The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 186
Enter a Gentleman
QUEEN KATHARINE
How now!
Hello there!
Gentleman
An't please your grace, the two great cardinals
Wait in the presence.
If you please, your grace, the two great cardinals
are waiting in your meeting room.
QUEEN KATHARINE
Would they speak with me?
Do they want to speak with me?
Gentleman
They will'd me say so, madam.
They told me to tell you so, madam.
QUEEN KATHARINE
Pray their graces
To come near.
Ask their graces
to come in.
Exit Gentleman
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.
What business can they have
with me, a poor weak woman, out-of-favour?
I don't like their being here. Now I think about it,
they should be good men; their business should be holy:
but it takes more than a hood to make a monk.
Enter CARDINAL WOLSEY and CARDINAL CAMPEIUS
CARDINAL WOLSEY
Peace to your highness!
Peace be with your Highness!
QUEEN KATHARINE
Your graces find me here part of a housewife,
I would be all, against the worst may happen.
What are your pleasures with me, reverend lords?
Your graces find me here acting the part of a housewife,
I wish I really was one, if the worst should happen.
What do you want with me, reverend lords?
CARDINAL WOLSEY
May it please you noble madam, to withdraw
Into your private chamber, we shall give you
The full cause of our coming.
If you would like to withdraw into your
private chamber, noble madam, we shall
give you a full explanation of why we are here.
QUEEN KATHARINE
Speak it here:
There's nothing I have done yet, o' my conscience,
Deserves a corner: would all other women
Could speak this with as free a soul as I do!
My lords, I care not, so much I am happy
Above a number, if my actions
Were tried by every tongue, every eye saw 'em,
Envy and base opinion set against 'em,
I know my life so even. If your business
Seek me out, and that way I am wife in,
Out with it boldly: truth loves open dealing.
Say it here:
I can swear that I have done nothing that
needs hiding: if only all other women
could say this with as clear a conscience as I do!
My lords, I do not care (I am so much better
than many others) if my actions
were judged by every tongue, if every eye saw them,
if malice and low opinions were set on them,
I know my life is blameless. If your business
concerns me and my place as a wife,
speak out boldly: truth loves openness.
CARDINAL WOLSEY
Tanta est erga te mentis integritas, regina
serenissima,--
Tanta est erga te mentis integritas, regina
serenissima,--
QUEEN KATHARINE
O, good my lord, no Latin;
I am not such a truant since my coming,
As not to know the language I have lived in:
A strange tongue makes my cause more strange,
suspicious;
Pray, speak in English: here are some will thank you,
If you speak truth, for their poor mistress' sake;
Believe me, she has had much wrong: lord cardinal,
The willing'st sin I ever yet committed
May be absolved in English.
Oh, my good lord, no Latin;
I have not been such a bad pupil since I came here
that I don't know the language of the place I have lived in;
a foreign tongue makes the business looks strange and suspicious;
please, speak in English: there are some here who will thank you
if you speak the truth, for the sake of her poor mistress;
believe me, she has been very wronged: lord cardinal,
the most deliberate sin I have ever committed
may be forgiven in English.
CARDINAL WOLSEY
Noble lady,
I am sorry my integrity should breed,
And service to his majesty and you,
So deep suspicion, where all faith was meant.
We come not by the way of accusation,
To taint that honour every good tongue blesses,
Nor to betray you any way to sorrow,
You have too much, good lady; but to know
How you stand minded in the weighty difference
Between the king and you; and to deliver,
Like free and honest men, our just opinions
And comforts to your cause.
Noble lady,
I'm sorry that my integrity should cause
(and my service to his Majesty and to you)
such deep suspicion, where I am acting faithfully.
We have not come to accuse you,
to insult the honour that every good person's tongue praises,
nor to bring you any sorrow,
you have too much already, good lady; but to ask
what your thoughts are about the great disagreements
between the king and you; and to offer,
like guiltless and honest men, our true opinions
and help to you.
CARDINAL CAMPEIUS
Most honour'd madam,
My Lord of York, out of his noble nature,
Zeal and obedience he still bore your grace,
Forgetting, like a good man your late censure
Both of his truth and him, which was too far,
Offers, as I do, in a sign of peace,
His service and his counsel.
