The bottom of my confcience, enter'd me, (12)
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 fmile 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 beft heir o'th' world) fhould not
Be gladded in't by me. Then follows, that
I weigh'd the danger which my realms stood in
By this my iffue's fail; and that gave to me
Many a groaning throe: thus hurling in
The wild fea of my confcience, I did fteer
Towards this remedy, whereupon we are
Now present here together; that's to fay,
I mean 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,

(12)

This Respite book

The Bofom of my Confcience,] Tho' this Reading be Senfe, yet, I verily believe, the Poet wrote; The Bottom of my Confcience,My Reafon is this. Shakespear in all his Hiftorical Plays was a moft diligent Obferver of Holing fhead's Chronicle; and had him always in Eye, wherever he thought fit to borrow any Matter from him. Now Holing fhead, in the Speech which he has given to King Henry upon this Subject, makes him deliver himself thus. "Which "Words, once conceived within the fecret Bottom of my Confcience, "ingendred fuch a fcrupulous Doubt, that my Confcience was in"continently accombred, vex'd, and difquieted." Vid. Life of "Henry VIII. p. 907.

When

When I first mov'd you.

Lin. Very well, my Liege.

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

Lin. Please your Highness

The question did at first so stagger me,
Bearing a ftate 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.

King. I then mov'd you, (13)

My Lord of Canterbury; and got your leave
To make this prefent fummons: unfollicited
I left no rev'rend perfon in this Court,
But by particular confent proceeded

Under your hands and feals. Therefore go on;
For no diflike i'th' world against the perfon
Of 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 primeft creature
That's paragon'd i'th' world..

(13)

I then mov'd You,

My Lord of Canterbury, and got your Leave

To make this prefent Summons unfollicited.] Thus all the Impreffions, But these fagacious Editors have palm'd a strange Piece of Nonsense upon us, from a falfe Pointing. What! did the King move the Bishop, nay, and fo move him as to get his Leave, and yet could the Summons be faid to be unfollicited? I have refcued the Text from fuch an abfurd Contradiction: and, again, done it upon the Authority of honeft Holingbead. "I moved it in Confeffion to You, my "Lord of Lincoln, then ghoftly Father. And forafmuch as then << you yourself were in fome Doubt, you mov'd me to ask the "Counfel of all thefe my Lords. Whereupon I moved you, my "Lord of Canterbury, first to have your Licence, in as much as you "were Metropolitan, to put this Matter in Queftion; and fo I did "of all you, my Lords" Iloling fead. ibid. p. 908.

Cam

Cam. So please your Highness,

The Queen being abfent, 'tis a needful fitness
That we adjourn this Court to futher day;
Mean while must be an earneft 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..

ACT

The Queen and her Women, as at Work.

QUEEN.

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

TAK

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

Ο

SONG.

Rpheus with his lute 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 fhowers
There had made a lasting Spring.
Ev'ry thing that heard him play,
Ev'n the billows of the fea,

Hung their Heads, and then lay by:
In faveet mufick is fuch art,
Killing care, and grief of heart
Fall afleep, or hearing die.

Enter a Gentleman.

Queen. How now ?

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

Wait in the prefence.

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

Queen.

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 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 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 bufinefs
Do feek 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 Sere-
niffima,

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 ftrange 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, he 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