King John & Henry VIII (43 page)

KATHERINE
    So may he rest: his faults lie gently on him.

    Yet thus far, Griffith, give me leave to
speak
³⁵
him,

    And yet with charity. He was a man

    Of an unbounded
stomach
³⁷
, ever ranking

    Himself with princes: one that by
suggestion
³⁸

    
Tied
all the kingdom.
Simony
³⁹
was fair play:

    His own opinion was his law.
I’th’presence
⁴⁰

    He would say untruths, and be ever
double
⁴¹

    Both in his words and meaning. He was never,

    But where he meant to ruin,
pitiful
⁴³
.

    His promises were, as he then was, mighty:

    But his performance, as he is now, nothing:

    Of his own
body
he was
ill
⁴⁶
, and gave

    The clergy ill example.

GRIFFITH
    Noble madam,

    Men’s evil manners live in brass, their virtues

    
We write in water. May it please your highness

    To hear me speak his
good
⁵¹
now?

KATHERINE
    Yes, good Griffith,

    I were malicious else.

GRIFFITH
    This cardinal,

    Though from an humble stock, undoubtedly

    Was fashioned
to
⁵⁶
much honour. From his cradle

    He was a scholar, and a
ripe
⁵⁷
and good one:

    Exceeding wise, fair-spoken, and persuading:

    
Lofty
⁵⁹
and sour to them that loved him not:

    But to those men that sought him, sweet as summer.

    And though he were
unsatisfied in getting
⁶¹
,

    Which was a sin, yet in bestowing, madam,

    He was most princely: ever witness for him

    Those twins of learning that he raised in
you
⁶⁴
,

    
Ipswich and Oxford
⁶⁵
: one of which fell with him,

    Unwilling to outlive the good that
did
⁶⁶
it:

    The other, though unfinished, yet so famous,

    So excellent in
art
, and still so
rising
⁶⁸
,

    That Christendom shall ever speak his virtue.

    His overthrow heaped happiness upon him:

    For then, and not till then, he felt himself,

    And found the blessedness of being
little
⁷²
.

    And, to add greater honours to his age

    Than man could give him, he died fearing God.

KATHERINE
    After my death I wish no other herald,

    No other speaker of my living actions,

    To keep mine honour from corruption,

    But such an honest chronicler as Griffith.

    
Whom
⁷⁹
I most hated living, thou hast made me,

    With thy
religious
truth and
modesty
⁸⁰
,

    
Now in his ashes honour: peace be with him.

    Patience, be near me still, and
set me lower
⁸²
:

    I have not long to trouble thee. Good Griffith,

    Cause the musicians play me that sad
note
⁸⁴

    I named my
knell
⁸⁵
, whilst I sit meditating

    On that
celestial harmony
⁸⁶
I go to.

              
Sad and solemn music

GRIFFITH
    She is asleep: good wench, let’s sit down quiet

    For fear we wake her. Softly, gentle Patience.

KATHERINE
    Spirits of peace, where are ye? Are ye all gone,

    And leave me here in wretchedness behind ye?

GRIFFITH
    Madam, we are here.

KATHERINE
    It is not you I call for:

    Saw ye none enter since I slept?

GRIFFITH
    None, madam.

KATHERINE
    No? Saw you not even now a blessèd troop

    Invite me to a banquet, whose bright faces

    Cast thousand beams upon me, like the sun?

    They promised me eternal happiness,

    
And brought me garlands, Griffith, which I feel

    I am not worthy yet to wear: I shall, assuredly.

GRIFFITH
    I am most joyful, madam, such good dreams

    Possess your
fancy
¹⁰²
.

KATHERINE
    Bid the
music leave
¹⁰³
,

    They are harsh and
heavy
¹⁰⁴
to me.

PATIENCE
    Do you note

    How much her grace is altered on the sudden?

    How long her face is drawn? How pale she looks,

    And of an earthy cold? Mark her eyes!

GRIFFITH
    She is going, wench: pray, pray.

PATIENCE
    Heaven comfort her.

MESSENGER
    
An’t like
¹¹¹
your grace—

KATHERINE
    You are a
saucy
¹¹²
fellow:

    Deserve we no more reverence?

GRIFFITH
    You are to blame,

    Knowing she will not
lose
her
wonted
¹¹⁵
greatness,

    To use so rude behaviour. Go to, kneel.

