The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (303 page)

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:

For no dislike i' the world against the person

Of the good queen, but the sharp thorny points

Of my alleged reasons, drive this forward:

Prove but our marriage lawful, by my life

And kingly dignity, we are contented

To wear our mortal state to come with her,

Katharine our queen, before the primest creature

That's paragon'd o' the world.

I then asked you,

my Lord of Canterbury; and I got your permission

 to begin these current proceedings: I did not

fail to ask any holy person in this Court;

I moved forward with your specific agreement,

signed and sealed: so, proceed:

there is no dislike in any way of

the good Queen motivating this,

it's only the sharp pricks of the

reasons I have put forward:

if you can prove that our marriage is lawful, I swear on my life

and my dignity as a king, I shall be happy

to spend the rest of my life with her,

Katherine my Queen, ahead of anyone

who is put forward as the finest creature in the world.

CARDINAL CAMPEIUS

So please your highness,

The queen being absent, 'tis a needful fitness

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.

If it pleases your Highness,

with the Queen being absent, it is necessary

for us to adjourn this court until another day:

in the meantime earnest efforts must be made

to persuade the Queen not to make the appeal

to the Pope which she intends.

KING HENRY VIII

[Aside] I may perceive

These cardinals trifle with me: I abhor

This dilatory sloth and tricks of Rome.

My learn'd and well-beloved servant, Cranmer,

Prithee, return: with thy approach, I know,

My comfort comes along. Break up the court:

I say, set on.

I can see

that these cardinals are trifling with me: I hate

this lazy slowness and tricks of Rome.

My learned and much loved servant, Cranmer,

I pray for your return: I know that when you come

you will help me. Break up the court:

I say, move along.

Exeunt in manner as they entered

Enter QUEEN KATHARINE and her Women, as at work

QUEEN KATHARINE

Take thy lute, wench: my soul grows sad with troubles;

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

Pick up your lute, girl: all these troubles have made me sad;

sing, and blow them away, if you can: leave your work.

SONG

Orpheus with his lute made trees,

And the mountain tops that freeze,

Bow themselves when he did sing:

To his music plants and flowers

Ever sprung; as sun and showers

There had made a lasting spring.

Every thing that heard him play,

Even the billows of the sea,

Hung their heads, and then lay by.

In sweet music is such art,

Killing care and grief of heart

Fall asleep, or hearing, die.

With his lute Orpheus made the trees,

and the frozen mountaintops,

bow down to him when he sang:

plants and flowers always sprung up

at his music; as if the sun and showers

had made an eternal spring there.

Everything that heard him play,

even the waves of the sea,

hung their heads, and then lay around him.

There is such art in sweet music

that it can kill troubles and the sadness of the heart

falls asleep or, hearing, dies.

Enter a Gentleman

QUEEN KATHARINE

How now!

Hello there!

Gentleman

An't please your grace, the two great cardinals

Wait in the presence.

If you please, your grace, the two great cardinals

are waiting in your meeting room.

QUEEN KATHARINE

Would they speak with me?

Do they want to speak with me?

Gentleman

They will'd me say so, madam.

They told me to tell you so, madam.

QUEEN KATHARINE

Pray their graces

To come near.

Ask their graces

to come in.

Exit Gentleman

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.

What business can they have

with me, a poor weak woman, out-of-favour?

I don't like their being here. Now I think about it,

they should be good men; their business should be holy:

but it takes more than a hood to make a monk.

Enter CARDINAL WOLSEY and CARDINAL CAMPEIUS

CARDINAL WOLSEY

Peace to your highness!

Peace be with your Highness!

QUEEN KATHARINE

Your graces find me here part of a housewife,

I would be all, against the worst may happen.

What are your pleasures with me, reverend lords?

Your graces find me here acting the part of a housewife,

I wish I really was one, if the worst should happen.

What do you want with me, reverend lords?

CARDINAL WOLSEY

May it please you noble madam, to withdraw

Into your private chamber, we shall give you

The full cause of our coming.

If you would like to withdraw into your

private chamber, noble madam, we shall

give you a full explanation of why we are here.

QUEEN KATHARINE

Speak it here:

There's nothing I have done yet, o' my conscience,

Deserves a corner: would all other women

Could speak this with as free a soul as I do!

My lords, I care not, so much I am happy

Above a number, if my actions

Were tried by every tongue, every eye saw 'em,

Envy and base opinion set against 'em,

I know my life so even. If your business

Seek me out, and that way I am wife in,

Out with it boldly: truth loves open dealing.

Say it here:

I can swear that I have done nothing that

needs hiding: if only all other women

could say this with as clear a conscience as I do!

My lords, I do not care (I am so much better

than many others) if my actions

were judged by every tongue, if every eye saw them,

if malice and low opinions were set on them,

I know my life is blameless. If your business

concerns me and my place as a wife,

speak out boldly: truth loves openness.

CARDINAL WOLSEY

Tanta est erga te mentis integritas, regina

serenissima,--

Tanta est erga te mentis integritas, regina

serenissima,--

QUEEN KATHARINE

O, good my lord, no Latin;

I am not such a truant since my coming,

As not to know the language I have lived in:

A strange tongue makes my cause more strange,

suspicious;

Pray, speak in English: here are some will thank you,

If you speak truth, for their poor mistress' sake;

Believe me, she has had much wrong: lord cardinal,

The willing'st sin I ever yet committed

May be absolved in English.

Oh, my good lord, no Latin;

I have not been such a bad pupil since I came here

that I don't know the language of the place I have lived in;

a foreign tongue makes the business looks strange and suspicious;

please, speak in English: there are some here who will thank you

if you speak the truth, for the sake of her poor mistress;

believe me, she has been very wronged: lord cardinal,

the most deliberate sin I have ever committed

may be forgiven in English.

CARDINAL WOLSEY

Noble lady,

I am sorry my integrity should breed,

And service to his majesty and you,

So deep suspicion, where all faith was meant.

We come not by the way of accusation,

To taint that honour every good tongue blesses,

Nor to betray you any way to sorrow,

You have too much, good lady; but to know

How you stand minded in the weighty difference

Between the king and you; and to deliver,

Like free and honest men, our just opinions

And comforts to your cause.

Noble lady,

I'm sorry that my integrity should cause

(and my service to his Majesty and to you)

such deep suspicion, where I am acting faithfully.

We have not come to accuse you,

to insult the honour that every good person's tongue praises,

nor to bring you any sorrow,