncontemn'd gone by him, or at least
Strangely neglected? when did he regard
The stamp of nobleness in any person
Out of himself?
Is there any peer
who has not suffered his contempt, or at least
been oddly ignored? When did he respect
nobility in any person
apart from himself?
Chamberlain
My lords, you speak your pleasures:
What he deserves of you and me I know;
What we can do to him, though now the time
Gives way to us, I much fear. If you cannot
Bar his access to the king, never attempt
Any thing on him; for he hath a witchcraft
Over the king in's tongue.
My lords, you say what you want:
I know what he deserves from us;
I am worried about what we can do to him,
even though we now have the opportunity. If you cannot
stop him talking to the King, do not try
anything against him; for his tongue
casts a spell over the King.
NORFOLK
O, fear him not;
His spell in that is out: the king hath found
Matter against him that for ever mars
The honey of his language. No, he's settled,
Not to come off, in his displeasure.
Oh, do not be afraid of him;
he has lost his magic in that: the King has discovered
things against him that have permanently removed
the power of his words. No, he's adamant
that he shall not escape his displeasure.
SURREY
Sir,
I should be glad to hear such news as this
Once every hour.
Sir,
I would be glad to hear news like this
every hour on the hour.
NORFOLK
Believe it, this is true:
In the divorce his contrary proceedings
Are all unfolded wherein he appears
As I would wish mine enemy.
Believe it, it's true:
the divorce has revealed his opposition
to the King and he now stands in as bad a light
as I would wish for my enemy.
SURREY
How came
His practises to light?
How did
his machinations come to light?
SUFFOLK
Most strangely.
Very strangely.
SURREY
O, how, how?
How, how?
SUFFOLK
The cardinal's letters to the pope miscarried,
And came to the eye o' the king: wherein was read,
How that the cardinal did entreat his holiness
To stay the judgment o' the divorce; for if
It did take place, 'I do,' quoth he, 'perceive
My king is tangled in affection to
A creature of the queen's, Lady Anne Bullen.'
The cardinal's letters to the Pope went astray,
and the King saw them: and he read in them
how the cardinal urged his Holiness
to delay the judgement of the divorce; for if
it takes place, ‘I do,’ he said, ‘see
that my king has become entangled with
one of the Queen's servants, Lady Anne Bullen.�
��
SURREY
Has the king this?
And the King knows this?
SUFFOLK
Believe it.
Certainly.
SURREY
Will this work?
Will this have an effect?
Chamberlain
The king in this perceives him, how he coasts
And hedges his own way. But in this point
All his tricks founder, and he brings his physic
After his patient's death: the king already
Hath married the fair lady.
The king can now see how he deviously
follows his own path. But on this point
his tricks cannot work, and he brings his medicine
after the patient is dead: the King has already
married the fair lady.
SURREY
Would he had!
I wish he had!
SUFFOLK
May you be happy in your wish, my lord
For, I profess, you have it.
May your wish be granted, my lord,
I tell you it has been.
SURREY
Now, all my joy
Trace the conjunction!
May every happiness
bless the marriage!
SUFFOLK
My amen to't!
Amen to that!
NORFOLK
All men's!
So say all of us!
SUFFOLK
There's order given for her coronation:
Marry, this is yet but young, and may be left
To some ears unrecounted. But, my lords,
She is a gallant creature, and complete
In mind and feature: I persuade me, from her
Will fall some blessing to this land, which shall
In it be memorised.
An order has been passed for her coronation:
mind you, this has only just happened, so don't
spread it around. But, my lords,
she is a splendid creature, and perfect
in mind and body: I think that she
will bring some blessing for this country,
which will descend through the generations.
SURREY
But, will the king
Digest this letter of the cardinal's?
The Lord forbid!
But will the King
stomach the insult in this letter of the cardinal's?
Heaven forbid!
NORFOLK
Marry, amen!
Indeed, amen to that!
SUFFOLK
No, no;
There be moe wasps that buzz about his nose
Will make this sting the sooner. Cardinal Campeius
Is stol'n away to Rome; hath ta'en no leave;
Has left the cause o' the king unhandled; and
Is posted, as the agent of our cardinal,
To second all his plot. I do assure you
The king cried Ha! at this.
No, no;
there are other wasps buzzing around his nose
that will make him feel this sting earlier. Cardinal Campeius
has sneaked away to Rome; he said no goodbyes;
he has left the King’s business undealt with; and
is seen as the agent of our cardinal,
who is his associate in this plot. I can assure you
the King was properly suspicious.
