1616Queen. Take thy Lute wench,

1617My Soule growes sad with troubles,

1618Sing, and disperse 'em if thou canst: leaue working:

1633Queen. How now?

1634Gent. And't please your Grace, the two great Cardinals

1635Wait in the presence.

1636Queen. Would they speake with me?

1637Gent. They wil'd me say so Madam.

1638Queen. Pray their Graces

1639To come neere: what can be their busines

1640With me, a poore weake woman, falne from fauour?

1641I doe not like their comming; now I thinke on't,

1642They should bee good men, their affaires as righteous:

1643But all Hoods, make not Monkes.

1645Wols. Peace to your Highnesse.

1646Queen. Your Graces find me heere part of a Houswife,

1647(I would be all) against the worst may happen:

1648What are your pleasures with me, reuerent Lords?

1649Wol. May it please you Noble Madam, to withdraw

1650Into your priuate Chamber; we shall giue you

1651The full cause of our comming.

1652Queen. Speake it heere.

1653There's nothing I haue done yet o' my Conscience

1654Deserues a Corner: would all other Women

1655Could speake this with as free a Soule as I doe.

1656My Lords, I care not (so much I am happy

1657Aboue a number) if my actions

1658Were tri'de by eu'ry tongue, eu'ry eye saw 'em,

1659Enuy and base opinion set against 'em,

1660I know my life so euen. If your busines

1661Seeke me out, and that way I am Wife in;

1662Out with it boldly: Truth loues open dealing.

1663Card. Tanta est erga te mentis integritas Regina serenissima.

1664Queen. O good my Lord, no Latin;

1665I am not such a Truant since my comming,

1666As not to know the Language I haue liu'd in:

1668Pray speake in English; heere are some will thanke you,

1669If you speake truth, for their poore Mistris sake;

1670Beleeue me she ha's had much wrong. Lord Cardinall,

1671The willing'st sinne I euer yet committed,

1672May be absolu'd in English.

1673Card. Noble Lady,

1674I am sorry my integrity should breed,

1675(And seruice to his Maiesty and you)

1676So deepe suspition, where all faith was meant;

1677We come not by the way of Accusation,

1678To taint that honour euery good Tongue blesses;

1679Nor to betray you any way to sorrow;

1680You haue too much good Lady: But to know

1681How you stand minded in the waighty difference

1682Betweene the King and you, and to deliuer

1683(Like free and honest men) our iust opinions,

1684And comforts to our cause.

1685Camp. Most honour'd Madam,

1686My Lord of Yorke, out of his Noble nature,

1687Zeale and obedience he still bore your Grace,

1688Forgetting (like a good man) your late Censure

1689Both of his truth and him (which was too farre)

1690Offers, as I doe, in a signe of peace,

1691His Seruice, and his Counsell.

1692Queen. To betray me.

1693My Lords, I thanke you both for your good wills,

1694Ye speake like honest men, (pray God ye proue so)

1695But how to make ye sodainly an Answere

1696In such a poynt of weight, so neere mine Honour,

1697(More neere my Life I feare) with my weake wit;

1698And to such men of grauity and learning;

1699In truth I know not. I was set at worke,

1700Among my Maids, full little (God knowes) looking

1701Either for such men, or such businesse;

1702For her sake that I haue beene, for I feele

1703The last fit of my Greatnesse; good your Graces

1704Let me haue time and Councell for my Cause:

1705Alas, I am a Woman frendlesse, hopelesse.

1706Wol. Madam,

1707You wrong the Kings loue with these feares,

1708Your hopes and friends are infinite.

1709Queen. In England,

1710But little for my profit can you thinke Lords,

1711That any English man dare giue me Councell?

1712Or be a knowne friend 'gainst his Highnes pleasure,

1713(Though he be growne so desperate to be honest)

1714And liue a Subiect? Nay forsooth, my Friends,

1715They that must weigh out my afflictions,

1716They that my trust must grow to, liue not heere,

1717They are (as all my other comforts) far hence

1718In mine owne Countrey Lords.

1719Camp. I would your Grace

1720Would leaue your greefes, and take my Counsell.

1721Queen. How Sir?

1722Camp. Put your maine cause into the Kings protection,

1723Hee's louing and most gracious. 'Twill be much,

1724Both for your Honour better, and your Cause:

1725For if the tryall of the Law o'retake ye,

1726You'l part away disgrac'd.

1727Wol. He tels you rightly.

1728Queen. Ye tell me what ye wish for both, my ruine:

1729Is this your Christian Councell? Out vpon ye.

