" than here, and desiring to put an End to all Matter « of Discord in that Kingdom, which has been always “ most obsequious to the Apoftolick See, that it may “ enjoy that agreeable Concord of Peace and happy s Harmony of Charity to latest Posterity, and firm

ly, validly, and maturely to determine the Cause “ relating to the aforesaid Marriage in Judgment, « Justice, and Truth, as it is most expedient, we com* mit it to your Circumspection to hear all and singu“ lar the Matters concerning the Validity or Nullity

% of

Your Pleafure be fulfill'd.

Wol. You have here, Lady,
(And of your choice) these rev'rend Fathers, Men
Of fingular Integrity and Learning,
Yea, the Elect of the Land, who are assembled
To plead your Cause

. It shall be therefore bootless
That longer you defer the Court, as well
For your own Quiet, as to rectify
What is unsettled

in the King.
Cam. His Grace
Hath spoken well and juftly; therefore, Madam,
I'ts fit this royal Session do proceed,
And that without Delay their Arguments
Be now produced, and heard.

Queen. Lord Cardinal,
To you I speak.

Wol. Your Pleasure, Madam.

Queen. Sir,
I am about to weep; but thinking that
We are a Queen, or long have dream'd so, certain
The Daughter of a King, my Drops of Tears
I'll turn to Sparks of Fire.

Wol. Be patient yet

Queen. I will, when you are humble; nay, before,
Or God will punish me.

I do believe,
Induc'd by potent Circumstances, that
You are mine Enemy, and make my Challenge,
You shall not be my Judge : For it is you
Have blown this Coal betwixt my Lord and me,
Which God's Dew quench I therefore I say again,
Ị utterly abhor, yea, from my Soul
Refuse you for my Judge, whom yet once more

I hold

“ of the said Marriage, or Apoftolick Dispensation, $ which shall be produced or exhibited before you, “ and to take Cognizance thereof, and of all other

Things, Allegations, and Reasons, relating and ap

pertaining to the said Marriage and Dispensation, " and to proceed fummarily and plainly in the Affair “ of the Marriage and validity of the Dispensation, ☆ the Parties being cited, without Noise or Bustle, s or Shape of Judgment : And to pronounce and declare the apoitolical Dispensations as valid, effectual,

“ fuf

a

I hold my most malicious Foe, and think oog
At all a Friend to Truth.

Wol. I do profess
You speak not like yourself, whoever yet
Have stood to Charity, and display'd th’Effects
Of Disposition gentle, and of Wisdom
O’er-topping Woman's Power. Madam, you wrong me,
I have no Spleen against you, nor Injustice
For you, or any ; how far I've proceeded,
Or how far further fall, is warranted
By a Commission from the Confiftory,
Yea, the whole Consistory of Rome. You charge me,
That I have blown this Coal; I do deny it.
The King is present ; if't be known to him
That I gainsay my Deed, how may he wound,
And worthily, my Falshood ? yea, as much
As you have done my Truth. But if he know
That I am free of your Report, he knows
I am not of your Wrong. Therefore in him
It lies to cure me, and the Cure is to
Remove these Thoughts from you. The which before
His Highness fhall speak in, I do besecch
You, gracious Madam, to unthink your speaking,
And say no more.

Queen. My Lord, my Lord, I am
A simple Woman, much too weak t'oppose
Your Cunning. You are meek, and humble-mouth'd ;
You sign your place and Calling, in full feeming,
With Meekness and Humility ; but your Heart
Is cramm'd with Arrogance, with Spleen and Pride.
You have, by Fortune and his Highness's Favours,
Gone flightly o'er low Steps, and now are mounted
Where Pow'rs are your Retainers ; and your Words,

Do

* fufficient, or null, ineffećtual, insufficient, furrep" titious, arreptitious, or in any other Manner ener“ vated, if so you fhall find them, and to be held “ for such : Likewise tô declare the said Marriage, " if required by either of the Parties, to be valid, just; “ lawful; and firm, as the Law shall persuade you in

your own Conscience; or, on the contrary, to be; " and to have been invalid, unjust; illegal, and null: “ And if the Dispensation should be disallowed, and " the Marriage declared null, judicially to give a

66 defi

Domesticks to you, serve your Will as't please,
Yourself pronounce their Office. I must tell you;
You tender more your Person's Honour than
Your high Profession spiritual. That again
I do refuse you for my Judge, and here
Before you all; appeal unto the Pope
To bring my whole Cause 'fore his Holiness,
And to be judgød by him.

