But will you be more justify'd you ever

Have with'd the fleeping of this bufinefs, never
Defir'd it to be stirr'd; but oft have hinder'd.
The paffages made tow'rds it-On my honour, ad
I fpeak my good Lord Cardinal to this point; (16)
And thus far clear him. Now, what anov'd me to't,
I will be bold with time and your attention pro 10 ti,
'T'hen mark th’inducement. Thus it came; give heed to't.
My confcience firft receiv'd a tenderness,

Scruple, and prick, on certain speeches utter'd
By th' Bishop of Bayon, then French Ambaffador;
Who had been hither fent on the debating

T

A marriage 'twixt the Duke of Orleans, and tow to??) Our daughter Mary: I'th' progrefs of this bufinefs, Ere a determinate refolution, he

(I mean the Bishop) did require a refpite; Wherein he might the King his Lord advertise, vi Whether our daughter were legitimate,

Refpecting this our marriage with the Dowager, wo Sometime our brother's wife. This refpites fhopko The bofom of my confcience, enter'd me, (17)som i (16) on my honour

Ifpeak, my good Lord Cardinal, to this point.]

In all the editions, excepting Mr. Rowe's, this paffage has been pointed mistakingly, as if the King were fpeaking to the Cardinal: but this is not the poet's intention. The King, having first addrefs'd to Wolfey, breaks off: and declares upon his honour to the whole court, that he fpeaks the Cardinal's fentiments upon the point in queftion; and clears him from any attempt, or with, to ftir that bafinets, จาก 1

This refpite book

P

(17) The bofom of my confcience,] Tho' this reading be fenfe, and therefore I have not ventur'd to difplace it; yet, I verily believe, the poet wrote;

The bottom of my confcience,

My reafon is this. Shakespeare in all his hiftorical plays was a moft diligent obferver of Holling fhead's chronicle; and had him always in eye, wherever he thought fit to borrow any matter from him. Now Hollingshead, in the fpeech which he has given to King Henry upon this fubject, makes him deliver himself thus." Which words once "conceived within the fecret bottom of my comfcience, ingendred fuch <" a fcrupulous doubt, that my confcience was incontinently accombred, vex'd, and difquieted." Vid, Life of Henry VIIIth p. 907.

Yea,

Yea, with a splitting power; and made to tremble
The region of my breaft; which forc'd fuch way,
That many maz'd confiderings did throng,
And preft in with this caution. First, methought,
I ftood not in the smile of heav'n, which had
Commanded nature, that my Lady's womb
(If it conceiv'd a male-child by me) should
Do no more Offices of life to't, than

The grave does to the dead; for her male-iffue
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 ftood in
By this my iffue's fail; and that gave to me
Many a groaning throe: thus hulling in
The wild fea of my conscience, I did steer
Towards this remedy, whereupon we are
Now present here together; that's to fay,
I meant 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, (18)
When I first mov'd you.

Lin. Very well, my Liege.

King. I have fpoke long; be pleas'd yourself to fay How far you fatisfy'd me.

-Lin. Pleafe your Highnefs,

The queftion did at firft fo ftagger me,

Bearing a state of mighty moment in't,

And confequence of dread; that I committed
The daring'ft counfel, which I had, to doubt:
And did intreat your Highness to this courfe,
Which you are running here.

(18) my oppression I did reel,] This Word firft got place in Mr. Rowe's edition; all the old copies read, as I have reftor'd in the text, reek; i. e. fweat under the burden, and agony of my anxieties.

King. I then mov'd you, (19)

your

My Lord of Canterbury; and got your leave
To make this prefent fummons: Unfollicited
1 left no rev'rend perfon in this court,
But by particular confent proceeded A
Under hands and feals. Therefore go on ;
For no diflike i'th' world against the perfon
Or our good Queen, but the fharp thorny points
Of my alledged reafons drive this forward.
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 fitness

That we adjourn this court to further day;
Mean while must be an earnest motion

Made to the Queen, to call back her appeal
She intends to his Holinefs.

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.

(19)

I then mov'd. you,
My Lord of Canterbury, and got your leave

To make this prefent fammens unfollicited] Thus all the impreffions.
But thefe fagacious editors have paim'd a ftrange piece of nonfenfe
upon us, from a falfe pointing. What did the King move the
Bishop, nay, and fo move him as to get bis leave, and yet could the
fummons be faid to be unfollicited? I have refcu'd the text from fuch
an abfurd contradiction: and, again, done it upon the authority of
honeft Holling fhead.
"I moved it in confeffion to you, my
"Lord of Lincoln, then ghoftly father. And forafmuch as then you
"yourfelf were in fome doubt, you mov'd me to afk the counfel of
"all thefe my Lords. Whereupon I moved you, my Lord of Can-
terbury, first to have your licence, in as much as you were metro-
"politan, to put this matter in question; and so I did all of you,
64 my Lords." Hollingshead. ibid. p. 908.

ACT

A

no og toisten Talcot big ebno way sobr

SCENE, the Queen's Apartments.
Y

The Queen and her Women, as at Work.

ad de QUEEN.

AKE thy lute, wench, my foul grows fad with troubles:

ΤΑΚΙ

Ի

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

SO N. G.

Rpheus with his late made trees,

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

Hung their heads, and then lay by
In fweet mufick is fuch árt,
Killing care, and grief of heart
, Fall asleep, or hearing die.

Enter a Gentleman.

Queen. How now ?

Gent, And't please your Grace, the two great Cardinals Wait in the prefence.

Queen. Would they fpeak with me?

Gent. They will'd me fay fo, Madamı 9194 i
Queen. Pray their Graces

To come near; what can be their business

With me, a poor weak woman, fall'n from favour?

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 the Cardinals Wolley and Campeius.

Wol. Peace to your Highness!

Queen. Your Graces find me here part of a house-wife, (I would be all) against the worst may happen: What are your pleasures with me, rev'rend Lords? Wol. May't pleafe you, noble Madam, to withdraw Into your private chamber; we shall give you The full caufe of our coming.

Queen. Speak it here.

There's nothing I have done yet, o'my confcience,
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 ;
Envy and bafe opinion fet against 'em;

I know my life fo even. If your business
Do seek me out, and that way I am wife in,
Out with it boldly: truth loves open dealing.
Wol. Tanta eft ergà te mentis integritas, Regina Serenif-
fima,

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.

Aftrange tongue makes my caufe more ftrange, fufpicious:
Pray, peak in English; here are fome will thank you,
If you fpeak truth, for their poor miftrefs' fake.
Believe me, she has had much wrong. Lord Cardinal,
The willing'ft fin I ever yet committed,
May be abfolv'd in English.

Wol. Noble Lady,

I'm forry my integrity fhould breed

(And fervice 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 bleffes;

Nor