Chamberlain
Now, God incense him,
And let him cry Ha! louder!
Now, may God anger him,
and make him even more suspicious!
NORFOLK
But, my lord,
When returns Cranmer?
But, my lord,
when is Cranmer coming back?
SUFFOLK
He is return'd in his opinions; which
Have satisfied the king for his divorce,
Together with all famous colleges
Almost in Christendom: shortly, I believe,
His second marriage shall be publish'd, and
Her coronation. Katharine no more
Shall be call'd queen, but princess dowager
And widow to Prince Arthur.
He has sent back his advice; which
told the king his divorce was legitimate,
along with almost all the most famous
universities in Christendom: I believe that shortly
his second marriage shall be announced, and
her coronation. Katherine will no longer
be called Queen, but Princess Dowager
and widow of Prince Arthur.
NORFOLK
This same Cranmer's
A worthy fellow, and hath ta'en much pain
In the king's business.
This Cranmer
is a worthy fellow, and has taken much trouble
over the King's business.
SUFFOLK
He has; and we shall see him
For it an archbishop.
He has; and we shall see him
made an Archbishop for it.
NORFOLK
So I hear.
That's what I hear.
SUFFOLK
'Tis so.
The cardinal!
It's true.
Here's the cardinal!
Enter CARDINAL WOLSEY and CROMWELL
NORFOLK
Observe, observe, he's moody.
Look, look, he's moody.
CARDINAL WOLSEY
The packet, Cromwell.
Gave't you the king?
Did you give that packet
to the King, Cromwell?
CROMWELL
To his own hand, in's bedchamber.
Into his hands, in his bedroom.
CARDINAL WOLSEY
Look'd he o' the inside of the paper?
Did he look inside the letter?
CROMWELL
Presently
He did unseal them: and the first he view'd,
He did it with a serious mind; a heed
Was in his countenance. You he bade
Attend him here this morning.
He unsealed them
at once: and as soon as he read it
he became very serious; he looked
as though he thought deeply. He ordered
you to come to him here this morning.
CARDINAL WOLSEY
Is he ready
To come abroad?
Is he ready
to come out?
CROMWELL
I think, by this he is.
I think he is by this time.
CARDINAL WOLSEY
Leave me awhile.
Leave me for a while.
Exit CROMWELL
Aside
It shall be to the Duchess of Alencon,
The French king's sister: he shall marry her.
Anne Bullen! No; I'll no Anne Bullens for him:
There's more in't than fair visage. Bullen!
No, we'll no Bullens. Speedily I wish
To hear from Rome. The Marchioness of Pembroke!
It shall be to the Duchess of Alencon,
the sister of the French king: he shall marry her.
Anne Bullen! No; he shan't have Anne Bullen:
there are more important things than a pretty face. Bullen!
No, will have no more Bullens. I want to hear
from Rome soon. The Marchioness of Pembroke!
NORFOLK
He's discontented.
He's unhappy.
SUFFOLK
May be, he hears the king
Does whet his anger to him.
Maybe he's heard that the King
is getting angry with him.
SURREY
Sharp enough,
Lord, for thy justice!
May he be angry enough,
Lord, to carry out your justice!
CARDINAL WOLSEY
[Aside] The late queen's ge
ntlewoman,
a knight's daughter,
To be her mistress' mistress! the queen's queen!
This candle burns not clear: 'tis I must snuff it;
Then out it goes. What though I know her virtuous
And well deserving? yet I know her for
A spleeny Lutheran; and not wholesome to
Our cause, that she should lie i' the bosom of
Our hard-ruled king. Again, there is sprung up
An heretic, an arch one, Cranmer; one
Hath crawl'd into the favour of the king,
And is his oracle.
The former queen's gentlewoman,
the daughter of a knight,
made the mistress of her mistress! The queen of a queen!
This is a dirty business and I'm the one who must
put a stop to it. So what if she is good
and well deserving? I still know she is
a devoted Lutheran; it would not be good
for our cause for her to have a place in the heart of
our hotheaded king. There's another one who's
sprung up, a heretic, a terrible one, Cranmer;
he has sneaked into the King's favour
and the King listens to his every word.
NORFOLK
He is vex'd at something.
He's upset about something.
SURREY
I would 'twere something that would fret the string,
The master-cord on's heart!
I hope it's something that will gnaw through
his heartstrings!
Enter KING HENRY VIII, reading of a schedule, and LOVELL