And bicause shée could not come to the king di|rectlie, for the distance seuered betweene them, shée went about by the court, and came to the king, knee|ling downe at his féet, to whome she said in effect as followeth:Quéene Ka|tharines la|mentable and p [...]hie spéech in presence of the court. Sir (quoth she) I desire you to doo me ius|tice and right, and take some pitie vpon me, for I am a poore woman, and a stranger, borne out of your do|minion, hauing héere no indifferent counsell, & lesse assurance of fréendship. Alas sir, what haue I offen|ded you, or what occasion of displeasure haue I shew|ed you, intending thus to put me from you after this sort? I take God to my iudge, I haue beene to you a true & humble wife, euer conformable to your will and pleasure, that neuer contraried or gainesaid any thing thereof, and being alwaies contented with all things wherein you had any delight, whether little or much, without grudge or displeasure, I loued for your sake all them whome you loued, whether they were my fréends or enimies.

I haue béene your wife these twentie yeares and more, & you haue had by me diuerse children. If there be anie iust cause that you can alleage against me, ei|ther of dishonestie, or matter lawfull to put me from you; I am content to depart to my shame and re|buke: and if there be none, then I praie you to let me haue iustice at your hand.The quéene iustifieth the mariage. The king your father was in his time of excellent wit, and the king of Spaine my father Ferdinando was reckoned one of the wisest princes that reigned in Spaine manie yeares before. It is not to be doubted, but that they had ga|thered as wise counsellors vnto them of euerie realme, as to their wisedoms they thought méet, who déemed the marriage betwéene you and me good and lawfull, &c. Wherefore, I humblie desire you to spare me, vntill I may know what counsell my freends in Spaine will aduertise me to take, and if you will not, then your pleasure be fulfilled. ¶With that she arose vp, making a lowe curtesie to the king, and de|parted from thence.

The king being aduertised that shée was readie to go out of the house,The quéene departing on [...] of the court is called againe. commanded the crier to call hir againe, who called hir by these words; Katharine quéene of England, come into the court. With that (quoth maister Griffith) Madame, you be called a|gaine. On on (quosh she) it maketh no matter, I will not tarrie, go on your waies. And thus she departed, without anie further answer at that time, or anie o|ther, and neuer would appeare after in anie court. The king perceiuing she was departed, said these words in effect: For as much (quoth he) as the quéene is gone, I will in hir absence declare to you all, that shée hath beene to me as true, as obedient, and as conformable a wife, as I would wish or desire. She hath all the vertuous qualities that ought to be in a woman of hir dignitie, or in anie other of a baser e|state, she is also surelie a noble woman borne, hir conditions will well declare the same.