Henry VIII: Act 2, Scene 4 Translation

Trumpets, sennet, and cornets. Enter two Vergers, with
short silver wands; next them, two Scribes, in the habit of
doctors; after them, the Bishop of Canterbury alone; after
him, the Bishops of Lincoln, Ely, Rochester, and Saint
Asaph; next them, with some small distance, follows a
Gentleman bearing the purse with 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 Sergeant-at-Arms, bearing a silver mace; then two
Gentlemen, bearing two great silver pillars. After them,
side by side, the two Cardinals, and two Noblemen with
the sword and mace. The King takes place under the cloth
of state. The two Cardinals sit under him as judges. The
Queen takes place some distance from the King. The
Bishops place themselves on each side the court, in
manner of a consistory; below them the Scribes. The
Lords sit next the Bishops. The rest of the Attendants
including a Crier and the Queen’s Gentleman Usher
stand in convenient order about the stage.

WOLSEY
Whilst our commission from Rome is read,
Let silence be commanded.

KING What’s the need?
It hath already publicly been read,
And on all sides th’ authority allowed. 5
You may then spare that time.

WOLSEY Be ’t so. Proceed.

SCRIBE Say “Henry King of England, come into the
court.”

CRIER Henry King of England, come into the court. 10

KING Here.

SCRIBE Say “Katherine Queen of England, come into
the court.”

CRIER Katherine Queen of England, come into the
court. 15

The Queen makes no answer, rises out of her
chair, goes about the court, comes to the King,
and kneels at his feet; then speaks.

QUEEN KATHERINE
Sir, I desire you do me right and justice,
And to bestow your pity on me; for
I am a most poor woman and a stranger,
Born out of your dominions, having here
No judge indifferent nor no more assurance 20
Of equal friendship and proceeding. Alas, sir,
In what have I offended you? What cause
Hath my behavior given to your displeasure
That thus you should proceed to put me off
And take your good grace from me? Heaven witness 25
I have been to you a true and humble wife,
At all times to your will conformable,
Ever in fear to kindle your dislike,
Yea, subject to your countenance, glad or sorry
As I saw it inclined. When was the hour 30
I ever contradicted your desire,
Or made it not mine too? Or which of your friends
Have I not strove to love, although I knew
He were mine enemy? What friend of mine
That had to him derived your anger did I 35
Continue in my liking? Nay, gave notice
He was from thence discharged? Sir, call to mind
That I have been your wife in this obedience
Upward of twenty years, and have been blessed
With many children by you. If, in the course 40
And process of this time, you can report,
And prove it too, against mine honor aught,
My bond to wedlock or my love and duty
Against your sacred person, in God’s name
Turn me away and let the foul’st contempt 45
Shut door upon me, and so give me up
To the sharp’st kind of justice. Please you, sir,
The King your father was reputed for
A prince most prudent, of an excellent
And unmatched wit and judgment. Ferdinand, 50
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, 55
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. 60

WOLSEY You have here, lady,
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 65
That longer you desire the court, as well
For your own quiet as to rectify
What is unsettled in the King.

CAMPEIUS His Grace
Hath spoken well and justly. Therefore, madam, 70
It’s fit this royal session do proceed
And that without delay their arguments
Be now produced and heard.

QUEEN KATHERINE Lord Cardinal,
To you I speak. 75

WOLSEY Your pleasure, madam.

QUEEN 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 80
I’ll turn to sparks of fire.

WOLSEY Be patient yet.

QUEEN KATHERINE
I will, when you are humble; nay, before,
Or God will punish me. I do believe,
Induced by potent circumstances, that 85
You are mine enemy, and make my challenge
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 90
Refuse you for my judge, whom, yet once more,
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 95
Have stood to charity and displayed th’ effects
Of disposition gentle and of wisdom
O’ertopping woman’s power. Madam, you do me
wrong.
I have no spleen against you, nor injustice 100
For you or any. How far I have proceeded,
Or how far further shall, is warranted
By a commission from the Consistory,
Yea, the whole Consistory of Rome. You charge me
That I “have blown this coal.” I do deny it. 105
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
As you have done my truth. If he know
That I am free of your report, he knows 110
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
His Highness shall speak in, I do beseech
You, gracious madam, to unthink your speaking 115
And to say so no more.