1730Heauen is aboue all yet; there sits a Iudge,

1731That no King can corrupt.

1732Camp. Your rage mistakes vs.

1733Queen. The more shame for ye; holy men I thought ye,

1734Vpon my Soule two reuerend Cardinall Vertues:

1735But Cardinall Sins, and hollow hearts I feare ye:

1736Mend 'em for shame my Lords: Is this your comfort?

1737The Cordiall that ye bring a wretched Lady?

1738A woman lost among ye, laugh't at, scornd?

1739I will not wish ye halfe my miseries,

1740I haue more Charity. But say I warn'd ye;

1741Take heed, for heauens sake take heed, least at once

1742The burthen of my sorrowes, fall vpon ye.

1743Car. Madam, this is a meere distraction,

1744You turne the good we offer, into enuy.

1745Quee. Ye turne me into nothing. Woe vpon ye,

1746And all such false Professors. Would you haue me

1747(If you haue any Iustice, any Pitty,

1748If ye be any thing but Churchmens habits)

1749Put my sicke cause into his hands, that hates me?

1750Alas, ha's banish'd me his Bed already,

1751His Loue, too long ago. I am old my Lords,

1752And all the Fellowship I hold now with him

1753Is onely my Obedience. What can happen

1754To me, aboue this wretchednesse? All your Studies

1755Make me a Curse, like this.

1756Camp. Your feares are worse.

1757Qu Haue I liu'd thus long (let me speake my selfe,

1758Since Vertue findes no friends) a Wife, a true one?

1759A Woman (I dare say without Vainglory)

1760Neuer yet branded with Suspition?

1761Haue I, with all my full Affections

1762Still met the King? Lou'd him next Heau'n? Obey'd him?

1763Bin (out of fondnesse) superstitious to him?

1764Almost forgot my Prayres to content him?

1765And am I thus rewarded? 'Tis not well Lords.

1766Bring me a constant woman to her Husband,

1767One that ne're dream'd a Ioy, beyond his pleasure;

1768And to that Woman (when she has done most)

1769Yet will I adde an Honor; a great Patience.

1770Car. Madam, you wander from the good

1771We ayme at.

1772Qu. My Lord,

1773I dare not make my selfe so guiltie,

1774To giue vp willingly that Noble Title

1775Your Master wed me to: nothing but death

1776Shall e're diuorce my Dignities.

1777Car. Pray heare me.

1778Qu. Would I had neuer trod this English Earth,

1779Or felt the Flatteries that grow vpon it:

1780Ye haue Angels Faces; but Heauen knowes your hearts.

1781What will become of me now, wretched Lady?

1782I am the most vnhappy Woman liuing.

1783Alas (poore Wenches) where are now your Fortunes?

1784Shipwrack'd vpon a Kingdome, where no Pitty,

1785No Friends, no Hope, no Kindred weepe for me?

1786Almost no Graue allow'd me? Like the Lilly

1787That once was Mistris of the Field, and flourish'd,

1788Ile hang my head, and perish.

1789Car. If your Grace

1790Could but be brought to know, our Ends are honest,

1791Youl'd feele more comfort. Why shold we (good Lady)

1792Vpon what cause wrong you? Alas, our Places,

1793The way of our Profession is against it;

1794We are to Cure such sorrowes, not to sowe 'em.

1795For Goodnesse sake, consider what you do,

1796How you may hurt your selfe: I, vtterly

1797Grow from the Kings Acquaintance, by this Carriage.

1798The hearts of Princes kisse Obedience,

1799So much they loue it. But to stubborne Spirits,

1800They swell and grow, as terrible as stormes.

1801I know you haue a Gentle, Noble temper,

1802A Soule as euen as a Calme; Pray thinke vs,

1803Those we professe, Peace-makers, Friends, and Seruants.

1804Camp. Madam, you'l finde it so:

1805You wrong your Vertues

1806With these weake Womens feares. A Noble Spirit

1807As yours was, put into you, euer casts

1808Such doubts as false Coine from it. The King loues you,

1809Beware you loose it not: For vs (if you please

1810To trust vs in your businesse) we are ready

1811To vse our vtmost Studies, in your seruice.

1812Qu. Do what ye will, my Lords:

1813And pray forgiue me;

1814If I haue vs'd my selfe vnmannerly,

1815You know I am a Woman, lacking wit

1816To make a seemely answer to such persons.

1817Pray do my seruice to his Maiestie,

1818He ha's my heart yet, and shall haue my Prayers

1819While I shall haue my life. Come reuerend Fathers,

1820Bestow your Councels on me. She now begges

1821That little thought when she set footing heere,