To th' fharpeft 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 wifeft Prince that there had reign'd by many
A year before. It is not to be question'd
That they had gather'd a wife council to them,
Of ev'ry realm, that did debate this business,
Who deem'd our marriage lawful.
Sir, I befeech you, fpare me, till I may
Be by my friends in Spain advis'd, whofe counfel I will implore. If not, i'th' name of God,
Your pleafure be fulfill'd!
Wol. You have here, Lady,
And of your choice, thefe rev'rend fathers, men
Of fingular integrity and learning;
Yea, the elect o' th' land, who are affembled
To plead your caufe. It fhall be therefore bootlefs
That longer you defer the court, as well
For your own quiet, as to rectify
What is unfettled in the King.
Hath fpoken well and juftly; therefore, Madam, It's fit this royal feffion do proceed;
And that, without delay, their arguments
Be now produc'd and heard.
Queen. Lord Cardinal,
To you I fpeak.
Wol. Your pleasure, Madam?
I am about to weep; but thinking that
We are a Queen, or long have dream'd fo; certain The daughter of a King; my drops of tears
I'll turn to fparks of fire.
Wol. Be patient yet
Queen. I will, when you are humble: nay, be
Induc'd by potent circumstances that
You are mine enemy, and make my challenge*,
You fhall not be my judge. For it is you
Have blown this coal betwixt my Lord and me,
Which God's dew quench! Therefore, I fay again,
I utterly abhor, yea, from my foul
Refufe you for my judge, whom yet once more
I hold my moft malicious foe, and think not
At all a friend to truth.
You fpeak not like yourfelf, who ever yet
Have stood to charity, and display'd th' effects
Of difpofition gentle, and of wisdom
O'er-topping woman's power. Madam, you wrong
I have no fpleen against you, nor injustice
For you or any. How far I've proceeded,
Or how far further fhall, is warranted
By a commitlion from the consistory,
Yea, the whole confift'ry of Rome. You charge me
That I have blown this coal: I do deny it:
The King is prefent; if't be known to him
That I gainfay my deed, how may he wound,
And worthily, my falsehood? yea, as much
As you have done my truth. But if he know
That I am free of your report, he knows
I am not of your wrong. Therefore in him
It lyes to cure me, and the cure is to
Remove these thoughts from you: the which before
His Highness shall speak in, I do befeech
You, gracious Madam, to unthink your speaking, And to fay fo no more.
Queen. My Lord, my Lord,
I am a fimple woman, much too weak
T'oppofe your cunning. You are meek, and humble mouth'd;
Challenge is here a verbum juris, a law term. The criminal, when he refufes a juryman, fays, I challenge him. I think there is a flight error which deftroys the connection, and would read,
Induc'd by potent circumstances, that
You are mine enemy, I make my challenge.
-You shall not be my judge,
You fign your place and calling, in full feeming,
With meeknefs and humility; but your heart
Is cramm'd with arrogancy, fpleen, and pride.
You have by fortune, and his Highnels' favours,
Gone flightly o'er low fteps, and now are mounted,
Where pow'rs are your retainers; and your words,
Domeftics to you +, ferve your will, as't pleafe'
Yourself pronounce their office. I must tell you,.
You tender more your perfon's honour, than
Your high profeflion-piritual; that again :
I do refufe you for my judge; and here,
Before you all, appeal unto the Pope,
To bring my whole caufe 'fore his Holinefs,.
And to be judg'd by him.
[She curt fies to the King, and offers to depart. Cam. The Queen is obftinate,
Stubborn to juftice, apt t'accuse it, and i
Difdainful to be try'd by't: 'tis not well..
She's going away.
Crier. Catharine Queen of England, come inte the court.
Ufher. Madam,' you are call'd back.
Queen. What need you note it? Pray you keep
When you are call'd, return.-Now the Lord help,
They vex me paft my patience!-Pray you, pafs on..
I will not tarry; no, nor ever more
Upon this bufinefs my appearance make
[Exeunt Queen and her Attendants.» SCENE
King. Go thy ways, Kate.
That man i' th' world who fhall report he has
A better wife, let him in nought be trufted,
For (peaking falle in that. Thou art alone,
If thy rare qualities, fweet gentlenes,
* i. e. you teftify, Revisal.
†i. c. having now got power, you do not regard your word.
Thy meeknefs faint-like, wife-like government,
Obeying in commanding, and thy parts
Sov'reign and pious elfe, could fpeak thee out
The queen of earthly queens. She's noble born;
And, like her true nobility, she has
Carried herself tow'rds me.
In humbleft manner I require your Highness,
That it fhall please you to declare in hearing
Of all these ears, (for where I'm robb'd and bound
There must I be unloos'd, although not there
At once and fully fatisfy'd) if I
Did broach this bufinefs to your Highnefs, or
Laid any feruple in your way, which might
Induce you to the queftion on't, or ever
Have to you, but with thanks to God for fuch
A royal lady, spake one the leaft word
That might be prejudice of her present state,
Or touch of her good perfon?
King. My Lord Cardinal,
I do excule 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 fo; but, like the village curs,
Bark when their fellows do; by fome of thefe
The queen is put in anger. Y'are excus'd;
But will you be more juftify'd? you ever
Have wifh'd the fleeping of this bufinefs, never
Defir'd it to be stirr'd; but oft have hind'red
The paffages made tow'rds it,-On my honour,
I fpeak 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 confcience first receiv'd a tenderness,
Scruple and prick, on certain fpeeches utter'd
By th' Bishop of Bayon, then French ambaffador;
The fenfe is no more than this. I must be loofed, though when fo loofed I fhall not be fatisfied fully and a ence, that is, I shall not be immediately fatisfied. John
Who had been hither fent on the debating
A marriage 'twixt the Duke of Orleans and
Our daughter Mary.. I' th' progrefs of this business, Ere a determinate refolution, he
(I mean the Bishop) did require a refpite; Wherein he might the King his Lord advertife, Whether our daughter were legitimate, Refpecting this our marriage with the dowager, Sometime our brother's wife. This refpite hook The bofom of my confcience, enter'd me,
Yea, with a splitting power, and made me treinble
The region of my breaft; which forc'd fuch way,
That many maz'd confiderings did throng,
And preft in with this caution. Firft, methought, .
I ftood not in the fmile of heav'n, which had
Commanded nature, that my Lady's womb,
If it conceiv'd a male-child by me, fhould
Do no more offices of life to't, than
The grave does to the dead; for her male-iffie.
Or died where they were made, or fhortly 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, fhould not
Be gladded in't by me. Then follows, that
I weigh'd the danger which my realms flood in.
By this my iffue's fail; and that gave to me.
Many a groaning three. Thus hulling in
The wild fea of my confcience, I did fleer,
Towards this remedy, whereupon we are
Now prefent here together; that's to fay,
I mean to rectify my confcience, which
I then did feel full-fick, and yet not well,
By all the rev'rend fathers of the land
And doctors learn'd. First, I began in private
With you, my Lord of Lincoln; you remember
How, under my oppreffion, I did reek,
When I first mov'd you.
Lin. Very well, my Liege.
King. I have fpoke long; be pleas'd yourself to say,. How far you fatisfy'd me.
Lin. Please your Highness,
The queftion did at first so stagger me,
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