| ACT IV SCENE II | Kimbolton. |
| [
Enter KATHARINE, Dowager, sick; led between
GRIFFITH, 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: |
| So; now, methinks, I feel a little ease. | 5 |
| 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. |
| KATHARINE | Prithee, good Griffith, tell me how he died: | 10 |
| If well, he stepp'd before me, happily |
| For my example. |
| GRIFFITH | Well, the voice goes, madam: |
| For after the stout Earl Northumberland |
| Arrested him at York, and brought him forward, | 15 |
| 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! |
| GRIFFITH | At last, with easy roads, he came to Leicester, | 20 |
| 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, |
| Is come to lay his weary bones among ye; | 25 |
| 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 |
| Foretold should be his last, full of repentance, | 30 |
| 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! |
| Yet thus far, Griffith, give me leave to speak him, | 35 |
| 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; |
| His own opinion was his law: i' the presence | 40 |
| 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; |
| But his performance, as he is now, nothing: | 45 |
| 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 |
| We write in water. May it please your highness | 50 |
| To hear me speak his good now? |
| KATHARINE | Yes, good Griffith; |
| I were malicious else. |
| GRIFFITH | This cardinal, |
| Though from an humble stock, undoubtedly | 55 |
| 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; |
| But to those men that sought him sweet as summer. | 60 |
| 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, |
| Ipswich and Oxford! one of which fell with him, | 65 |
| 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. |
| His overthrow heap'd happiness upon him; | 70 |
| 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. |
| KATHARINE | After my death I wish no other herald, | 75 |
| 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, |
| 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: |
| I have not long to trouble thee. Good Griffith, |
| Cause the musicians play me that sad note |
| I named my knell, whilst I sit meditating | 85 |
| 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 after
another, six personages, clad in white robes,
wearing on their heads garlands of bays, and golden
vizards on their faces; branches of bays or palm in
their hands. They first congee unto her, then
dance; and, at certain changes, the first two hold
a spare garland over her head; at which the other
four make reverent curtsies; then the two that held
the garland deliver the same to the other next two,
who observe the same order in their changes, and
holding the garland over her head: which done,
they deliver the same garland to the last two, who
likewise observe the same order: at which, as it
were by inspiration, she makes in her sleep signs
of rejoicing, and holdeth up her hands to heaven:
and so in their dancing vanish, carrying the
garland with them. The music continues
] |
| KATHARINE | Spirits of peace, where are ye? are ye all gone, |
| And leave me here in wretchedness behind ye? | 90 |
| GRIFFITH | Madam, we are here. |
| KATHARINE | It is not you I call for: |
| Saw ye none enter since I slept? |
| GRIFFITH | None, madam. |
| KATHARINE | No? Saw you not, even now, a blessed troop | 95 |
| 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. | 100 |
| GRIFFITH | I am most joyful, madam, such good dreams |
| Possess your fancy. |
| KATHARINE | Bid the music leave, |
| They are harsh and heavy to me. |
| [Music ceases] |
| PATIENCE | Do you note | 105 |
| 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. |
| PATIENCE | Heaven comfort her! | 110 |
| [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, |
| Knowing she will not lose her wonted greatness, | 115 |
| 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. |
| KATHARINE | Admit him entrance, Griffith: but this fellow | 120 |
| 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. |
| CAPUCIUS | Madam, the same; your servant. | 125 |
| 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? |
| CAPUCIUS | Noble lady, | 130 |
| 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. | 135 |
| 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. |
| How does his highness? | 140 |
| 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, |
| I caused you write, yet sent away? | 145 |
| 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. |
| KATHARINE | In which I have commended to his goodness | 150 |
| 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, |
| I hope she will deserve well,--and a little | 155 |
| 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 follow'd both my fortunes faithfully: | 160 |
| 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, |
| A right good husband, let him be a noble | 165 |
| 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, |
| And something over to remember me by: | 170 |
| 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, |
| As you wish Christian peace to souls departed, | 175 |
| 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! |
| KATHARINE | I thank you, honest lord. Remember me | 180 |
| 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, |
| My lord. Griffith, farewell. Nay, Patience, | 185 |
| 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 |
| I was a chaste wife to my grave: embalm me, | 190 |
| 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] |
The Essential Student History Quiz (with answers and illustrations)