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- $Unique_ID{SSP01810}
- $Title{King Henry VIII: Act III, Scene I}
- $Author{Shakespeare, William}
- $Subject{}
- $Log{Dramatis Personae*01800.txt}
-
- Portions copyright (c) CMC ReSearch, Inc., 1989
-
- The Complete Works of William Shakespeare
-
- KING HENRY VIII
-
-
- ACT III
- ................................................................................
-
-
- SCENE I: London. QUEEN KATHARINE's apartments.
- . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
-
- {Enter QUEEN KATHARINE and her Women, as at work.}
-
- QUEEN KATHARINE: Take thy lute, wench: my soul grows sad with
- troubles;
- Sing, and disperse 'em, if thou canst: leave working.
-
- {SONG.}
-
- Orpheus with his lute made trees,
- And the mountain tops that freeze,
- Bow themselves when he did sing:
- To his music plants and flowers
- Ever sprung; as sun and showers
- There had made a lasting spring.
-
- Every thing that heard him play,
- Even the billows of the sea, 10
- Hung their heads, and then lay by.
- In sweet music is such art,
- Killing care and grief of heart
- Fall asleep, or hearing, die.
-
- {Enter a Gentleman.}
-
- QUEEN KATHARINE: How now!
-
- Gentleman: An't please your grace, the two great cardinals
- Wait in the presence.
-
- QUEEN KATHARINE: Would they speak with me?
-
- Gentleman: They will'd me say so, madam.
-
- QUEEN KATHARINE: Pray their graces
- To come near.
-
- [Exit Gentleman.]
-
- What can be their business
- With me, a poor weak woman, fall'n from favor? 20
- I do not like their coming. Now I think on't,
- They should be good men; their affairs as righteous:
- But all hoods make not monks.
-
- {Enter CARDINAL WOLSEY and CARDINAL CAMPEIUS.}
-
- CARDINAL WOLSEY: Peace to your highness!
-
- QUEEN KATHARINE: Your graces find me here part of a housewife,
- I would be all, against the worst may happen.
- What are your pleasures with me, reverend lords?
-
- CARDINAL WOLSEY: May it please you noble madam, to withdraw
- Into your private chamber, we shall give you
- The full cause of our coming.
-
- QUEEN KATHARINE: Speak it here:
- There's nothing I have done yet, o' my conscience, 30
- Deserves a corner: would all other women
- Could speak this with as free a soul as I do!
- My lords, I care not, so much I am happy
- Above a number, if my actions
- Were tried by every tongue, every eye saw 'em,
- Envy and base opinion set against 'em,
- I know my life so even. If your business
- Seek me out, and that way I am wife in,
- Out with it boldly: truth loves open dealing.
-
- CARDINAL WOLSEY: Tanta est erga te mentis integritas, regina 40
- serenissima,--
-
- QUEEN KATHARINE: O, good my lord, no Latin;
- I am not such a truant since my coming,
- As not to know the language I have lived in:
- A strange tongue makes my cause more strange,
- suspicious;
- Pray, speak in English: here are some will thank you,
- If you speak truth, for their poor mistress' sake;
- Believe me, she has had much wrong: lord cardinal,
- The willing'st sin I ever yet committed
- May be absolved in English.
-
- CARDINAL WOLSEY: Noble lady, 50
- I am sorry my integrity should breed,
- And service to his majesty and you,
- So deep suspicion, where all faith was meant.
- We come not by the way of accusation,
- To taint that honor every good tongue blesses,
- Nor to betray you any way to sorrow,
- You have too much, good lady; but to know
- How you stand minded in the weighty difference
- Between the king and you; and to deliver,
- Like free and honest men, our just opinions 60
- And comforts to your cause.
-
- CARDINAL CAMPEIUS: Most honor'd madam,
- My Lord of York, out of his noble nature,
- Zeal and obedience he still bore your grace,
- Forgetting, like a good man your late censure
- Both of his truth and him, which was too far,
- Offers, as I do, in a sign of peace,
- His service and his counsel.
-
- QUEEN KATHARINE: [Aside] To betray me.--
- My lords, I thank you both for your good wills;
- Ye speak like honest men; pray God, ye prove so!
- But how to make ye suddenly an answer, 70
- In such a point of weight, so near mine honor,--
- More near my life, I fear,--with my weak wit,
- And to such men of gravity and learning,
- In truth, I know not. I was set at work
- Among my maids: full little, God knows, looking
- Either for such men or such business.
