My lords, I thank you both for your good wills,
Ye fpeak like honeft men, (pray God, ye prove fo!)
But how to make ye fuddenly an anfwer,

In fuch a point of weight, fo near mine honour,
(More near my life, I fear,) with my weak wit,
And to fuch men of gravity and learning,
In truth, I know not. I was fet at work
Among my maids; full little, God knows, looking
Either for fuch men, or fuch bufinefs.

For her fake that I have been', (for I feel
The last fit of my greatnefs,) good your graces,
Let me have time, and counsel, for my caufe;

Alas! I am a woman, friendless, hopeless.

Wel. Madam, you wrong the king's love with thefe fears; Your hopes and friends are infinite.

2. Cath. 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 highnefs' pleasure,
(Though he be grown fo defperate to be honeft,)
And live a fubject? Nay, forfooth, my friends,
They that must weigh out my afflictions 3,
They that my trust muft grow to, live not here
They are, as all my other comforts; far hence,
In mine own country, lords.

Cam. I would, your grace

Would leave your griefs, and take my counsel, 2. Cath. How, fir?

;܃

1 For her fake that I bave been,] For the fake of that royalty which I have heretofore poffeffed. MALONE.

2 (Though be be grown fo defperate to be boneft,)] Do you think that any Englishman dare advife me; or, if any man should venture to advife with honefty, that he could live? JOHNSON.

3-weigh out my affli&tions,] This phrafe is obfcure. To weigh out, is, in modern language, to deliver by weight; but this fenfe cannot be here admitted. To weigh is likewife to deliberate upon, to con fider with due attention. This may, perhaps, be meant. Or the phrafe, to weigh cut, may fignify to counterbalance, to counteract with equal force. JOHNSON.

To weigh out is the fame as to outweigb. In Macbeth, Shakspeare has overcome for come over. STEEVENS.

Cam. Put your main caufe 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 you, You'll part away difgrac'd. Wol. He tells you rightly,

2. Cath. Ye tell me what ye wish for both, Is this your chriftian counfel? out upon ye! Heaven is above all yet; there fits a judge, That no king can corrupt.

Cam. Your rage mistakes us.

my ruin:

2.Cath.The more fhame for ye+; holy men I thought ye, Upon my foul, two reverend cardinal virtues;

But cardinal fins, and hollow hearts, I fear ye:

Mend them for fhame, my lords. Is this your comfort? The cordial that ye bring a wretched lady?

A woman loft among ye, laugh'd at, fcorn'd?

I will not wish ye half my miferies,

I have more charity: But fay, I warn'd ye;

Take heed, for heaven's fake, take heed, left at once
The burden of my forrows fall upon ye.

Wol. Madam, this is a mere distraction;

You turn the good we offer into envy.

2. Cath. Ye turn me into nothing: Woe upon ye,
And all fuch falfe profeffors! Would ye have me
(If you have any juftice, any pity;

If you be any thing but churchmen's habits,)
Put my fick cause into his hands that hates me?
Alas! he 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 curfe like this.

Cam. Your fears are worse.

2. Cath. Have I liv'd thus long-(let me speak myself,

4 The more shame for ye;] If I miftake you, it is by your fault, not mine; for I thought you good. The diftrefs of Catharine might have kept her from the quibble to which the is irrefiftibly tempted by the word cardinal. JOHNSON.

Since

Since virtue finds no friends,)—a wife, a true one?

A woman (I dare fay, without vain-glory,)
Never yet branded with fufpicion ?

Have I with all my full affections

Still met the king? lov'd him next heaven? obey'd him?
Been, out of fondnefs, fuperftitious to him?
Almoft forgot my prayers to content him?
And am I thus rewarded? 'tis not well, lords.
Bring me a conftant woman to her husband,
One that ne'er dream'd a joy beyond his pleafure;
And to that woman, when she has done moft,
Yet will I add an honour, -a great patience.

Wol. Madam, you wander from the good we aim at. 2. Cath. My lord, I dare not make myself fo guilty, To give up willingly that noble title

Your mafter wed me to: nothing but death
Shall e'er divorce my dignities.

Wol. Pray, hear me.

2. Cath. 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 moft unhappy woman living.—

5-fuperftitious to bim ] That is, served him with fuperftitious attention; done more than was required. JOHNSON.