[She court' fies to the King, and offers to depart:
Cam. The Queen is obstinate,
Stubborn to Justice, apt t'accuse it, and
Disdainful to be try'd by't ; 'tis not well.
She's going away

King. Call her again.
Cryer. Katherinė; Queen of England, comme into the Court !
Uber. Madam; you are callid back.

Queen. What need you note it ? Pray you keep your Way!
Withen you are callid, return. Now the Lord help!

They vex me paft my Patience Pray pass on ;
I will not tarry ; no, nor ever more
Upon this Business my Appearance make
In
any
of their Courts.

(Exeunt Queen and her Attendants:
King. Go thy ways, Kate !
That Man ilth World, who shall report he has
A better Wife; let him in nought be trufted,
For speaking false in that. Thou art alone
(If thy rare Qualities; Sweet Gentlonefs,
Thy Meeknels Saint-like, Wife-like Governments
Obeyitig in commanding, and thy Parts
Sovereign and pious, could but speak thee out)
The Queen of earthly Queens: She's noble borats

Vol; IV.

“ definitive Sentence of Divorce summarily and plain“ ly without Bustle or Shape of Judgment. Lastly, “ to grant to the faid King Henry and Queen Cathe“ rine Leave and Faculty in the Lord, to change to “ other Vows. Granting and committing unto you

jointly, and, either of you refusing, or being other“ wise prevented, separately, all our Authority over “ all the Degrees and Jurisdiction of the Person,

Non-compliance and Appeals excluded. We also, “ out of our certain Knowledge, appoint and de

pute

And, like her true Nobility, she has
Carried hertelf towards me.

Wol. Molt gracious Sir;
In humbleft Manner I require your Highness,
That it fhall please you to declare, in Hearing
Of all these Ears, (for where I am robb’d and bound,
There must I be unloos'd, although not there
At once and fully satisfy’d) If I
Did broach this Business to your Highness, or
Laid any Scruple in your Way, which might
Induce you to the Question on't ; or ever
Have to you, but with Thanks to God for such
A royal Lady, spake one the least Word,
That might be prejudice of her present Srate,
Or Touch of her good Person ?

King. My Lord Cardinal,
I do excuse you ; yea, upon mine Honour,
I free you from't : You are not to be taught,
That you have many Enemies, that know not
Why they are so; but, like the Village-curs,
Bark when their Fellows do. By some of these
The Queen is put in Anger; y're excus'd :
But you

will be more jultify'd ? you ever
Have with’d the sleeping of this Business; never
Defir'd it to be stirr'd ; but oft have hindered
The Paisages made tow'rds it. On my Honour
I speak, my good Lord Cardinal, to this point ;
And thus far clear him. Now, what mov'd me to't,
I will be bold with Time and your Attention :
Then mark th' Inducement ; Thus it came; give Heed to't.
My Conscience first receiv'd a Tenderness,
Scruple and Prick, on ćertain Speeches utter'd
By th' Bishop of Bayon, then French Ambassador,

Who

a

pute you in our: Stead, so that you may jointly, or “ either of you refusing, or otherwise impeded, se“ parately execute, and expedite every Thing con“ tained in this Commission, and bring it to a final “ Determination, with the same Power and Autho

rity as if done by ourselves. We also grant unto you,

out of our certain Knowledge, by Apoftolick Au“thority, and the Tenor of these Presents, likewise “ Power and Authority to declare, pronounce, and publish the Offspring of the first Marriage, if it

Ihould

Gg 2

Who had been hither fent on the debating
A Marriage 'twixt the Duke of Orleans and
Our Daughter Mary : I'th' Progress of this Business,
Ere a determinate Resolution, he
(I mean the Bishop) did require a Respite,
Wherein he might the King his Lord advertise,
Whether our Daughter were ligitimate ;
Respecting this our Marriage with the Dowager,
Sometime our Brother's Wife. This Respite shook
The Bofom of my Conscience, enter'd me,
Yea, with a splitting Power ; and made to tremble
The Region of my Breast, which forc'd such Way,
That many maz'd Considerings did throng,
And prest it with this Caution. First, methought
I stood not in the Smile 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-issue,
Or died where they were made, or shortly after
This World had air'd them. Hence I took a Thought,
This was a Judgment on me, that my Kingdom
(Well worthy the best Heir o'th' World) should not
Be glad in one by me. Then follows, that
I weigh'd the Danger which my Realms stood in
By this my Issue's Fail, and that gave to me
Many a groaning Throe : thus hurling in
The wild

Sea of my Conscience, I did steer
Towards this Remedy, whereon we are
Now present here together ; that's to say,
I meant to rectify my. Conscience, (which
I then did feel full fićk, and yet not well).
By all the rev'rend Fathers of the Land,

. And