William Shakespeare - The Complete Works

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ALL IS TRUE (HENRY VIII) Act 2 Scene 4 (Trumpets: sennet. Then cornetts. Enter two vergers with short silver wands; next them two scribes in the habit of doctors; after them the Archbishop of Canterbury alone; after him the Bishop of Lincoln, Ely, Rochester, and Saint Asaph; next them, with some small distance, follows a gentleman bearing both the purse containing the great seal and a cardinal's hat; then two priests bearing each a silver cross; then a gentleman usher, bare-headed, accompanied with a serjeant-at-arms bearing a silver mace; then two gentlemen bearing two great silver pillars; after them, side by side, the two cardinals, Wolsey and Campeius; then two noblemen with the sword and mace. The King [ascends] to his seat under the cloth of the state; the two cardinals sit under him as judges; the Queen, attended by Griffith her gentleman usher, takes place some distance from the King; the Bishops place themselves on each side the court in the manner of a consistory; below them, the scribes. The lords sit next the Bishops. The rest of the attendants stand in convenient order about the stage) l1l Cardinal Wolsey Whilst our commission from Rome is read l2l Let silence be commanded. King Henry WhatÆs the need? l3l It hath already publicly been read, l4l And on all sides thÆ authority allowed. l5l You may then spare that time. Cardinal Wolsey Be Æt so. Proceed. l6l Scribe (to the Crier) Say, ôHenry, King of England, come into the courtö. l7l Crier Henry, King of England, come into the court. l8l King Henry Here. l9l Scribe (to the Crier) Say, ôKatherine, Queen of England, come into the courtö. l10l Crier Katherine, Queen of England, come into the court. (The Queen makes no answer, but rises out of her chair, goes about the court, comes to the King, and kneels at his feet. Then she speaks) l11l Queen Katherine Sir, I desire you do me right and justice, l12l And to bestow your pity on me; for l13l I am a most poor woman, and a stranger, l14l Born out of your dominions, having here l15l No judge indifferent, nor no more assurance l16l Of equal friendship and proceeding. Alas, sir, l17l In what have I offended you? What cause l18l Hath my behaviour given to your displeasure l19l That thus you should proceed to put me off, l20l And take your good grace from me? Heaven witness l21l I have been to you a true and humble wife, l22l At all times to your will conformable, l23l Ever in fear to kindle your dislike, l24l Yea, subject to your countenance, glad or sorry l25l As I saw it inclined. When was the hour l26l I ever contradicted your desire, l27l Or made it not mine too? Or which of your friends l28l Have I not strove to love, although I knew l29l He were mine enemy? What friend of mine l30l That had to him derived your anger did I l31l Continue in my liking? Nay, gave notice l32l He was from thence discharged? Sir, call to mind l33l That I have been your wife in this obedience l34l Upward of twenty years, and have been blessed l35l With many children by you. If, in the course l36l And process of this time, you can reportù l37l And prove it, tooùagainst mine honour aught, l38l My bond to wedlock, or my love and duty l39l Against your sacred person, in GodÆs name l40l Turn me away, and let the foulÆst contempt l41l Shut door upon me, and so give me up l42l To the sharpÆst kind of justice. Please you, sir, l43l The King your father was reputed for l44l A prince most prudent, of an excellent l45l And unmatched wit and judgement. Ferdinand l46l My father, King of Spain, was reckoned one l47l The wisest prince that there had reigned by many l48l A year before. It is not to be questioned l49l That they had gathered a wise council to them l50l Of every realm, that did debate this business, l51l Who deemed our marriage lawful. Wherefore I humbly l52l Beseech you, sir, to spare me till I may l53l Be by my friends in Spain advised, whose counsel l54l I will implore. If not, iÆ thÆ name of God, l55l Your pleasure be fulfilled. Cardinal Wolsey You have here, lady, l56l And of your choice, these reverend fathers, men l57l Of singular integrity and learning, l58l Yea, the elect oÆ thÆ land, who are assembled l59l To plead your cause. It shall be therefore bootless l60l That longer you desire the court, as well l61l For your own quiet, as to rectify l62l What is unsettled in the King. Cardinal Campeius His grace l63l Hath spoken well and justly. Therefore, madam, l64l ItÆs fit this