QUEEN KATHERINE My lord, my lord,
I am a simple woman, much too weak
T’ oppose your cunning. You’re meek and
humble-mouthed; 120
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’ favors
Gone slightly o’er low steps, and now are mounted 125
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 honor than
Your high profession spiritual, that again 130
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, 135
Stubborn to justice, apt to accuse it, and
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 140
court.

GENTLEMAN USHER Madam, you are called back.

QUEEN KATHERINE
What need you note it? Pray you, keep your way.
When you are called, return. Now, the Lord help!
They vex me past my patience. Pray you, pass on. 145
I will not tarry; no, nor ever more
Upon this business my appearance make
In any of their courts.

Queen and her Attendants exit.

KING Go thy ways, Kate.
That man i’ th’ world who shall report he has 150
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 saintlike, wifelike government,
Obeying in commanding, and thy parts 155
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, 160
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 165
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 170
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 honor,
I free you from ’t. You are not to be taught 175
That you have many enemies that know not
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 180
Have wished the sleeping of this business, never
desired
It to be stirred, but oft have hindered, oft,
The passages made toward it. On my honor
I speak my good Lord Cardinal to this point 185
And thus far clear him. Now, what moved me to ’t,
I will be bold with time and your attention.
Then mark th’ inducement. Thus it came; give heed
to ’t:
My conscience first received a tenderness, 190
Scruple, and prick on certain speeches uttered
By th’ Bishop of Bayonne, then French ambassador,
Who had been hither sent on the debating
A marriage ’twixt the Duke of Orleans and
Our daughter Mary. I’ th’ progress of this business, 195
Ere a determinate resolution, he,
I mean the Bishop, did require a respite
Wherein he might the King his lord advertise
Whether our daughter were legitimate,
Respecting this our marriage with the dowager, 200
Sometime our brother’s wife. This respite shook
The bosom of my conscience, entered me,
Yea, with a spitting power, and made to tremble
The region of my breast; which forced such way
That many mazed considerings did throng 205
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,
If it conceived a male child by me, should
Do no more offices of life to ’t than 210
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
This was a judgment on me, that my kingdom,
Well worthy the best heir o’ th’ world, should not 215
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
Many a groaning throe. Thus hulling in
The wild sea of my conscience, I did steer 220
Toward this remedy whereupon we are
Now present here together. That’s to say,
I meant to rectify my conscience, which
I then did feel full sick, and yet not well,
By all the reverend fathers of the land 225
And doctors learnèd. First, I began in private
With you, my Lord of Lincoln. You remember
How under my oppression I did reek
When I first moved you.

LINCOLN Very well, my liege. 230

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 235
And consequence of dread, that I committed
The daring’st counsel which I had to doubt,
And did entreat your Highness to this course
Which you are running here.

KING I then moved you, 240
My Lord of Canterbury, and got your leave
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, 245
For no dislike i’ th’ world against the person
Of the good queen, but the sharp thorny points
Of my allegèd reasons drives this forward.
Prove but our marriage lawful, by my life
And kingly dignity, we are contented 250
To wear our mortal state to come with her,
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 255
That we adjourn this court till further day.
Meanwhile must be an earnest motion
Made to the Queen to call back her appeal
She intends unto his Holiness.

KING, aside I may perceive 260
These cardinals trifle with me. I abhor
This dilatory sloth and tricks of Rome.
My learnèd and well-belovèd servant Cranmer,
Prithee return. With thy approach, I know,
My comfort comes along.—Break up the court. 265
I say, set on.

They exit, in manner as they entered.