- For her sake that I have been,--for I feel
- The last fit of my greatness,--good your graces,
- Let me have time and counsel for my cause:
- Alas, I am a woman, friendless, hopeless! 80
-
- CARDINAL WOLSEY: Madam, you wrong the king's love with these fears:
- Your hopes and friends are infinite.
-
- QUEEN KATHARINE: In England
- But little for my profit: can you think, lords,
- That any Englishman dare give me counsel?
- Or be a known friend, 'gainst his highness' pleasure,
- Though he be grown so desperate to be honest,
- And live a subject? Nay, forsooth, my friends,
- They that must weigh out my afflictions,
- They that my trust must grow to, live not here:
- They are, as all my other comforts, far hence 90
- In mine own country, lords.
-
- CARDINAL CAMPEIUS: I would your grace
- Would leave your griefs, and take my counsel.
-
- QUEEN KATHARINE: How, sir?
-
- CARDINAL CAMPEIUS: Put your main cause into the king's protection;
- He's loving and most gracious: 'twill be much
- Both for your honor better and your cause;
- For if the trial of the law o'ertake ye,
- You'll part away disgraced.
-
- CARDINAL WOLSEY: He tells you rightly.
-
- QUEEN KATHARINE: Ye tell me what ye wish for both,--my ruin:
- Is this your Christian counsel? out upon ye!
- Heaven is above all yet; there sits a judge 100
- That no king can corrupt.
-
- CARDINAL CAMPEIUS: Your rage mistakes us.
-
- QUEEN KATHARINE: The more shame for ye: holy men I thought ye,
- Upon my soul, two reverend cardinal virtues;
- But cardinal sins and hollow hearts I fear ye:
- Mend 'em, for shame, my lords. Is this your comfort?
- The cordial that ye bring a wretched lady,
- A woman lost among ye, laugh'd at, scorn'd?
- I will not wish ye half my miseries;
- I have more charity: but say, I warn'd ye;
- Take heed, for heaven's sake, take heed, lest at once 110
- The burthen of my sorrows fall upon ye.
-
- CARDINAL WOLSEY: Madam, this is a mere distraction;
- You turn the good we offer into envy.
-
- QUEEN KATHARINE: Ye turn me into nothing: woe upon ye
- And all such false professors! would you have me--
- If you have any justice, any pity;
- If ye be any thing but churchmen's habits--
- Put my sick cause into his hands that hates me?
- Alas, has banish'd me his bed already,
- His love, too long ago! I am old, my lords, 120
- And all the fellowship I hold now with him
- Is only my obedience. What can happen
- To me above this wretchedness? all your studies
- Make me a curse like this.
-
- CARDINAL CAMPEIUS: Your fears are worse.
-
- QUEEN KATHARINE: Have I lived thus long--let me speak myself,
- Since virtue finds no friends--a wife, a true one?
- A woman, I dare say without vain-glory,
- Never yet branded with suspicion?
- Have I with all my full affections
- Still met the king? loved him next heaven?
- obey'd him? 130
- Been, out of fondness, superstitious to him?
- Almost forgot my prayers to content him?
- And am I thus rewarded? 'tis not well, lords.
- Bring me a constant woman to her husband,
- One that ne'er dream'd a joy beyond his pleasure;
- And to that woman, when she has done most,
- Yet will I add an honor, a great patience.
-
- CARDINAL WOLSEY: Madam, you wander from the good we aim at.
-
- QUEEN KATHARINE: My lord, I dare not make myself so guilty,
- To give up willingly that noble title 140
- Your master wed me to: nothing but death
- Shall e'er divorce my dignities.
-
- CARDINAL WOLSEY: Pray, hear me.
-
- QUEEN KATHARINE: Would I had never trod this English earth,
- Or felt the flatteries that grow upon it!
- Ye have angels' faces, but heaven knows your hearts.
- What will become of me now, wretched lady!
- I am the most unhappy woman living.
- Alas, poor wenches, where are now your fortunes!
- Shipwreck'd upon a kingdom, where no pity,
- No friend, no hope; no kindred weep for me; 150
- Almost no grave allow'd me: like the lily,
- That once was mistress of the field and flourish'd,
- I'll hang my head and perish.
-
- CARDINAL WOLSEY: If your grace
- Could but be brought to know our ends are honest,
- You'ld feel more comfort: why should we, good lady,
- Upon what cause, wrong you? alas, our places,
- The way of our profession is against it:
- We are to cure such sorrows, not to sow 'em.
- For goodness' sake, consider what you do;
- How you may hurt yourself, ay, utterly 160
- 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.
-
- 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 170
- 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.
-
- 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 180
- 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.
-
- [Exeunt.]
-
