WHO DARES TO DISTURB US?" 
 
HENKY THE EIGHTH 
 
 AND HIS COURT. 
 
 AN HISTORICAL BOMANGE. 
 
 BY 
 
 L. MUHLBACH. 
 
 AUTHOR OF " THE EMPRESS JOSEPHINE," " MARIE ANTOINETTE," " JOSEPH II. AND HIS COURT," 
 
 " FREDERICK THE GREAT AND HIS FAMILY," " BERLIN AND SANS-SOUCI," 
 
 ETC., ETC., ETC. 
 
 COMPLETE IN ONE VOLUME. 
 
 Witft 
 
 NEW YORK: 
 D. APPLETON AND COMPANY, 
 
 443 & 445 BROADWAY. 
 
 1868. 
 
ENTERED, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1867, by 
 
 D. APPLETON & CO., 
 
 In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States, for fhe Southern District of 
 
 New York. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 IN the opinion of the authoress of this volume, the province of the 
 Historical Komance is to show you the heart of history, and to bring 
 near to you what else would stand so far off. Although some of 
 its objects may be to throw light on the dark places of history, to 
 group historical characters according to their internal natures, and 
 to discover and expose the motives which impelled individual person- 
 ages to the performance of great acts, yet others more important re- 
 main. One of these is the presentation of history in a dramatic form 
 and with animated descriptions. It is of less consequence whether 
 the personages actually spoke the words or performed the acts 
 attributed to them ; but it is necessary that those words and deeds 
 should be in accordance with the spirit and character of such his- 
 torical personages, and nothing be attributed to them which they 
 could not have spoken or done. The circumstances and events pre- 
 sented must be in accordance with historical tradition. Subsequent 
 investigations, since these pages were given to the press, may have 
 modified the historical aspect of the character of Henry VIII., but it is 
 sufficient to say that these were unknown at the time when the work 
 was written, and the aim of the authoress has been to delineate that 
 character as represented by the standard English historians. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 BOOK I. 
 TEE WEDDING-DAY. 
 
 CHAPTER I. The Choice of a Father-Con- 
 fessor, 
 II. The Queen and her Bosom 
 
 Friend, . 
 
 III. King Henry the Eighth 
 IV.-King by the Wrath of God, 
 V. The Eivals, . . 
 VI. Intercession, 
 VH. Henry the Eighth and his 
 
 Wives, 
 
 Vin. Father and Daughter, 
 IX. The Next Day, 
 
 BOOK II. 
 THE CHASE. 
 
 CHAP. I. The King's Jester, 
 IT. The Excursion, 
 HI. The Declaration, 
 TV. Le Roi s'ennuie, . 
 
 
 BOOK III. 
 THE QUEEWS ROSETTE. 
 
 CHAP. I. The Queen's Friend, . 
 II. John Hcywood, 
 
 96 
 103 
 
 CHAP, m. The Confidant, . 
 
 IV. Gammer Gurton's Needle, 
 V. Lady Jane, 
 VI. Loyola's General, . 
 VH. The Prisoner, . 
 Vni. The Princess Elizabeth, . 
 ' LX. Henry Howard, Earl of Sur- 
 rey, 
 
 X. Brother and Sister, 
 XI. The Queen's Toilet, 
 XII. The Queen's Rosette, . 
 
 BOOK IV. 
 
 THE WOMEWS WAS. 
 CHAP. I. The Revenge, . 
 n. Acknowledged, 
 HI. Intrigues, . . , 
 
 IV. The Accusation^ 
 V. The Banquet of Death, 
 VI. The Queen, . 
 VTL The Illusion Dispelled, 
 VEIL New Intrigues, 
 IX. The King and the Priest, 
 X. The Game of Chess, . 
 XI. The Denouement, . 
 XH. Le Roi est Mort, Vive la 
 Reine, 
 
 FAOK 
 
 108 
 116 
 123 
 128 
 133 
 142 
 
 152 
 156 
 164 
 178 
 
 194 
 200 
 207 
 213 
 223 
 
 256 
 262 
 272 
 
 294 
 
HENRY YIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 BOOK I. 
 
 THE WEDDING-DAY. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 THE CHOICE OF A FATHEK-CONFESSOR. 
 
 IT was in the year 1543. King Hen- 
 ry the Eighth of England thought him- 
 self again the happiest and most envi- 
 able man of his realm, for he had this 
 day once more celebrated his nuptials ; 
 and Katharine Parr, the youthful widow 
 of Lord Latimer, had the perilous fortune 
 of being chosen as the sixth wife of the 
 king. 
 
 The bells pealed forth from all the 
 towers of London, announcing to the 
 people that the sacred ceremony was 
 about to commence which should con- 
 secrate Katharine Parr as the sixth 
 queen of Henry the Eighth. 
 
 The ever-curious and sight-loving mul- 
 titude thronged the streets, and eagerly 
 pressed forward toward the royal palace, 
 hoping to see Katharine, when she 
 should appear on the balcony by the 
 side of her royal husband, to present 
 
 herself to the English people as their 
 queen, and to receive their homage. 
 
 Undoubtedly it was a high and ex- 
 alted destiny for the widow of an humble 
 baron to become the wife of the King 
 of England, and to wear a royal diadem 
 upon her brow. But Katharine Parr's 
 heart was filled, nevertheless, with anx- 
 ious foreboding; her cheeks were pale 
 and cold, and her firmly-compressed lips 
 had scarcely the power of uttering the 
 decisive "I WILL " before the altar. 
 
 At length the sacred ceremony was 
 over. Whereupon* the two spiritual 
 dignitaries Gardiner, Bishop of Win- 
 chester, and Cranmer, Archbishop of 
 Canterbury led the young spouse, con- 
 formably with court etiquette, to her 
 apartments, in order to consecrate them, 
 and to pray with her once more, ere the 
 temporal festivities should begin. 
 
 Anxious and pale though she was, 
 Katharine sustained with true royal 
 bearing and dignity the various ceremo- 
 nies of the day ; and as she now, with 
 
8 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 proudly-raised head and firm step, pro- 
 ceeded through the sumptuous apart- 
 ments between the two episcopal digni- 
 taries, nobody suspected what a heavy 
 burden oppressed her heart, or what 
 portentous voices were whispering in 
 her bosom. 
 
 Accompanied by her attendants, and 
 followed by the train of her new cour- 
 tiers, she had passed through the state 
 apartments, and now stood within the 
 private chambers of the palace. She 
 here dismissed her courtiers according 
 to the etiquette of the time, and only the 
 two bishops and the ladies of her suite 
 were permitted to enter the drawing- 
 room. Even the bishops were not suf- 
 fered to attend her beyond this apart- 
 ment. The king himself had laid down 
 the rules of proceeding for this day, and 
 he would have declared as a traitor any 
 person who might have had the temer- 
 ity to violate these rules in the slightest 
 degree, nay, perhaps have sent the 
 offender to the scaffold. 
 
 Katharine accordingly turned, with a 
 faint smile, to the two spiritual func- 
 tionaries, and requested them to await 
 her commands. She then beckoned to 
 her ladies in waiting to follow her into 
 her boudoir. 
 
 Meanwhile the two bishops remained 
 alone in the drawing-room, and this pe- 
 culiar juxtaposition seemed to produce 
 upon each of them an equally unfavor- 
 able impression ; for with scowling anc 
 averted looks, and as if by mutual ac 
 cord, they each withdrew to opposite 
 sides of the spacious apartment. 
 
 A long pause ensued Nothing was 
 
 leard but the monotonous strokes of the 
 lendulum of a large and costly clock, 
 which stood over the fireplace, and the 
 noisy acclamations of the multitude in 
 the streets, who pressed forward toward 
 the palace like a troubled sea. 
 
 Gardiner at length advanced to the 
 window, and glanced with a peculiar and 
 gloomy smile at the clouds, which were 
 swept by the hurricane along the sky. 
 
 Oranmer still held aloof at the other 
 side of the room, and, plunged in deep 
 thought, stood contemplating the large 
 portrait of Henry the Eighth the 
 work of Holbein's master-hand. As he 
 scanned this countenance, which be- 
 trayed at once so much dignity and so 
 much ferocity as he gazed into those 
 eyes whicli looked forth with such sullen 
 and stern severity as he observed those 
 lips which smiled so wantonly and 
 withal so implacably the prelate felt a 
 deep sympathy for the young wife, whom 
 he had this day devoted to such splendid 
 wretchedness. 
 
 He reflected that he had already, on 
 former occasions, conducted two of the 
 king's wives to the altar, and had 
 blessed their nuptials ; and he reflected 
 too, that he had attended both those 
 queens, at a later period, when they 
 were about to mount the scaffold. 
 
 How easily might the unenviable 
 young wife of the king fall a victim to 
 the same gloomy fate ; how speedily 
 might Katharine Parr, like Anna Bullen 
 and Katharine Howard, have to pay for 
 a few short days of splendor by an igno- 
 minious death! A single thoughtless 
 word a look a smile might be her 
 

 THE CHOICE OF A FATHER-CONFESSOR. 
 
 9 
 
 ruin ; for the anger and the jealousy of 
 the king were incalculable, and no pun- 
 ishment seemed to him, in his ferocious 
 moods, too great for those who had 
 offended him. 
 
 It was thoughts of this kind that occu- 
 pied the mind of Archbishop Cranmer. 
 They called forth within him feelings of 
 pity and tenderness, and caused the dark 
 clouds to vanish from his brow. 
 
 He even smiled now at the ill-humor 
 he had so recently evinced, and re- 
 proached himself for having been so 
 forgetful of his sacred calling for hav- 
 ing, in short, shown so little readiness 
 to meet his enemy in a conciliating spirit. 
 
 For Gardiner was his enemy, as 
 Cranmer well knew. Gardiner had 
 often enough proved this to him by 
 deeds, however much he had endeav- 
 ored, by words, to assure him of his 
 friendship. 
 
 But even if Gardiner hated him, it did 
 not follow that Cranmer must return 
 his enmity that he must regard as his 
 foe the man whom, by virtue of their 
 elevated calling on both sides, he was 
 bound to reverence and love as his 
 brother. 
 
 The high-minded Cranmer therefore 
 experienced a feeling of self-reproach for 
 his momentary ill-humor. A gentle 
 smile played upon his calm features; 
 and with a courteous and dignified bear- 
 ing, but with a subdued cordiality, he 
 crossed the room, and approached the 
 Bishop of Winchester. 
 
 The latter looked at him with a sullen 
 scowl, and, without .moving from the 
 recess in which he stood, near the win- 
 
 dow, awaited Cranmer's approach. As 
 Gardiner beheld the noble and ingenu- 
 ous countenance before him,, he felt as 
 though he would ra^se his hand, and 
 smite the face of the man who had thus 
 dared to enter the lists, and contest with 
 him the palm of fame and honor. But 
 he seasonably reflected that Cranmer 
 was still the king's favorite, and that 
 he must therefore be dealt with judi- 
 ciously. He accordingly drove his fierce 
 impulses back into his heart, and suffered 
 his features to resume their wonted 
 stern and impenetrable expression. 
 
 Cranmer now stood before him, and 
 his clear and animated glance rested 
 upon the sullen features of Gardiner. 
 
 " I have come to your lordship," said 
 Cranmer, in his mild, well-modulated 
 voice, " to tell you that I heartily wisli the 
 queen may choose you for her director 
 and father-confessor, and to assure you 
 that if she do so, I shall not feel the slight- 
 est envy or animosity on that account 
 indeed I shall perfectly understand and 
 appreciate the circumstance, if her majes- 
 ty should select the eminent and distin- 
 guished Bishop of Winchester for her 
 spiritual adviser; and the esteem and 
 admiration which I now entertain for 
 you will only become enhanced. Let me 
 therefore confirm this assurance to your 
 lordship, by offering my hand." 
 
 He presented to Gardiner his hand, 
 which the latter accepted with some 
 hesitation, and barely touched. 
 
 "Your grace is very generous," said 
 Gardiner, " and I must compliment you 
 on being an excellent diplomatist; for 
 you would give me to understand, in a 
 
10 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COUKT. 
 
 very ingenious manner, what my duty 
 will be, in case the queen should select 
 you for her spiritual guide. That she 
 will do so, indeed, you know full well 
 as I do myself. This is therefore but a 
 humiliation imposed upon me by eti- 
 quette, which obliges me to stand wait- 
 ing here, to know if I shall be chosen or 
 disdainfully set aside." 
 
 "Why do you view the matter in 
 such an unfriendly manner ? " said 
 Cranmer, mildly" why regard it as a 
 mark of contempt, if you should not be 
 selected for an office to which indeed 
 neither worth nor merit can summon 
 you but only the personal feeling and 
 confidence of a young woman ? " 
 
 "Ah ! then you admit that I shall not 
 be chosen ! " exclaimed Gardiner, with 
 a sinister smile. 
 
 "I have already told you, my lord, 
 that I am wholly unacquainted with 
 the queen's wishes, and I believe it is 
 known that the Archbishop of Canterbury 
 is in the habit of speaking the truth." 
 
 "Certainly; but it is equally well 
 known that Katharine Parr has hereto- 
 fore been a zealous admirer of the Arch- 
 bishop of Canterbury; and that now, 
 when she has attained her object, and 
 has become queen, it will be her duty to 
 testify her gratitude to him." 
 
 " Do you wish to insinuate by that," 
 said Cranmer, "that I have been the in- 
 strument of her elevation? If so, I as- 
 sure your lordship, that in this, as well 
 as in many other matters which concern 
 me, you are misinformed." 
 
 "Possibly so," replied Gardiner, cold- 
 ly. "At all events, it is certain that 
 
 the young queen is an enthusiastic pro- 
 tector of the infamous new doctrines 
 hatched in Germany, which are spread- 
 ing like a pestilence over Europe, and 
 bearing mischief and ruin to all Christen-, 
 dom. Yes, Katharine Parr, the present 
 queen, is favorably disposed toward the 
 arch-heretic, against whom the Holy 
 Father of Rome has hurled his crushing 
 anathema: she is an adherent of the 
 Reformation." 
 
 " You forget," said Cranmer, with a 
 quiet smile, "that this anathema has 
 also been hurled at the head of our own 
 king, and that it has proved as ineffec- 
 tive against Henry the Eighth as against 
 Martin Luther. I might remind you, at 
 the same time, that we no longer call 
 the Pope of Rome, ' Holy Father,' and 
 that you have yourself acknowledged the 
 king to be the supreme head of the 
 Church of England." 
 
 Gardiner turned aside his face, in 
 order to conceal the ill-humor and ran- 
 cor depicted on his countenance. He 
 felt that he had gone too far that he 
 had too far betrayed the secret thoughts 
 of his soul. 
 
 But he was not at all times able to 
 curb the passionate impulses of his na- 
 ture ; and albeit a man of the world, 
 and a diplomatist, there still were mo- 
 ments when the fanatical priest bore 
 sway over the courtier, and the wily 
 diplomatist gave way to the ecclesiastic. 
 
 Cranmer felt compassion for Gardi- 
 ner's embarrassment, and, yielding to the 
 natural kindness of his disposition, he 
 said, in a friendly tone : 
 
 " Let us not here dispute about dog- 
 
THE CHOICE OF A FATHER-CONFESSOR, 
 
 11 
 
 mas, or attempt to decide which is most 
 at fault, Luther or the pope. We are 
 here in the apartment of the young 
 queen, and let us therefore consider for 
 a moment what may he the probable 
 fate of this lady, whom God has ap- 
 pointed to so brilliant a destiny." 
 
 " Brilliant ! " said Gardiner, with an 
 ironical smile. " Let us first await the 
 end of her career, before we decide if it 
 was brilliant or not. Many queens al- 
 ready have believed that they should 
 find a bed of roses here, who speedily 
 became convinced that their couch was 
 a glowing furnace, which consumed their 
 very bones." 
 
 " True," murmured Oranmer, with a 
 slight shudder, "it is a perilous fate to 
 be the wife of a king. But, even for 
 this reason, let us not enhance the dan- 
 ger of her position by adding to it our 
 hostility and ill-will. For this reason I 
 beg of you (and for my own part I 
 pledge ray word upon the matter), what- 
 ever may be the queen's choice, not to 
 feel annoyed thereat, nor to seek re- 
 venge. For we all know that women 
 are strange, unaccountable creatures in 
 their wishes and inclinations." 
 
 "Ah! it seems you understand 
 women tolerably well," said Gardiner, 
 with a malicious smile. " Really, if you 
 were not the Archbishop of Canterbury, 
 and had the king not forbidden the 
 marriage of ecclesiastics under a severe 
 penalty, one might suppose you had a 
 wife yourself, and that yon had learned 
 from your own experience the funda- 
 mental points of the female character." 
 
 Cranmer turned away, and, with a 
 
 certain embarrassment, seemed to avoid 
 the keen and sarcastic glance of Gardi- 
 ner. 
 
 " It is not of me that we were speak- 
 ing," said the archbishop, at length, 
 " hut of the young queen, and I would 
 earnestly entreat your good- will on her 
 behalf. I have seen her to-day for the 
 first time, and have never spoken to her; 
 but her countenance made a strong im- 
 pression upon me, and her looks seemed 
 as if they besought us both to continue 
 steadfast friends by her side, along the 
 thorny path which lies before her, and 
 which five women have already trodden 
 only to find wretchedness and tears 
 ignominy and blood ! " 
 
 "Katharine, too, must beware, and 
 not abandon the right paths, as her 
 predecessors did," exclaimed Gardiner. 
 "Let us hope, for her own sake, that 
 she will be prudent and watchful, and 
 that she may be enlightened by God 
 with a knowledge of the true faith, and 
 not suffer herself to be led astray by the 
 errors of ungodly heretics, but remain 
 faithful and constant with the true be- 
 lievers." 
 
 " Who can say who the true believers 
 are?" murmured Cranmer. "There 
 are so many ways that lead to Heaven, 
 who can tell which is the right one ? " 
 
 " That which we travel ! " exclaimed 
 Gardiner, with the haughty pride of the 
 genuine ecclesiastic. "Woe betide the 
 queen if she should swerve into strange 
 paths ! Woe betide her if she lend an 
 ear to the errors which are wafted 
 hither from Germany and from Switzer- 
 land, and if she fancy, in the worldly 
 
12 
 
 .HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 wisdom of her heart, that she will be 
 able to rest securely! For my part, I 
 shall be her most zealous and devoted 
 servant, if she is for me but her most 
 implacable enemy, if against rne ! " 
 
 " And shall you consider it as against 
 you, if the queen should not choose you 
 for her father-confessor ? " 
 
 "Do you wish to understand that I 
 should consider it as for me ? " 
 
 "Well, then, God grant that her 
 choice may fall upon you ! " exclaimed 
 Oranmer, fervently, while he clasped his 
 hands, and looked up toward heaven. 
 " Poor, hapless queen ! The first proof 
 of thy husband's love may become the 
 prime source of thy misfortune ! "Why, 
 then, did he leave thee the liberty of 
 choosing thy own director why not 
 himself have made the choice for 
 thee?" 
 
 And with a deep sigh, Cranmer bent 
 his head upon his breast. 
 
 At this moment, the door of the 
 royal closet opened, and Lady Jane, the 
 daughter of Lord Douglas, and first lady- 
 in-waiting to the queen, appeared on 
 the threshold. 
 
 The two prelates looked toward her 
 in breathless silence. It was an anxious 
 and a solemn moment the deep signifi- 
 cance of which ' they all three under- 
 stood. 
 
 " Her majesty the queen" said Lady 
 Jane, in a faltering voice "her majesty 
 the queen commands the attendance of 
 his grace the Archbishop of Canterbury 
 in her closet, that he may join with her 
 in prayer." 
 
 " Unhappy queen 1 " murmured Cran- 
 
 mer, as he crossed the apartment tow- 
 ard the royal closet "unhappy queen I 
 she has just made for herself an impla- 
 cable enemy for life." 
 
 Lady Jane waited until Cranmer had 
 disappeared through the door, and then 
 approaching the Bishop of Winchester 
 with rapid steps, and bending her knee 
 before him, said, with an accent of deep 
 humility : 
 
 "Pardon, my lord, pardon! My 
 words were vain they were powerless 
 to shake her resolution." 
 
 Gardiner assisted the fair postulant to 
 rise, and said, with a forced smile : 
 
 " It is well, Lady Jane, it is well. I 
 doubt not your zeal. You are a faithful 
 daughter of the Church, and for this she 
 will love and reward you as a mother. 
 Then the matter is decided the queen 
 is" 
 
 "A heretic! " whispered Lady Jane. 
 "Woe betide her!" 
 
 " And will you be faithful and con- 
 stant to me?" 
 
 "Faithful in deed and in thought, to 
 the last drop of my blood ! " 
 
 "Then we shall conquer Katharine 
 Parr as we have conquered Katharine 
 Howard. To the scaffold with the here- 
 tic ! We have found the means of send- 
 ing Katharine Howard to the block, and 
 now, Lady Jane, you must find a way 
 for us to lead Katharine Parr to the 
 same destiny." 
 
 "I will undertake to do so," said 
 Lady Jane, placidly. "She loves me, 
 and confides in me. I will betray her 
 friendship, that I may remain true to my 
 faith." 
 
THE QUEEN AND HER BOSOM FRIEND. 
 
 13 
 
 " Then Katharine Parr is lost ! " said 
 Gardiner, aloud. 
 
 "Yes, she is lost,*' repeated Lord 
 Douglas, who had just entered, and had 
 overheard the last words of the bishop, 
 " yes, she is lost, for we shall ever be her 
 watchful and inexorable enemies. But 
 I fear it is not prudent to utter these 
 sentiments in the queen's anteroom. 
 Let us therefore abide a more season- 
 able opportunity. But now, my lord, 
 you must betake yourself to the grand 
 audience-chamber, where the whole 
 court is already assembled, and only 
 awaits the king's pleasure to conduct 
 the young queen in solemn procession to 
 the balcony," 
 
 Gardiner nodded a silent assent, and 
 forthwith proceeded to the audience- 
 chamber. 
 
 Lord Douglas followed him with his 
 daughter. "Katharine Parr is lost," he 
 whispered in Lady Jane's ear, " and you 
 will be the seventh wife of the king." 
 
 During this conversation in the ante- 
 chamber the young queen was on her 
 knees before Cranmer, and with him 
 was addressing a prayer to Heaven for 
 prosperity and peace. Tears filled her 
 eyes, and she felt her heart tremble 
 within her, as if anticipating some ap- 
 proaching misfortune. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 THE QUEEN AND IIEE BOSOM FEIEND. 
 
 THIS long day of ceremonials and 'so- 
 lemnities was at length drawing to a close, 
 and Katharine hoped soon to be relieved 
 from the simulated homage and the arti- 
 ficial smiles of her courtiers. 
 
 She had shown herself on the balcony 
 beside her husband, in order to receive 
 the greetings of the people, and to bow 
 her acknowledgments. After this, the 
 newly-appointed members of her court 
 moved in solemn procession before her in 
 the throne-room and to each of these no- 
 ble lords and ladies in turn she addressed 
 a few affable observations as they passed 
 along. And this being over, she assisted 
 her royal husband in giving audience to 
 the deputation from the metropolis and 
 from the Parliament. Yet it was with 
 an inward shudder that she heard from 
 their lips the stereotyped congratulations 
 and the fulsome addresses with which 
 those deputies had on similar occasions 
 greeted five of the king's former wives. 
 
