" than here, and defiring to put an End to all Matter " of Discord in that Kingdom, which has been always "moft obfequious to the Apoftolick See, that it may "enjoy that agreeable Concord of Peace and happy "Harmony of Charity to latest Posterity, and firm"ly, validly, and maturely to determine the Cause "relating to the aforefaid Marriage in Judgment, "Justice, and Truth, as it is most expedient, we com"mit it to your Circumfpection to hear all and fingu"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 affembled
To plead your Caufe. It fhall be therefore bootless
That longer you defer the Court, as well

For your own Quiet, as to rectify

What is unfettled in the King.

Cam. His Grace

Hath spoken well and juftly; therefore, Madam,
I'ts fit this royal Seffion 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 fo, 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 Circumftances, 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! therefore I fay again,
I utterly abhor, yea, from my Soul

Refufe you for my Judge, whom yet once more

I hold

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" of the faid Marriage, or Apoftolick Difpenfation, " which fhall be produced or exhibited before you, "and to take Cognizance thereof, and of all other Things, Allegations, and Reafons, relating and appertaining to the faid Marriage and Difpenfation, "and to proceed fummarily and plainly in the Affair "of the Marriage and Validity of the Difpenfation, the Parties being cited, without Noife or Buftle, or Shape of Judgment: And to pronounce and declare the apoftolical Difpenfations as valid, effectual, "fuf

I hold my moft malicious Foe, and think not
At all a Friend to Truth.

Wol. I do profess

You speak not like yourself, whoever yet
Have flood to Charity, and difplay'd th'Effects

Of Difpofition gentle, and of Wildom

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 fhall, is warranted

By a Commiffion from the Confiftory,

Yea, the whole Confiftory of Rome. You charge me,
That I have blown this Coal; I do deny it.
The King is prefent; if't be known to him
That I gainfay my Deed, how may he wound,
And worthily, my Falfhood? 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 thefe Thoughts from you. The which before

His Highness fhall fpeak in, I do befecch

You, gracious Madam, to unthink your speaking,

And fay no more.

Queen. My Lord, my Lord, I am

A fimple Woman, much too weak t'oppose

Your Cunning. You are meek, and humble-mouth'd
You fign your Place and Calling, in full feeming,
With Meeknefs 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, of null, ineffectual, infufficient, furrep"titious, arreptitious, or in any other Manner ener“vated, if so you fhall find them, and to be held "for fuch: Likewife to declare the faid Marriage, "if required by either of the Parties, to be valid, just; lawful, and firm, as the Law fhall perfuade you in your own Confcience; or, on the contrary, to be; " and to have been invalid, unjuft, illegal, and null: "And if the Difpenfation fhould be difallowed, and "the Marriage declared null, judicially to give a

Domefticks to you, ferve your Will as't please,
Yourself pronounce their Office. I must tell you,
You tender more your Perfon's Honour than
Your high Profeffion fpiritual. That again
I do refuse you for my Judge, and here
Before you all, appeal unto the Pope

To bring my whole Caufe 'fore his Holiness,
And to be judg'd by him.

"defi

[She court fies to the King, and offers to depart:

Cam. The Queen is obftinate,

Stubborn to Juftice, apt t'accuse it, and

Difdainful to be try'd by't; 'tis not well.

She's going away.

King. Call her again.

Cryer. Katherine, Queen of England, come into the Court !

Uber. Madam, you are call'd back.

Queen. What need you note it? Pray you keep your Way!

When you are call'd, return. Now the Lord help!

They vex me paft my Patience

I will not tarry; no, nor ever more

Pray pass on;

Upon this Bufinefs my Appearance make

In any of their Courts.

King. Go thy ways, Kate!

[Exeunt Queen and her Attendants:

That Man i'th World, who fhall report he has

A better Wife, let him in nought be trufted,
For fpeaking falfe in that. Thou art alone
(If thy rare Qualities; fweet Gentleness,
Thy Meekness Saint-like, Wife-like Government,
Obeying in commanding, and thy Parts
Sovereign and pious, could but fpeak thee out)
The Queen of earthly Queens. She's noble borit,

"definitive Sentence of Divorce fummarily and plainly without Buftle or Shape of Judgment. Laftly,

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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 otherwife prevented, feparately, all our Authority over "all the Degrees and Jurifdiction of the Perfon, Non-compliance and Appeals excluded. We alfo, out of our certain Knowledge, appoint and de66 pute

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And, like her true Nobility, fhe has
Carried herself towards me.

Wol. Moit gracious Sir;

In humbleft Manner I require your Highness,
That it fhall pleafe you to declare, in Hearing

Of all thefe Ears, (for where I am robb'd and bound,
There must I be unloos'd, although not there
At once and fully fatisfy'd) If I

Did broach this Bufinefs to your Highness, or
Laid any Scruple in your Way, which might
Induce you to the Queftion on't; or ever
Have to you, but with Thanks to God for fuch
A royal Lady, fpake one the leaft Word,
That might be prejudice of her present State,
Or Touch of her good Perfon?

King. My Lord Cardinal,

I do excufe 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 fo; but, like the Village-curs,
Bark when their Fellows do. By fome of these
The Queen is put in Anger; y're excus'd:
But you
will be more jultify'd? you ever
Have wifh'd the fleeping of this Bufinefs, never
Defir'd it to be ftirr'd; but oft have hindered
The Paffages made tow'rds it. On my Honour
I fpeak, 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 Confcience first receiv'd a Tenderness,

Scruple and Prick, on certain Speeches utter'd

By th' Bishop of Bayon, then French Ambaffador,

Who

pute you in our Stead, fo that you may jointly, or "either of you refufing, or otherwife impeded, feparately execute, and expedite every Thing con"tained in this Commiffion, and bring it to a final "Determination, with the fame Power and Autho"rity as if done by ourselves. We alfo grant unto you, out of out certain Knowledge, by Apoftolick Authority, and the Tenor of these Presents, likewife "Power and Authority to declare, pronounce, and publish the Offspring of the first Marriage, if it Gg 2 "fhould

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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 Refolution, he

(I mean the Bishop) did require a Refpite,
Wherein he might the King his Lord advertise,
Whether our Daughter were ligitimate;
Refpecting this our Marriage with the Dowager,
Sometime our Brother's Wife. This Refpite fhook
The Bofom of my Confcience, enter'd me,
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 it with this Caution. Firft, methought
I ftood 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) fhould
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 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 best Heir o'th' World) fhould not
Be glad in one by me. Then follows, that
I weigh'd the Danger which my Realms ftood in
By this my Iffue's Fail, and that gave to me
Many a groaning Throe: thus hurling in
The wild Sea of my Confcience, I did fteer
Towards this Remedy, whereon we are
Now present here together; that's to fay,
I meant 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