royal session do proceed, l65l And that without delay their arguments l66l Be now produced and heard. Queen Katherine (to Wolsey) Lord Cardinal, l67l To you I speak. Cardinal Wolsey Your pleasure, madam. Queen Katherine Sir, l68l I am about to weep, but thinking that l69l We are a queen, or long have dreamed so, certain l70l The daughter of a king, my drops of tears l71l IÆll turn to sparks of fire. Cardinal Wolsey Be patient yet. l72l Queen Katherine I will when you are humble! Nay, before, l73l Or God will punish me. I do believe, l74l Induced by potent circumstances, that l75l You are mine enemy, and make my challenge l76l You shall not be my judge. For it is you l77l Have blown this coal betwixt my lord and me, l78l Which GodÆs dew quench. Therefore I say again, l79l I utterly abhor, yea, from my soul, l80l Refuse you for my judge, whom yet once more l81l I hold my most malicious foe, and think not l82l At all a friend to truth. Cardinal Wolsey I do profess l83l You speak not like yourself, who ever yet l84l Have stood to charity, and displayed thÆ effects l85l Of disposition gentle and of wisdom l86l OÆer-topping womanÆs power. Madam, you do me wrong. l87l I have no spleen against you, nor injustice l88l For you or any. How far I have proceeded, l89l Or how far further shall, is warranted l90l By a commission from the consistory, l91l Yea, the whole consistory of Rome. You charge me l92l That I ôhave blown this coalö. I do deny it. l93l The King is present. If it be known to him l94l That I gainsay my deed, how may he wound, l95l And worthily, my falsehoodùyea, as much l96l As you have done my truth. If he know l97l That I am free of your report, he knows l98l I am not of your wrong. Therefore in him l99l It lies to cure me, and the cure is to l100l Remove these thoughts from you. The which before l101l His highness shall speak in, I do beseech l102l You, gracious madam, to unthink your speaking, l103l And to say so no more. Queen Katherine My lord, my lordù l104l I am a simple woman, much too weak l105l TÆ oppose your cunning. YouÆre meek and humble- mouthed; l106l You sign your place and calling, in full seeming, l107l With meekness and humilityùbut your heart l108l Is crammed with arrogancy, spleen, and pride. l109l You have by fortune and his highnessÆ favours l110l Gone slightly oÆer low steps, and now are mounted l111l Where powers are your retainers, and your words, l112l Domestics to you, serve your will as Æt please l113l Yourself pronounce their office. I must tell you, l114l You tender more your personÆs honour than l115l Your high profession spiritual, that again l116l I do refuse you for my judge, and here, l117l Before you all, appeal unto the Pope, l118l To bring my whole cause Æfore his holiness, l119l And to be judged by him. (She curtsies to the King and begins to depart) Cardinal Campeius The Queen is obstinate, l120l Stubborn to justice, apt to accuse it, and l121l Disdainful to be tried by Æt. ÆTis not well. l122l SheÆs going away. King Henry (to the Crier) Call her again. l123l Crier Katherine, Queen of England, come into the court. l124l Griffith (to the Queen) Madam, you are called back. l125l Queen Katherine What need you note it? Pray you keep your way. l126l When you are called, return. Now the Lord help. l127l They vex me past my patience. Pray you, pass on. l128l I will not tarry; no, nor ever more l129l Upon this business my appearance make l130l In any of their courts. (Exeunt Queen Katherine and her attendants) King Henry Go thy ways, Kate. l131l That man iÆ thÆ world who shall report he has l132l A better wife, let him in naught be trusted l133l For speaking false in that. Thou art aloneù l134l If thy rare qualities, sweet gentleness, l135l Thy meekness saint-like, wife-like government, l136l Obeying in commanding, and thy parts l137l Sovereign and pious else could speak thee outù l138l The queen of earthly queens. SheÆs noble born, l139l And like her true nobility she has l140l Carried herself towards me. Cardinal Wolsey Most gracious sir, l141l In humblest manner I require your highness l142l That it shall please you to declare in hearing l143l Of all these earsùfor where I am robbed and bound, l144l There must I be unloosed, although not there l145l At once and fully satisfiedùwhether ever I l146l Did broach this business to your highness, or l147l Laid any scruple in your way which might l148l Induce you to the question on Æt, or ever l149l Have to you, but with thanks to God for such l150l A royal lady, spake one the