 Nevertheless she succeeded in her ef- 
 forts to smile and to look happy, for she 
 knew that the gaze of the king was con- 
 tinually fixed upon her, and that all the 
 noble lords and ladies who now ap- 
 proached her with such demonstrations 
 of apparent humility and homage, were 
 all of them at heart her most bitter ene- 
 mies for, by her marriage with the 
 king, she had foiled the schemes and de- 
 stroyed the hopes of so many, who 
 thought themselves better entitled to oc- 
 cupy the high position of a queen. She 
 
HENRY YIIL AND HIS COURT. 
 
 knew that those disappointed ones would 
 never forgive her that she, who had only 
 yesterday been their equal, was to-day 
 lifted above their heads, as their queen 
 and mistress ; and she knew that all of 
 them watched like spies her every word 
 and gesture^ that they might perchance 
 be able to fabricate an accusation against 
 her which would seal her doom. 
 
 But still she smiled ! She smiled, al- 
 though she felt that the king's jealous 
 anger so easily excited and so fiercely 
 violent hung evermore above her head 
 like the sword of Damocles. 
 
 She smiled lest this sword should one 
 day descend upon herself. 
 
 At length, however, all these state 
 ceremonies and pageantries and all these 
 outward marks of homage and rejoicing 
 were over ; and now the more agreeable 
 and satisfactory part of the festivity was 
 about to commence. 
 
 The guests had assembled at table. 
 This was the first moment of quiet and 
 repose which Katharine had enjoyed 
 throughout the day. For when Henry 
 sat down to table he ceased to be a digni- 
 fied monarch or a jealous husband he 
 was only the skilful epicure, the sensual 
 gourmand ; and whether the pasties were 
 well seasoned, or the pheasants savory, 
 were for him far more important ques- 
 tions than what concerned the welfare 
 of his people or the good of his kingdom. 
 
 After dinner, however, a novel recrea- 
 tion was introduced, a new species of 
 entertainment, which at least for a time 
 banished from Katharine's heart all 
 gloomy apprehensions and sinister fore- 
 bodings, and which imparted to her coun- 
 
 tenance a glow of cheerful and serene 
 enjoyment. The king had prepared a 
 surprise for his young wife, which was at 
 that time of a novel character. He had 
 caused a theatre to be erected within 
 the palace of Whitehall, on the stage of 
 which was represented one of the com- 
 edies of Plautus, by the gentlemen of the 
 court. 
 
 Dramatic representations had hitherto 
 been confined to those pieces called 
 "Moralities" and "Mystery Plays," 
 which were acted by the people on the oc- 
 casion of certain church festivals. Hen- 
 ry the Eighth was accordingly the first 
 monarch who had a theatre established 
 in England for secular entertainments, 
 and who introduced what perhaps itfay 
 be called "the legitimate drama," as dis- 
 tinguished from mere dramatized epi- 
 sodes of ecclesiastical history. As he 
 had liberated the Church from the spirit- 
 ual dominion of the pope, so he wished 
 to render the stage free from the control 
 of the Church, and to see comedies 
 performed of a less serious character 
 than those which depicted the broiling 
 of saints or the massacre of pious women. 
 
 Moreover, what need of such scenic 
 butchery on the stage, when the king had 
 a real performance daily exhibited? 
 The burning of Christian martyrs and of 
 godly-minded maidens was a matter of 
 such everyday occurrence under the reign 
 of Henry the Eighth, that it no longer 
 furnished himself or his court with an 
 amusing entertainment. 
 
 But the representation of a Eonian 
 comedy promised a new and piquant 
 pleasure, and would at least be a surprise 
 
THE QUEEN AND HER BOSOM 
 
 15 
 
 for the young queen. Henry therefore 
 caused the " CUJRCULIO " to be acted be- 
 fore his wife ; and whenever Katharine 
 blushed at the obscene and scurrilous 
 jests of the Eoman poet, the king felt 
 highly amused, and accompanied the 
 most indecent allusions and the most 
 licentious passages with boisterous laugh- 
 ter and loud applause. 
 
 This entertainment too was at length 
 over. And now Katharine was at liber- 
 ty to retire with her ladies to her private 
 apartments. 
 
 With a gracious smile she dismissed 
 the gentlemen of her suite, and requested 
 "ier ladies, among whom was Anne As- 
 kew, the second lady of her bedchamber, 
 to await her commands in her dressing- 
 room. She then gave her arm to her 
 friend, Lady Jane Douglas, and they 
 both entered the queen's closet. 
 
 At length she was alone at length 
 unwatchcd. The smile vanished from 
 her lips, and an expression of deep sad- 
 ness marked ho* features. 
 
 "Jane," she said, "shut the doors 
 and draw the window-curtains, that no 
 one may see or hear me no one but 
 yourself, my friend, the companion of 
 other and happier days. Alas! alas! 
 why was I ever so ill-advised as to leave 
 my father's quiet mansion, and go 
 abroad into the world so full of snares 
 and terrors ? " 
 
 She sighed and groaned deeply; and 
 covering her face with her hands, she 
 sank back in her chair, weeping and 
 trembling. 
 
 Lady June contemplated her mistress 
 with a peculiar aud sinister smile. 
 
 "She is a queen, and yet she weeps," 
 said the maid of honor, to herself. 
 "Ah, well! how can one be a queen 
 nowadays, and not feel unhappy? " 
 
 She approached Katharine, and sitting 
 on a stool at her feet, seized her hand, 
 which she kissed. 
 
 "Your majesty weeps," she said, with 
 an insinuating tone. ' Alas, I fear you 
 are unhappy, while I, who heard, with 
 an outburst of delight, the news of this 
 wonderful good fortune of my friend, 
 thought I should find her radiant with 
 joy, as an exalted and happy queen; 
 and my only anxiety my only fear, 
 was, lest the queen should have ceased 
 to be my friend any longer. For this 
 reason, I urged ray father to come away 
 at once, according to your commands, 
 and, leaving Dublin, to hasten hither 
 without delay." 
 
 Katharine removed her hand from 
 her face, and looked at her friend with 
 a smile of sadness. 
 
 " Well, Jane," she said, " are you not 
 satisfied with what you have seen ? 
 Have I not shown you, all this day, a 
 queen smiling in the guise of happiness 
 did I not wear costly robes embroid- 
 ered with gold did not my neck 
 sparkle with brilliants, and did not a 
 royal diadem adorn my brow, while a 
 king sat by my side? Let this suffice 
 for the present. You have all this day 
 seen the queen. Allow me now, there- 
 fore, for a few brief and happy moments, 
 to become the woman, with lively and 
 sensitive feelings, who can disclose to 
 her friend all her troubles and sorrows. 
 Ah, Jane, if you only knew how I have 
 
16 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 longed for this hour, how I yearned for 
 your sympathy as the only relief to this 
 poor stricken and wounded heart; 
 how earnestly I besought Heaven to 
 grant me this favor, that I might once 
 more have my Jane back with me, that 
 she might condole with my sorrows, 
 and that I might always have near me 
 one friend, at least, who Could under- 
 stand me, and who does not suffer her- 
 self to be dazzled by all this wretched 
 parade and outward splendor ! " 
 
 " Unhappy Katharine ! " murmured 
 Lady Jane. " Unhappy queen ! " 
 
 Katharine started, and placed her 
 hand, which glistened with diamonds, 
 upon the lips of her friend. 
 
 "Pray do not address me so," said 
 the queen. "Alas, that one word re- 
 calls all the terrors of the past. Queen ! 
 Does not that mean to be condemned 
 like a criminal to the block? A death- 
 shudder passes through my veins at the 
 bare thought! I am the sixth queen of 
 Henry the Eighth. I shall therefore be 
 sent to the scaffold ; or else be covered 
 with disgrace, and turned adrift." 
 
 Once more she buried her face in her 
 hands, and her whole frame trembled 
 with violent emotion. She did not 
 therefore perceive the malignant smile 
 with which Lady Jane again contem- 
 plated her; nor did she suspect with 
 what secret delight her "friend" per- 
 ceived her tears and her anguish. 
 
 "Well, I'm revenged, at least!" 
 thought Lady Jane, while she smoothed 
 down the queen's hair caressingly 
 " yes, I'm revenged. She has robbed 
 me of a crown ; but in the golden cup 
 
 which she raises to her lips she shal] 
 find nothing but wormwood and gall. 
 If this sixth queen does not mount the 
 scaffold, we shall at least be able to 
 hasten her death by a broken heart." 
 
 She then continued aloud: "But why 
 these fears, Katharine ? The king loves 
 you; the whole court observed with 
 what earnest and affectionate looks the 
 king gazed upon you to-day, and with 
 what delight he hung upon every word 
 you uttered. Certainly the king Io7es 
 you." 
 
 Katharine grasped her hand ardently. 
 "The king loves me," she whispered, 
 "but still I tremble before him; naj, 
 more, I have a horror of bis love. His 
 hands are steeped in blood, and as I sa\v 
 him to-day in his purple robes, I shud- 
 dered, and thought how soon my bloocl 
 too would encrimson that purple." 
 
 Lady Jane smiled. " You are uuweil. 
 Katharine," said she. " This sudden 
 good fortune has overcome you, anc 
 your excited nerves cause all sorts of 
 horrors to spring up in your imagina- 
 tion nothing more." 
 
 "No, no, Jane, these thoughts are 
 always present to my mind, and they 
 have never left me since the moment the 
 king made choice of me for his wife." 
 
 "And why did you not refuse him, 
 accordingly ? " asked Lady Jane. " Why 
 not have declined the king's suit? " 
 
 "Ah, Jane, are you such a stranger 
 to this court as not to know that one 
 must either yield to the king's wishes or 
 die? Alas, I am envied! People call 
 me the greatest and mightiest woman 
 in England. But they know not that I 
 
THE QUEEN AND HER BOSOM FRIEND. 
 
 17 
 
 am poorer and more powerless than the 
 mendicant in the streets, who has at 
 least the right of refusing her hand at 
 her own option. For me, I dared not 
 refuse ; I had no alternative but to ac- 
 cept the king's proffered hand or die. 
 I was unwilling to die so soon; I have 
 still so many claims upon life, and as 
 yet so few of them have heen vouch- 
 safed me. Alas for my poor cheerless 
 existence ! for what has it been, but a 
 continued series of denials and priva- 
 tions of sad reminiscences and blighted 
 hopes ? It is true, I have never experi- 
 enced what is called misfortune; but 
 what greater misfortune can there be 
 than to be unhappy than to sigh 
 through life without a wish or a hope, 
 and to suffer the perpetual tedium of an 
 insipid and joyless existence in the midst 
 of luxury and splendor? " 
 
 "You say that formerly you were 
 not unhappy, and yet you were left an 
 orphan ? " 
 
 "I lost my mother so early that I 
 scarcely knew her, and when my father 
 died, I regarded it almost as a blessing, 
 for be never acted toward me as a par- 
 ent, but only as a harsh and tyrannical 
 master." 
 
 'But then you were married ? " 
 
 "Married!" said Katharine, with a 
 sad smile. " Yes, that is to say, my 
 father sold me to an old, gouty invalid, 
 in whose sick-chamber I spent a cheer- 
 less and fearfully tedious year, until 
 Jx>rd Latimer made me a rich widow. 
 People regarded that, too, as another 
 piece of good fortune, for now I was a 
 widow, young, rich, and independent. 
 
 
 But what advantage was such indepen- 
 dence to me ? it only fettered me with 
 fresh bonds. Formerly I had been the 
 slave of my father and of rny husband, 
 and I now became a slave to my riches : 
 I ceased to be a sick-nurse, only to be- 
 come the manager of my estates. That 
 was certainly the most wearisome part 
 of my life, and yet I am indebted to it 
 for my only real happiness for it was 
 then that I made your acquaintance, 
 Jane : and my heart, which had never 
 experienced any more tender emotions, 
 expanded toward you with all the 
 warmth and eagerness of a first affec- 
 tion. And up to the moment that my 
 long-absent nephew reappeared after 
 he had been supposed dead and de- 
 prived me of the inheritance which prop- 
 erly belonged to him, my only thought 
 had been to make your father and your- 
 self the heirs to my property. The 
 world condoled with me upon the loss 
 of my wealth. But I thank God that 
 He has relieved me of the burden, and 
 has brought me to London in order to 
 see life at last to think and feel like 
 others, and at length to know real hap- 
 piness or real misfortune." 
 " And which did you find ? " 
 " Unhappiness, Jane ! for am I not a 
 queen ? " 
 
 " But is that your only unhappiness ? " 
 " Yes, but surely that is great enough. 
 It condemns me to perpetual anxiety 
 perpetual dissimulation. It condemns 
 mo to breathe a love which I do not 
 feel, and to suffer caresses which make 
 me shudder, for they are but the heri- 
 tage derived from five unhappy women. 
 
18 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 Oh, Jane, do you know what it is to be 
 obliged to embrace a man who has 
 murdered three wives and put away 
 two others to kiss perforce the blood- 
 stained lips which utter vows of love 
 with the same readiness that they pro- 
 nounce a decree of death ? The very 
 thought makes the blood run cold in my 
 veins! I shall be called a queen, and 
 yet I shall be doomed to tremble for 
 my life every hour in the day, while I 
 must conceal my anxiety and terror 
 under the guise of happiness. I am 
 barely five-and-twenty years old, and 
 my heart is still the heart of a child 
 for it scarcely knows its own wishes. 
 And now it is fated never to know 
 them, for I am Henry's wife, and to 
 love another would be to mount the 
 scaffold. The scaffold ! Look, Jane ! 
 When the king approached me and 
 confessed his love, and offered his hand, 
 there suddenly rose up before me a ter- 
 rible picture. It was no longer the king 
 that I saw standing there, but the heads- 
 man ! And it seemed to me as if I saw 
 three corpses lying at his feet, and with 
 a loud shriek I sank unconscious on 
 the floor. On recovering myself, the 
 king held me in his arms. He believed 
 it was the suddenness of this unex- 
 pected honor which had overpowered 
 me. He kissed me, and called me his 
 bride ; he did not think for a moment 
 that I could refuse him. And I, Jane 
 despise me I was such a coward that I 
 could not find courage for a refusal I 
 yielded, for I did not wish to die. It 
 seemed to me at this moment as if life 
 beckoned to me with a thousand joys 
 
 a thousand delights yet in store, which I 
 had never tasted, and for which my 
 soul thirsted as for manna in the desert. 
 I wished to live yes, to live, at any 
 cost in order one day perhaps to enjoy 
 the sweets of love and happiness. But 
 only think, Jane, people call me ambi- 
 tious ; they say I have given my hand to 
 Henry only because he is a king. Ah ! 
 little do they know how I shuddered 
 inwardly at this crown. They little 
 know that in the anguish of my heart 
 I besought the king not to raise me to 
 this dignity so that I might avoid mak- 
 ing enemies of all the ladies of his 
 realm. They know not that I confessed 
 my love to him, only that I might be 
 able to add, that, for love of him, I was 
 ready to forego his suit, that for love 
 of him I was willing to sacrifice my own 
 happiness for his, and that I conjured 
 him to choose for himself a worthy wife 
 among the hereditary princesses of Eu- 
 rope. But Henry rejected the pro- 
 posal. He wished to create a queen, 
 and to possess a wife who should be 
 his property, and whose blood he might 
 shed as her supreme and sovereign lord. 
 His queen I am accordingly. I have 
 accepted my fate, and henceforth my 
 life will be a perpetual struggle, an un- 
 ceasing warfare with death ; but I will 
 at least sell my life as dearly as possible, 
 and the maxim which Cranmer has 
 suggested shall always be my rule of 
 conduct on the thorny path which lies 
 before me." 
 
 "And what may that maxim be?" 
 asked Lady Jane. 
 
 '"Be wise as. the serpent, andinno- 
 
THE QUEEN AND HER BOSOU FRIEND. 
 
 19 
 
 cent as the dove,'" replied Katharine, 
 with a faint smile, as she dropped her 
 head upon her bosom, and abandoned her- 
 self to painful and ominous reflections. 
 
 Lady Jane now stood opposite her, 
 and contemplated with unmoved and 
 stern composure the convulsed and ago- 
 nized features, and the trembling frame 
 of the young queen, for whom all Eng- 
 land had this day kept high festival, and 
 who sat now so sad and woe-begone be- 
 fore her simulated friend. 
 
 Suddenly Katharine raised her head. 
 Her countenance had now assumed quite 
 a different expression, it was calm, 
 firm, and resolute. Bending slightly 
 forward, she extended to Lady Jane her 
 hand, and drew her friend closer to her 
 side. 
 
 " I have to thank you, Jane," she said, 
 while she kissed her brow, "I have to 
 thank you, for your presence has done 
 me good : it has relieved me of the op- 
 pressive burden of my secret sorrow. 
 To express one's cares freely to a friend 
 is the best cure for them. Hencefor- 
 ward you will find me more cheerful and 
 composed. The woman has laid her 
 griefs before you, but the queen knows 
 she has a task to fulfil, as difficult as it 
 is important, and I pledge my word to 
 perform it. The new light which has 
 gone forth to the world shall no longer 
 be obscured by blood and tears, and no 
 longer shall the wise and the just be con- 
 demned like malefactors and traitors in 
 this unhappy land. This is the task 
 which God has assigned me, and I swear 
 in His presence that I will accomplish it! 
 Will you help me to do so, Jane ? " 
 
 Lady Jane replied by a few equivocal 
 words, which Katharine did not catch, 
 and as the latter looked at her, she per- 
 ceived with astonishment the deadly pal- 
 lor which of a sudden overspread the 
 countenance of her maid of honor. 
 
 Katharine started, and looked at her 
 with an earnest and steadfast gaze, as if 
 to penetrate her thoughts. 
 
 Lady Jane shrank from the inquiring 
 and animated glance of the queen, and 
 cast her eyes toward the ground. Her 
 religious zeal had for a moment over- 
 powered her ; and however much she 
 was accustomed to conceal her thoughts 
 and feelings, yet on this occasion she 
 was for the moment thrown off her 
 guard, so as to betray her sentiments to 
 the keen eye of her mistress. 
 
 "It is a long time since we saw each 
 other," said Katharine, sadly. "Three 
 years ! That is a long period in the his- 
 tory of a young girl's heart. And all 
 this time you were with your father in 
 Dublin at that stanchly Catholic court 
 I had forgotten that. But, however 
 your views may have altered, your heart 
 I know is still the same, and you will 
 always be the noble, high-minded Jane 
 of former years who would never stoop 
 to a falsehood even though it were to 
 bring her fortune and splendor. I there- 
 fore ask you, Jane, what religion you 
 now profess? Do you believe in the 
 Pope of Kome, as the sole head of the 
 Church, or do you adhere to the new 
 teaching of Luther and Calvin ? " 
 
 Lady Jane smiled. " Think you," she 
 said, " I would have ventured to appear 
 in yonr presence if I still belonged to the 
 
20 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 Catholic party ? Katharine Parr is hailed 
 by the Protestants of England as the 
 new protectress of their imperilled doc- 
 trines ; and already the priests of the 
 Roman Church launch their anathemas 
 against you, and execrate you as their 
 most dangerous enemy. And yet you 
 ask me if I am an adherent of that 
 Church which calumniates and condemns 
 you ! You ask me if I believe in the pope, 
 who has excommunicated the king 
 the king who is not only my sovereign 
 and supreme ruler, but also thehusband 
 of my noble and generous Katharine ! 
 I fear your majesty can scarcely love me, 
 in asking such a question." 
 
 And, as if overcome by her emotion, 
 Lady Jane sank down at Katharine's 
 feet, and hid her face in the ample folds 
 of the queen's robe. 
 
 Katharine stooped to raise her up and 
 embrace her. Suddenly, however, she 
 started, and a deadly paleness overspread 
 her countenance. 
 
 " The king! " she whispered. "The 
 king comes this way! " 
 
 CHAPTER HI. 
 
 KING HENRY THE EIGHTH. 
 
 KATHARINE was not mistaken. The 
 doors opened, and the earl-marshal ap- 
 peared upon the threshold with his gold 
 staff of office. 
 
 "Hie majesty the king!" said the 
 marshal, in his grave and solemn tone, 
 which filled Katharine with secret hor- 
 
 ror, as if sentence of death had just been 
 pronounced against her. 
 
 But she constrained herself to smile, 
 and approached the door in order to re- 
 ceive the king. 
 
 A heavy rolling was now heard, and 
 along over the well-polished floor of the 
 anteroom came the king's in-door equi- 
 page. 
 
 This in-door carriage consisted of a 
 large arm-chair mounted upon wheels, 
 which, instead of horses, was drawn by 
 men, and to which, from a kind of deli- 
 cate flattery, was given the form and 
 shape of a triumphal chariot such as 
 that of the Roman victorious emperors 
 of old in order, whenever the king 
 was drawn about .the apartments in this 
 manner, to maintain the agreeable illu- 
 sion that he was making a triumphal 
 march, and that it was in nowise the 
 weight of his unwieldy limbs which 
 compelled him to mount this quasi- 
 imperial chariot. Henry willingly 
 yielded to the flatteries of his courtiers, 
 and whenever he rode about in this 
 guise through the gilded saloons, 
 adorned with Venetian mirrors, which 
 multiplied and reflected his likeness 
 from every side, he readily lulled 
 himself in the illusion that he was a 
 triumphal conqueror, and wholly for- 
 got that it was not his achievements 
 but his corpulency which had raised 
 him to the victor's car. 
 
 For this huge mass which filled the 
 colossal arm-chair this mountain of 
 purple-robed flesh this lumbering and 
 shapeless form, was Henry the Eighth, 
 the king of happy England. 
 
KING HENRY THE EIGHTH. 
 
 Bat this unwieldy mass had a head ! 
 a head fall of dark and sinister 
 thoughts, a heart full of bloodthirsty 
 and ferocious instincts. The colossal 
 body was indeed bound to the arm-chair 
 by its own ponderous bulk; yet the 
 mind of its owner never rested, but 
 hovered as though with the eye and 
 talons of an unclean bird of prey over 
 his people, always ready to pounce 
 upon some poor innocent dove, to drink 
 its blood, and tear out its heart that 
 he might present it, still quivering, upon 
 the altar of his sanguinary god. 
 
 The domestic chariot of the king now 
 stopped, and Katharine hastened for- 
 ward to assist her royal spouse in alight- 
 ing. 
 
 Henry greeted her with a gracious 
 nod, and ordered the pages in attendance 
 to stand back. 
 
 "Go away! "he exclaimed, "get ye 
 gone! My Katharine alone shall give 
 me her hand here, and welcome me to 
 her bridal chamber. Away! We feel 
 ourself this day as young and vigorous 
 as in our best and happiest years ; and 
 the young queen shall find that it is no 
 feeble, tottering graybeard who weds 
 her, but a hale and vigorous man, whose 
 youth has been renewed by love. Do 
 not think, Kate, that it is from any 
 bodily ailment that I use this carriage. 
 No it was only my wish to see thee, 
 which made me eager to come the more 
 speedily." 
 
 He kissed her brow with a self-satis- 
 fied smile, and, leaning lightly on her 
 arm, descended from his chariot. 
 
 " Away with this carriage, and with 
 
 you all ! " he exclaimed. " It is our will 
 to be left alone with this young and 
 beautiful woman, whom my lords the 
 bishops have this day made our own." 
 