6 Ye have angels' faces,-] She may perhaps allude to the old jingle of Angli and Angeli. JOHNSON.

I find this jingle in the Arraygnment of Paris, 1584. The goddeffes refer the difpute about the golden apple to the decifion of Diana, who fetting afide their refpective claims, awards it to queen Elizabeth; and adds:

"Her people are ycleped angeli,

"Or if I mifs a letter, is the most."

In this paftoral, as it is called, the queen herfelf may be almoft said to have been a performer, for at the conclufion of it, Diana gives the golden apple into her hands, and the Fates depofit their infignia at her feet. It was prefented before her majefty by the children of her chapel.

It appears from the following paflage in The Spanish Masquerado, by Greene, 1585, that this quibble was originally the quibble of a faint." -England, a little ifland, where, as faint Auguflin faith, there be people with angel faces, fo the inhabitants have the courage and hearts of lyons." STEEVENS.

Alas!

Alas! poor wenches, where are now your fortunes?
[To her women.

Shipwreck'd upon a kingdom, where no pity,
No friends, no hope; no kindred weep for me,
Almoft, no grave allow'd me:-Like the lilly,
That once was mistress of the field, and flourish'd,
I'll hang my head, and perish.

Wol. If your grace

Could but be brought to know, our ends are honeft,
You'd feel more comfort: why should we, good lady,
Upon what cause, wrong you? alas! our places,
The way of our profeffion is against it;
We are to cure fuch forrows, not to fow them.
For goodness' fake, confider what you do;
How you may hurt yourself, ay, utterly

Grow from the king's acquaintance, by this carriage.
The hearts of princes kifs obedience,

So much they love it; but, to ftubborn spirits,
They fwell, and grow as terrible as storms.
I know, you have a gentle, noble temper,

A foul as even as a calm; Pray, think us

Those we profefs, peace-makers, friends, and fervants.
Cam. Madam, you'll find it fo. You wrong your virtues
With these weak women's fears. A noble spirit,
As yours was put into you, ever cafts

Such doubts, as falfe coin, from it. The king loves you;
Beware, you lose it not: For us, if you pleate

To truft us in your bufinefs, we are ready

To use our utmost studies in your service.

2. Cath. Do what ye will, my lords: And, pray, for give me,

If I have us'd myself unmannerly;

You know, I am a woman, lacking wit

To make a feemly answer to fuch perfons.

Pray, do my fervice to his majesty:

He has my heart yet; and fhall have my prayers,
While I fhall have my life. Come, reverend fathers,
Beftow your counfels on me: fhe now begs,
That little thought, when the fet footing here,
She should have bought her dignities fo dear.

[Exeunt.

SCENE

Antechamber to the King's Apartment.

Enter the Duke of NORFOLK, the Duke of SUFFOLK, the Earl of SURREY, and the Lord Chamberlain.

Nor. If you will now unite in your complaints,
And force them7 with a conftancy, the cardinal
Cannot stand under them: If you omit

The offer of this time, I cannot promife,
But that you shall fuftain more new disgraces,
With these you bear already.

Sur. I am joyful

To meet the leaft occafion, that may give me
Remembrance of my father-in-law, the duke,
To be reveng'd on him.

Suf. Which of the peers

Have uncontemn'd gone by him, or at leaft
Strangely neglected? when did he regard
The ftamp of nobleness in any person,
Out of himself??

Cham. My lords, you speak your pleasures:
What he deferves of you and me, I know;
What we can do to him, (though now the time
Gives way to us,) I much fear. If you cannot
Bar his access to the king, never attempt
Any thing on him; for he hath a witchcraft
Over the king in his tongue.

Nor. O, fear him not;

And force them-] Force is enforce, urge. JOHNSON. -or at least

Strangely neglected?] Which of the peers has not gone by bim contemned or neglected? JOHNSON.

Uncontemn'd, as I have obferv'd in a note on As you like it, must be understood, as if the author had written not contemn'd. See Vol. III. p. 138, n. 2. MALONE.

9- when did be regard

The ftamp of nobleness in any perfon,

Out of himself? When did be, however careful to carry his own

gnity to the utmost height, regard any dignity of another? JOHNSON.