mislike this "science was incontinentlie accombred, vexed, and disquieted; made him "whereby I thought my selfe to be greatlie in danger of God's marriage. "indignation. Which appeared to be (as me seemed) the rather, "for that he sent vs no issue male, and all such issues male, as my said "wife had by me, died incontinent after they came into the world; male issue.] "so that I doubted the great displeasure of God in that behalfe. "Thus, my conscience being tossed in the waues of a scrupulous "mind, and partlie in despaire to haue [p. 908] anie other issue than "I had alredie by this ladie now my wife, it behooued me further to "consider the state of this realme, and the danger it stood in for "lacke of a prince to succeed me. I thought it good in release of "the weightie burthen of my weake conscience, . to attempt the "law therin, whether I may lawfullie take another wife more “lawfullie, . . . not for anie displeasure or misliking of the queenes person and age; with whome I would be as well contented "to continue, if our mariage may stand with the laws of God, as "with anie woman aliue. [He had no His realm lack of a danger for succeed was in prince to him.] And, for so [He moved mooued me "In this point consisteth all this doubt that we go about now "to trie by the learning, wisedome, and iudgement of you our "prelats and pastors of all this our realme and dominions, now "heere assembled for that purpose; Wherein, after that I "perceiued my conscience so doubtfull, I mooued it in confession "to you, my Lord of Lincolne, then ghostlie father. "much as then you your selfe were in some doubt, "to aske the counsell of all these my lords: wherevpon I mooued "you, my lord of Canturburie, first to haue your licence, in as much as you were metropolitane, to put this matter in question, and "so I did of all you, my lords: to which you granted under your "seales, heere to be shewed." you At the close of Henry's speech Campeggio says (11. 230-235): the matter obtained licence to try it from the other Warham and bishops.] ' She intends vnto his Holinesse. Holinshed omitted a dispute between Warham and Fisher, which succeeded the royal speech, and was silenced by Henry. [The court [Hol. iii. 908/1/33. Stow, 915.] After that the king rose adjourned.] vp, and the court was adiourned vntill another daie. H H Notwithstanding Katharine's appeal, [Hol. iii. 908/1/45. Polyd. Verg., 688/11.] the legats sat weekelie, and euerie daie were arguments brought in on both parts, and proofes alleaged for the vnderstanding of the case, and urged to call still they assaied if they could by anie meanes procure the queene to call backe hir appeale, which she vtterlie refused to doo. [Katharine back her appeal.] The king mistrusteth Campeggio's proposal to adjourn is accepted by Henry (1. 240), but not without an aside (11. 235-237): These Cardinals trifle with me: I abhorre Holinshed copied Polydore Vergil's remark (688/14) that the 235 [Hol. iii. 908/1/50.] king would gladlie haue had an end in the legats of the matter, but, when the legats draue time, and determined vpon seeking delaies. no certeine point, he conceiued a suspicion that this was doone of purpose, that their dooings might draw to none effect or conclusion. Act III. sc. i.-"Enter Queene and her Women, as at worke." Α Gentleman announces that Wait in the presence. Would they speake with me? Katharine bids her Gentleman invite them to " come neere (1. 19); and presently the Cardinals enter. The court at Black-Friars closed its sessions in the latter part of July, 1529.1 It was opened, as we have seen (p. 458, n. 1, above) on June 18. Time passed in fruitless discussion, until one day, after the court had adjourned, Henry's impatience obliged Wolsey and Campeggio to make a direct appeal to Katharine.2 Wols. Peace to your Highnesse! Queen. Your Graces find me heere part of a Houswife : 24 What are your pleasures with me, reuerent Lords? Wol. May it please you, Noble Madam, to withdraw 28 Speake it heere : Queen. There's nothing I haue done yet, o' my Conscience, 1 "Cardinall Campeius sayd yt they myght not syt after Iuly, tyll October, all whyche season was a vacacyon in the Courte of Rome, and, their court beynge a member of the Courte of Rome, they must nedes do the same."Halle, 758. 2 Cavendish, i. 160, 161. Card. [Wol.] Tanta est erga te mentis integritas, Regina serenissima, Queen. O, good my Lord, no Latin ! . . . 41 Wolsey replies (11. 54-61): We come not by the way of Accusation, To taint that honour euery good Tongue blesses, 56 Nor to betray you any way to sorrow; Camp. "To betray me," Katharine murmurs. Cardinals (11. 68-80): 60 64 Then she addresses the My Lords, I thanke you both for your good wills; In such a poynt of weight, so neere mine Honour, 72 Among my Maids; full little (God knowes) looking 76 The last fit of my Greatnesse,) good your Graces, Let me haue time and Councell for my Cause. 