 And with a wave of his hand he dis- 
 missed the whole train of his courtiers, 
 and Katharine was now alone with the 
 king. 
 
 Her heart beat so violently that it 
 made her lips tremble and her bosom 
 heave with emotion. 
 
 Henry perceived it, and smiled; but 
 it was a cold and grim smile, which 
 made Katharine turn pale. 
 
 " He has always the smile of a tyrant 
 upon his lips," she whispered to herself. 
 u With this same smile with which he 
 now expresses his love for me, perhaps 
 he yesterday signed a death-warrant, or 
 to-morrow perhaps will witness an exe- 
 cution." 
 
 u Do you love me, Kate ? " suddenly 
 exclaimed the king, who had for a mo- 
 ment been contemplating her in silent 
 thought. " Tell me, Kate, do you love 
 me?" 
 
 Saying which, he looked with a fixed 
 and scrutinizing gaze into her eyes, as 
 if he would scan the secret thoughts of 
 her heart. 
 
 Katharine met his glance with firm- 
 ness, and without shrinking. She felt 
 that the present moment was all-deci- 
 sive, and would determine her whole fu- 
 ture; and this conviction restored to 
 her all her energy and presence of 
 mind. 
 
 She was now no longer the timid or 
 trembling girl, but the resolute and de- 
 termined woman, who was prepared to 
 
22 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 wrestle with Fate for the greatness and 
 splendor of her existence. 
 
 " Do you love me, Kate ? " repeated 
 the king, while a cloud seemed gather- 
 ing on his hrow. 
 
 "I don't know," replied Katharine, 
 with a smile which enchanted the king ; 
 for her charming features betrayed no 
 less graceful coyness than modest and 
 winning reserve. 
 
 " You don't know ? " repeated Henry, 
 with surprise. " Now, hy God's mother, 
 this is the first time in my life that a 
 woman has ventured to tell me as much ! 
 You are a brave woman, Kate, to give 
 me such an answer, and I commend you 
 for it. I like bravery, for it is a thing 
 I so rarely meet with. All of them 
 tremble before me here, Kate all! 
 They know that I don't shrink from 
 blood, and that, secure in the strength of 
 my kingdom, I can sign a death-warrant 
 or a billet-doux with equal composure." 
 
 "Oh, you are a great king!" mur- 
 mured Katharine. 
 
 Henry did not notice this observation. 
 He was plunged in one of those fits of 
 self-contemplation, in the indulgence of 
 which he found so much pleasure, and 
 which generally had for their object his 
 own greatness and glory. 
 
 "Yes," he continued, and his eyes 
 (which, despite his corpulence, and his 
 brawny countenance, remained wide 
 open) became fiercely animated "yes, 
 they all tremble before me, for they 
 know that I am a just and severe king, 
 who does not spare his own blood when 
 the punishment and expiation of crime 
 require it ; and who scourges the offend- 
 
 er with an inexorable hand even if he 
 should be the nearest to his throne. 
 Take care, accordingly, Kate take care. 
 You see in me the avenger of God, and 
 the j udge of men ! Kings wear purple 
 not because it is splendid or becoming, 
 but because it is red, like blood, and be- 
 cause it is the highest prerogative of 
 kings to be free to shed the blood of 
 their rebellious subjects, and thereby 
 expiate the crimes of the human race. 
 It is thus alone that I understand a 
 monarch's duties, and thus alone will I 
 execute them to the end of my days. It 
 is not the right of pardon, but that of 
 punishment, by which the sovereign is 
 distinguished from the base herd of 
 mankind. The th under of heaven should 
 be upon his lips, and the king's wrath 
 should descend like lightning upon the 
 heads of the guilty." 
 
 " But God is not only the angry, but 
 also the merciful and the pardoning," 
 said Katharine, as she leaned her head 
 timidly upon the king's shoulder. 
 
 "That is just the privilege which God 
 enjoys above us kings,"* said Henry ; 
 "that He can exercise mercy, where- 
 as we can only punish and condemn. 
 There must be some point in which God 
 is superior to kings. But how now, 
 Kate ! you tremble, and that sweet 
 smile has left your lips. Don't be afraid 
 of me, Kate. If you are true and faith- 
 ful to me, I shall always love you. And 
 now, Katty, explain to me what yon 
 meant by saying you don't know if you 
 love me." 
 
 "No, your majesty I really don't 
 know. How should I understand or 
 
KING HENRY THE EIGHTH. 
 
 designate a feeling which I have never 
 yet experienced ? " 
 
 "What! Never loved, Kate?" ex- 
 claimed the king, with a look of joyful 
 astonishment. 
 
 " Never, Sire ! My father treated me 
 harshly, and never excited any sen- 
 timents in me but those of anxiety and 
 terror." 
 
 "And your husband, child the man 
 who was my predecessor in your affec- 
 tions. Did you not love your husband, 
 either, Kate ? " 
 
 " My husband ? " she asked, musingly. 
 "It is true my father sold me to Lord 
 Latimer, and when the priest joined our 
 hands together, people said he was my 
 husband. But he knew very well that I 
 didn't love him, and he didn't even de- 
 sire that I should. He gave me his 
 name, as a father gives his name to his 
 daughter, and I was his daughter an 
 obedient and dutiful daughter, who ful- 
 filled fcer duties faithfully, and tended 
 him to his death." 
 
 " And after his death ? "Why, years 
 have passed since that, Kate. Tell me, 
 I entreat you tell me the truth the 
 simple truth have you never loved any 
 one since your husband's death ? " 
 
 The king looked at her with visible 
 anxiety, eager to learn her reply, and 
 Katharine did not shrink from his in- 
 quiring gaze. 
 
 "Sire," she replied, with a charming 
 smile, " until within the last few weeks, 
 I have often lamented my own fate, and 
 I felt as though, in despair at my cheer- 
 less and solitary life, I ought to look into 
 my bosom to see if it contained a heart, 
 
 which, cold and unmoved, had never be- 
 trayed any symptoms of its existence. 
 Oh, sire, I was full of anxiety ; and in my 
 rash folly I even blamed Heaven for 
 having withheld from me the noblest 
 feelings and the happiest privilege of a 
 woman the faculty of loving." 
 
 " You say it was so until within the 
 last few weeks, Kate ? " continued the 
 king, with breathless eagerness. 
 
 " Yes, sire, until the day when first you 
 did me the high honor of addressing me." 
 
 "And since then, Kate, tell me has 
 your heart beat, you dear, amiable little 
 dove?" 
 
 " Oh, yes, sire ; it beats very often in- 
 deed, as if it would burst. When I hear 
 your voice, when I see your face, I feel 
 as if a cold thrill ran through my whole 
 frame, and drove all the blood to my 
 heart. Indeed, my heart tells me of 
 your approach before I have seen you ; 
 for I then feel a peculiar nervous and 
 choking sensation, and by that I know 
 that you are drawing near, and that your 
 presence will relieve me of this painful 
 strain upon my emotions. When you 
 are not beside me I think of you, and 
 when I sleep I dream of you ; and now 
 sire, you, who understand all things, can 
 tell me if you think I love you." 
 
 "Oh, yes, yes. You love me in- 
 deed ! " exclaimed Henry, to whom this 
 sudden and joyous surprise had im- 
 parted a glow of youthful animation. 
 " Yes, Kate, I am sure you love me, and 
 if I may believe your graceful avowal, I 
 am also your first love. Kepeat it once 
 more, Kate! You were nothing more 
 than a daughter to Lord Neville ? " 
 
HENRY VIII. AND HIS COUET. 
 
 "Nothing more, sire!" 
 
 "And after him you had no other 
 lover?" 
 
 "None, sire." 
 
 "Then I am about to see realized a 
 singular miracle. Can it be true that I 
 have not taken a widow, but a youthful 
 maiden, for my queen ? " 
 
 As he now looked at her with a 
 glance of glowing and passionate affec- 
 tion, Katharine modestly cast down her 
 eyes, and a deep blush suffused her 
 beautiful countenance. 
 
 " Oh, what a precious sight is a 
 woman who blushes from modesty and 
 reserve ! " exclaimed the king, while 
 he pressed Katharine violently to his 
 breast ; " what foolish, short-sighted be- 
 ings we all are even we kings! In 
 order not to be obliged perchance to 
 hand over my sixth wife to the scaffold, 
 I chose, in anxious misgiving of the 
 flagrant inconstancy of your sex, a 
 widow for my queen ; and now this 
 widow mocks the new decree of Parlia- 
 ment with a blissful avowal, and realizes 
 for me what she did not promise. Come, 
 Kate, a kiss for all this ! You have to- 
 day opened before me a happy future, 
 and prepared a joyful surprise, which I 
 did not anticipate. I thank thee, Kate, 
 and I swear, by God's mother, that I will 
 never forget thee for this ! " 
 
 And, taking from his finger a costly 
 ring, which he placed upon the finger of 
 Katharine, he continued: "Let this ring 
 be a memento of the present hour, and 
 if ever you should present it to me with 
 a request, I will grant it, Katy ! " 
 
 He kissed her affectionately, and was 
 
 about to draw her more closely to his 
 side, when suddenly there was heard 
 without the roll of drums and the ringing 
 of bells. 
 
 The king started for a moment, and re- 
 laxed his hold of Katharine. He listened. 
 The sound of the drums continued ; and 
 from time to time there arose in the dis- 
 tance the peculiar hoarse murmur which 
 resembles the surging of a troubled sea, 
 and which can only be produced by a 
 vast concourse of people. 
 
 With a fierce oath the king pushed 
 open the glass door leading to the balcony, 
 and stepped forward. 
 
 Katharine looked after him with a half- 
 timid, half-angry glance. "I have not 
 told him at least that I love him," she 
 murmured. "He has interpreted my 
 words as it pleased his vanity. Well 
 and good. I won't die upon the scaf- 
 fold!" 
 
 With a firm step, and with a resolute 
 and energetic bearing, she followed the 
 king to the balcony. 
 
 Still the roll of the drums continued, 
 and the bells rang out from all the towers. 
 
 The night was gloomy and dull, and 
 the dim outlines of the houses rose like 
 so many tombs amidst the murky dark- 
 ness around. 
 
 Suddenly the horizon became illu- 
 minedthe sky was streaked with a dull, 
 reddish glare, which rose higher and 
 higher, until it seemed to inflame the 
 whole firmament with its fiery glow, 
 which was again reflected in purple 
 gleams upon the balcony where the royal 
 couple stood. 
 
 Still the bells continued to peal forth, 
 
KING HENRY THE EIGHTH. 
 
 and at intervals was heard in the dis- 
 tance a wild, piercing yell, mingling with 
 the uproar as of ten thousand voices. 
 
 Suddenly the king turned round to 
 Katharine, and his face, which was lit 
 up by the fiery reflection; as if covered 
 by a blood-red veil, now assumed an ex- 
 pression of demoniac joy. 
 
 "Ah!" he exclaimed, "I now per- 
 ceive what it is. You had quite confused 
 me, you little enchantress, and I had for- 
 gotten for the moment that I was a king, 
 from my wish to be nothing but your 
 lover. But now I am reminded once 
 more of my right of punishing, as a ruler. 
 Those are the fagots of the stake which 
 blaze up so lustily yonder; and that 
 shouting and uproar signifies that my 
 merry subjects are enjoying the comedy 
 which I have caused to be played before 
 them to-day to the honor of God and 
 of my unassailable dignity as king." 
 
 "The stake!" exclaimed Katharine, 
 trembling with horror. "Does your 
 majesty mean that human beings are 
 about to die a fearful and revolting 
 death ; that at the moment when you 
 express yourself a happy and contented 
 king, there are some of your subjects 
 about to be condemned to a horrible 
 martyrdom? Oh, no, your majesty will 
 not obscure your queen's wedding-day 
 by such a gloomy death-cloud. You will 
 not be so cruel as thus to dim my hap- 
 piness." 
 
 The king laughed. "No, I will not 
 dim it, but on the contrary I will light 
 it up with a good blaze," he replied ; and 
 pointing to the glowing sky, he contin- 
 ued : " Those are our wedding-torches, 
 
 Kate, and they are the best and brightest 
 I could think of, for they burn in honor 
 of God and of the king. And yonder 
 flame, which shoots up to the skies and 
 bears away the souls of the heretics, will 
 give the Almighty joyful tidings of His 
 most faithful and devoted son, who, even 
 on the day of his happiness, does not 
 forget his kingly duties, but always con- 
 tinues to be the scourging and scathing 
 servant of the God of hosts." 
 
 At this moment his look was terrible 
 His face, which glowed with the fiery 
 glare, wore a threatening and ferocious 
 expression; his eyes shot forth flam 
 and a cold, cruel smile played round h 
 thin, compressed lips. 
 
 " Oh, he knows no pity," murmured 
 Katharine to herself, while she stared 
 with a shudder of astonishment at the 
 king, who was looking with fanatical 
 fervor toward the flames, into which, 
 perhaps at that moment, a wretched 
 creature was being flung at his com- 
 mand. " No, he knows no pity, and no 
 mercy ! " 
 
 Henry now turned round to her, and 
 laying his hand gently on her shoulder, 
 he spanned her slender neck with his 
 fingers, whispering at the same time 
 tender words and promises in her ear. 
 
 Katharine trembled. These caresses of 
 the king, however harmless they might 
 be, had in them something dismal and 
 repulsive. It was the involuntary and 
 instinctive touch of the executioner, 
 who examines the neck of his victim, to 
 fix upon the spot where he shall strike. 
 
 Thus had Anne Bullen, the king's 
 second wife, once put her delicate tin- 
 
HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 gers round her own fair neck, and said 
 to the headsman, brought from Calais 
 for the occasion, u I pray you strike a 
 sure blow. You see I have but a very 
 slender neck." 
 
 Thus had Henry clutched the neck of 
 Katharine Howard, his fifth wife, when 
 satisfied of her infidelity, and when 
 clinging to him entreatingly, he flung 
 her from him with wild imprecations. 
 The marks of his talons were still visible 
 on her neck when she laid it upon the 
 block. 
 
 And now Katharine Parr must regard 
 this ominous act as a caress, at which 
 * she is obliged to smile, and which she 
 must needs receive with all the appear- 
 ance of joy. 
 
 While thus spanning her neck, he bent 
 his face close to her cheek, and whis- 
 pered words of affection in her ear. 
 
 But Katharine paid no heed to his 
 ardent whisperings. She saw nothing 
 but the blood-red, fiery decree in the 
 skies. She heard nothing but the dole- 
 ful cries of the unhappy victims. 
 
 " Pardon ! pardon ! " she stammered. 
 " Oh. let this day be a day of rejoicing 
 for all your subjects. Be merciful, and 
 if I am to believe that you really love 
 me, grant me the first request which I 
 shall ask you. Grant me the lives of 
 these unhappy victims. Mercy, sire, 
 mercy ! " 
 
 And as if the prayer of the .queen had 
 found an echo, there was suddenly 
 heard from the adjoining room, a woe- 
 stricken and despairing cry of, " Pardon, 
 sire, pardon ! " 
 
 The king turned round angrily, and 
 
 his brow assumed a severe and lower- 
 ing expression. He looked inquiringly 
 at Katharine, as though he would dis- 
 cover, from her features, if she knew 
 who dared to disturb their conversation. 
 But Katharine's 1 face betrayed undis- 
 sembled surprise. " Pardon, pardon ! " 
 repeated the voice from the adjoining 
 apartment. 
 
 The king uttered an exclamation of 
 anger, and retired hastily from the bal- 
 cony. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 ZING BY THE WEATH OF GOD. 
 
 " WHO dares to disturb us ? " ex- 
 claimed the king, returning with im- 
 petuous steps to the room. "Who 
 dares to speak of mercy ? " 
 
 " I dare it, sire ! " said a young lady, 
 who, with pale and haggard features, 
 now advanced in a state of fearful agita- 
 tion toward the king, and flung herself 
 at his feet. 
 
 " Maria Askew ! " exclaimed Katha- 
 rine, with astonishment. " What brings 
 you here, Maria ? " 
 
 "I want pardon pardon for those 
 unhappy beings who are suffering yon- 
 der! " cried the young maiden, with a 
 terror-stricken look, while she pointed 
 toward the lurid conflagration without. 
 " I want mercy for the king himself, 
 who so cruelly sends the noblest and the 
 best of his subjects, like so many sheep, 
 to the slaughter." 
 
KING BY THE WRATH OF GOD. 
 
 " Oh, sire, have pity on this poor 
 child ! " exclaimed Katharine, turning 
 toward the king "pity for her en- 
 thusiasm and youthful ardor. She is 
 unaccustomed to these terrible scenes; 
 she does not yet know that it is the sad 
 duty of the king to be obliged to punish, 
 where she would probably have mercy." 
 
 Henry smiled, but the look which he 
 cast at the young kneeling maiden 
 made Katharine tremble for this look 
 revealed a death-warrant. 
 
 "Maria Askew, if I mistake not, is 
 your second maid of honor ? " asked the 
 king, " and it was at your express wish 
 that she took this position ? " 
 
 " Yes, sire." 
 
 " You knew her, therefore ? " 
 
 "No. sire. I saw her a few days 
 since for the first time. But her ap- 
 pearance and manner quite won my 
 good opinion, and I feel that I shall love 
 her as a friend ; be therefore indulgent, 
 sire." 
 
 But the king still continued in moody 
 thought, and Katharine's answer by no 
 means satisfied him. 
 
 " Then why did you interest yourself 
 for this young lady if you did not know 
 her?" 
 
 "She had been so strongly recom- 
 mended to me." 
 
 "Who did so?" 
 
 Katharine hesitated for a moment; 
 she felt that in her zeal she had perhaps 
 gone too far, and that, probably, it was 
 incautious on her part to have told him 
 the whole truth. But the king's firm 
 and penetrating glance rested upon her, 
 and she remembered that he had, only 
 
 this evening, strictly and solemnly en- 
 joined her always to tell him the truth. 
 Besides, it was on secret at court who 
 the protector of this young maiden was, 
 and who had been the means of her re- 
 ceiving the place of one of the queen's 
 maids of honor a position which so 
 many noble families had sought in vain 
 to procure for then* own daughters. 
 
 "Who recommended this lady to 
 you?" repeated the king, while his 
 growing ire already began to flush his 
 face and make his voice tremble. 
 
 " It was Archbishop Cranmer that did 
 so, sire," replied Katharine, raising her 
 eyes toward the king with a most cap- 
 tivating smile. 
 
 At this moment was heard, from with- 
 out, the roll of drums, which, however, 
 was drowned by fearful shrieks of agony 
 and cries of anguish. The flames now 
 rose higher and higher, and in their 
 fierce and murderous fury illuminated the 
 skies all around. 
 
 Maria Askew, who during the collo- 
 quy of the royal pair, had stood aloof in 
 respectful silence, now felt herself over- 
 powered by this fearful sight, and de- 
 prived of her remaining presence of 
 mind. 
 
 " Merciful God ! " she exclaimed, trem- 
 bling as if with an inward shudder, 
 while her hands were extended beseech- 
 ingly toward the king, "Do you not 
 hear the cries of those unhappy victims ? 
 I conjure you, sire, as you shall remem- 
 ber the hour of your death, and the day 
 of judgment, to have mercy upon those 
 wretched beings. As least do not suffer 
 them to be flung alive into the flames. 
 
28 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 Oh, spare them, sire, from this fearful 
 martyrdom ! " 
 
 Henry cast an angry glance at the 
 prostrate girl, and strode past her, 
 toward the door comnmnicating with the 
 anteroom, where the King's attendants 
 awaited his commands. 
 
 He beckoned to the two bishops, 
 Cranmer and Gardiner, to approach, and 
 commanded the servants to throw the 
 doors of the apartment wide open. 
 
 The scene now presented a strange 
 and animated spectacle ; and the queen's 
 chamber, previously so still, became of 
 a sudden the theatre of a great drama, 
 which would probably end in blood. 
 The principal personages of this drama 
 were now assembled in the small but 
 , luxuriously decorated sleeping-apartment 
 of the queen. 
 
 The king stood in the centre of the 
 room, attired in his gold-embroidered 
 robes, and covered with precious stones, 
 which blazed resplendent with the light 
 from the chandelier. Beside him was 
 the young queen, whose beautiful and 
 amiable countenance was turned toward 
 the king with a look of the deepest anx- 
 iety, and who strove to read in the stern 
 and glowering features of her royal hus- 
 band the issue of this scene. 
 
 At a short distance from the queen 
 still knelt the youthful Maria Askew, 
 with her face bathed in tears, which she 
 concealed with her hands; whilst in 
 the background were the bishops, who 
 contemplated the spectacle before them 
 with grave and unmoved composure. 
 Through the open doors of the adjoining 
 apartment were seen the eagerly-strained 
 
 features of a host of courtiers crowded 
 together at the door-way, whilst on the 
 opposite side, through the open window 
 of the balcony, might be seen the glow- 
 ing skies while the sound of bells and 
 drums, mingling with the yells of the 
 populace and the shrieks of woe and de- 
 spair, resounded along the air. 
 
 A deep silence ensued, and when the 
 king spoke, the tones of his voice were 
 so harsh and chilling, that an involun- 
 tary shudder ran through all those 
 around him. 
 
 "My lords of Canterbury and Win- 
 chester," said the king, " we have sum- 
 moned you, in order that by the force 
 of your prayers, and the wisdom of 
 your speech, ye may rescue this young 
 maiden from the devil, who, without 
 doubt, has power over her, for she dares 
 to accuse her king of cruelty and injus- 
 tice." 
 
 The bishops approached the prostrate 
 girl; they each of them stooped down 
 and laid their hands upon her shoulder 
 but each with a very different expres- 
 sion of countenance. 
 
 That of Cranmer was mild, but reso- 
 lute, and a compassionate and encourag- 
 ing smile played around his lips. 
 
 Gardiner's features, on the contrary, 
 betrayed an expression of cruel and 
 cold-blooded irony, and the smile which 
 sat upon his large, gaping mouth, was 
 that of the exultant and pitiless priest, 
 who is ready to present a victim to his 
 deities. 
 
 Cl Courage, daughter courage and dis- 
 cretion ! " whispered Cramner. 
 
 " The God who blesses the righteous, 
 
KING BY THE WRATH OF GOD. 
 
 and who punishes and crushes the 
 wicked, be with thee, and with us all ! " 
 said Gardiner. 
 
 But Maria Askew shrank back from 
 his touch, and pushed his hand violent- 
 ly from her shoulder. 
 
 " Touch me not ! You are the execu- 
 tioner of those poor creatures yonder ! " 
 she exclaimed, with scornful accents; 
 and turning once more to the king, she 
 besought him, with outstretched hands, 
 to have mercy upon the suffering vic- 
 tims. 
 
 " Mercy ? " repeated the king. " Mer- 
 cy? And for whom? Who are those 
 that are yonder undergoing the penalty 
 of their own crimes? Pray, my lord 
 bishop, who are the persons who have 
 this day been sent to the stake ? What 
 are those malefactors ? " 
 
 "They are heretics, who hold the 
 views lately brought over from Ger- 
 many, and who have the hardihood to 
 deny the supremacy of our lord the 
 king," said Gardiner. 
 
 " They are Catholics, who regard the 
 Pope of Rome as the head of the Chris- 
 tian Church, and who recognize none 
 other but him," said Cranmer. 
 
