King Henry VIII

King Henry VIII

ACT IV SCENE II	Kimbolton.
	Enter KATHARINE, Dowager, sick; led betweenGRIFFITH, her gentleman usher, and PATIENCE, her woman
GRIFFITH	How does your grace?
KATHARINE	O Griffith, sick to death!
	My legs, like loaden branches, bow to the earth,
	Willing to leave their burthen. Reach a chair:	5
	So; now, methinks, I feel a little ease.
	Didst thou not tell me, Griffith, as thou led'st me,
	That the great child of honour, Cardinal Wolsey, Was dead?
GRIFFITH	Yes, madam; but I think your grace,
	Out of the pain you suffer'd, gave no ear to't.	10
KATHARINE	Prithee, good Griffith, tell me how he died:
	If well, he stepp'd before me, happily
	For my example.
GRIFFITH	Well, the voice goes, madam:
	For after the stout Earl Northumberland	15
	Arrested him at York, and brought him forward,
	As a man sorely tainted, to his answer,
	He fell sick suddenly, and grew so ill
	He could not sit his mule.
KATHARINE	Alas, poor man!	20
GRIFFITH	At last, with easy roads, he came to Leicester,
	Lodged in the abbey; where the reverend abbot,
	With all his covent, honourably received him;
	To whom he gave these words, 'O, father abbot,
	An old man, broken with the storms of state,	25
	Is come to lay his weary bones among ye;
	Give him a little earth for charity!'
	So went to bed; where eagerly his sickness
	Pursued him still: and, three nights after this,
	About the hour of eight, which he himself	30
	Foretold should be his last, full of repentance,
	Continual meditations, tears, and sorrows,
	He gave his honours to the world again,
	His blessed part to heaven, and slept in peace.
KATHARINE	So may he rest; his faults lie gently on him!	35
	Yet thus far, Griffith, give me leave to speak him,
	And yet with charity. He was a man
	Of an unbounded stomach, ever ranking
	Himself with princes; one that, by suggestion,
	Tied all the kingdom: simony was fair-play;	40
	His own opinion was his law: i' the presence
	He would say untruths; and be ever double
	Both in his words and meaning: he was never,
	But where he meant to ruin, pitiful:
	His promises were, as he then was, mighty;	45
	But his performance, as he is now, nothing:
	Of his own body he was ill, and gave
	The clergy in example.
GRIFFITH	Noble madam,
	Men's evil manners live in brass; their virtues	50
	We write in water. May it please your highness
	To hear me speak his good now?
KATHARINE	Yes, good Griffith;
	I were malicious else.
GRIFFITH	This cardinal,	55
	Though from an humble stock, undoubtedly
	Was fashion'd to much honour from his cradle.
	He was a scholar, and a ripe and good one;
	Exceeding wise, fair-spoken, and persuading:
	Lofty and sour to them that loved him not;	60
	But to those men that sought him sweet as summer.
	And though he were unsatisfied in getting,
	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,	65
	Ipswich and Oxford! one of which fell with him,
	Unwilling to outlive the good that did it;
	The other, though unfinish'd, yet so famous,
	So excellent in art, and still so rising,
	That Christendom shall ever speak his virtue.	70
	His overthrow heap'd happiness upon him;
	For then, and not till then, he felt himself,
	And found the blessedness of being little:
	And, to add greater honours to his age
	Than man could give him, he died fearing God.	75
KATHARINE	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 I most hated living, thou hast made me,	80
	With thy religious truth and modesty,
	Now in his ashes honour: peace be with him!
	Patience, be near me still; and set me lower:
	I have not long to trouble thee. Good Griffith,
	Cause the musicians play me that sad note	85
	I named my knell, whilst I sit meditating
	On that celestial harmony 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.
	The vision. Enter, solemnly tripping one afteranother, six personages, clad in white robes,wearing on their heads garlands of bays, and goldenvizards on their faces; branches of bays or palm intheir hands. They first congee unto her, thendance; and, at ce
KATHARINE	Spirits of peace, where are ye? are ye all gone,	90
	And leave me here in wretchedness behind ye?
GRIFFITH	Madam, we are here.
KATHARINE	It is not you I call for:
	Saw ye none enter since I slept?
GRIFFITH	None, madam.	95
KATHARINE	No? Saw you not, even now, a blessed 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	100
	I am not worthy yet to wear: I shall, assuredly.
GRIFFITH	I am most joyful, madam, such good dreams
	Possess your fancy.
KATHARINE	Bid the music leave,
	They are harsh and heavy to me.	105
	Music ceases
PATIENCE	Do you note
	How much her grace is alter'd 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.	110
PATIENCE	Heaven comfort her!
	Enter a Messenger
Messenger	An't like your grace,--
KATHARINE	You are a saucy fellow:
	Deserve we no more reverence?
GRIFFITH	You are to blame,	115
	Knowing she will not lose her wonted greatness,
	To use so rude behavior; go to, kneel.
Messenger	I humbly do entreat your highness' pardon;
	My haste made me unmannerly. There is staying
	A gentleman, sent from the king, to see you.	120
KATHARINE	Admit him entrance, Griffith: but this fellow
	Let me ne'er see again.
	Exeunt GRIFFITH and Messenger
	Re-enter GRIFFITH, with CAPUCIUS
	If my sight fail not,
	You should be lord ambassador from the emperor,
	My royal nephew, and your name Capucius.	125
CAPUCIUS	Madam, the same; your servant.
KATHARINE	O, my lord,
	The times and titles now are alter'd strangely
	With me since first you knew me. But, I pray you,
	What is your pleasure with me?	130
CAPUCIUS	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,	135
	And heartily entreats you take good comfort.
KATHARINE	O my good lord, that comfort comes too late;
	'Tis like a pardon after execution:
	That gentle physic, given in time, had cured me;
	But now I am past an comforts here, but prayers.	140
	How does his highness?
CAPUCIUS	Madam, in good health.
KATHARINE	So may he ever do! and ever flourish,
	When I shall dwell with worms, and my poor name
	Banish'd the kingdom! Patience, is that letter,	145
	I caused you write, yet sent away?
PATIENCE	No, madam.
	Giving it to KATHARINE
KATHARINE	Sir, I most humbly pray you to deliver
	This to my lord the king.
CAPUCIUS	Most willing, madam.	150
KATHARINE	In which I have commended to his goodness
	The model of our chaste loves, his young daughter;
	The dews of heaven fall thick in blessings on her!
	Beseeching him to give her virtuous breeding--
	She is young, and of a noble modest nature,	155
	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	160
	Have follow'd both my fortunes 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,	165
	A right good husband, let him be a noble
	And, sure, those men are happy 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,	170
	And something over to remember me by:
	If heaven had pleased to have given me longer life
	And able means, we had not parted thus.
	These are the whole contents: and, good my lord,
	By that you love the dearest in this world,	175
	As you wish Christian peace to souls departed,
	Stand these poor people's friend, and urge the king
	To do me this last right.
CAPUCIUS	By heaven, I will,
	Or let me lose the fashion of a man!	180
KATHARINE	I thank you, honest 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 bless'd him,
	For so I will. Mine eyes grow dim. Farewell,	185
	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 with honour: strew me over
	With maiden flowers, that all the world may know	190
	I was a chaste wife to my grave: embalm me,
	Then lay me forth: although unqueen'd, yet like
	A queen, and daughter to a king, inter me.
	I can no more.
	Exeunt, leading KATHARINE