80 Wol. Madam, you wrong the Kings loue with these feares: Your hopes and friends are infinite. Queen. In England But little for my profit: can you thinke, Lords, 1 your] F2. om. F1. 84 Queene Katharine and the cardinals have com munication chamber [; but at first she required them to speak in her Presence Chamber]. Or be a knowne friend, 'gainst his Highnes pleasure, They that my trust must grow to, liue not heere : 88 [Hol. iii. 908/2/2. Stow, 916.] The cardinals being in the queenes chamber of presence, the gentleman usher aduertised the queene that the cardinals were come to speake with hir. With in his privie that she rose vp, &, with a skeine of white thred about hir necke, came into hir chamber of presence, where the cardinals were attending. At whose comming quoth she, "What is your plesure "" with me ?" "If it please your grace" (quoth cardinall Wolseie) "to go into your priuie chamber, we will shew you the cause of our comming." "My lord" (quoth she) "if yee haue anie thing to saie, speake it openlie before all these folke; for I feare nothing "that yee can saie against me, but that I would all the world "should heare and see it, and therefore speake your mind." Then began the cardinall to speake to hir in Latine. "Naie, good my "lord" (quoth she) "speake to me in English."1 [Wolsey addressed her in Latin.] [He and Campeggio desired to know her mind in regard to the marriage question, and to counsel her.] The queene refuseth to make sudden answer in 80 weightie a matter as the diuorse [: she had just come from work "Forsooth" (quoth the cardinall) "good madame, if it please you, we come both to know your mind how you are disposed to "doo in this matter betweene the king and you, and also to declare "secretlie our opinions and counsell vnto you: which we doo "onelie for verie zeale and obedience we beare vnto your grace." My lord" (quoth she) "I thanke you for your good will; but to “make you answer in your request I cannot so suddenlie, for I was "set among my maids at worke, thinking full little of anie such "matter, wherein there needeth a longer deliberation, and a better "head than mine to make answer: for I need counsell in this case ing with her which toucheth me so neere, & for anie counsell or freendship "that I can find in England, they are not for my profit. What, "thinke you, my lords, will anie Englishman counsell me, or be maids]. [She said that no 1 speake to me in English, for I can (I thanke God) both speake and vnderstand English, although I vnderstand some latin.] Stow., om. Hol. Cp. Katharine's words (III. i. 43, 44): "I am not such a Truant since my comming, could advise her; her "freend to me against the K[ings] pleasure that is his subiect? Englishman "Naie, forsooth. And as for my counsell in whom I will put my friends were "trust, they be not here, they be in Spaine in my owne countrie. in Spain.] treated the pity.] "And, my lords, I am a poore woman, lacking wit, to answer [She en"to anie such noble persons of wisedome as you be, in so weightie cardinals' "a matter, therefore I praie you be good to me, poore woman, "destitute of freends here in a forren region," Campeggio responds by offering his counsel (11. 93-97): Put your maine cause into the King's protection ; The object of the Cardinals' mission to Katharine was 96 wished to leave the settlement marriage [Hol. iii. 908/1/70. Stow, 916.] to persuade with hir by their [Henry wisdoms, and to aduise hir to surrender the whole matter into the Katharine kings hands by hir owne consent & will, which should be much better better to hir honour, than to stand to the triall of law, and thereby to be condemned, which should seeme much to hir dishonour. Katharine's anger is roused by this perfidious advice, but, growing calm at last, she says, as the scene ends (11. 181, 182): Come, reuerend Fathers, Bestow your Councels on me! We are not told by Cavendish how Katharine received the legates' proposition. After her appeal,-"I praie you be good to me, poore woman, destitute of freends here in a forren region,”—she added: question to' him.] with the [Hol. iii. 908/2/41. Stow, 917.] "and your counsell also I will be [She retired "glad to heare." And therewith she tooke the cardinall [Wolsey] cardinals to by the hand, and led him into hir priuie chamber with the other Chamber.] cardinall, where they tarried a season talking with the queene. Act III. sc. ii.—Norfolk, Suffolk, "Surrey," and the Lord Chamberlain enter. Norfolk says (11. 1-3): If you will now vnite in your Complaints, And force them with a Constancy, the Cardinall Cannot stand vnder them: .. Suffolk explains how Wolsey has forfeited Henry's favour (11. 30-36): 1 Cavendish says (i. 164) that "we, in the other chamber, might sometime hear the queen speak very loud, but what it was we could not understand." ་ |