 " You see, my lords ! " exclaimed the 
 king, " this girl accuses us of injustice, 
 and yet ye say it is not heretics only 
 who are expiating their crimes yonder, 
 but also Catholics. It appears to me, 
 therefore, that we have acted with our 
 usual justice and impartiality by haiid- 
 ing over the malefactors on both sides 
 to the hands of the executioner." 
 
 " Oh, had you seen what I have seen," 
 cried Maria Askew, with a shudder, 
 
 " you would strain your whole energy 
 to pronounce the single word, Mercy. 
 And this word you would make heard 
 from this spot to that terrible place of 
 agony and horror." 
 
 " What, then, did you see ? " said the 
 king, with a grim smile. 
 
 Meanwhile, Maria Askew had stood 
 erect, and her tall and slender figure 
 presented a striking contrast to the dark 
 forms of the bishops on either side. Her 
 eyes were wide open and fixed, and her 
 noble and gentle features wore an ex- 
 pression of horror and dismay. 
 
 "I saw a woman being led to the 
 scaffold," she said, "not a malefac- 
 tress, but a noble lady, into whose lofty 
 and dignified mind a thought of treason 
 or crime had never entered, but who, 
 true to her faith and her convictions, 
 will not forswear the God whom she 
 serves. As she walked through the 
 crowd, it seemed as if a glory shone 
 around her head, and her white hair 
 glistened like silver. All the people 
 bowed before her, and even the most 
 hardened men wept at the fate of this 
 unhappy woman, who had outlived 
 seventy years, and who was not suffered 
 at length to die upon her bed, but was 
 offered as a victim to the honor of God, 
 and of the king. But she only smiled, 
 and gently greeted the weeping and sob- 
 bing multitude. She mounted the scaf- 
 fold, as if she were going to ascend a 
 throne, to receive the homage of her 
 subjects. Two years' confinement in a 
 dungeon had made her cheeks pale, but 
 it had not succeeded in dimming the firo 
 of her eyes, or destroying the strength 
 
30 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 of her spirit; seventy years had not 
 bowed her neck, or broken her courage. 
 She mounted the scaffold with a firm 
 step, and greeting the people once more, 
 said she would pray to God for them in 
 a better world. But when the execu- 
 tioner approached her, and sought to 
 bind her hands, and make her kneel 
 down in order to lay her head upon the 
 block, she would not suffer it, and angri- 
 ly pushed him aside. * It is only traitors 
 and criminals that lay their heads upon 
 the block ! 1 she exclaimed, with a loud 
 voice. ' It is not for me to do so, and 
 as long as I have breath in my body I 
 will not submit myself to your blood- 
 thirsty laws. Take my life, therefore, if 
 you can.' And now began a scene 
 which filled the heart of every spectator 
 with horror and consternation. The 
 countess ran about the scaffold like a 
 poor hunted deer worried by the 
 hounds ; her white hair fluttered in the 
 wind, and her dark robes of death swept 
 around her figure like a murky cloud ; 
 while the headsman in his blood-red 
 garments pursued her with uplifted axe 
 endeavoring to aim his deadly blow 
 which she sought to evade. But at 
 length "her resistance grew feebler. The 
 strokes of the axe had reached her body, 
 until she became bathed in her own 
 blood, and grew faint from exhaustion. 
 With a heart-rending shriek she 
 swooned away. But by her side, like- 
 wise overcome, sank the headsman cov- 
 ered with perspiration. The terrible 
 chase had lamed his arm and exhausted 
 Lis strength. Panting and breathless, 
 he was now unable to drag this poor 
 
 bleeding and insensible woman to the 
 block, or to lift the axe to cut off her 
 venerable head. The crowd yelled with 
 horror and disgust, while some wept 
 and prayed aloud for mercy, and the 
 high- sheriff himself could scarcely re- 
 frain from tears. He ordered that the 
 fearful work should be delayed until the 
 countess and the executioner had recov- 
 ered themselves ; for it was not a dying, 
 but a living woman, that was to suffer 
 according to the sentence of the law. 
 The countess lay at full length upon the 
 scaffold, while cordials were applied to 
 restore her. The headsman swallowed 
 large draughts of brandy, in order to 
 revive his strength for the work of death, 
 while the crowd turned round to the 
 stakes, which were piled up on either 
 side of the scaffold, and at which four 
 other victims were about to be burned. 
 But I fled hither to implore your ma- 
 jesty for mercy. And now, sire, behold 
 me at your feet. There is still time. 
 Mercy, sire. Mercy for the Countess 
 of Salisbury, the last of the Planta- 
 genets ! " 
 
 " Mercy, sire, mercy ! " repeated 
 Katharine Parr, as weeping and trem- 
 bling she clung to her husband's side. 
 
 " Mercy ! " repeated Archbishop Oran- 
 mer, while the prayer was timidly and- 
 cautiously murmured by a few of the 
 courtiers. 
 
 The king's large and flashing eyes 
 glared with a hasty and penetrating 
 look at the entire assemblage. 
 
 "Well, and you, my Lord Bishop 
 Gardiner," said he, in a cold, ironical 
 tone, u will you not beg for mercy, too 
 
KING BY THE WRATH OF 
 
 like all these faint-hearted petition- 
 ers?" 
 
 "The Almighty is a God of ven- 
 geance," said Gardiner, solemnly, " and 
 it is written 4 that they who have 
 sinned, them will God punish, even to 
 the third and fourth generations.' " 
 
 " And what is written shall be veri- 
 fied ! " exclaimed the king, with a voice 
 of thunder. "ISTo pardon for the evil- 
 doer no mercy for the guilty. The 
 axe shall fall upon the neck's of trai- 
 tors, and the flames shall consume the 
 bodies of heretics and malefactors! " 
 
 "Bethink you, sire, of your exalted 
 destiny," exclaimed Maria Askew, with 
 fervent enthusiasm. " Consider what a 
 lofty title you have given yourself in 
 your kingdom. You proclaim yourself 
 as the head of the Church, and in that 
 character you desire to rule and govern 
 upon earth. Be gracious, then, sire, 
 as you call yourself king, by the grace 
 of God." 
 
 " No. I do not call myself king, by 
 the grace of God. I call myself king, by 
 the wrath of God ! " exclaimed Henry, 
 raising his arm in a threatening attitude. 
 "My office is to dispatch sinners to God, 
 and let Him have mercy upon them 
 above, if He will. I am the punishing 
 judge, and I judge inexorably and with- 
 out mercy. Let the condemned appeal 
 to God, and may He pardon them! I 
 cannot do so, nor will I. Kings rule 
 but to chastise, and it is not in pity or 
 in love, but in vengeful wrath, that they 
 resemble God." 
 
 "Then woe, woe to you and to us 
 all ! " exclaimed Maria Askew. " Woe 
 
 31 
 
 to yourself, King'Henry, if what you say 
 be true ! For then are those men bound 
 to the stake yonder, right in denouncing 
 you as a tyrant then is the Bishop of 
 Rome right in pronouncing you a dis- 
 loyal and degenerate son, and in hurling 
 his anathemas against you. Then you 
 know not God, who is mercy and love 
 then are you no disciple of the Re- 
 deemer, who says : * Love your enemies, 
 bless them that curse you.' Woe to you 
 I say, King Henry, if this be your un- 
 happy state of mind, if " 
 
 " Silence, unhappy girl ! " cried Kath- 
 arine Parr, and, drawing the young 
 maiden violently away, she took the 
 king's hand and pressed it to her lips. 
 
 "Sire," she murmured, with earnest 
 fervor, " you told me just now that you 
 loved me. Prove to me that you do so 
 by pardoning this poor young girl, and 
 exercising forbearance toward her fren- 
 zied excitement. Prove it to me, and 
 allow me at the same time to lead Maria 
 Askew to her room and command her 
 to be silent." 
 
 But the king was at this moment 
 wholly inaccessible to any other feel- 
 ings than those of anger and blood- 
 thirsty exultation. 
 
 He repulsed Katharine with apparent 
 ill-humor, and with his penetrating 
 glance still fixed upon the young girl, he 
 said with a hasty but leaden tdhe, " Let 
 her alone! She shall speak herself. 
 Let no one dare to interrupt her." 
 
 Katharine, trembling with anxiety, and 
 her feelings wounded by the harsh man- 
 ner of the king, retired with a deep sigh 
 to one of the recesses near the window. 
 
32 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT 
 
 Maria Askew had, meanwhile, been 
 wholly unobservant of what was passing 
 around her. She was in that state of 
 passionate enthusiasm which excludes 
 reflection and shrinks from no danger. 
 At this moment she could have walked 
 to the stake with joyful exultation, and 
 she almost longed for this holy martyr- 
 dom. 
 
 " Speak, Maria Askew, speak ! " said 
 the king. "Tell me if you know what 
 the countess has done, for whom you 
 beg for mercy if you know why those 
 four men have been sent to the stake? " 
 
 " Yes. I know what it is, King Henry, 
 by the wrath of God," said the young 
 maiden, with impassioned earnestness, 
 "I know well why you have condemned 
 the noble countess to the scaffold, and 
 why you will show her no mercy. She 
 is of noble and royal blood, and Cardinal 
 Pole is her son. You wish to punish the 
 son through the mother, and as you can- 
 not butcher the cardinal, you murder 
 his noble mother." 
 
 "Oh, you are a very learned young 
 lady," cried the king, with a sneering 
 and ironical laugh. " You seem to know 
 my most secret thoughts and purposes. 
 Doubtless then you are a good Catholic 
 since the death of the Catholic countess 
 gives you such unspeakable grief. In 
 that case, you must at least acknowledge 
 that the Bother four heretics have been 
 justly committed to the flames." 
 
 " Heretics ! " said Maria, with anima- 
 tion. " Do you call those devoted men 
 heretics who for their conscience and 
 their faith have confronted an ignomin- 
 ious death? Oh, King Henry, woe to 
 
 you if you condemn such men as here- 
 tics ! They alone are the true believers 
 the real servants of God. They have 
 emancipated themselves from human 
 power, and as they have disowned the 
 pope on the one hand, so on the other 
 they will not recognize you as the head 
 of the Church. God alone, they main- 
 tain, is the Head of His Church, and the 
 master of their conscience, and who can, 
 therefore, presume to call them male- 
 factors ? " 
 
 " I ! " exclaimed Henry, with a voice 
 of thunder, u I presume to do so. I say 
 that they are heretics, that I will root 
 them out, and will trample under foot 
 all those who think as they do. I say 
 that I will pour out the blood of those 
 criminals, and will prepare punishments 
 for them, which shall make humanity 
 shudder and tremble. God will reveal 
 Himself through me in fire and blood. 
 He has put the sword of vengeance into 
 my hand, and I shall wield it to Hia 
 honor, and, like St. George, I will crush 
 the dragon of heresy under my feet !" 
 
 And lifting up his inflamed and 
 haughty countenance, and rolling his 
 fierce and bloodshot eyes, he continued : 
 " Hear it all ye who are here present 
 no mercy for heretics, no pardon for 
 Catholics! I am he alone whom our 
 Lord God has chosen and consecrated as 
 His sovereign executioner. I am the 
 high-priest of the Church, and who 
 denies me denies God. Whoever has the 
 temerity to bow to any other head of 
 the Church, is a worshipper of Baal, and 
 kneels to an idol. Kneel ye all down, 
 therefore, and do homage in my person 
 
KING BY THE WRATH OF GOD. 
 
 33 
 
 to that God whose vicar on earth I am, 
 and who reveals Himself through me, in 
 His supreme and terrible majesty. 
 Kneel down, I say, for I am the sole 
 head of the Church, and the high-priest 
 of the Most High ! " 
 
 And suddenly, as if touched by an 
 electric shock, all those proud nobles 
 all those ladies sparkling with diamonds, 
 and even the two bishops and the queen, 
 fell upon their knees on the floor. 
 
 The king feasted his eyes for a mo- 
 ment upon this spectacle of abasement, 
 and with beaming looks, and with a tri- 
 umphant smile, he glanced around at 
 this assembly of the noblest of the land, 
 thus humbled in his presence. 
 
 Suddenly his eye rested upon Maria 
 Askew. She alone had not bent her knee, 
 but stood proudly erect, like the king 
 himself, in the midst of the prostrate 
 courtiers. 
 
 A dark cloud gathered on the king's 
 brow. 
 
 " You do not obey my command ? " 
 he asked. 
 
 She shook her head, and looked at him 
 with a firm and penetrating glance. 
 "No," she replied, "like those victims 
 yonder, whose last death-shriek has 
 reached us like them, I say to God 
 alone belongs honor and worship He 
 alone is the head of His Church. If 
 you ask me to kneel before you as my 
 king I will do so, but I will not bow 
 before you as the head of the Holy 
 Church." 
 
 A murmur of amazement ran through 
 the assembly, and every eye was turned 
 with consternation and astonishment 
 
 toward the daring young damsel, who 
 with a wrapt and beaming countenance 
 stood confronting the king. 
 
 At a signal from Henry, the kneeling 
 courtiers arose, and in breathless silence 
 awaited the terrible scene that was ap- 
 proaching. 
 
 A pause ensued. The king himself 
 was panting for breath, and required a 
 moment to revive himself and collect his 
 faculties. 
 
 Not, indeed, that anger and passion 
 had deprived him of speech. He was 
 neither angry nor passionate, and it was 
 only a sentiment of inward exultation 
 that obstructed his breathing; exulta- 
 tion at having found another victim 
 with which he could allay his thirst for 
 blood over whose torments he could 
 gloat, and whose death-sighs he could 
 greedily inhale. 
 
 The king never looked more serene 
 or cheerful than when he had signed a 
 death-warrant. For then he felt him- 
 self in the full enjoyment of sovereign 
 power as the arbiter of life and death 
 over millions of his fellow-beings, and 
 this feeling afforded him a grateful and 
 lofty consciousness of his own dignity. 
 
 Accordingly, when he" now turned to 
 Maria Askew his countenance was calm 
 and serene, and his voice cordial almost 
 affectionate ; 
 
 "Maria Askew," he said, "do you 
 know that the words you have just 
 uttered make you guilty of high-trea- 
 son?" 
 
 " I know it, sire." 
 
 " And you know the punishment that 
 awaits traitors ? " 
 
34: 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 " Death I am aware." 
 
 " Death by fire ! " said the king, with 
 quiet composure. 
 
 A subdued murmur spread through 
 the assembly. Only one voice ventured 
 to utter the word mercy. 
 
 It was Katharine the king's wife, 
 who pronounced this single word. She 
 stepped forward. She wished to hasten 
 to the king, and once more implore 
 him for mercy and pardon. But she 
 felt herself gently held back. Arch- 
 bishop Cranmer stood beside her, and 
 looked at her with an expression of ear- 
 nest entreaty. 
 
 "Calmness and discretion," he mur- 
 mured. " You will not be able to save 
 her she is lost. Think of yourself, and 
 of the pure and holy religion whose pro- 
 tectress you are. Preserve yourself to 
 the Church and for the sake of your fel- 
 low-believers." 
 
 "And must she die?" asked Katha- 
 rine, her eyes filled with tears, as she 
 looked across toward this poor, tender 
 girl, who with a smile of resignation 
 stood before the king. 
 
 "We may yet, perhaps, be able to 
 save her, but now is not the time. Any 
 opposition would only tend to aggravate 
 the king, and might, perhaps, impel him 
 to throw the unhappy damsel into the 
 flames forthwith. Let us therefore be 
 silent," 
 
 "Yes, we must be silent," mur- 
 mured Katharine, with a shudder, as 
 she withdrew once more to the recess 
 near the window. 
 
 "The stake awaits you, Maria As- 
 kew," repeated the king. "No mercy 
 
 for the traitress who dares to calumni- 
 ate and contemn her king 1 " 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 THE EIVAL8. 
 
 AT the moment that the king, with a 
 voice of triumph, had pronounced the 
 doom of Maria Askew, one of the king's 
 gentlemen appeared at the door of the 
 royal apartment and approached Henry. 
 
 This was a young man of noble and 
 imposing mien, whose proud bearing 
 contrasted strongly with the submissive 
 and shrinking attitude of the other 
 courtiers. His tall and slender figure 
 was encased in a gold-embroidered coat- 
 of-mail ; from his shoulders hung a vel- 
 vet mantle, bearing a prince's coronet 
 while his head, adorned with dark, 
 flowing locks, was surmounted by a 
 close-fitting gold-lace cap, from which 
 a long white plume descended to his 
 shoulders. His fine profile marked at 
 once the type of aristocratic beauty ; 
 his cheeks were of a pure, transparent 
 paleness ; and around his slightly-parted 
 lips played a smile, half listless and half 
 supercilious. The high-arched brow, 
 and the finely-chiselled aquiline nose, 
 gave to his countenance an expression 
 at once daring and thoughtful. The 
 eyes alone did not correspond with the 
 other features ; they were neither list- 
 less like the mouth, nor thoughtful like 
 the brow. All the fire all the un- 
 curbed and haughty passion of youth, 
 
THE RIVALS. 
 
 shone forth from those dark, lustrous 
 orbs. Had those eyes been closed, one 
 might have Jaken him for a filase aristo- 
 crat, who despised the world at large ; 
 but when his keen and ever-ardent 
 glance was revealed, it bespoke at once 
 the young man, full of daring courage 
 and ambitious thoughts full of passion- 
 ate enthusiasm and unbounded pride. 
 
 He approached the king, as above 
 stated, and bending on one knee before 
 him, said, with a full and well-toned 
 voice, " Pardon, sire, pardon ! " 
 
 The king retreated a few steps in as- 
 tonishment, and looked with amazement 
 at the daring speaker. 
 
 " Thomas Seymour 1 " he said 
 " Thomas, thou art, then, come back, and 
 thy first act is again one of indiscretion 
 and foolhardy enterprise." 
 
 The young man smiled. 
 
 " Yes, I am come back," he replied. 
 " That is, I have had a good sea-fight 
 with the Scots, and have taken from 
 them four ships-of-war. With these I 
 hastened hither in order to offer them 
 as a wedding-present to iny lord the 
 king; and just as I entered the ante- 
 room I heard your voice, which was 
 pronouncing a sentence of death. And 
 was it not natural that I, who brought 
 your majesty news of a victory, should 
 have the courage to utter a petition for 
 mercy, for which, as it would seem, 
 none of the noble gentlemen present 
 could summon resolution." 
 
 " Ah ! " said the king, breathing with 
 greater freedom, " then you didn't even 
 know for whom, or for what, you were 
 suing for mercy ? " 
 
 "Pardon me, sire," said the young 
 man, while his glance was directed with 
 an expression of contempt at the whole 
 assembly. " Pardon me. I saw at 
 once who the condemned person must 
 be, for I saw this young maiden stand- 
 ing alone and abandoned by all, as if 
 plague-stricken, in the midst of this 
 brave and noble company ; and you are 
 aware, sire, that it is by this sign we 
 recognize those who are condemned, or 
 who have fallen into disgrace at court 
 that everybody shuns them. No one 
 has the courage to touch such lepers 
 even with the ends of his fingers." 
 
 The king smiled. 
 
 " Thomas Seymour, Lord Sudley, you 
 are now, as ever, thoughtless and hasty. 
 You sue for mercy without even inquir- 
 ing if the object of your suit be worthy 
 of pardon or not." 
 
 " But I see she is a woman," said the 
 undaunted young man. "A woman is 
 always worthy of pardon, and it be- 
 comes every true knight to protect her, 
 if it were only for the sake of offering 
 his homage to a sex so beautiful and so 
 helpless, and withal so noble and all- 
 subduing. Let me therefore entreat 
 your majesty for pardon for this young 
 creature." 
 
 Katharine had listened to the young 
 Sudley with a beating heart and with 
 glowing cheeks. It was the first time 
 she had seen him, and yet she already 
 felt toward him a lively interest and an 
 almost affectionate solicitude. 
 
 "He will ruin himself," she mur- 
 mured, " he will not save Maria Askew, 
 >ut will only bring mischief upon him- 
 
HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 self. O God, take pity upon my sad 
 and suffering heart ! " 
 
 She now fixed her anxious looks upon 
 the king, firmly resolved to exercise her 
 influence in favor of the earl who had 
 so nobly come to the rescue of an inno- 
 cent woman in case he too should be 
 threatened by the anger of her husband. 
 But to her surprise, Henry's features 
 were perfectly calm and serene. 
 
 Like the wild bird of prey, which, fol- 
 lowing its instinct, seeks for its bloody 
 spoil only so long as it is hungry; like 
 this bird Henry felt his appetite ap- 
 peased for one day. Yonder still blazed 
 the fires in which four heretics had just 
 been burnt, and beside it stood the scaf- 
 fold on which the Countess of Salisbury 
 had just been butchered; and now at 
 the present moment he had already found 
 another victim. Besides, Thomas Sey- 
 mour had always been his favorite. 
 His temerity, his cheerfulness, and his 
 energy, had always imposed upon the 
 king, and, moreover, he strongly resem- 
 bled his sister, the beautiful Jane Sey- 
 mour, Henry's third wife. 
 
 " I cannot grant you this request," said 
 the king. " Justice must not be checked 
 in its course, and when justice has con- 
 demned, mercy must not belie the decree. 
 Besides, it was the judgment of your 
 king which pronounced the sentence. 
 You have therefore done wrong in a 
 double sense ; for not only did you pray 
 for mercy, but you even accuse the noble 
 gentlemen here present. If the case of 
 this girl were a just one, think you she 
 would not have found a knight to take 
 her part?" 
 
 "Yes, that I verily believe," said the 
 young earl, with a laugh. " The sun of 
 your favor has already turned aside from 
 this poor maiden, and therefore the 
 cavaliers of your court no longer see the 
 form that is shrouded in darkness." 
 
 " You are in error, my lord I have 
 seen her," suddenly exclaimed a voice, 
 and a second cavalier advanced from the 
 antechamber into the royal apartment. 
 He approached the king, and bending on 
 his knee before him, said in a low, but 
 firm tone : 
 
 " I too, sire, beg for mercy for Maria 
 Askew." 
 
 At this moment was heard a faint 
 scream from the side on which the 
 ladies stood, and the pale and terrified 
 countenance of Lady Jane Douglas was 
 raised for an instant above the heads of 
 the other ladies around her. 
 
 But this exclamation passed unob- 
 served. All eyes were directed toward 
 the group in the centre of the room 
 all looked with strained eagerness at the 
 king, and at the two young men who 
 dared to intercede for one whom the 
 king had condemned. 
 
 " Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey ! " 
 exclaimed the king, and now an expres- 
 sion of anger was depicted in his counte- 
 nance. " How is this do you, too, 
 venture to intercede for this girl will 
 you not allow Thomas Seymour to be 
 the most indiscreet and rash man at my 
 court?" y, 
 
 "I will not allow him, sire, to think 
 that he is the most courageous," replied 
 the young nobleman, darting at Seymour 
 a look of haughty defiance, which the 
 
THE RIVALS. 
 
 37 
 
 latter returned with a smile of cold con- 
 tempt 
 
 4 '0h," said he with a sneer, "I allow 
 you freely, my dear Lord Surrey, to fol- 
 low my footsteps, on the path which I 
 have already explored at the risk of my 
 life. You saw that I did not lose my 
 head in this rash enterprise and this 
 has doubtless emboldened you. How- 
 ever, it affords a new proof of your dis- 
 creet bravery, my worthy Lord Surrey, 
 and yon deserve my praise on that ac- 
 count" 
 
 The blood of the noble earl mounted 
 to his cheek ; his eyes darted fire, and, 
 trembling with rage, he laid his hand 
 upon his sword. 
 