MESSENGER
    I humbly do entreat your highness’ pardon:

    My haste made me unmannerly. There is
staying
¹¹⁸

    A gentleman sent from the king to see you.

KATHERINE
    Admit him entrance, Griffith. But this fellow

    Let me ne’er see again.

              If my sight fail not,

    You should be lord ambassador from the
emperor
¹²²
,

    My royal nephew, and your name Caputius.

CAPUTIUS
    Madam, the same. Your servant.

KATHERINE
    O my lord,

    The times and titles now are altered strangely

    With me since first you knew me. But I pray you,

    What is your pleasure with me?

CAPUTIUS
    Noble lady,

    First mine own service to your grace: the next,

    The king’s request that I would visit you,

    Who grieves much for your weakness, and by me

    Sends you his princely commendations,

    And heartily entreats you take good comfort.

KATHERINE
    O my good lord, that comfort comes too late,

    ’Tis like a pardon after execution:

    That gentle
physic
given in time
had
¹³⁷
cured me,

    But now I am past all comforts here but prayers.

    How does his highness?

CAPUTIUS
    Madam, in good health.

KATHERINE
    So may he ever do, and ever flourish,

    When I shall dwell with worms, and my poor name

    Banished the kingdom. Patience, is that letter

    I caused you write yet sent away?

PATIENCE
    No, madam.

KATHERINE
    Sir, I most humbly pray you to deliver

    This to my lord the king.

CAPUTIUS
    Most
willing
¹⁴⁸
, madam.

KATHERINE
    In which I have commended to his goodness

    The
model
of our chaste loves, his young
daughter
¹⁵⁰
—

    The dews of heaven fall thick in blessings on her —

    Beseeching him to give her virtuous
breeding
¹⁵²
.

    She is young, and of a noble modest nature:

    I hope she will deserve well — and a little

    To love her for her mother’s sake, that loved him,

    Heaven knows how dearly. My next poor petition

    Is that his noble grace would have some pity

    Upon my wretched women, that so long

    Have followed
both my fortunes
¹⁵⁹
faithfully:

    Of which there is not one, I dare avow,

    And now I should not lie, but will deserve

    
For virtue and true beauty of the soul,

    For
honesty
and decent
carriage
¹⁶³
,

    A right good husband — let him be a noble —

    And sure those men are
happy
¹⁶⁵
that shall have ’em.

    The last is for my men — they are the poorest,

    But poverty could never draw ’em from me —

    That they may have their wages duly paid ’em,

    And something
over
¹⁶⁹
to remember me by.

    If heaven had pleased to have given me longer life

    And
able
¹⁷¹
means, we had not parted thus.

    These are the whole contents, and, good my lord,

    By that you love the dearest in this world,

    As you wish Christian peace to souls departed,

    Stand these poor people’s friend, and urge the king

    To do me this last right.

CAPUTIUS
    By heaven, I will,

    Or let me lose the
fashion
¹⁷⁸
of a man.

KATHERINE
    I thank you,
honest
¹⁷⁹
lord. Remember me

    In all humility unto his highness:

    Say his long trouble now is passing

    Out of this world. Tell him in death I blessed him,

    For so I will. Mine eyes grow dim. Farewell,

    My lord. Griffith, farewell. Nay, Patience,

    You must not leave me yet. I must to bed:

    Call in more women. When I am dead, good wench,

    Let me be
used
¹⁸⁷
with honour: strew me over

    With
maiden flowers
¹⁸⁸
, that all the world may know

    I was a chaste wife to my grave: embalm me,

    Then lay me
forth
¹⁹⁰
: although unqueened, yet like

    A queen and daughter to a king inter me.

    I
can
¹⁹²
no more.

GARDINER
    It’s one o’clock, boy, is’t not?

PAGE
    It hath struck.

GARDINER
    These should be hours for
necessities
³
,

    Not for delights: times to repair our nature

    With comforting repose, and not for us

    To waste these times. Good hour of night, Sir Thomas:

    
Whither
⁷
so late?

LOVELL
    Came you from the king, my lord?

GARDINER
    I did, Sir Thomas, and left him at
primero
⁹

    With the Duke of Suffolk.

LOVELL
    I
must
¹¹
to him too,