Prove but our marriage lawful, by my life
And kingly dignity, we are contented
To wear our mortal ftate to come, with her,
Catharine our Queen, before the primest creature
* That's paragon'd i'th'world.

Cam. So please your Highness,

The Queen being abfent, 'tis a needful fitnefs
That we adjourn this Court to further day;
Mean while muft be an earnest motion
Made to the Queen, to call back her appeal
She intends to his Holiness.

[They rife to depart. The King Speaks to Cranmer. King. I may perceive,

Thefe Cardinals trifle with me: I abhor
This dilatory floth, and tricks of Rome...
My learn'd and well beloved fervant Cranmer,
Pr'ythee, return! with thy approach, I know,
My comfort comes along.-Break up the Court.
-I fay, fet on.

[Exeunt, in manner as they enter'd.

• That's paragon'd i'th' world.] Hanmer reads, I think, better,

-

The primeft creature
That's paragon o'th' world.

ACT

ACT III. SCENE I.

The Queen's Apartment.

The Queen and her Women, as at Work.

QUEEN.

TAKE

AKE thy lute, wench, my foul
troubles :

grows

fad with

Sing, and difperfe 'em, if thou canft: leave working.

SONG.

Orpheus with his lute made trees,

And the mountain-tops, that freeze,
Bow themfelves when he did fing.
To bis mufick, plants and flowers
Ever fprung, as fun and showers
There had made a lafting Spring.
Ev'ry thing that beard him play,
Ev'n the billows of the fea,

Hung their Heads, and then lay by.
In fweet mufick is fuch art,
Killing care, and grief of heart

Fall asleep, or bearing die.

Enter a Gentleman.

Queen. How now?

Gent. An't please your Grace, the two great Car

dinals

Wait in the presence.

Queen. Would they fpeak with me?
Gent. They will'd me fay fo, Madam.

Queen. Pray their Graces

To come near.

What can be their business

With me, a poor weak woman, fall'n from favour? [Exit Meffenger.

I do not like their coming. Now I think on't,

I

They should be good men, their affairs are righteous, But all hoods make not monks.

Enter the Cardinals Wolfey and Campeius.

Wol. Peace to your Highness!

Queen. Your Graces find me here part of a housewife,

I would be all against the worst may happen.
What are your pleasures with me, rev'rend Lords?
Wol. May't please you, noble Madam, to with-
draw

Into your private chamber; we fhall give you
The full caufe of our coming.

Queen. Speak it here.

There's nothing I have done

yet, o' my conscience,

Deferves a corner; 'would, all other women
Could fpeak this with as free a foul as I do!
My Lords, I care not, fo much I am happy
Above a number, if my actions

Were try'd by ev'ry tongue, ev'ry eye faw 'em,

2

* Envy and bafe opinion fet against 'em;

I know my life fo even. If your business

I They should be good men, their affairs are righteous,] Affairs for profeffions; and then the fenfe is clear and pertinent. The propofition is, they are priests. The illation, therefore they are good men; for being undertood: But if affairs be interpreted in its common fignification, the fentence is abfurd.

WARBURTON.

The fentence has no great difficulty; affairs means not their prefent errand, but the business of their calling.

2 Envy and bafe opinion fet

against 'em.] I would be glad that my conduct were in fome publick_trial confronted with my enemies, that envy and corrupt judgment might try their utmoft power against me.

Do

'Do feek me out, and that way I am wife in, Out with it boldly. Truth loves open dealing.

Wol. Tanta eft erga te mentis integritas, Regina Sereniffima,

Queen. O, good my Lord, no Latin

I am not fuch a truant, fince my coming,
As not to know the language I have liv'd in.

A strange tongue makes my cause more ftrange, fufpicious.

Pray, fpeak in English; here are fome will thank you, If you speak truth, for their poor mistress' fake.

Believe me, she has had much wrong. Lord Cardinal, The willing't fin I ever yet committed,

May be abfolv'd in English.

Wol. Noble lady,

I'm forry my integrity fhould breed,

And service to his Majefty and you,

So deep fufpicion, where all faith was meant.
We come not by the way of accufation
To taint that honour every good tongue blesses,
Nor to betray you any way to forrow,

(You have too much, good lady) but to know
How you ftand minded in the weighty difference
Between the King and you; and to deliver,
Like free and honeft men, our just opinions
And comforts to your caufe.

Cam. Moft honour'd Madam,

My Lord of York, out of his noble nature.
Zeal and obedience he ftill bore your Grace,
Forgetting, like a good man, your late cenfure
Both of his truth and him, which was too far,

Offers, as I do, in a fign of

His fervice and his counsel.-
Queen. To betray me.

peace

My Lords, I thank you both for your good wills,
Ye fpeak like honeft men; pray God, ye prove fo!
But how to make ye fuddenly an answer

In fuch a point of weight, fo near mine honour,
More near my life I fear, with my weak wit,
And to fuch men of gravity and learning,

In truth I know not. I was fet at work

Among my maids; full little, God knows, looking
Either for fuch men, or fuch business.

For her fake that I have been, for I feel
The laft fit of my greatnefs, good your Graces,
Let me have time and council for my cause.
Alas! I am a woman, friendless, hopeless.

Wol. Madam, you wrong the King's love with
thofe fears,

Your hopes and friends are infinite.

Queen. In England

But little for my profit; can you think, Lords,
That any English man dare give me counsel?

5

Or be a known friend 'gainft his Highness' pleasure,
Though he be grown fo defp'rate to be honeft,
And live a fubject? Nay, forfooth, my friends,
They that muft weigh out my afflictions,
They that my trust muft grow to, live not here;
They are, as all my comforts are, far hence,
In my own country, Lords.

4 Though he be grown fo def prate to be honeft.] Do you think that any Englishman dare advife me; or, if any man fhould venture to advise with ho nefty, that he could live?

-weigh out my afflictions.] This phrafe is obfcure. To weigh gut, is, in modern language, to

deliver by weight; but this fenfe
cannot be here admitted. To
weigh is likewise to deliberate
upon, to confider with due atten-

tion.

This may, perhaps, be meant. Or the phrafe, to weigh out, may fignify to counterbal lance, to counteract with equal force.