 " Praise from Thomas Seymour 
 
 is" 
 
 " Peace ! " cried the king in a tone of 
 authority. " It shall not be said that 
 two of the noblest cavaliers of my court 
 convert a day, which for you all should 
 be one of rejoicing, into a day of discord. 
 I therefore command you both to be rec- 
 onciled with each other. Pledge your 
 hands, my lords, and let your reconcilia- 
 tion be sincere. I, the king, command 
 you." 
 
 The young courtiers exchanged looks 
 of hatred and suppressed passion, and 
 their eyes gave expression to the words 
 of scorn and defiance which their lips 
 dared not utter. 
 
 The king had commanded and how- 
 ever great and powerful cavaliers they 
 might be, the king must be obeyed. 
 
 They each, therefore, held out their 
 hands, and muttered a few words of 
 little meaning, which were perhaps in- 
 
 tended as an apology, but which they 
 did not so understand. 
 
 "And now, sire," said the Earl of Sur- 
 rey, "I venture to repeat my request. 
 Pardon, sire, pardon for Maria Askew ! " 
 
 " "Well, Thomas Seymour, and do you 
 too renew your entreaties? " 
 
 u No : I give way. The Earl of Sur- 
 rey protects her. I retire, for beyond 
 doubt she is guilty ; your majesty says 
 it, and therefore it must be so. It would 
 ill become a Seymour to defend a person 
 who had offended against her sover- 
 eign." 
 
 This new and indirect attack upon 
 the Earl of Surrey appeared to make a 
 deep but varied impression upon those 
 present. The faces of some were s.een to 
 grow pale, while those of others were lit 
 up by a malicious smile. On the one side, 
 words of menace were murmured ; and 
 on the other, expressions of concurrent 
 approbation were uttered half aloud. 
 
 The king's brow became gloomy. 
 The arrow which had been shot by the 
 skilful hand of Lord Sudleyhad reached 
 the mark. The king, ever suspicious 
 and distrustful, felt his mind so much the 
 more disturbed, at seeing that the great- 
 er part of his courtiers adhered openly 
 to the side of Howard, and that Sey- 
 mour's friends were much fewer. 
 
 14 The Howards are dangerous, and I 
 shall watch them," said the king to him- 
 self; and for the first time his eye 
 rested, with a sinister and hostile ex- 
 pression, upon the noble countenance oi 
 Henry Howard. 
 
 But Thomas Seymour, who only 
 wished to aim a blow against his old 
 
38 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 enemy of long standing, had at the same 
 time decided the fate of Maria Askew. 
 
 It was now almost impossible to speak 
 in her behalf and to speak of mercy 
 would be to share in her guilt. 
 
 Thomas Seymour had done with her, 
 for she had made herself unworthy of 
 his protection, as a traitress to her sov- 
 ereign. 
 
 Who would now have the hardihood 
 to intercede for her ? 
 
 Henry Howard was the man. He re- 
 peated his prayer for mercy, for Maria 
 Askew. But the king's brow became 
 darker and more sullen, and the cour- 
 tiers saw, with terror, the moment ap- 
 proaching when his rage would crush 
 the poor Earl of Surrey. 
 
 Among the ranks of the ladies, too, 
 might be seen, here and there faces 
 growing pale, and many a beautiful and 
 beaming eye was dimmed with tears, at 
 sight of this brave and generous cava- 
 lier, who was putting his life in jeopardy 
 for a woman. 
 
 "He is lost!" murmured Lady Jane 
 Douglas, and quite overpowered by her 
 emotions, she leaned against the wall for 
 support. But she speedily recovered 
 herself, and stood erect, while her eye 
 flashed with resolution. 
 
 "I will endeavor to save him," she 
 said to herself, and with a firm step she 
 quitted the ranks of the ladies, and ap- 
 proached the king. 
 
 A murmur of applause ran through 
 the assembly, and all eyes were turned, 
 with an expression of lively satisfaction, 
 toward Lady Jane. 
 
 They knew that she was a friend of 
 
 T 
 
 , 
 
 the queen, although not an adherent of 
 the new doctrine ; and it would there- 
 fore be very significant and very impor- 
 tant if she should support the Earl of 
 Surrey in his magnanimous efforts. 
 
 Lady Jane bent her proud and beauti- 
 ful head before the king, and said in her 
 clear, silvery tones : 
 
 " Sire, in the name of all women, 
 pray for mercy for Maria Askew for 
 she too is a woman. Lord Surrey has 
 done so, because a true cavalier can 
 never disown himself, but must ever find 
 consolation in the noble and sacred duty 
 of being the protector of the helpless, 
 and those that are in danger. A true 
 gentleman does not ask if a woman de- 
 serves his protection it is enough that 
 she is a woman, and needs his help. If, 
 therefore, in the name of all women, I 
 thank the Earl of Surrey for the assist- 
 ance which he wished to give a wo- 
 man, I venture at the same time to unite 
 my prayer with his that it may not be 
 said that we women are without cour- 
 age, and that we dare not come to the 
 succor of one who is in danger. I 
 therefore beg, sire, for pardon for Maria 
 Askew." 
 
 " And I too, sire," said the queen, ap- 
 proaching the king once more u I too 
 would add my prayer. This day is the 
 votive day of love my festive day, sire. 
 Let love and mercy prevail therefore to- 
 day, for my sake." She looked at the 
 king while she spoke, with such a love- 
 provoking smile her eyes had such a 
 beaming and bliss-beguiling expression 
 that the king could not resist her. 
 
 In his heart, therefore, he was ready 
 
THE RIVALS. 
 
 39 
 
 for this time to let the kingly mercy 
 prevail; but for this purpose he re- 
 quired a pretext a mediative influence. 
 
 He had solemnly sworn to pardon no 
 heretic at the queen's request alone so 
 that he dared not break his word. 
 
 " Well, then," said he, after a pause, 
 "I will grant your prayer; I will par- 
 don Maria Askew, if she will only recall 
 and solemnly abjure all that she has 
 said. Are you satisfied with that, 
 Kate?" 
 
 "Yes, I am satisfied," she replied, 
 sadly. 
 
 " And you, Lady Jane Douglas ; and 
 you, Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey ? " 
 
 " We are satisfied." 
 
 All eyes were now once more turned 
 toward Maria Askew, who, although 
 the assembly had been occupied concern- 
 ing her, had been left unnoticed and 
 overlooked. 
 
 She, too, had taken no part in what 
 was passing around her, and scarcely ob- 
 served it. 
 
 She stood leaning against the open 
 window of the balcony, and gazed at the 
 fire-glowing horizon. Her spirit was 
 present with the suffering martyrs, for 
 whom she offered fervent prayers to 
 heaven, and whom, in her fevered en- 
 thusiasm, she envied for their agonizing 
 death. 
 
 Wholly absorbed by her own thoughts, 
 she had neither heard the entreaties of 
 those who interceded for her, nor the 
 answer of the king. 
 
 The touch of a hand upon her shoul- 
 der aroused her from her fanatical rev- 
 erie. 
 
 It was Katharine, the young queen 
 who stood beside her. 
 
 "Maria Askew," she whispered, "if 
 you value your life, obey the king's com- 
 mand. There is no other means ot 
 saving yourself." 
 
 She seized the hand of the young 
 maiden, and led her to the king. 
 
 " Sire," she said, aloud, " pardon the 
 warm and excited feelings of this poor 
 damsel, who has witnessed an execu- 
 tion for the first time, and whose senses 
 were so carried away by the scene, that 
 she was scarcely conscious of the foolish 
 and criminal words which she uttered 
 in your presence. Pardon her therefore, 
 sire, as she will gladly and willingly re- 
 call her words." 
 
 A cry of consternation burst from 
 Maria's lips, and her eyes flashed wildly, 
 while she flung the queen away from 
 her. 
 
 " I recall my words? " she exclaimed, 
 with a scornful smile. "Never, your 
 majesty, never! No. as God shall be 
 gracious to me in the hour of death, I 
 will not recant. True, it was the pain 
 and the horror I felt that spoke within 
 me, but what I said was meanwhile the 
 truth. Horror and dismay had urged 
 me to speak, and had constrained me to 
 reveal the inmost feelings of my soul. 
 No, I will not recall ray words ! I tell 
 you, those who have suffered yonder as 
 martyrs, are blessed saints, who ascend 
 to meet their God, and in His presence 
 to accuse their kingly executioner. 
 Yes, they are now sainted martyrs 
 for Eternal Truth had enlightened their 
 souls, and beamed more brightly upon 
 
HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 their faces than the flames of that fire 
 upon which the murderous hand of an 
 unjust judge had flung them. Ah! 
 recall my words indeed ! Shall I imi- 
 tate the example of Shaxton, that 
 wretched and faithless servant of his 
 God, who, from fear of a temporal death, 
 denied the everlasting truth, and, with 
 blasphemous cowardice, forswore him- 
 self in the cause of his Eedeemer? 
 
 " I tell you, then, King Henry, to he- 
 ware of hypocrites and perjurers beware 
 of thy own proud and haughty mind. 
 The blood of the martyrs will cry to 
 heaven against thee, and God will one 
 day be as merciless toward thee as thou 
 hast been toward the noblest of thy sub- 
 jects who are His creatures. You give 
 them over to the devouring flames, be- 
 cause they will not believe what the 
 priests of Baal announce to them. You 
 hand them over to the executioner, be- 
 cause they obey the truth, and are 
 faithful disciples of their Lord and 
 Master." 
 
 44 And you share in the sentiments of 
 t'hose people whom you call martyrs ?" 
 said the king, as Maria Askew paused 
 for a moment to take breath. 
 
 " I do." 
 
 u J hen you deny the truth of the Six 
 Articles?" 
 
 "I do." 
 
 " You do not recognize me as the head 
 of the Church ? " 
 
 " God alone is the Lord and Head of 
 his Church." 
 
 A pause here ensued a fearful and 
 anxious pause. Every one felt that 
 there was no hope and no pardon possi- 
 
 ble for this young maiden that her fate 
 was irrevocably sealed. 
 
 The king smiled. 
 
 The courtiers knew this smile, and 
 feared it more than the foaming anger of 
 the king. 
 
 When the king smiled in this manner 
 he had formed a resolution, and then he 
 no longer wavered or hesitated ; the 
 sentence of death was decreed, and his 
 bloodthirsty spirit gloated over a new 
 victim. 
 
 "My Lord Bishop of Winchester," 
 said the king at length, " come hither." 
 
 Gardiner approached accordingly, and 
 placed himself beside Maria Askew, who 
 regarded him with a look of scornful dis- 
 dain. 
 
 " I command you in the name of the 
 law," continued the king, " so seize the 
 heretic, and hand her over to the spirit- 
 ual tribunals; she is damned and lost, 
 and shall die the death she merits ! " 
 
 Gardiner laid his hand upon the 
 shoulder of Maria Askew. "In the 
 name of God's law I seize you," he said, 
 solemnly. 
 
 Not a word more was spoken. The 
 lord chief justice silently obeyed the 
 signal of Gardiner, and, touching Maria 
 Askew with his staff, he commanded 
 his soldi. rs to take her away. 
 
 Maria Askew held out her hands with 
 a smile, and, with a firm and dignified 
 bearing, left the room, surrounded by 
 the soldiers, and followed by the Bishop 
 of Winchester and the lord chief justice. 
 The courtiers had opened a passage for 
 Maria Askew and her attendants. Their 
 ranks now closed again, like the waves 
 
INTERCESSION. 
 
 of the sea, when they have engulfed a 
 dead body committed to the deep. 
 
 Maria Askew was for them all as a 
 corpse as one buried. The waves had 
 closed above her, and all was again smil- 
 ing and serene as before. 
 
 The king gave his hand to his young 
 wife, and, bending close to her, whis- 
 pered words in her ear which were not 
 heard by the assembly, but which made 
 her tremble, while the color mounted to 
 her cheeks. The king, who perceived 
 it, laughed, and imprinted a kiss upon 
 her brow; and then turning to his 
 courtiers he said, with a gracious bow : 
 
 " Now, my lords and gentlemen, we 
 will dismiss you, and say good-night. 
 The festivities are over, and we need 
 rest." 
 
 " Forget not the Princess Elizabeth," 
 whispered Cranmer, as he took his leave 
 of Katharine, and pressed her hand to 
 his lips. 
 
 "No, I will not forget her," mur- 
 mured Katharine ; and with a trembling 
 heart and with feelings of inward anx- 
 iety she saw them all depart, and herself 
 left alone with the king. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 INTERCESSION. 
 
 "AND now, Kate," said the king, 
 when all the company had departed, and 
 he was once more alone with her 
 " now, Kate, we will forget every thing 
 but that we love each other." 
 
 * 
 
 He embraced her and pressed her pas- 
 sionately to his breast. She leaned her 
 head gently upon his shoulder, and lay 
 in that posture like a crushed flower, 
 wholly overcome, and without the power 
 of volition. 
 
 " How now, sweetheart you don't 
 kiss me, Kate ? " said Henry, smiling. " I 
 suppose you are angry with me still for 
 not having granted your first request? 
 But what would you have, child ? How 
 should I keep the purple of ray robes 
 ever fresh and brilliant, if I did not dye 
 them anew, from time to time, in the 
 blood of evil-doers? The king who 
 punishes and destroys can alone claim 
 the title and trembling human nature 
 will respect him the more for it. Man- 
 kind despise a faint-hearted and forgiv- 
 ing monarch, and laugh to scorn his 
 merciful weakness. Bah ! they are mis- 
 erable and pitiful creatures; they es- 
 teem only those who make them quail 
 with terror who daily make them feel 
 the lash, and occasionally scourge a 
 few of them to death. Look at me, 
 Kate. Is there a king in Europe who 
 has reigned longer or more successfully 
 than I have done or whom his people 
 love more, or more strictly obey ? The 
 reason of this is, that I have already 
 signed more than two hundred death- 
 warrants." 
 
 " Oh, you say you love me," mur- 
 mured Katharine, " and yet when yon 
 are beside me you speak only of blood 
 and of death.' 1 
 
 The king laughed. "You are right, 
 Kate," said he, "but believe me there 
 are other thoughts that slumber in my 
 
HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 bosom, and if you could only look into it, 
 you would not accuse me of coldness or 
 want of love. Yes, 'Kate, I love my own 
 virgin bride truly and tenderly, and as 
 a test thereof you may ask me for any 
 favor you wisb. Yes, Kate, ask me for 
 some favor, and, whatever it may be, I 
 give you my royal word, your favor 
 shall be granted. Now, Kate, just think 
 what can give you most happiness. Do 
 you wish for jewels or a mansion by the 
 sea-side ? Would y ou like fi n e h orses or 
 has any one perchance oifended you, 
 whose head you would have ? If that be 
 so, Kate, a nod from me, and it shall fall 
 at your feet. I am absolute and all- 
 mighty, and there is no one so spotless 
 or innocent that my will cannot find a 
 crime against him, which shall cost him 
 his head. Speak, therefore, sweetheart, 
 what is it would make your heart re- 
 joice?" 
 
 Katharine smiled, despite her inward 
 aversion and horror. 
 
 "Sire," she replied, "you have al- 
 ready given me so many jewels, that they 
 glitter upon me like the stars of night. 
 Were you to present me with a mansion 
 by the sea-side, that would be to banish 
 me from your presence at Whitehall ; I 
 will therefore have no private residence 
 for myself. I only wish to dwell with 
 you in your palaces, and the abode of 
 my king shall also be mine." 
 
 " Well and wisely spoken, Kate," said 
 the king. "I shall remember these 
 words, if ever your enemies should at- 
 tempt to conduct you to any other resi- 
 dence than the one which your king in- 
 habits with you. The Tower you know 
 
 is a residence too, Kate, but I give you 
 my royal word that you shall never be 
 its inmate. But you want no jewels 
 no palaces ! Then it is the head of some 
 individual you want me to give you ? " 
 
 "Yes, sire; it is the head of an indi- 
 vidual." 
 
 "Ah! I had guessed as much," said 
 the king, with a laugh. "Well, then, 
 speak, my little bloodthirsty queen. What 
 head do you desire? AT ho is to lay it 
 upon the block ? " 
 
 " Sire, 1 certainly begged of you the 
 head of an individual," said Katharine, 
 with a soft, insinuating tone, " but not 
 that such head should fall, but be ex- 
 alted. I beg for the life of an individual 
 not indeed to destroy it, but to fill it 
 with joy and happiness. I don't seek to 
 cast any one into danger, but to restore 
 a dear and beloved person to the free- 
 dom, the happiness, and splendor which 
 are her due. You have allowed me, 
 sire, to ask a favor for myself. Well, 
 then, I entreat you to recall the Princess 
 Elizabeth to your court. Let her live 
 with us at Whitehall. Suffer her to be 
 always near me, and to share with me 
 my felicity and splendor. Only yester- 
 day, sire, the Princess Elizabeth was 
 raised far above me in rank, and if your 
 all-ruling grace and power have elevated 
 me above the other ladies of your realm, 
 then I may venture to-day to love the 
 Princess Elizabeth as my dearest friend 
 and sister. Grant me this favor, sire. 
 Allow the princess to live with us at 
 Whitehall, and to share in the honors 
 which are due to her." 
 
 The king seemed to hesitate for a mo- 
 
INTERCESSION. 
 
 ment. But his placid and smiling 
 features indicated that the request of his 
 young wife had not displeased him. A 
 convulsive emotion was visible in his 
 countenance, and for a moment his eyes 
 were filled with tears. 
 
 A pale spectral image doubtless passed 
 at this instant before his mind, and his 
 retrospective glance presented to his im- 
 agination the beautiful and unhappy 
 mother of Elizabeth, whom he had con- 
 demned to a hapless and cruel death, 
 and yet whose last word was a blessing 
 and a greeting of love for him. 
 
 He seized Katharine's hand with emo- 
 tion, and pressed it to his lips. 
 
 "Thank you you are unselfish and 
 magnanimous; these are rare qualities, 
 and I shall esteem you for them. But 
 you are also brave and courageous; 
 twice in one day you have besought me 
 for one who was condemned, and for 
 another who had fallen into disgrace. 
 Those who are fortunate, and who stand 
 in my favor, have numerous friends ; 
 but I have never seen the unfortunate 
 or banished find intercessors. But you 
 are different from these pitiful, cringing 
 courtiers that fawning and trembling 
 crowd who fall down at my feet, and 
 address me as if I were their Lord and 
 Maker; different, I say, from those 
 wretched and contemptible creatures, 
 who call themselves my subjects, and 
 who suffer themselves to be yoked by 
 me, like so many beasts of burden, 
 which are useful and subservient only 
 because they are too brutish to know 
 their own strength and power. Yes, 
 Kate, believe me, I should be a more 
 
 humane and benignant king, if the 
 people whom I govern were not such 
 abject and stupid dolts; like dogs, in 
 fact, who only become caressing and 
 affectionate the more we chastise them. 
 But I am glad to find, Kate, that you 
 are different. You knew that I had 
 banished Elizabeth from my court, and 
 from my heart forever, and yet you in- 
 tercede for her; that is noble, and I 
 shall love you for it, Kate, and will 
 grant your request. And in order that 
 yoU may see how much I love and trust 
 you, I will now tell you a secret. I 
 have already long wished to have Eliza- 
 beth near me, but I felt ashamed of this 
 weakness of mine. I have long desired 
 to look once more into the deep, intelli- 
 gent eyes of my daughter, to be to her 
 a kind and affectionate father, and in 
 some measure to make amends to her 
 for the severity which perhaps I showed 
 her mother. For oftentim^, during 
 sleepless nights, the beautiful face of 
 Anne Bullen rises before me, and gazes 
 at me with her mild, sad looks ; and 
 then my heart within me shudders at 
 the sight. But I dare not confess this 
 to any one, lest it should be said I have 
 repented what I have done. A king 
 must be infallible, like God himself, and 
 must never acknowledge by any out- 
 ward act that he is only a weak, erring 
 mortal like other men. Wherefore I 
 was compelled to check those feelings 
 of paternal tenderness, which were sus- 
 pected by nobody, and to appear a 
 heartless parent, since no one would 
 help me in this matter to become an 
 affectionate father. Ah, those cour- 
 
 
HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 tiers ! they are so dull that they never 
 can understand but the literal meaning 
 of our word: of what our heart says 
 they know nothing. But you know it, 
 Kate ; you are a woman of tact, and a 
 generous woman to boot. Come, Kate ; 
 here is a kiss from the grateful father, 
 and another from your husband, my 
 charming and beautiful queen." 
 
 CHAPTER VH. 
 
 HENEY THE EIGHTH AND HIS WIVES. 
 
 THE stillness of night had now suc- 
 ceeded to the commotions of the day, 
 and after so much excitement, festivity, 
 and rejoicing, a deep repose reigned in 
 the palace of Whitehall and throughout 
 London. The happy subjects of King 
 Henry might, for a few hours at least, 
 remain undisturbed in their homes ; and, 
 under the protection of bolt and bar, 
 might sleep and dream away the night, 
 or else betake themselves to their devo- 
 tional exercises, on account of which 
 they had perhaps been denounced dur- 
 ing the day. For a few hours they 
 might yield to the sweet and blissful 
 dream that they were free men, untram- 
 melled in their faith and in their 
 thoughts for the king slept ; and Gar- 
 diner, too, and the lord chancellor had 
 closed their murder-stained, ever-watch- 
 ful eyes, and rested a little from their 
 office, as the king's myrmidons and 
 Christian blood-hounds. 
 
 And as the king slept, so slept also 
 the inmates of the court, and rested 
 from the festivities of the royal wed- 
 ding-day, which in pomp and splendor 
 had far exceeded those of the five previ- 
 ous marriages. 
 
 Meanwhile, it seemed as -though all 
 the court officials had not followed the 
 king's example in betaking themselves 
 to repose. For, close to the chamber of 
 the royal couple, one might perceive, 
 though all the windows were shaded by 
 rich damask curtains, that the lights 
 were still burning, and, upon closer 
 observation, it might be seen that a 
 shadow fell upon the blinds from time 
 to time. 
 
 The inmate of this chamber had not, 
 therefore, yet gone to rest; and those 
 must have been anxious ihoughts which 
 caused her to pace the room, to and fro, 
 in such restless guise. 
 
 This apartment was occupied by 
 Lady Jane Douglas, the first maid of 
 honor to the queen. The powerful in- 
 fluence of Gardiner, Bishop of Winches- 
 ter, had supported Katharine's wish of 
 having once more near her the beloved 
 friend of her earlier days ; and, without 
 suspecting it, the queen had assisted in 
 bringing the schemes of the hypocritical 
 bishop, directed against herself, nearer 
 to their accomplishment. 
 
 For Katharine did not know what a 
 change had taken place in her friend 
 during the four years which the latter 
 had been absent. She did not suspect 
 how prejudicial a long residence at the 
 strictly Catholic court of Dublin had 
 been to the susceptible mind of her 
 
HENRY VIII. AND HIS WIVES. 
 
 early companion, or how entirely it had 
 changed her nature. 
 
 The once gay and lively Lady Jane 
 had become a strict papist ; who, in her 
 fanatical zeal, thought she served God 
 when she served the Church, and ren- 
 dered unconditional ohedience to her 
 spiritual teachers. 
 