Most honoured madam,
my Lord of York, because of his noble nature,
the passion and obedience he still has for your grace,
is prepared like a good man to forget your recent criticism
of both his honesty and him, which was too great,
offers you, as I do, as a token of peace,
his service and his advice.
QUEEN KATHARINE
[Aside] To betray me.--
My lords, I thank you both for your good wills;
Ye speak like honest men; pray God, ye prove so!
But how to make ye suddenly an answer,
In such a point of weight, so near mine honour,--
More near my life, I fear,--with my weak wit,
And to such men of gravity and learning,
In truth, I know not. I was set at work
Among my maids: full little, God knows, looking
Either for such men or such business.
For her sake that I have been,--for I feel
The last fit of my greatness,--good your graces,
Let me have time and counsel for my cause:
Alas, I am a woman, friendless, hopeless!
To betray me–
my Lords, I thank you both for your goodwill;
you speak like honest men; I pray to God that you will prove to be!
But how I can give you a quick answer,
on such an important matter, which affects my honour so much–
and even more affects my life, I fear–with my poor intelligence,
to men of such dignity and learning,
; I really don't know. I was sitting working
amongst my maids: God knows I was not expecting
to see such men or be faced with such matters;
for the sake of the woman I used to be (for I can feel
that my greatness has almost gone) may your good graces
allow me to have time to think and take advice on the matter:
alas, I am a friendless and hopeless woman.
CARDINAL WOLSEY
Madam, you wrong the king's love with these fears:
Your hopes and friends are infinite.
Madam, you insult the King's love by fearing this:
you have an infinite number of friends and great hope.
QUEEN KATHARINE
In England
But little for my profit: can you think, lords,
That any Englishman dare give me counsel?
Or be a known friend, 'gainst his highness' pleasure,
Though he be grown so desperate to be honest,
And live a subject? Nay, forsooth, my friends,
They that must weigh out my afflictions,
They that my trust must grow to, live not here:
They are, as all my other comforts, far hence
In mine own country, lords.
None to
offer me much hope in England: can you think, lords,
of any Englishman who would dare to give me advice?
Or to be known as my friend, against the wishes of his Highness,
however reckless he was to say what he thought,
and still live as a subject? No, in truth, my friends,
those who can compensate for my suffering,
the ones I must give my trust to, do not live here:
they are, as is everything else which can comfort me, far away
in my own country, my lords.
CARDINAL CAMPEIUS
I would your grace
Would leave your griefs, and take my counsel.
I wish your Grace
would abandon your sorrow, and take my advice.
QUEEN KATHARINE
How, sir?
What is it, sir?
CARDINAL CAMPEIUS
Put your main cause into the king's protection;
He's loving and most gracious: 'twill be much
Both for your honour better and your cause;
For if the trial of the law o'ertake ye,
You'll part away disgraced.
Put yourself under the King’s protection;
he's loving and most gracious: it will be much
better for both your honour and your cause;
if you have to go to trial
you will leave disgraced.
CARDINAL WOLSEY
He tells you rightly.
He's telling the truth.
QUEEN KATHARINE
Ye tell me what ye wish for both,--my ruin:
Is this your Christian counsel? out upon ye!
Heaven is above all yet; there sits a judge
That no king can corrupt.
You're telling me what you both want–my ruin:
is this your Christian advice? Get out!
Heaven is still sitting over all of us; there is a judge there
that cannot be corrupted by any king.
CARDINAL CAMPEIUS
Your rage mistakes us.
You have misunderstood us in your anger.
QUEEN KATHARINE
The more shame for ye: holy men I thought ye,
Upon my soul, two reverend cardinal virtues;
But cardinal sins and hollow hearts I fear ye:
Mend 'em, for shame, my lords. Is this your comfort?
The cordial that ye bring a wretched lady,
A woman lost among ye, laugh'd at, scorn'd?
I will not wish ye half my miseries;
I have more charity: but say, I warn'd ye;
Take heed, for heaven's sake, take heed, lest at once
The burthen of my sorrows fall upon ye.
Shame on you: I thought you were holy men,
I swear, two holy good Cardinals;
but I fear you are great sinners with hollow hearts:
mend your ways, my lords, for shame. Is this your comfort?
