Madam, a day may sink or save a realm.
MARY. A day may save a heart from breaking too.
PHILIP. Well, Simon Renard, shall we stop a day?
RENARD. Your Grace's business will not suffer, sire,
For one day more, so far as I can tell.
PHILIP. Then one day more to please her Majesty.
MARY. The sunshine sweeps across my life again.
O if I knew you felt this parting, Philip,
As I do!
PHILIP. By St. James I do protest,
Upon the faith and honour of a Spaniard,
I am vastly grieved to leave your Majesty.
Simon, is supper ready?
RENARD. Ay, my liege,
I saw the covers laying.
PHILIP. Let us have it.
[_Exeunt_.
ACT IV.
SCENE I.--A ROOM IN THE PALACE.
MARY, CARDINAL POLE.
MARY. What have you there?
POLE. So please your Majesty,
A long petition from the foreign exiles
To spare the life of Cranmer. Bishop Thirlby,
And my Lord Paget and Lord William Howard,
Crave, in the same cause, hearing of your Grace.
Hath he not written himself--infatuated--
To sue you for his life?
MARY. His life? Oh, no;
Not sued for that--he knows it were in vain.
But so much of the anti-papal leaven
Works in him yet, he hath pray'd me not to sully
Mine own prerogative, and degrade the realm
By seeking justice at a stranger's hand
Against my natural subject.
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