 Lady Jane had therefore thanks to 
 the bigotry of her instructors become a 
 complete dissembler. 
 
 She could smile, while in her heart 
 she secretly brooded hatred and revenge. 
 She could kiss the lips of the friend 
 whose destruction she had perhaps just 
 vowed ; she could preserve an innocent 
 and harmless mien while she observed 
 all that was passing around her, and 
 watched every breathing, every smile, 
 and every motion of the eyelids. 
 
 It was accordingly a matter of great 
 moment for Gardiner to have brought 
 this "friend " of the queen to court, and 
 to have made of the fair disciple of Lo- 
 yola an ally and a friend. 
 
 Lady Jane Douglas was alone; and 
 pacing the room up and down, she pon- 
 dered over the incidents of the day just 
 ended. 
 
 Now that no one observed her, she 
 had laid aside that mild and demure 
 mien, which she was wont to assume. 
 Her countenance betrayed in rapid suc- 
 cession all the varied feelings whether 
 sad, serene, impetuous, or affectionate 
 by which she was alternately moved. 
 
 She, who had hitherto had before her 
 eyes only the single object of serving the 
 Church, and of consecrating her whole 
 life to this purpose she, whose heart 
 
 had hitherto been open only to ambition 
 and devotion, felt on this day entirely 
 new and never-suspected feelings spring 
 up within her. 
 
 A new sentiment had taken possession 
 of her mind ; the woman in her nature 
 was aroused, and knocked impetuously 
 at her heart, around which fanaticism 
 had formed an indurated crust. 
 
 She had endeavored to collect herself 
 by prayer, and to, fill her mind so com- 
 pletely with thoughts of God and of the 
 Church, that no earthly wish or desire 
 might find a place in her heart. Yet, 
 evermore, the noble countenance of 
 Henry Howard would rise before her 
 inward vision ; evermore she thought she 
 heard his earnest and melodious voice, 
 whose magic tones made her heart beat 
 and tremble. 
 
 At first she had struggled against this 
 pleasing phantasy, which suggested to 
 her such novel and singular thoughts; 
 but at length the woman triumphed over 
 the zealot and devotee, and sinking into 
 a chair, she abandoned herself to her 
 dreams and her fancy. 
 
 " Did he recognize me ? " she thought 
 to herself. "Does he still remember 
 that, only a year since, we saw each oth- 
 er daily at the king's court at Dublin?" 
 
 "But no," she continued, musingly, 
 " he has forgotten all about it. All his 
 thoughts were then devoted to his young 
 wife. Ah ! and she was very beautiful 
 too as lovely as one of the Graces! 
 But am I not beautiful also, and have 
 not the noblest cavaliers paid me their 
 homage, and sighed for me in vain? 
 How comes it then that I am always over- 
 
HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 looked when I fain would please ? How 
 comes it that the two men, of all others, 
 whose attention I have alone coveted 
 have never shown me the preference ? I 
 felt that I loved Henry Howard, but this 
 love was sinful for the Earl of Surrey 
 was married ; I therefore tore my heart 
 away by violence and gave it to God 
 since the only man I could have loved did 
 not desire me. But even heaven and 
 devotion are insufficient to fill the heart 
 of a woman. There was still in my 
 bosom room for ambition, and as I could 
 not be a happy wife, I was desirous, at 
 least, of becoming a powerful queen. 
 Oh ! it was all so well calculated, so 
 skilfully arranged! Gardiner had already 
 spoken of me to the king, and inclined 
 him to his project, and while I was has- 
 tening hither at his summons from Dub- 
 lin, this creature, Katharine Parr, comes 
 and snatches him away from me, and 
 overthrows all our plans. But I will 
 never forgive her for it. I shall compel 
 her to relinquish a position which be- 
 longs to me ; and if there be no other 
 means of doing so, she shall mount the 
 scaffold, as Katharine Howard did before 
 her. I am resolved I shall and will be 
 Queen of England I will " 
 
 She suddenly broke off her monologue 
 and listened. She thought she heard 
 a gentle knock at her door. 
 
 She was not mistaken; the knock 
 was now repeated, and in a peculiar 
 manner, as if preconcerted. 
 
 "It is my father," said Lady Jane, 
 and resuming once more her calm and 
 composed mien, she proceeded to open 
 the door. 
 
 " Ah ! then you were waiting for me ?" 
 said Lord Archibald Douglas, kissing his 
 daughter's brow. 
 
 " Yes, I was expecting you every mo- 
 ment," said Lady Jane, smiling. "I 
 knew that you would come, in order to 
 tell me the result of your experience 
 and observation during the past day, 
 and to give me some rules for my future 
 conduct." 
 
 The earl reclined upon a sofa, and 
 drew his daughter beside him. 
 
 " No one can hear us, I presume ? " 
 
 " Not a soul. All my ladies sleep in 
 the fourth room, and I have myself 
 taken care to fasten the doors between 
 us and them. And you know the ante- 
 room through which you came is quite 
 empty, so there is nothing to do but 
 close the doors which lead to that and 
 to the corridor, that we may be quite 
 safe from any surprise." 
 
 And forthwith she hastened to close 
 the doors of the anteroom. 
 
 " Now, my father, we are safe from 
 every listener," said Lady Jane, as she 
 returned and resumed her seat beside 
 her father. 
 
 " But the walls, child do you know 
 if the walls too are safe ? You look at 
 me with doubt and surprise. Dear me, 
 what an innocent, unsuspecting girl you 
 are still ! Have I not often given you 
 the wise and prudent counsel to doubt 
 every thing, and even to distrust what 
 you see with your own eyes ? Whoever 
 would succeed at court must first of all 
 distrust everybody, and regard him as 
 his natural enemy whom, however, for 
 that very reason he must flatter, lest he 
 
HENRY VIII. AND HIS WIVES. 
 
 might do injury; and whom he must 
 embrace, until at length he can find a 
 favorable opportunity of putting a dag- 
 ger to his breast, or of holding poison to 
 his lips. Believe neither men nor walls, 
 Jane, for I tell you that both may seem 
 ever so smooth outwardly, while there 
 may be an ambush behind polished ex- 
 teriors. But for the present I will pre- 
 sume that these walls are harmless and 
 conceal no listeners. I do so because I 
 know this room. Those were happy 
 and delightful days when I first knew it. 
 I was then young and handsome, and 
 King Henry's sister was not yet married 
 to the King of Scotland, and we loved 
 each other so dearly ! Ah, I could tell 
 you wonderful stories of those happy 
 days. I could " 
 
 " But, my dear father," interrupted 
 Lady Jane, secretly trembling at the 
 prospect of listening once more to the 
 oft-repeated stories of his youthful love ; 
 " surely you have not come here at this 
 late hour to tell me what, you will par- 
 don me for saying, I know already quite 
 well. Rather, you were about to impart 
 to me what your keen and experienced 
 glance had discovered here." 
 
 " Very true," said Lord Douglas, pen- 
 sively. u I know I am sometimes given 
 to garrulity a sure sign that I am 
 growing old. Certainly I am not come 
 to speak of the past, but of the present. 
 Let us therefore talk about it. Ah, I 
 have this day seen much and learned 
 much, and the result of all my observa- 
 tions has been, that you will yet be King 
 Henry's seventh wife." 
 
 " Impossible, my lord ! " exclaimed 
 
 Lady Jane, whose countenance, against 
 her will, assumed an expression of pleas- 
 ure. 
 
 Her father perceived it. " My child," 
 said he, " let me remark to you that you 
 have not always a perfect command of 
 your features. At present, for instance, 
 you are trying to play the reserved and 
 innocent girl, and yet your face had an 
 expression of exultant joy. But this is 
 only en passant. The chief point is, 
 that you will be King Henry's seventh 
 wife. But in order to become so, you 
 will have to be very watchful and ob- 
 servant. You must have a thorough 
 knowledge of the present posture of 
 affairs you must study those around 
 you incessantly you must possess the 
 art of impenetrable dissimulation ; and 
 finally, and above all, you must have an 
 accurate and fundamental knowledge of 
 the king's character and disposition, and 
 of the history of his reign. Do you pos- 
 sess this knowledge? Do you know 
 what it means to become Henry's seventh 
 wife, and what should be done at the 
 outset in order to attain that position ? 
 Have you ever studied the king's char- 
 acter ? " 
 
 " A little, perhaps, but certainly not 
 enough. For, as you know, my lord, 
 worldly matters do not give me so much 
 concern as those which relate to the 
 Holy Church, to whose service I have 
 devoted myself, and for which I would 
 sacrifice my whole existence, with every 
 faculty of my heart and soul, if the 
 Church herself had not determined 
 otherwise respecting me. Ah, my fa- 
 ther, had it been permitted me to follow 
 
48 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 my own inclinations, I would have re- 
 tired to a convent in Scotland, to devote 
 myself to silent contemplation and pious 
 penitential exercises, and so exclude 
 every profane sound that might disturb 
 my mind. But my wishes in this re- 
 spect were not allowed ; and by the 
 mouth of His sacred and venerated priest, 
 God has commanded me to remain in 
 the world, and to take upon me the 
 yoke of greatness and royal splendor. 
 If, therefore, I use strenuous endeavors 
 to become queen, it is not because vain 
 pomp attracts me, but solely because 
 the true Church would find support, 
 through me, with the weak and vacil- 
 lating king; and because I should be 
 able to lead him back once more to the 
 only true faith." 
 
 " Very well acted ! " exclaimed her 
 father, who, while she spoke, had been 
 watching with a steady gaze every mo- 
 tion of her countenance. " Very well 
 acted indeed ! Every thing was in per- 
 fect keeping the play of the features, 
 the eyes, the voice, and the gestures. 
 Daughter, I withdraw my former criti- 
 cism. You have a perfect command of 
 yourself. But let us speak of King 
 Henry. We will now subject him to a 
 thorough analysis, and not a fibre of his 
 heart, nor an atom of his brain, shall we 
 leave unscanned. We will contemplate 
 him in his domestic, religious, and politi- 
 cal aspects, and obtain an accurate idea 
 of each of his peculiar characteristics, 
 that we may be able to frame our course 
 with him accordingly. In the first 
 place, then, we will speak of his wives ; 
 their life and their death present excel- 
 
 lent finger-posts for your guidance, for I 
 won't deny that it is a difficult and a 
 dangerous enterprise to become King 
 Henry's wife. In order to succeed, one 
 should have a good deal of personal 
 courage, a cool, calculating head, and a 
 disposition the reverse of romantic. Do 
 you know which of all his wives pos- 
 sessed these qualities the most ? It was 
 his first wife, Katharine of Arragon. 
 By Heaven ! she was a prudent woman, 
 and a born queen ! Avaricious as King 
 Henry is, he would willingly have given 
 the brightest jewel of his crown, could 
 he but have found in her the slightest 
 shadow or trace of unfaithfulness. But 
 there was absolutely no means of send- 
 ing her to the scaffold, and to dispose 
 of her by poison why, for that, he was 
 then too virtuous and too cowardly. 
 He bore with her therefore until she 
 was becoming an old woman, with her 
 hair turning gray, and beginning to look 
 unattractive in his eyes. Scruples of 
 conscience suddenly changed the pious 
 good king, and as he read in the Bible, 
 ' Thou shalt not w T ed thy sister,' terrible 
 qualms of conscience seized the noble 
 arid wily monarch. He fell upon his 
 knees, smote his breast, and cried, ' I 
 have committed a great sin ; for I have 
 married my brother's wife, who is my 
 sister, but I will make atonement by un- 
 doing the criminal tie.' Do you know, 
 child, why he wished to undo it ? " 
 
 " Because he loved Anne Bullen," said 
 Lady Jane, smiling. 
 
 "Exactly so. Katharine had become 
 old, and the king was still a young man 
 and his blood flowed like a fiery stream 
 
HENRY VIII. AND HIS WIVES. 
 
 through his veins. But he was still 
 somewhat virtuous, and the leading pecu- 
 liarity of his whole character still unde- 
 veloped. As yet he was not bloodthirsty 
 that is to say, he had yet tasted no 
 blood. But you will see how his thirst 
 for blood increased with each succeeding 
 queen, until it has now at length become 
 a consuming disease. Had he known at 
 that period the by-ways of falsehood and 
 treachery, as he now does, he would have 
 hired some slanderer who would have 
 sworn that he had been the favored lover 
 of Katharine. But he was still so seem- 
 ing virtuous, that he wished to satisfy 
 his amorous propensities by ostensibly 
 lawful means. Anne Bullen must needs 
 therefore become his wife, in order that 
 he might be able to love her. And for 
 the purpose of attaining this end, he 
 threw down the gauntlet to the whole 
 world, became the enemy of the pope, 
 and rose in open rebellion against the 
 sacred head of the Church. Because the 
 Holy Father would not sanction his 
 divorce, the king became a godless apos- 
 tate. He made himself the chief of his 
 church, and by virtue of this character, 
 declared his marriage with Katharine of 
 Arragon invalid. He alleged that he had 
 not given his inward consent to such 
 marriage, and that it was therefore in- 
 complete. Katharine had indeed, in the 
 Princess Mary, a living witness of the 
 consummation of their nuptials. But 
 what did that concern the amorous and 
 self-willed monarch ? The Princess Mary 
 was declared illegitimate, and the queen 
 was henceforward to be nothing more 
 than the widow of the Prince of Wales. 
 
 It was strictly forbidden to designate any 
 longer by the title of QUEEX, the woman 
 who for sixteen years had been Queen 
 of England, and as such had been hon- 
 ored and recognized ; or in any way to 
 show her the respect due to the king's 
 wife. No one dared call her any thing 
 but the Princess of Wales; and in order 
 that nothing should destroy this illusion 
 on the part of the people, or of the noble 
 queen herself, Katharine was banished 
 from court, and exiled to the palace 
 which she had once occupied as the wife 
 of the Prince of Wales. 
 
 "I have always considered this as 
 one of the finest and most skilful strokes 
 of policy of our noble king, and yet, in 
 the whole history of these divorces, he 
 conducted himself with wonderful con- 
 sistency and decision. But that shows 
 he was incited by opposition to his will. 
 Bear this well in mind, therefore, my 
 dear child (and it is for this reason I 
 have alluded so expressly to the .subject) : 
 King Henry can in nowise endure a con- 
 tradiction, or subject himself to any out- 
 ward coercion. If you want to gain him 
 over to any purpose, you must seek to 
 withdraw the object : it must be sur- 
 rounded with difficulties and obstacles. 
 Show yourself accordingly prudish and 
 indifferent ; that will attract him : do 
 not seek his glances, and he will seek 
 yours. And when at length he declares 
 his love, speak of your virtue and of your 
 conscience, until eventually, to satisfy 
 your scruples, he sends this troublesome 
 Katharine Parr to the scaffold, or does 
 as he did with Katharine of Arragon, and 
 declares that he had not given his in ward 
 
50 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 consent to this marriage, and that con- 
 sequently Katharine is not a queen, but 
 the widow of Lord Latimer. Ah, since 
 he made himself the high-priest of his 
 church there are no longer obstacles for 
 him in such matters for God alone is 
 more powerful than the king. 
 
 " The beautiful Anne Bullen, Henry's 
 second wife, is a proof of this. I have 
 often seen her, and I tell you, Jane, she 
 possessed wondrous beauty; whoever 
 looked at her must love her, and those 
 upon whom she smiled, felt as it were 
 under an enchanted spell. 
 
 " When she presented the king with 
 the Princess Elizabeth, I heard him say 
 he then stood at the pinnacle of human 
 happiness at the goal of his wishes, 
 for that the queen had borne him a 
 legitimate heir to the throne. But this 
 happiness was of brief duration. 
 
 "The king discovered one day that 
 Anne Bullen was not the most beautiful 
 woman in the world, but that there were 
 still more attractive ladies at his court, 
 and who therefore seemed to have a bet- 
 ter claim to be Queen of England. He 
 had seen Jane Seymour, and Jane was 
 unquestionably more beautiful than Anne 
 Bullen, for she was not yet the king's 
 wife, and an obstacle to possessing her 
 intervened in the person of Anne Bul- 
 len. 
 
 " This obstacle must of course be set 
 aside. Henry could now, by virtue of 
 his omnipotence, have caused himself 
 once more to be separated from his wife, 
 but he was unwilling to repeat himself: 
 he wished to be always original ; and 
 nobody should dare to say, that his 
 
 divorces were only the cloak for his ca- 
 pricious and amatory impulses. 
 
 ** It was on the ground of conscien- 
 tious scruples that he got himself sepa- 
 rated from Katharine of Arragon but 
 a different plan had to be invented for 
 dealing with Anne Bullen. 
 
 " The shortest way of getting rid of 
 her was the scaffold. Why should not 
 Anne travel the same path that so many 
 others had done before her ? For a new 
 era had commenced in the king's life. 
 The tiger had licked blood ; his instincts 
 were aroused, and he no longer shrank 
 back from the crimson rivulets which 
 flowed through the veins of his subjects. 
 He had bestowed a royal purple robe on 
 Anne Bullen, and why should she not in 
 return, yield him up her crimson life- 
 blood ? For this there was only a pre- 
 text wanting, and that w as soon found. 
 Lady Eochford was Jane Seymour's 
 aunt; and she succeeded in finding some 
 individuals who, she maintained, had 
 been the lovers of the beautiful Anne 
 Bullen. As first lady of the bed-cham- 
 ber to the queen, Lady Eochford 
 could certainly furnish the most plausi- 
 ble explanations upon such a subject, 
 and the king believed her. He believed 
 her, although the four pretended lovers 
 of the queen, who were executed for the 
 alleged crime, protested on the scaffold, 
 with one exception, that Anne Bullen 
 was innocent, and that they had never 
 even approached her. The only one 
 who accused the queen of an illicit cor- 
 respondence with him, was a musician, 
 named James Smeaton. But for this 
 confession he had been promised his 
 
HENRY YIIL AND HIS WIVES. 
 
 51 
 
 life. Meanwhile they did not deem it 
 advisable to keep this promise, for they 
 feared that if confronted with the queen, 
 he might not have the hardihood to 
 support his assertion. In order, how- 
 ever, not to appear wholly ungrateful for 
 this useful confession, they extended to 
 him the favor of not being executed by 
 the axe, but he was granted the easier 
 and more ignoble death of being hanged. 
 " The lovely and beautiful Anne Bul- 
 len had, therefore, to lay her head upon 
 the block. On the day of her execu- 
 tion the king had commanded a large 
 hunting-party, and in the morning we 
 rode forth toward Epping Forest. The 
 king was at first unusually cheerful and 
 jocose, and he commanded me to ride 
 beside him and relate the current gossip 
 and court scandal. He laughed at my 
 malicious anecdotes, and the more I de- 
 famed ray fellow-courtiers the more was 
 his mirth increased. At length we 
 halted. The king had laughed and 
 talked so mucli that he became hungry 
 at last. He reclined under the shade of 
 an oak, and, in the midst of his retinue 
 and of his dogs, he partook of breakfast 
 with wonderful zest and appetite 
 albeit he had now become somewhat 
 more silent and reserved, and looked 
 from time to time in the direction of 
 London, with visible anxiety and unea- 
 siness in his countenance. Suddenly, 
 however, was heard the dull boom of a 
 cannon. We all knew that this was the 
 signal which was to announce to the 
 king that Anne Bullen's head had fallen. 
 We knew it, and a cold shudder ran 
 through our veins. The king alone 
 
 smiled ; and standing up and taking his 
 hunting accoutrements from my hands, 
 he said, with a serene countenance : * It 
 is over ! The work is done. Unleash 
 the dogs, and let us follow the chase.' 
 
 "That," said Lord Douglas, with sad- 
 ness, " was the funeral discourse which 
 the king uttered concerning his lovely 
 and innocent wife." 
 
 " Do you pity her, my lord ? " asked 
 Lady Jane, with surprise. "If I mis- 
 take not, Anne Bullen was an enemy ol 
 our Church, and an adherent of the de- 
 testable new doctrines." 
 
 Her father shrugged his shoulders 
 with an air of contempt. " That did not 
 prevent Queen Anne from belonging to 
 the fairest and most charming women of 
 England. And besides, however much 
 she may have inclined to the new doc- 
 trines, she did us one essential service at 
 least, for it was she who caused the 
 death of Sir Thomas More. She hated 
 him because he did not favor her mar- 
 riage with the king, and so did the king 
 likewise for his refusing to take the oath 
 of supremacy. Nevertheless, Henry 
 would have spared him for at that 
 time he still had some respect for learn- 
 ing and virtue, and Sir Thomas was so 
 learned a man that he won the king's 
 good graces. But Anne Bullen desired 
 his death, and accordingly he had to 
 mount the scaffold. Ah, believe me, 
 Jane, it was a glorious, though a mel- 
 ancholy hour for all England, that hour 
 when the head of Sir Thomas More was 
 laid on the block. But we happy cour- 
 tiers of Whitehall Palace we alone 
 were cheerful and merry on the occa- 
 
52 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 
 won. "We danced a new dance, the 
 music of which the king himself had 
 composed ; for you know the king is 
 not only an author, hut also a musical 
 amateur, and as he now writes pious 
 books, so he then composed dance-music. 
 Every evening when we had danced 
 ourselves tired, we sat down to the 
 card-table. And just as I had won a 
 few guineas from the king, the gov- 
 ernor of the Tower arrived with intel- 
 ligence that the execution had taken 
 place, and gave us an account of the 
 last moments of the great scholar. The 
 king threw down his cards, and, cast- 
 leg an angry glance at Anne Bullen, 
 said with a tremulous voice, 'You are 
 guilty of the death of this man.' He 
 then rose up, and retired to his apart- 
 ments, whither no one dared to follow 
 him not even the queen. You see, then, 
 that Anne Bullen has a claim to our 
 gratitude, for the death of Sir Thomas 
 More delivered England from another 
 great danger. Melancthon and Bucer, 
 and with them some of the greatest 
 pulpit orators of Gennany, had set out 
 on their journey to London, as delegates 
 from the Protestant princes of Germany, 
 to nominate the king as the chief of 
 their league. But the fearful news of 
 the execution 01 their friend drove them 
 back in terror, after they had accom- 
 plished half their journey. 
 
 " Peace, therefore, to the ashes of the 
 unhappy Anne Bullen, who has mean- 
 while been avenged avenged upon her 
 rival and successor, on whose account 
 she had to mount the scaffold avenged 
 on Jane Seymour ! " 
 
 "But she was the king's favorite 
 wife," said Lady Jane, " and when she 
 died he mourned for her two whole 
 years." 
 
 " Yes, he mourned," said Lord Doug- 
 las, with a sneer. " He mourned for 
 all his wives. Even for Anne Bullen he 
 put on a mourning suit, and in his white 
 mourning robes he led Jane Seymour to 
 the nuptial altar two days after the exe- 
 cution of Anne Bullen. What signifies 
 outward mourning? Did not Anne Bul- 
 len mourn in like manner for Katharine 
 of Arragon, whom she had driven from 
 the throne. For eight weeks she wore 
 weeds for Henry's first wife ; but Anne 
 was a prudent woman, and she knew 
 that yellow robes became her admira- 
 bly." 
 
 " But the king mourned for Jane Sey- 
 mour not only outwardly, but in real- 
 ity," said Lady Jane, "for it was only 
 after the lapse of two years that he re- 
 solved upon a new marriage." 
 
