The Vision. Enter, solemnly tripping one after another, six Personages, clad in white robes, wearing on their heads garlands of bays, and golden vizards on their faces; branches of bays, or palm, in their hands. They first congee unto her, then dance; and, at certain changes, the first two hold a spare garland over her head; at which, the other four maké reverend court'sies; then the two, that held the garland, deliver the same to the other next two, who observe the same order in their changes, and holding the garland over her head: which done, they deliver the same garland to the last two, who likewise observe the same order: at which, (as it were by inspiration) she makes in her sleep signs of rejoicing, and holdeth up her hands to heaven: and so in their dancing they vanish, carrying the garland with them. The musick continues. Kath. Spirits of peace, where are ye? Are ye all gone? And leave me here in wretchedness behind ye?7 Grif. Madam, we are here. It is not you I call for: Saw ye none enter, since I slept? Grif. None, madam. Kath. No? Saw you not, even now, a blessed troop Invite me to a banquet; whose bright faces Cast thousand beams upon me, like the sun ? They promis'd me eternal happiness; And brought me garlands, Griffith, which I feel Assuredly. Grif. I am most joyful, madam, such good dreams 5 solemnly tripping one after another,] This whimsical stagedirection is exactly taken from the old copy. Steevens. Of this stage-direction I do not believe our author wrote one word. Katharine's next speech probably suggested this tripping dumb-shew to the too busy reviver of this play. Malone. 6 golden vizards -] These tawdry disguises are also mentioned in Hall's account of a maske devised by King Henry VIII: thei were appareled &c. with visers and cappes of golde." Steevens. 7 And leave me here in wretchedness behind ye?] Perhaps Mr. Gray had this passage in his thoughts, when he made his Bard exclaim, on a similar occasion, (the evanescence of visionary forms): "Stay, O stay! nor thus forlorn "Leave me unbless'd, unpitied, here to mourn!" Steevens. Possess your fancy. Kath. Bid the musick leave, They are harsh and heavy to me. [Musick ceases. Pat. Pat. Heaven comfort her! Enter a Messenger. You are a saucy fellow: Mess. An 't like your grace, Kath. Deserve we no more reverence? Mess. I humbly do entreat your highness' pardon; Kath. Admit him entrance, Griffith: But this fellow Re-enter GRIFFITH with CAPUCIUS. If my sight fail not, You should be lord ambassador from the emperor, Cap. Madam, the same, your servant. 8 Mark you her eyes?] The modern editors read-Mark her eyes. But in the old copy, there being a stop of interrogation after this passage, as after the foregoing clauses of the speech, I have ventured to insert the pronoun-you, which at once supports the ancient pointing, and completes the measure. Steevens. 9 go to, kneel.] Queen Katharine's servants, after the divorce at Dunstable, and the Pope's curse stuck up at Dunkirk, were directed to be sworn to serve her not as a Queen, but as Princess Dowager. Some refused to take the oath, and so were forced to leave her service; and as for those who took it and stayed, she would not be served by them, by which means she was almost destitute of attendants. See Hall, fol. 219. Bishop Burnet says, all the women about her still called her Queen. Burnet, p. 162. Reed. What is your pleasure with me? Cap. Noble lady, First, mine own service to your grace; the next, Who grieves much for your weakness, and by me And heartily entreats you take good comfort. Kath. O my good lord, that comfort comes too late; "Tis like a pardon after execution: That gentle physick, given in time, had cur'd me; Cap. Madam, in good health. Pat. perceiv 1 This to my lord the king.] So, Holinshed, p. 939: ", ing hir selfe to waxe verie weak and feeble, and to feele death approaching at hand, caused one of hir gentlewomen to write a letter to the king, commending to him hir daughter and his, beseeching him to stand good father unto hir; and further desired him to have some consideration of hir gentlewomen that had served hir, and to see them bestowed in 1 arriage. Further that it would please him to appoint that hir servants might have their due wages, and a yeares wages beside." Steevens. This letter probably fell into the hands of Polydore Virgil, who was then in England, and has preserved it in the twenty-seventh book of his history. The following is Lord Herbert's translation of it: "My most dear lord, king, and husband, "The hour of my death now approaching, I cannot choose but, out of the love I bear you, advise you of your soul's health, which you ought to prefer before all considerations of the world or flesh whatsoever: for which yet you have cast me into many calamities, and yourself into many troubles.-But I forgive you all, and pray God to do so likewise. For the rest, I commend unto you Mary our daughter, beseeching you to be a good father to her, as I have heretofore desired. I must entreat you also to respect my mails, and give them in marriage, (which is not much, they being but three,) and to all my other servants a years pay besides their due, lest otherwise they should be unprovided for. Lastly, I make this vow, that mine eyes desire vou above all things Farewell." Malone. Ff2 Cap. A right good husband, let him be a noble ;3 The legal instrument for the divorce of Queen Katharine is still in being; and among the signatures to it is that of Polydore Virgil. Steevens. 2 The model of our chaste loves,] Model is image or representative. See Vol. V, p. 267, n. 3; and Vol. VII, p. 418, n. 4. Malone. 3 A right good &c.] I would read this line (not with a semicolon, as hitherto printed,) but with only a comma: A right good husband, let him be a noble; i. e. though he were even of noble extraction. Whalley. Let him be, I suppose, signifies, even thou he should be; or, admit that he be. She means to observe, that nobility superadded to virtue, is not more than each of her women deserves to meet with in a husband. The same phraseology is found in King Richard II: "Setting aside his high blood's royalty, "And let him be no kinsman to my liege." Steevens: This is, I think, the true interpretation of the line; but I do not see why the words let him be a noble, may not, consistently with this meaning, be understood in their obvious and ordinary sense. We are not to consider Katharine's women like the attendants on other ladies. One of them had already been married to no more than a noble husband; having unfortunately captivated a worthless king. Malone. If heaven had pleas'd to have given me longer life, These are the whole contents:-And, good my lord, As you wish christian peace to souls departed, Stand these poor people's friend, and urge the king To do me this last right. Cap. By heaven, I will; Or let me lose the fashion of a man! Kath. I thank you, honest lord. Remember me In all humility unto his highness: Say, his long trouble now is passing Out of this world: tell him, in death I bless'd him, Call in more women.-When I am dead, good wench, [Exeunt, leading KATH. ACT V..... SCENE I. A Gallery in the Palace. Enter GARDINER, Bishop of Winchester, a Page with a Torch before him, met by Sir THOMAS LOVELL. Gar. It's one o'clock, boy, is 't not? It hath struck. Boy. 4 Not for delights;] Gardiner himself is not much delighted. The delight at which he hints, seems to be the King's diversion, which keeps him in attendance. Johnson. 5 These should be hours. times to repair our nature |