The medicine that you bring for a wretched lady,
a woman lost amongst you, laughed at, scorned?
I would not wish you half my misery;
I am more charitable: but take note of my warning;
be careful, for heaven's sake, be careful, in case
the weight of my sorrows should suddenly fall upon you.
CARDINAL WOLSEY
Madam, this is a mere distraction;
You turn the good we offer into envy.
Madam, this is just madness;
you make our kind offers seem malicious.
QUEEN KATHARINE
Ye turn me into nothing: woe upon ye
And all such false professors! would you have me--
If you have any justice, any pity;
If ye be any thing but churchmen's habits--
Put my sick cause into his hands that hates me?
Alas, has banish'd me his bed already,
His love, too long ago! I am old, my lords,
And all the fellowship I hold now with him
Is only my obedience. What can happen
To me above this wretchedness? all your studies
Make me a curse like this.
You make me nothing: damn you
and all such false Christians! Do you want me–
if you have any justice, any pity;
if you're anything more than empty robes–
to place my wounded life into the hands of one who hates me?
Alas, I am already an exile from his bed,
and from his love, too long ago! I am old, my lords,
and the only business I have with him now I do
out of my obedience. What can happen
to me that's worse than this? Everything you do
brings me all this misery.
CARDINAL CAMPEIUS
Your fears are worse.
What you fear is worse than the reality of it.
QUEEN KATHARINE
Have I lived thus long--let me speak myself,
Since virtue finds no friends--a wife, a true one?
A woman, I dare say without vain-glory,
Never yet branded with suspicion?
Have I with all my full affections
Still met the king? loved him next heaven?
obey'd him?
Been, out of fondness, superstitious to him?
Almost forgot my prayers to content him?
And am I thus rewarded? 'tis not well, lords.
Bring me a constant woman to her husband,
One that ne'er dream'd a joy beyond his pleasure;
And to that woman, when she has done most,
Yet will I add an honour, a great patience.
Have I lived so long–let me speak for myself,
since goodness has no friends–as a wife, a true one?
The woman, I daresay without vanity,
never yet suspected of any wrongdoing?
Have I always given all my love
to the King? Loved him more than anything outside Heaven?
Obeyed him?
In my foolishness been extravagantly devoted to him?
Almost abandoned my prayers to make him happy?
And is this how I am rewarded? It is not good, lords.
Show me a woman who is loyal to her husband,
one who never sought for any happiness beyond his pleasure,
and when that woman has done all she can
I will still be ahead of her, due to my great patience.
CARDINAL WOLSEY
Madam, you wander from the good we aim at.
Madam, you are missing the point of the good we intend for you.
QUEEN KATHARINE
My lord, I dare not make myself so gui
lty,
To give up willingly that noble title
Your master wed me to: nothing but death
Shall e'er divorce my dignities.
My lord, I do not dare to make myself so guilty
that I would willingly give up that noble title
your master gave me when we married: nothing but death
will ever take away my honour.
CARDINAL WOLSEY
Pray, hear me.
Please, listen to me.
QUEEN KATHARINE
Would I had never trod this English earth,
Or felt the flatteries that grow upon it!
Ye have angels' faces, but heaven knows your hearts.
What will become of me now, wretched lady!
I am the most unhappy woman living.
Alas, poor wenches, where are now your fortunes!
Shipwreck'd upon a kingdom, where no pity,
No friend, no hope; no kindred weep for me;
Almost no grave allow'd me: like the lily,
That once was mistress of the field and flourish'd,
I'll hang my head and perish.
I wish I had never walked on this English earth,
or felt the flattery that grows on it!
You have the faces of angels, but heaven knows what's in your hearts.
What will happen to me now, wretched lady!
I am the unhappiest woman alive.
Alas, poor girls, now where are your fortunes!
Shipwrecked in the kingdom where there is no pity,
no friends, no hope; no family to weep for me;
I will almost be denied burial: I shall hang my head
and die, like a lily that at one time was the mistress of the field.
CARDINAL WOLSEY
If your grace
Could but be brought to know our ends are honest,
You'ld feel more comfort: why should we, good lady,
Upon what cause, wrong you? alas, our places,
The way of our profession is against it:
We are to cure such sorrows, not to sow 'em.