 Lord Douglas laughed. " But during 
 these two years of widowhood he was 
 consoled in some measure, by having 
 fallen in love with the beautiful Mar- 
 guerite de Montreuil, a French lady, and 
 he would have married her too, had her 
 prudence not been as great as her 
 beauty ; and so she preferred returning 
 to France, rather than accept the peril- 
 ous distinction of becoming Henry's 
 fourth queen." 
 
 "But yet, my father, the case of 
 Jane Seymour was very natural, for she 
 died in childbed." 
 
 " Ay, truly in childbed, and yet not 
 a natural death, for she might have been 
 
HENRY VIII. AND HIS WIVES. 
 
 53 
 
 saved. But Henry would not have it so. 
 His love had already cooled down ; and 
 when the physicians asked if they should 
 save the mother or the child, he replied, 
 ' Save the child by all means ; I can get 
 wives enough.' 
 
 " Ah, my daughter, I hope you may 
 not die such a natural death as poor 
 Jane Seymour, for whom, as you say, the 
 king mourned for two years. But, after 
 this, the king met with quite a novel 
 and extraordinary adventure. In short, 
 he fell in love with a picture ; and as, in 
 his lofty self-complacency, he felt per- 
 suaded that the beautiful portrait of 
 himself which Holbein had painted, did 
 not at all flatter him, but was quite true 
 to nature, he never suspected that Hol- 
 bein's likeness of the Princess Anne of 
 Cleves could have been flattered or in- 
 correct. The king accordingly became 
 enamoured of a portrait, and sent his en- 
 voys to Germany, in order to bring over 
 the fair original of this picture to Eng- 
 land for his wife. He even went forward 
 himself to meet her at Rochester. Ah, 
 Jane 1 I have seen many strange and ri- 
 diculous things in the course of my life, but 
 that scene at Rochester must be reckoned 
 as the most piquant of all my reminiscen- 
 ces. The king was glowing with more 
 than poetic inspiration, and as madly in 
 love as a boy of twenty, and thus began 
 our romantic bridal excursion, in which 
 Henry appeared incognito, as my cousin. 
 To me was given the flattering commis- 
 sion, as master of the horse, to convey 
 to the young queen the greetings of her 
 ardent bridegroom, and to beg of her to 
 ive the cavalier who should hand 
 
 
 her a present from the king. She 
 granted my request with a simpering 
 smile, which disclosed to view a fearful 
 set of yellow teeth. I opened the door, 
 and allowed the king to enter. Ah, 
 you should have witnessed that scene ! 
 It was the only bit of farce in the bloody 
 tragedy of Henry's matrimonial career. 
 You should have seen with what hasty 
 impatience Henry rushed in, and then 
 suddenly, on seeing her, staggered back, 
 and stared at the princess ; and then 
 slowly retreating, put the costly gift 
 which he had brought with him into my 
 hand, without uttering a word, but cast- 
 ing a look of intense anger at Cromwell, 
 who had brought him the portrait of 
 the princess, and had led him into this 
 marriage. The romantic and ardent lover 
 vanished after this first glance at his 
 fair bride. He approached the princess 
 again, but on this occasion in his own 
 character, and in a harsh and hasty 
 manner said he himself was the king. 
 He bade her welcome in a few words, 
 and bestowed upon her a cold and formal 
 greeting. Then, however, he suddenly 
 took my hand and drew me away with 
 him, while he made a signal to the 
 others to follow; and when at length 
 we got out of the atmosphere of this 
 poor unprepossessing princess, and were 
 some distance away, the king turned 
 with an angry countenance to Crom- 
 well, and said : 'Is that what you call 
 beauty ? I call her a Flemish mare, but 
 not a princess.' 
 
 "Anne's plain face, I doubt not, was 
 bestowed upon her by God, in order that 
 the only true Church should be deliv- 
 
54: 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 ered from the danger which threatened 
 it. For had Anne of Cleves the sister, 
 niece, aunt, and grand-daughter of all 
 the German Protestant princes had 
 she, I say, been handsome, our church 
 would have been threatened by dangers 
 beyond conception. The king could not 
 overcome his dislike, and once more his 
 conscience, which always appeared most 
 tender and scrupulous when it was most 
 lax and irregular, must needs come to 
 Ins aid. 
 
 " Accordingly, the king declared that 
 he had only outwardly, and not in his 
 inward conscience, consented to this 
 marriage, from which he was now 
 shrinking back ; as it would, he alleged, 
 be in reality nothing less than a breach 
 of faith a perjury and a bigamy. For 
 had not Anne's father once already be- 
 trothed her to the son of the Duke of 
 Lorraine? had he not pledged his sol- 
 emn word that he would give him his 
 daughter to wed when he should 
 have attained his majority? Kings 
 had already been exchanged, and the 
 marriage contract already drawn up. 
 Anne of Cle-ves therefore was really 
 married already, and accordingly Henry, 
 with his tender conscience, could not 
 make the betrothed lady his wife. He 
 therefore made her his sister, and gave 
 her the palace at Eichmond for a resi- 
 dence, if she wished to remain in 
 England. She accepted it: her blood, 
 which ran coldly and sluggishly through 
 her veins, did not revolt at the thought 
 of being rejected and contemned. She 
 accepted the offer, and remained in Eng- 
 land. 
 
 " Anne of Cleves was rejected because 
 she was plain, and now the king chose 
 Katharine Howard for his fifth wife be- 
 cause she was handsome. Of this mar- 
 riage I can tell you but little, for at that 
 time I had already been sent on a diplo- 
 matic mission to Dublin, whither you 
 soon followed me. Katharine was very 
 beautiful, and the king's heart, already 
 feeling the effect of time, was once more 
 inflamed with the fire of youthful love. 
 He loved her more ardently than any of 
 his former wives, and he was so happy 
 in her society, that he publicly knelt 
 down in church and thanked God for 
 the felicity which he enjoyed with his 
 beautiful young queen. But that did 
 not last long ; for at the very moment 
 that the king was proclaiming his wed- 
 ded bliss, he had already reached its cul- 
 minating point, and the next day he was 
 hurled from this pinnacle into the abyss. 
 I speak without poetical exaggeration, 
 my dear child ; the previous day, he 
 thanked God for his happiness, and on 
 the morrow, Katharine Howard was al- 
 ready under confinement and accused of 
 being a faithless wife and a shameless 
 profligate. More than seven lovers had 
 already preceded her spouse, and some 
 of them had even accompanied her on 
 the royal progress which she made in 
 the north with her husband. On this 
 occasion it was no pretext, for Henry 
 had not yet had time to grow enamoured 
 of any other woman, and Katharine had 
 well understood how to attach him to 
 her, and always to kindle fresh ardor in 
 his breast. But for the very reason that 
 he loved her, he could not pardon her 
 
FATHER AND DAUGHTER. 
 
 55 
 
 for having deceived him. So much cru- 
 elty and hatred is there in love; and 
 Henry, who only yesterday lay like a 
 lainb at her feet, was to-day as excited 
 with jealousy and rage as he had yester- 
 day been with rapture and delight. Still 
 in his anger he loved her, and when he 
 held in his hands the unequivocal proofs 
 of her guilt, he wept like a child. But 
 as he could no longer be her lover, he 
 resolved to be her executioner. As she 
 had polluted the purple of his royal 
 robes, he wished to dye them 'afresh in 
 the crimson of her blood; and he did it. 
 Katharine Howard was compelled to lay 
 her beautiful head upon the block, as 
 Anne Bullen had done before her, and 
 the death of the latter was now once 
 more avenged. Lady Rochford had been 
 the accuser of Anne Bullen, and it was 
 her testimony which brought that queen 
 to the scaffold ; but now she was herself 
 convicted of having been privy and ac- 
 cessory to Katharine Howard's love-in- 
 trigues, and with Katharine's head fell 
 also that of Lady Rochford, under the 
 executioner's axe. 
 
 " Ah ! it required a long time to re- 
 cover the king from this blow ; for the 
 space of two years he sought for the 
 pure and blameless virgin who could 
 become his wife, without peril of the 
 scaffold. But he found none, and so he 
 took to himself Katharine Parr, the 
 widow of Lord Latimer. But you know, 
 ray child, the name of Katharine is one 
 of evil omen for Henry's wives. The 
 first Katharine was put away the 
 second beheaded what will be the fate 
 of the third?" 
 
 Lady Jane smiled. 
 
 " Katharine does not love the king," 
 she said, " and I believe she would will- 
 ingly consent, like Anne of Cleves, to 
 become the sister of Henry instead of hia 
 wife." 
 
 "What! Katharine not love the 
 king? " asked Lord Douglas, with breath- 
 less eagerness. " Does she love another, 
 then?" 
 
 " No, my lord. Her heart is still like 
 a sheet of blank paper for as yet no 
 name is inscribed thereon." 
 
 " Then it will be our task to write a 
 name upon it, and this name must send 
 her to the block, or else cause her to be 
 put aside," said Lord Douglas, with ve- 
 hemence. " It will be your business, 
 Jane, to write, with a pen of iron, some 
 name or other so legibly on her heart 
 that the king may be able to read it at 
 some future day." 
 
 CHAPTER VIE. 
 
 FATHER AND DAUGHTER. 
 
 BOTH were now silent for some time. 
 Lord Douglas had leaned back in his 
 seat, and, breathing fast, seemed to re- 
 cover himself a little from the effect of 
 long speaking. But while he thus 
 rested, his large, piercing eyes were un- 
 ceasingly fixed upon Lady Jane, who 
 had reclined on the ottoman, and look- 
 ing with a meditative air of abstraction, 
 seemed to have forgotten her father's 
 presence. 
 
 
56 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 An arch smile played for a moment 
 upon the features of the earl, on per- 
 ceiving the abstracted gaze of his 
 daughter ; but it speedily vanished, and 
 then his brow became marked with 
 lines of deep thought. 
 
 S< :g that his daughter was still 
 wrapt in visionary dreams, he at length 
 laid his hand upon her shoulder, and 
 said, hastily, "What are you thinking 
 of, Jane?" 
 
 She started violently, and looked at 
 the earl with an air of confusion. 
 
 "I was thinking of all you had said 
 to me, my father," she replied. " I was 
 considering what advantage I could de- 
 rive from it for our purpose." 
 
 Lord Douglas shook his head with an 
 incredulous smile: "Take care, Jane," 
 8aid he, at length, in a grave tone 
 u take care that your heart does not be- 
 lie your head ! If we are to attain our 
 object in this matter, you must, above 
 all things, keep your head and your 
 heart cool. Do you think you possess 
 both already?" 
 
 She cast down her eyes with visible 
 embarrassment before the penetrating 
 glance of Lord Douglas. He perceived 
 it, and a hasty word rose to his lips, but 
 he checked it. As a prudent diploma- 
 tist, he knew that it is sometimes more 
 advisable to destroy a thing by ignoring 
 it, than to enter into an open contest 
 upon its merits. 
 
 The feelings are like the dragon's 
 teeth of Theseus. When we overcome 
 them they always grow afresh, and 
 spring from the ground with increased 
 vigor. 
 
 Lord Douglas was, therefore, careful 
 not to remark his daughter's confusion. 
 "Pardon me, Jane," he said, "if, in my 
 zeal and my tender regard for you, I have 
 gone too far. I know that your dear 
 and beautiful head is cool enough to 
 bear the crown; I know that in your 
 heart dwell ambition and religion alone. 
 Let us therefore consider what further 
 we have to do in order to accomplish 
 our purpose. We have already spoken 
 of Henry as a husband and as a man, 
 and I trust you have drawn some useful 
 lessons from the fate of his wives. You 
 have seen that a wife must possess all 
 the good and all the bad qualities of a 
 woman, in order to be able to rule this 
 stiff-necked tyrant this voluptuous 
 this vain, and sensual man. But, above 
 all things, you must have a perfect 
 knowledge of the art of coquetry. You 
 must be a female Proteus. To-day, a 
 Messalina to-morrow, a devotee the 
 next day, a learned woman and the 
 day after, a toying girl ; you must al- 
 ways seek to take the king by surprise 
 to keep his mind on the strain, and 
 make him cheerful. You must never 
 abandon yourself to the dangerous feel- 
 ing of security, for, in fact, Henry's wife 
 is never safe ; the axe hangs continually 
 above her head : so that you must al- 
 ways regard your husband only as a 
 capricious lover, whom you have each 
 day to win anew." 
 
 " You speak, my father, as if I were 
 already the wife of the king," said Lady 
 Jane, smiling; "and yet it seems to me 
 that there are still many difficulties to 
 overcome before I reach that point; 
 
FATHER AND DAUGHTER. 
 
 57 
 
 difficulties vhich are perhaps insur- 
 mountable." 
 
 " Insurmountable ? " said Lord Doug- 
 las, with a shrug. "With the aid of 
 Holy Church there are no obstacles insur- 
 mountable; we have only to be quite 
 sure beforehand of our object, and of 
 the means to its attainment. Do not, 
 therefore, disdain to probe the king's 
 character again and again, and you may 
 be certain you will always discover in it 
 some new feature some striking pecu- 
 liarity. We have spoken of him as a 
 husband and family man, but of his re- 
 ligious and political characteristics I have 
 said nothing; and these it is which 
 constitute the essence of his whole be- 
 ing. 
 
 " First of all then, Jane, I will tell you 
 a secret. The king, who has made him- 
 self the chief priest of his church whom 
 the pope once called the champion and 
 defender of the faith the king, I say, 
 has in his heart no religion whatever. 
 lie is merely a pliant reed, swayed to 
 and fro by the wind. He does not him- 
 self know what he wishes ; and dallying 
 with both sides, he is to-day a heretic, 
 in order to make it appear that he is a 
 strong-minded, free-thinking man, of en- 
 lightened reason to-morrow a Catholic, 
 in order to exhibit himself as the obedi- 
 ent and humble servant of God, who only 
 seeks for salvation through works of love 
 and piety. But in his inmost soul, he 
 has an equal indifference for both creeds ; 
 and had the pope formerly thrown no 
 difficulties in his way had he favored 
 big divorce from Katharine, King Henry 
 would still have continued a faithful and 
 
 active member of the Catholic Church. 
 But his holiness was so imprudent as to 
 excite him by contradiction ; Henry's 
 pride and vanity were stung, until he 
 revolted, and so he became a church re- 
 former not from conviction but from 
 a pure love of opposition. And this, my 
 daughter, you must never forget, for by 
 means of this lever you may once more 
 convert him to be a strict, dutiful, and 
 obedient son of the Holy Church. He 
 has broken off with the pope, and has 
 assumed the supremacy of the Church, 
 but he could not find in himself the cour- 
 age to carry out his work, and throw 
 himself altogether into the arms of the 
 Reformation. Though he opposed the 
 papal authority, yet he has ever remained 
 true to the Church albeit perhaps he 
 does not know it himself. He is a 
 Catholic, and hears the mass ; he has 
 abolished the monasteries, and yet for- 
 bidden the priests to marry ; he allows 
 the Eucharist to be administered in one 
 kind, and believes in tran substantiation. 
 He abolishes monasteries, but still enjoins 
 that the vows of celibacy,as well of monks 
 as of nuns, shall be strictly maintained ; 
 and, finally, auricular confession is a 
 very necessary part of his church. And 
 that is what he calls his Six Articles, as 
 the basis of his 4 English Church.' Poor, 
 vain, and short-sighted man ! He knows 
 not that he has done all this, only be- 
 cause he wished to make himself pope, 
 while he is nothing more than the anti- 
 pope o the Holy Father, whom he dares 
 with scandalous effrontery to call the 
 ' Bishop of Rome,' " 
 
 "But for this audacity," said Lady 
 
 
HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 Jane, with looks of vindictive triumph, 1 
 "the anathema has smitten him and 
 cursed his head, and has given him up 
 to the scorn and contempt of his own 
 subjects. For this the Holy Father just- 
 ly denounces him as an apostate and 
 abandoned son the blasphemous usurp- 
 er of the Holy Church. Therefore has 
 the pope declared his crown forfeit, and 
 has awarded it to any one that shall ac- 
 quire it by force of arms. Therefore has 
 the pope forbidden his subjects to obey 
 him, or to honor and recognize him as 
 their king." 
 
 " And yet he continues King of Eng- 
 land, and his subjects obey him with 
 slavish submission," exclaimed Lord 
 Douglas, with a shrug. " It was rather 
 unwise to carry threats so far ; for one 
 should never threaten unless he is pre- 
 pared to carry his threats into execution. 
 Unfortunately, the papal anathema has 
 served the king more than it has injured 
 him, for it has driven him to assume a 
 more fierce opposition, and has proved 
 to his subjects that he may be stricken 
 by the ban of excommunication, and yet 
 live happily in the full enjoyment of 
 life. 
 
 " No ; the anathemas of Eome have in 
 nowise hurt the king, nor has his throne 
 suffered the slightest shock ; but the de- 
 fection of the king has deprived the Holy 
 See of a powerful support; and there- 
 fore we must lead the faithless monarch 
 back once more to the Holy Church. 
 And that is the task, my daughter, 
 which God and the will of His sacred 
 vicar commit to your hands an excel- 
 lent, a glorious, and a meritorious work, 
 
 for it will make you a queen. But I re- 
 peat it, be cautious, and never rouse the 
 king by opposition to his wishes. This 
 vacillating man must be led unconscious- 
 ly to that point which his salvation de- 
 mands; for, as I have said, he is a 
 vacillator, and in the haughty pride of 
 his kingship he presumes to overrule 
 all parties, and establish a new church 
 for himself a church which is neither 
 Catholic nor Protestant, but his church 
 the laws of which are found in the Six 
 Articles, or in the so-called 'Bloody 
 Statute.' 
 
 " He will neither be a Catholic nor a 
 Protestant, and in order to show his im- 
 partiality, he is an equally dreaded par- 
 tisan of both sides. Thus it has come to 
 pass that, in England, he hangs those 
 who are Catholics, and burns those who 
 are not. It affords the king pleasure to 
 hold, with firm and relentless grasp, the 
 balance between both parties, and on the 
 same day on which he throws a papist 
 into a dungeon for having questioned 
 the royal supremacy, he puts a reformer 
 on the rack for having denied transub- 
 stantiation or for having perhaps re- 
 jected the doctrine of auricular con- 
 fession. Even during the last session of 
 Parliament five persons were hanged for 
 having called the supremacy in question; 
 and five others burned for having ad- 
 hered to the principles of the reformers. 
 And on this very evening, Jane the 
 evening of the king's wedding-day both 
 Catholics and Protestants, coupled two 
 by two, like dogs, have been sent to the 
 stake, at the special command of his 
 majesty, who, as head of the Church, 
 
FATHER AND DAUGHTER. 
 
 59 
 
 wished to show his impartiality the 
 Catholics being condemned as traitors, 
 and the others as heretics." 
 
 "Oh," exclaimed Lady Jane, shudder- 
 ing and turning pale, "I won't be Queen 
 of England. I have a horror of such a 
 cruel and ferocious king, whose heart 
 knows neither pity nor mercy." 
 
 Her father laughed. 
 
 " Don't you know, then, child, how a 
 hyena may be rendered harmless, and a 
 tiger tamed ? Why, we generally throw 
 them some food that they can swallow, 
 and as they love blood so much, we give 
 them blood to drink, so that they may 
 never have to thirst for it. The king's 
 only constant and unchanging peculiar- 
 ity is his cruelty and blood-craving so 
 that we must always have some food of 
 this kind ready for him, and then he will 
 always be a very gracious king and ami- 
 able husband. 
 
 " And there is no lack of objects to 
 satisfy his appetite in this respect. 
 There are so many men and women at 
 his court ; and when he is in his blood- 
 thirsty humor, it makes no difference to 
 Henry whose blood ho swallows. He 
 has shed the blood of his wives and rela- 
 tives, he has sent to the scaffold those 
 whom he called his most trusty friends, 
 and he has sent the most worthy man in 
 his realm to the block. 
 
 "Sir Thomas More knew him well, 
 and in a single striking sentence he 
 summed up the king's whole character. 
 Ah, Jane, it seems to me as if I saw the 
 mild, serene countenance of that sage, 
 as I saw him standing in that embra- 
 sure of the window, and the king beside 
 
 him frith his arm on the shoulder of the 
 Chancellor More, listening to his dis- 
 course with a kind of reverential devo- 
 tion. And when the king had departed, 
 I approached Sir Thomas, and wished 
 him joy at the great favor, publicly rec- 
 ognized, which he possessed with the 
 king. 'The king loves you most sin- 
 cerely,' I observed. 'Yes,' he replied, 
 with his sad, quiet smile, ' yes, the king 
 loves me truly; but that would not 
 for a moment prevent him from sacrifi- 
 cing my head for a costly jewel, a beauti- 
 ful woman, or a square mile of territory 
 in France.' 
 
 " He was right, and it was for a beau- 
 tiful woman that the head of that, great 
 philosopher was made to fall of whom 
 the most Christian emperor, Charles the 
 Fifth, said : ' Had I been the master of 
 such a servant, of whose great powers 
 and abilities I have myself had so much 
 experience for many years had I pos- 
 sessed so wise and firm a counsellor as 
 Sir Thomas More, I would rather have 
 lost the fairest city in my dominions 
 than so worthy a statesman and ser- 
 vant.' Ay, Jane, that must be your 
 first and holiest law, never to trust the 
 king, and never to reckon upon the con- 
 tinuance of his affection or the marks of 
 his favor. For, in the periidy of his 
 heart, it often pleases him to shower 
 favors upon them whose ruin he has 
 already resolved, and to deck with hon- 
 ors and orders to-day those whom to- 
 morrow he has doomed to die. It flat- 
 ters his self-love, like the tiger, to play 
 for a while with the whelpling which he 
 is about to rend. This he did with 
 
60 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 Cromwell, the counsellor and friend of 
 many years, who, moreover, had com- 
 mitted no other crime than that he had 
 first shown the king the portrait of the 
 unattractive Anne of Cleves, which Hol- 
 bein had flattered to an uncommon ex- 
 tent. But the king was careful not to 
 be angry with Cromwell thereat, nor to 
 reproach him. On the contrary, he 
 raised him, in recognition of his great 
 merits, to the dignity of Earl of Essex ; 
 decorated him with the order of the 
 Garter, and appointed him lord high 
 chamberlain; and then only, when 
 Cromwell felt himself quite safe, and 
 basked in the sunshine of *royal favor 
 then it was that the king had him seized 
 and flung into the Tower on a charge of 
 high-treason. And so Cromwell was 
 executed because Anne of Cleves did not 
 please the king, and because Hans Hol- 
 bein's portrait had flattered her. 
 
 "But now we have said enough of the 
 past, Jane ; let us therefore speak of the 
 present and of the future. Let us now 
 bethink us of the means of overthrowing 
 this woman who stands in our way. 
 When once her downfall is accomplish- 
 ed, it will not be difficult for us to put 
 you in her place ; for now you are here 
 in the king's vicinity. That was the 
 great drawback to our previous endeav- 
 ors, that we were not on the spot ; and 
 that we could only work through inter- 
 mediators and confidants. The king 
 had not seen you ; and since the unhappy 
 affair of Anne of Oleves, he distrusted 
 portraits. I knew that very well, for I 
 trust no one, Jane not even my most 
 faithful and dearest friend. I build upon 
 
 no one but ourselves. Had we been 
 here, you would already have been in 
 the place of Katharine Parr, you 
 would have been Queen of England. 
 But to our misfortune, I was still a fa- 
 vorite of the Kegent of Scotland, and, a 
 such, I durst not venture to come near 
 Henry. It was necessary that I should fall 
 into disgrace in the north, in order to be- 
 come more certain of the king's favor 
 here. 
 
