Mojo, The Bard, & Me

 

Not for that neither: Here’s the pang that             pinches:-

 

-Anne Bullen

King Henry The Eighth                     Act II, Scene iii, Line 1

 

For the second day in a row we’ve got the first line in a scene. It’s interesting, too, that this line appears to be the continuation of a conversation. We don’t know what was said previously so we’ve no idea what ‘that neither’ Anne is referring to. Unless we can assume that Anne is saying Not for nothin’, in which case she’s not really referring to anything in particular, and she’s just introducing her next thought. We can, however, find out specifically what is the ‘pang that pinches.’ Here’s the next lines.

             His highness having lived so long with her, and she

            So good a lady that no tongue could ever

            Pronounce dishonour of her, -by my life,

            She never knew harm-doing; -O, now, after

            So many courses of the sun enthroned,

            Still growing in a majesty and pomp,- the which

            To leave a thousand-fold more bitter than

            ‘Tis sweet at first t’acquire,-after this process,

            To give her the avaunt! It is a pity

            Would move a monster.

 So, what’s the pang that pinches? The 'she' being referred to is the King's current wife, Queen Katherine of Aaragon. And the pinch is that it is going to be very difficult for Anne to get Queen Katherine out of the picture. That’s the pang that pinches.

 Regardless of what’s going on here, I have to say that I like that little expression: the pang that pinches. I wonder if that was a common saying back then. I might have to work that into my vernacular. I can pretty much use that anywhere. Right?

How do you like today's picture. It's a picture of the pang that pinches me this morning. That's right, it's a picture of nothing. What could be better than that?