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Henry VIII: Act IV, Scene 2

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Henry VIII
Act IV, Scene 2

Kimbolton.

The Vision of Catherine of Aragon

The Vision of Catherine of Aragon

Henry Fuseli, 1781

  1. Enter Katherine, Dowager, sick, led between Griffith, her
  2. Gentleman Usher, and Patience, her woman.

Griffith

1
  1. How does your Grace?

Katherine

2 - 8
  1.                      O Griffith, sick to death!
  2. My legs like loaden branches bow to th’ earth,
  3. Willing to leave their burden. Reach a chair.
  4. So; now, methinks, I feel a little ease.
  5. Didst thou not tell me, Griffith, as thou ledst me,
  6. That the great child of honor, Cardinal Wolsey,
  7. Was dead?

Griffith

9 - 10
  1.           Yes, madam; but I think your Grace,
  2. Out of the pain you suffer’d, gave no ear to’t.

Katherine

11 - 13
  1. Prithee, good Griffith, tell me how he died.
  2. If well, he stepp’d before me happily
  3. For my example.

Griffith

14 - 19
  1.                 Well, the voice goes, madam:
  2. For after the stout Earl Northumberland
  3. Arrested him at York, and brought him forward,
  4. As a man sorely tainted, to his answer,
  5. He fell sick suddenly and grew so ill
  6. He could not sit his mule.

Katherine

20
  1.                            Alas, poor man!

Griffith

21 - 34
  1. At last, with easy roads, he came to Leicester,
  2. Lodg’d in the abbey; where the reverend abbot
  3. With all his covent honorably receiv’d him;
  4. To whom he gave these words; “O Father Abbot,
  5. An old man, broken with the storms of state,
  6. Is come to lay his weary bones among ye;
  7. Give him a little earth for charity!”
  8. So went to bed; where eagerly his sickness
  9. Pursu’d him still, and three nights after this,
  10. About the hour of eight, which he himself
  11. Foretold should be his last, full of repentance,
  12. Continual meditations, tears, and sorrows,
  13. He gave his honors to the world again,
  14. His blessed part to heaven, and slept in peace.

Katherine

35 - 48
  1. So may he rest, his faults lie gently on him!
  2. Yet thus far, Griffith, give me leave to speak him,
  3. And yet with charity. He was a man
  4. Of an unbounded stomach, ever ranking
  5. Himself with princes; one that by suggestion
  6. Tied all the kingdom. Simony was fair play;
  7. His own opinion was his law. I’ th’ presence
  8. He would say untruths, and be ever double
  9. Both in his words and meaning. He was never
  10. (But where he meant to ruin) pitiful.
  11. His promises were, as he then was, mighty;
  12. But his performance, as he is now, nothing.
  13. Of his own body he was ill, and gave
  14. The clergy ill example.

Griffith

49 - 52
  1.                         Noble madam,
  2. Men’s evil manners live in brass, their virtues
  3. We write in water. May it please your Highness
  4. To hear me speak his good now?

Katherine

53 - 54
  1.                                Yes, good Griffith,
  2. I were malicious else.

Griffith

55 - 75
  1.                        This Cardinal,
  2. Though from an humble stock, undoubtedly
  3. Was fashion’d to much honor. From his cradle
  4. He was a scholar, and a ripe and good one;
  5. Exceeding wise, fair-spoken, and persuading;
  6. Lofty and sour to them that lov’d him not,
  7. But to those men that sought him, sweet as summer.
  8. And though he were unsatisfied in getting
  9. (Which was a sin), yet in bestowing, madam,
  10. He was most princely: ever witness for him
  11. Those twins of learning that he rais’d in you,
  12. Ipswich and Oxford! One of which fell with him,
  13. Unwilling to outlive the good that did it;
  14. The other (though unfinish’d) yet so famous,
  15. So excellent in art, and still so rising,
  16. That Christendom shall ever speak his virtue.
  17. His overthrow heap’d happiness upon him;
  18. For then, and not till then, he felt himself,
  19. And found the blessedness of being little;
  20. And to add greater honors to his age
  21. Than man could give him, he died fearing God.
Queen Katherine and Patience

Queen Katherine and Patience

Charles Robert Leslie

Katherine

76 - 87
  1. After my death I wish no other herald,
  2. No other speaker of my living actions
  3. To keep mine honor from corruption,
  4. But such an honest chronicler as Griffith.
  5. Whom I most hated living, thou hast made me,
  6. With thy religious truth and modesty,
  7. Now in his ashes honor. Peace be with him!
  8. Patience, be near me still, and set me lower;
  9. I have not long to trouble thee. Good Griffith,
  10. Cause the musicians play me that sad note
  11. I nam’d my knell, whilst I sit meditating
  12. On that celestial harmony I go to.
  1. Sad and solemn music.

Griffith

88 - 89
  1. She is asleep. Good wench, let’s sit down quiet
  2. For fear we wake her; softly, gentle Patience.
  1. The Vision
  1. Enter, solemnly tripping one after another, six personages,
  2. clad in white robes, wearing on their heads garlands of
  3. bays, and golden vizards on their faces, branches of bays or
  4. palm in their hands.
  1. They first congee unto her, then dance; and, at certain
  2. changes, the first two hold a spare garland over her head,
  3. at which the other four make reverend curtsies. Then the two
  4. that held the garland deliver the same to the other next
  5. two, who observe the same order in their changes, and
  6. holding the garland over her head; which done, they deliver
  7. the same garland to the last two, who likewise observe the
  8. same order; at which (as it were by inspiration) she makes
  9. (in her sleep) signs of rejoicing, and holdeth up her hands
  10. to heaven: and so in their dancing vanish, carrying the
  11. garland with them. The music continues.