least word that might l151l Be to the prejudice of her present state, l152l Or touch of her good person? King Henry My lord Cardinal, l153l I do excuse you; yea, upon mine honour, l154l I free you from Æt. You are not to be taught l155l That you have many enemies that know not l156l Why they are so, but, like to village curs, l157l Bark when their fellows do. By some of these l158l The Queen is put in anger. YouÆre excused. l159l But will you be more justified? You ever l160l Have wished the sleeping of this business, never desired l161l It to be stirred, but oft have hindered, oft, l162l The passages made toward it. On my honour l163l I speak my good lord CardÆnal to this point, l164l And thus far clear him. Now, what moved me to Æt, l165l I will be bold with time and your attention. l166l Then mark thÆ inducement. Thus it cameùgive heed to Æt. l167l My conscience first received a tenderness, l168l Scruple, and prick, on certain speeches uttered l169l By thÆ Bishop of Bayonne, then French Ambassador, l170l Who had been hither sent on the debating l171l A marriage Ætwixt the Duke of Orleans and l172l Our daughter Mary. IÆ thÆ progress of this business, l173l Ere a determinate resolution, heù l174l I mean the Bishopùdid require a respite l175l Wherein he might the King his lord advertise l176l Whether our daughter were legitimate, l177l Respecting this our marriage with the dowager, l178l Sometimes our brotherÆs wife. This respite shook l179l The bosom of my conscience, entered me, l180l Yea, with a spitting power, and made to tremble l181l The region of my breast; which forced such way l182l That many mazed considerings did throng l183l And prest in with this caution. First, methought l184l I stood not in the smile of heaven, who had l185l Commanded nature that my ladyÆs womb, l186l If it conceived a male child by me, should l187l Do no more offices of life to Æt than l188l The grave does yield to thÆ dead. For her male issue l189l Or died where they were made, or shortly after l190l This world had aired them. Hence I took a thought l191l This was a judgement on me that my kingdom, l192l Well worthy the best heir oÆ thÆ world, should not l193l Be gladded in Æt by me. Then follows that l194l I weighed the danger which my realms stood in l195l By this my issueÆs fail, and that gave to me l196l Many a groaning throe. Thus hulling in l197l The wild sea of my conscience, I did steer l198l Toward this remedy, whereupon we are l199l Now present here togetherùthatÆs to say l200l I meant to rectify my conscience, which l201l I then did feel full sick, and yet not well, l202l By all the reverend fathers of the land l203l And doctors learned. First I began in private l204l With you, my lord of Lincoln. You remember l205l How under my oppression I did reek l206l When I first moved you. Lincoln Very well, my liege. l207l King Henry I have spoke long. Be pleased yourself to say l208l How far you satisfied me. Lincoln So please your highness, l209l The question did at first so stagger me, l210l Bearing a state of mighty moment in Æt l211l And consequence of dread, that I committed l212l The daringÆst counsel which I had to doubt, l213l And did entreat your highness to this course l214l Which you are running here. King Henry (to Canterbury) I then moved you, l215l My lord of Canterbury, and got your leave l216l To make this present summons. Unsolicited l217l I left no reverend person in this court, l218l But by particular consent proceeded l219l Under your hands and seals. Therefore, go on, l220l For no dislike iÆ thÆ world against the person l221l Of the good Queen, but the sharp thorny points l222l Of my allegΦd reasons, drives this forward. l223l Prove but our marriage lawful, by my life l224l And kingly dignity, we are contented l225l To wear our mortal state to come with her, l226l Katherine, our queen, before the primest creature l227l ThatÆs paragoned oÆ thÆ world. Cardinal Campeius So please your highness, l228l The Queen being absent, Ætis a needful fitness l229l That we adjourn this court till further day. l230l Meanwhile must be an earnest motion l231l Made to the Queen to call back her appeal l232l She intends unto his holiness. King Henry (aside) I may perceive l233l These cardinals trifle with me. I abhor l234l This dilatory sloth and tricks of Rome. l235l My learned and well-belovΦd servant, Cranmer, l236l Prithee return. With thy approach I know l237l My comfort comes along. (Aloud) Break up the court. l238l I say, set on. (Exeunt in manner as they entered)