Katherine

90 - 91
  1. Spirits of peace, where are ye? Are ye all gone?
  2. And leave me here in wretchedness behind ye?

Griffith

92
  1. Madam, we are here.

Katherine

93 - 94
  1.                     It is not you I call for;
  2. Saw ye none enter since I slept?

Griffith

95
  1.                                  None, madam.

Katherine

96 - 101
  1. No? Saw you not even now a blessed troop
  2. Invite me to a banquet, whose bright faces
  3. Cast thousand beams upon me, like the sun?
  4. They promis’d me eternal happiness,
  5. And brought me garlands, Griffith, which I feel
  6. I am not worthy yet to wear. I shall, assuredly.

Griffith

102 - 103
  1. I am most joyful, madam, such good dreams
  2. Possess your fancy.

Katherine

104 - 105
  1.                     Bid the music leave,
  2. They are harsh and heavy to me.
  1. Music ceases.

Patience

106 - 109
  1.                                 Do you note
  2. How much her Grace is alter’d on the sudden?
  3. How long her face is drawn! How pale she looks,
  4. And of an earthy cold! Mark her eyes!

Griffith

110
  1. She is going, wench. Pray, pray.

Patience

111
  1.                                  Heaven comfort her!
  1. Enter a Messenger.

Messenger

112
  1. And’t like your Grace—

Katherine

113 - 114
  1.                        You are a saucy fellow,
  2. Deserve we no more reverence?

Griffith

115 - 117
  1.                               You are to blame,
  2. Knowing she will not lose her wonted greatness,
  3. To use so rude behavior. Go to, kneel.

Messenger

118 - 120
  1. I humbly do entreat your Highness’ pardon,
  2. My haste made me unmannerly. There is staying
  3. A gentleman, sent from the King, to see you.

Katherine

121 - 125
  1. Admit him entrance, Griffith; but this fellow
  2. Let me ne’er see again.
  3. Exit Messenger.
  4. Enter Lord Capuchius.
  5.                         If my sight fail not,
  6. You should be lord ambassador from the Emperor,
  7. My royal nephew, and your name Capuchius.

Lord Capuchius

126
  1. Madam, the same; your servant.

Katherine

127 - 130
  1.                                O my lord,
  2. The times and titles now are alter’d strangely
  3. With me since first you knew me. But I pray you,
  4. What is your pleasure with me?

Lord Capuchius

131 - 136
  1.                                Noble lady,
  2. First, mine own service to your Grace, the next,
  3. The King’s request that I would visit you,
  4. Who grieves much for your weakness, and by me
  5. Sends you his princely commendations,
  6. And heartily entreats you take good comfort.

Katherine

137 - 141
  1. O my good lord, that comfort comes too late,
  2. ’Tis like a pardon after execution.
  3. That gentle physic given in time had cur’d me;
  4. But now I am past all comforts here but prayers.
  5. How does his Highness?

Lord Capuchius

142
  1.                        Madam, in good health.

Katherine

143 - 146
  1. So may he ever do, and ever flourish,
  2. When I shall dwell with worms, and my poor name
  3. Banish’d the kingdom! Patience, is that letter
  4. I caus’d you write yet sent away?
Queen Katharine's Dream

Queen Katharine's Dream

William Blake, 1809

Patience

147
  1.                                   No, madam.
  1. Giving it to Katherine.

Katherine

148 - 149
  1. Sir, I most humbly pray you to deliver
  2. This to my lord the King.

Lord Capuchius

150
  1.                           Most willing, madam.

Katherine

151 - 178
  1. In which I have commended to his goodness
  2. The model of our chaste loves, his young daughter—
  3. The dews of heaven fall thick in blessings on her!—
  4. Beseeching him to give her virtuous breeding—
  5. She is young, and of a noble modest nature,
  6. I hope she will deserve well—and a little
  7. To love her for her mother’s sake that lov’d him
  8. Heaven knows how dearly. My next poor petition
  9. Is, that his noble Grace would have some pity
  10. Upon my wretched women, that so long
  11. Have follow’d both my fortunes faithfully,
  12. Of which there is not one, I dare avow
  13. (And now I should not lie), but will deserve,
  14. For virtue and true beauty of the soul,
  15. For honesty and decent carriage,
  16. A right good husband (let him be a noble),
  17. And sure those men are happy that shall have ’em.
  18. The last is for my men (they are the poorest,
  19. But poverty could never draw ’em from me),
  20. That they may have their wages duly paid ’em,
  21. And something over to remember me by.
  22. If heaven had pleas’d to have given me longer life
  23. And able means, we had not parted thus.
  24. These are the whole contents, and, good my lord,
  25. By that you love the dearest in this world,
  26. As you wish Christian peace to souls departed,
  27. Stand these poor people’s friend, and urge the King
  28. To do me this last right.

Lord Capuchius

179 - 180
  1.                           By heaven, I will,
  2. Or let me lose the fashion of a man!

Katherine

181 - 194
  1. I thank you, honest lord. Remember me
  2. In all humility unto his Highness.
  3. Say his long trouble now is passing
  4. Out of this world; tell him in death I blest him
  5. (For so I will). Mine eyes grow dim. Farewell,
  6. My lord. Griffith, farewell. Nay, Patience,
  7. You must not leave me yet. I must to bed,
  8. Call in more women. When I am dead, good wench,
  9. Let me be us’d with honor; strew me over
  10. With maiden flowers, that all the world may know
  11. I was a chaste wife to my grave. Embalm me,
  12. Then lay me forth. Although unqueen’d, yet like
  13. A queen, and daughter to a king, inter me.
  14. I can no more.
  1. Exeunt, leading Katherine.

where the reverend abbot with all his covent honorably receiv’d him

John Boydell; John & Josiah Boydell, printmakers; 1803

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