 " Having, then, fallen into disgrace, 1 
 fled hither, and now that we are here 
 let the contest begin. You have already 
 this day taken a long stride toward the 
 goal ; you have drawn the king's atten- 
 tion upon you, and fixed yourself more 
 firmly in Katharine's favor. I must 
 confess, Jane, that I have been enchant- 
 ed with your discreet behavior. You 
 have to-day gained the good-will of 
 all parties, and it was admirably prudent 
 of you to come to the aid of the Earl of 
 Surrey, while at the same time you won 
 over the heretical court party, to which 
 Maria Askew belongs. Yes, Jane, that 
 was a clever stroke of policy ; for the 
 Howard family is the greatest and most 
 powerful at court ; and Henry, Earl of 
 Surrey, is one of its most powerful rep- 
 resentatives. "We have, therefore, al- 
 ready a strong party at court a party 
 which has before its eyes only the high 
 and sacred object of assisting Holy 
 Church once more to regain the vic- 
 tory, and which works quietly and si- 
 lently to reconcile the king with the 
 pope. Henry Howard is like his father, 
 the Duke of Norfolk, a good Catho- 
 lic, as in like manner was his niece, 
 
FATHER AND DAUGHTER. 
 
 61 
 
 Katharine Howard, only that she, 
 while devoted to God and the Church, 
 was at the same time too earnest an 
 admirer of the opposite sex to her own. 
 That was what procured the victory 
 for the other side, and which caused the 
 Catholics once more to succumb to the 
 heretical court party. Yes, for the mo- 
 ment, Cranmer has conquered us with 
 Katharine Parr ; but Gardiner, with the 
 aid of Jane Douglas, will soon overcome 
 the heretics, and send them to the scaf- 
 fold. That is our plan, and with God's 
 grace we shall bring it about." 
 
 " But it will be a difficult task," said 
 Lady Jane, with a sigh. " The queen is 
 a pure, unsullied woman, and she has 
 besides a wise head and a keen percep- 
 tion. In her thoughts too she is inno- 
 cence itself, and shrinks with virgin 
 timidity from the very thought of sin." 
 
 "She must be weaned from this ti- 
 midity, Jane, and that will be your task. 
 You must expel all these strict notions 
 of virtue from her mind ; you must seek, 
 by insinuating ways, to ensnare her 
 heart, and seduce it from such rigid and 
 scrupulous principles." 
 
 u Oh, that would be an infernal 
 scheme ! " exclaimed Lady Jane, turning 
 pale. " That would be a crime, my 
 father ; for it would be not only to de- 
 stroy her earthly happiness, but also to 
 endanger her soul. That I should be- 
 guile her to sin and crime is surely not 
 your odious request ? If so, I will not 
 obey you ! It is true I hate her, for she 
 stands in the way of my ambition ; it is 
 true I am willing to ruin her, for she 
 wears the crown which I wish to pos- 
 
 sess : but I will never do any thing so 
 infamous as to pour into her heart the 
 poison by which she is to fall. Let her 
 seek the deadly draught herself I will 
 not restrain her hand, I shall not warn 
 her. Let her find the paths of sin if she 
 will I shall not tell her she is going 
 astray ; nay, I will watch all her move- 
 ments, and listen to every word and 
 every sigh that escapes her ; and when 
 she has committed herself by a false 
 step, then I shall betray her, and give 
 her up to her judges. That is what I 
 can and will do. I shall be the evil 
 genius, who in God's name will expel 
 her from Paradise ; but not the serpent 
 who in the name of Satan would allure 
 her to sin." 
 
 She ceased, and, panting for breath, 
 leaned back in her chair ; but now her 
 father's hand was laid upon her shoul- 
 der with a convulsive grasp, and with 
 eyes flashing with anger, and his face 
 pale with rage, he looked at her with a 
 fixed and stern gaze. 
 
 Lady Jane uttered a cry of terror. 
 She, who had never seen her father but 
 in a smiling and cordial mood, scarcely 
 recognized the features now changed by 
 anger. She could hardly convince her- 
 self that this man, with fire-flashing 
 eyes and knitted brows, and lips quiver- 
 ing with passion, was really her father. 
 
 " You will not ! " he exclaimed, in a 
 deep, threatening tone. " Do you dare 
 to resist the sacred behests of the 
 Church? Or have you forgotten the 
 promise you made to the holy fathers, 
 whose disciple you are? Have you 
 forgotten that the brethren and sisters 
 
HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 of the holy league dare have no other 
 will than that of their superior ? Have 
 you forgotten the solemn vow which 
 you made to Ignatius Loyola, the chief 
 of our order ? Answer me, faithless and 
 undutiful daughter of the Church ! Re- 
 peat to me the oath which you took 
 when he received you into the sacred 
 order of the Society of Jesus 1 Eepeat 
 your oath, I say ! " 
 
 As if impelled by an invisible power, 
 Lady Jane had now risen from her seat, 
 and with trembling humility, and with 
 her hands folded across her breast, she 
 stood before her father, whose tall, com- 
 manding, and angry form seemed to 
 tower above her. 
 
 " I have sworn," she replied, " to 
 subject my own mind and will, my life 
 and all my actions, dutifully to the will 
 of the holy fathers. I have sworn to be 
 a blind instrument in the hands of my 
 superiors, and to do only what they 
 command or enjoin. I have promised 
 to serve the holy and only saving 
 Church, and to submit myself to its di- 
 rections in every respect, and by every 
 means ; none of which I am to despise, 
 or consider too trifling, provided it con- 
 duces to the end in .view. For the end 
 sanctifies the means, and nothing is a 
 crime when done for the honor of God 
 and of His Church." 
 
 " Ad majorem Dei gloriam ! " said 
 her father, devoutly folding his hands. 
 " And do you know what awaits you if 
 you break your vow ? " 
 
 " Yes disgrace here, and perdition 
 hereafter the execration of all my 
 brethren and -sisters eternal reproba- 
 
 tion and the pains of hell ! The holy 
 fathers will put me to death under num- 
 berless pains and tortures; and while 
 they kill my body, and fling it for food 
 to beasts of prey, they will curse rny 
 soul and deliver it to the flames ! " 
 
 " And what awaits you if you remain 
 true to your word, and obey the com- 
 mands which you shall receive?" 
 
 "Honor and glory upon earth, and 
 everlasting bliss in heaven ! " 
 
 " Then you will be a queen on earth 
 and a queen in heaven. Of course you 
 know the laws of the society, and remem- 
 ber your oath ? " 
 
 "I do." 
 
 "And you know that the blessed 
 Loyola, before he left us, appointed a 
 general superior for the Society of Jesus 
 in England, which superior all the breth- 
 ren and sisters must obey, and to whom 
 they are bound to render blind and un- 
 conditional submission ? " 
 
 "I know it." 
 
 " And you know also by what sign the 
 members are enabled to recognize the 
 general superior?" 
 
 " Yes, by the ring of Loyola, which 
 he wears on the forefinger of his right 
 hand." 
 
 "And here you behold the ring," said 
 the earl, drawing forth his hand from 
 his doublet. 
 
 Lady Jane uttered a loud cry, and fell 
 almost unconscious at his feet. 
 
 Lord Douglas raised her up in his 
 arms with a tender smile. 
 
 " You see, Jane, I am not only your 
 father, but also your master. And you 
 will obey me, will you not? " 
 
FATHER AND DAUGHTER. 
 
 63 
 
 " Yes, I shall obey you," she replied, 
 in a faint voice, while she kissed the 
 hand bearing the ominous ring. 
 
 " Then you will be for Katharine Parr, 
 as you express it, the serpent that shall 
 beguile her to sin ?" 
 
 " I will." 
 
 *' You will seduce her to sin, and al- 
 lure her to a love which shall lead to her 
 ruin?" 
 
 " Yes. I will do so, ray father." 
 
 "I must now designate to you the 
 person whom she shall love, and who 
 shall be the instrument of her destruc- 
 tion. You are ]to lead her on to become 
 enamoured of Henry Howard, Earl of 
 Surrey." 
 
 Lady Jane uttered a loud cry, and 
 seized the back of her chair to support 
 her from falling. 
 
 Her father once more scanned her 
 with an angry and penetrating glance. 
 
 "What means this cry? Why does 
 the selection surprise you? " he asked. 
 
 Lady Jane had already recovered her 
 self-possession. "It surprises me," she 
 replied, "because the earl is already 
 married." 
 
 A peculiar smile played around the 
 lips of the earl. " It is not the first 
 time," he said, " that a married man has 
 become dangerous to a woman's heart, 
 and it is just the impossibility of pos- 
 session which has given fresh impulse to 
 the flames of love. The hearts of women 
 are full of caprice and contradiction." 
 
 Lady Jane looked away and did not 
 reply ; she felt that the keen and pier- 
 cing glan ce of her father rested upon her 
 features, and she knew that he was read- 
 
 ing the thoughts of her heart, even 
 though she did not return his gaze. 
 
 " Then you will no longer refuse ? " he 
 asked, at length. "You will inspire the 
 young queen with love for the Earl of 
 Surrey ? " 
 
 " I will try to do so, my father." 
 
 "Then if you try with the proper in- 
 tention, and with the will to succeed, 
 you will gain your point. For, as you 
 say, the queen's heart is still free; it is 
 therefore like a fertile soil, which only 
 requires the seed to be sown therein, 
 that it may yield fruit and flowers. 
 Katharine Parr does not love the king: 
 you will therefore teach her to love the 
 Earl of Surrey." 
 
 " But, my lord," said Lady Jane, with 
 an ironical smile, "in order to attain 
 this result with certainty, we should 
 possess beforehand some magic spell, by 
 virtue of which the earl should first be 
 inspired with a passion for the queen. 
 For the queen has a proud spirit, and she 
 will never so far forget the dignity of her 
 sex and station, as to love a man who 
 has not already become deeply enam- 
 oured of her. But the earl possesses not 
 only a wife, but also, it is said, a mis- 
 tress." 
 
 "Ah, then you hold it as perfectly 
 unworthy of a woman to love a man by 
 whom she is not besought? " asked the 
 earl, in a significant tone. "I am re- 
 joiced to hear this from my daughter, 
 and to be assured that she, at least, will 
 not fall in love with the Earl of Surrey, 
 who is every where known as the 'Lady- 
 Killer.' And as you have taken the 
 pains to become accurately informed of 
 
HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 the private relationships of the earl, it 
 was doubtless only because your acute 
 and discerning mind had already anti- 
 cipated the commission which I in- 
 tended to give you respecting that 
 nobleman. Moreover, daughter, you 
 are in error ; and if a certain high, but, 
 nevertheless, unfortunate lady should 
 haply fall in love with the Earl of Sur- 
 rey, her fate will here be, as perhaps it 
 is elsewhere, to exercise resignation." 
 
 While her father thus spoke, an ex- 
 pression of joyful surprise shone upon 
 the features of Lady Jane ; but it soon 
 gave way to a ghastly paleness, as the 
 earl added : " Henry Howard is destined 
 for Katharine Parr, and you must help 
 her to love this proud and handsome 
 earl (who is a faithful servant of 
 Holy Church) so ardently that she shall 
 forget all the dangers and consequences 
 of such a step." 
 
 Lady Jane did not venture an objec- 
 tion. She hung eagerly upon her fa- 
 ther's words, in order once more to find 
 means of escape. 
 
 "You say the earl is a true servant 
 of our Church," she observed; "and 
 yet you wish to implicate him in our 
 dangerous plans. You have not, there- 
 fore, reflected that it is just as perilous 
 to love the queen as to be loved by her. 
 And if, peradventure, love for the Earl 
 of Surrey should lead the queen to the 
 scaffold, it will also cause the head of 
 the earl to fall at the same time, 
 whether he returns her love or not." 
 
 Lord Douglas shrugged his shoul- 
 ders. 
 
 " If the good of the Church and our 
 
 holy religion is concerned, we must not 
 shrink from the danger which perchance 
 one of our party may incur. To a holy 
 cause, holy victims must frequently fall 
 a sacrifice. Let therefore the earl's head 
 be forfeit, provided the Church can but 
 gain new life and energy from tho 
 martyr's blood. But see, Jane, the 
 morning is already beginning to dawn, 
 and I must hasten to leave you, lest 
 these scandal-loving courtiers should re- 
 gard the father as a lover, and throw 
 suspicion on the pure virtue of ray ex- 
 cellent daughter. Farewell, therefore, 
 for the present. "We both know our 
 parts now, and we will endeavor to play 
 them successfully. You are the confi- 
 dential friend of the queen, while I am 
 the harmless courtier who now and 
 then attempts to win a smile from his 
 king by some jocose pleasantry. That 
 is all. Good-morning then, Jane, and 
 good-night. For you must sleep, my 
 child, lest your cheeks should lose their 
 bloom, or your eyes their brightness. 
 The king detests pale, languishing faces. 
 Sleep, therefore, future Queen of Eng- 
 land ! " 
 
 He kissed her brow faintly, and left 
 the room with a stealthy pace. 
 
 Lady Jane listened till the sound of 
 his footsteps was lost; and then, ex- 
 hausted and overcome, she sank upon 
 her knees. 
 
 " Wretched one that I am ! " she mur- 
 mured, while streams of tears bathed 
 her countenance. " I am to inspire the 
 queen with love for the Earl of Surrey, 
 at the same time that I love him my- 
 self! " 
 
THE NEXT DAY. 
 
 65 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 THE NEXT DAY. 
 
 THE grand drawing-room was over. 
 Katharine, sitting on the throne beside 
 the king, had received the congratula- 
 tions of her court; and the smiling 
 glances of the king, and the half-audible 
 words of aifection, which he now and 
 then addressed to the queen, testified to 
 the acute and quick-witted courtiers that 
 the king was to-day as enamoured of his 
 young wife as he had yesterday been of 
 his bride. They accordingly vied with 
 each other, to show their homage to her 
 majesty, and to catch every look and 
 smile which she bestowed on those 
 around her, that they might thus per- 
 chance discover the future favorites of 
 the queen, and already sue for their good 
 graces. 
 
 But the eyes of the young queen were 
 directed to no one in particular; she 
 was cordial and smiling, but her cour- 
 tiers felt that this cordiality was strained, 
 and that her smile was tinged with sad- 
 ness. The king alone did not observe it. 
 He was cheerful and happy, and it there- 
 fore seemed to him that no one at his 
 court could dare to sigh or feel weary 
 as the king himself was satisfied. 
 
 After the drawing-room was over at 
 which all the great and noble of the 
 kingdom had passed in solemn proces- 
 sion before the royal pair, the king, con- 
 formably with the court etiquette of the 
 time, gave his hand to his spouse, and 
 assisting her to descend from the throne, 
 led her into the midst of the saloon, in 
 
 order to present to her the members of 
 the court who were to form the staff on 
 her service. 
 
 But this journey from the throne to 
 the middle of the room had fatigued the 
 king. This promenade of thirty paces 
 was for him a very unusual and laborious 
 task, and the king was anxious to ex- 
 change it for another and a more agree- 
 able one. He therefore beckoned to the 
 lord chamberlain, and commanded him 
 to have the doors leading to the dining- 
 room thrown open; he then ordered his 
 "house chariot" to be brought forward, 
 and sitting upright therein with all pos- 
 sible dignity, he caused it to stand beside 
 the queen, waiting impatiently for the 
 ceremony of presentation to be over, that 
 Katharine might accompany him to 
 dinner. 
 
 Already the presentation of the female 
 portion and the maids of honor was 
 ended, and now came the turn of the 
 gentlemen. 
 
 The lord chamberlain read aloud 
 from his list the names of those cavaliers 
 who were for the future to attend upon 
 the queen, and whom the king had des- 
 ignated in the list with his own hand. 
 And as each new name was announced, 
 an expression of smiling astonishment 
 marked the faces of the courtly as- 
 semblage ; for it was always one of the 
 youngest and handsomest, and most 
 agreeable of the lords, that was succes- 
 sively named by the chamberlain. 
 
 The king had perhaps contemplated a 
 cruel game with his wife : in surround- 
 ing her with the young men of his court, 
 he wished perhaps to throw her into the 
 
66 
 
 UENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 midst of danger, either that she might 
 perish therein, or that, avoiding the 
 snares around her, he might be able to 
 place the unassailable virtue of his young 
 wife in the clearest light. 
 
 The list had commenced with the sub- 
 ordinate offices, and, going upward, it 
 had now reached the highest and most 
 important posts of all. 
 
 As yet the master of the horse, and 
 the queen's chamberlain, were not 
 named, and these were doubtless the 
 most weighty changes at the queen's 
 court ; for one or other of these officers 
 was always bound to be in attendance 
 upon the queen. When she was in the 
 palace, the lord chamberlain must 
 always wait in her anteroom; for it 
 was only through him that any one 
 could gain access to the queen ; to him 
 were committed her commands respect- 
 ing the arrangements and pleasures of 
 the day. He must therefore devise new 
 modes of amusement and royal diver- 
 sion ; he had the privilege of joining the 
 more private evening circles of the queen, 
 and of standing behind the queen's chair, 
 when the royal couple wished to sup to- 
 gether without ceremony. 
 
 This office of chamberlain was there- 
 fore a very important one ; for as it con- 
 fined him to the vicinity of the queen 
 for the greater part of the day, it was 
 almost inevitable that the chamberlain 
 should become either the attentive and 
 confidential friend, or the malevolent 
 and prying enemy, of his royal mistress. 
 
 But the office of master of the horse 
 was no less important ; for whenever the 
 queen left the palace, whether on foot 
 
 or in her carriage, whether to take a ride 
 in the forest, or to enjoy the air on the 
 river in her gilded barge, the master of 
 the horse had always to be at her side, 
 had always to accompany her, nay, 
 this post was yet more exclusive, yet 
 more important. For though the 
 apartments of the queen were always 
 open to the chamberlain, still he was 
 never alone with her, as there was always 
 some lady in waiting, who would hinder 
 any private or confidential communica- 
 tion between the queen and her cham- 
 berlain. 
 
 It was otherwise, however, with the 
 master of the horse. Many occasions 
 were presented when he could approach 
 the queen unobserved, or at least speak 
 to her without listeners. It was his 
 duty to assist her in entering and alight- 
 ing from her carriage, outside of which 
 he was permitted to ride ; he accompa- 
 nied her on her excursions by water, 
 and on her rides on horseback ; and 
 these latter were so much the more im- 
 portant, as they offered him to a certain 
 extent the opportunity of a tete-d-tete 
 with the queen. For it was only the 
 master of the horse that was permitted 
 to ride by her side ; he even had prece- 
 dence of the ladies of her suite, in ren- 
 dering assistance to the queen, in case of 
 any accident such as that of the horse 
 stumbling or otherwise. On such occa- 
 sions, therefore, none of her retinue could 
 know what conversation might pass 
 between the queen and her master of 
 the horse. 
 
 We can thus understand how influen- 
 tial such a post must have been. More- 
 
THE NEXT DAY. 
 
 67 
 
 over, when the queen was at Whitehall 
 the king was nearly always beside her ; 
 but, thanks to the daily increasing un- 
 wieldiness of his body, he was not in a 
 condition to leave the palace, otherwise 
 than in a carriage. 
 
 It was therefore very natural that the 
 whole body of courtiers should look for- 
 ward with strained attention and sus- 
 pended breathing to the moment when 
 the chamberlain should designate these 
 two important personages, whose names 
 had been kept so secret, that no one had 
 yet been able to discover them. It was 
 only this morning that the king had in- 
 scribed these names upon the list before 
 handing it to the chamberlain. 
 
 But not only the court, but even the 
 king himself, looked with anxiety to the 
 mention of these two names. For 
 Henry wished to see the effect which 
 they might produce, and to discover by 
 the varied expression of the countenan- 
 ces of his courtiers, who the friends 
 were of the two nominees. The young 
 queen alone evinced her usual unaffected 
 cordiality her heart alone beat with 
 unmoved composure she did not for a 
 moment suspect the importance of the 
 point of issue. 
 
 Even the voice of the lord chamber- 
 lain trembled a little as he now read : 
 "To the office of chamberlain to the 
 queen, his majesty appoints my Lord 
 Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey." 
 
 A murmur of approbation was au- 
 dible, and an agreeable surprise became 
 evident in the faces of nearly all. 
 1 " He has a good many friends," mut- 
 tered the king to himself. "He is 
 
 therefore dangerous." An angry glance 
 from his eye met the youthful earl, who 
 was just approaching the young queen, 
 to bend his knee before her, and to 
 kiss the hand which was extended to 
 him. 
 
 Behind the queen stood Lady Jane, 
 and when she saw the young, handsome, 
 long-sighed-for, and secretly-worshipped 
 noble so near her, and when she thought 
 of her vow, she felt an angry pang and a 
 poignant jealousy against the young 
 queen, who, without suspecting it, 
 robbed her of the man she loved, and 
 condemned her to the fearful agony of 
 being herself the instrument of her own 
 unhappiness. 
 
 The chamberlain now read with loud 
 and solemn voice: "To the office of 
 master of the horse to the queen, his 
 majesty appoints my Lord Thomas Sey- 
 mour, Earl of Sudley." 
 
 It was well that the king, at this mo- 
 ment, had directed his whole attention 
 to his courtiers, and sought to read in 
 their features the impression which the 
 appointment produced. 
 
 Had he observed his young spouse, he 
 would have perceived how an expres- 
 sion of joyful astonishment overspread 
 the face of Katharine, and how a sweet 
 smile played around her lips. 
 
 But the king, as we have said, 
 thought only of his court ; he only saw 
 that the number of those who rejoiced 
 at Seymour's appointment, did not 
 nearly equal that of the others who had 
 received the appointment of Surrey 
 with such marked approbation. 
 
 Henry's brow became contracted, and 
 
68 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 he muttered to himself: "These How- 
 ards are too powerful. I shall keep a 
 watchful eye upon them." 
 
 In his turn, Thomas Seymour ap- 
 proached the queen, and, bending his 
 knee, kissed her hand. Katharine re- 
 ceived him with a kindly smile. " My 
 lord," she said, " you are at once to en- 
 ter upon your attendance with me, and 
 in a way too which I trust will be 
 agreeable to all the court. You will be 
 pleased, my lord, to mount your swiftest 
 
 courser, and hasten to the palace of 
 Holt, where the Princess Elizabeth is 
 staying. Give her .this letter from 'her 
 royal father, and she will follow you 
 hither. Tell her that I long to embrace 
 her as a friend and a sister, and that I 
 trust she will forgive me, if I cannot re- 
 sign to her the whole heart of her king 
 and father, but would still keep therein a 
 place for myself. Hasten to the palace 
 of Holt, my lord, and bring with you the 
 Princess Elizabeth." 
 
BOOK H 
 
 THE CHASE. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 THB KING'S JESTEB. 
 
 Two years had elapsed since the 
 king's marriage, and still Katharine 
 Parr had maintained herself in favor 
 with her husband. As yet her enemies 
 had not heen able to succeed in their 
 efforts to overthrow her, and raise a 
 seventh queen to the throne. 
 
 Katharine had always been cautious 
 and circumspect. She had always kept 
 her head and her heart cool; she had 
 said to herself every morning, that tbis 
 day might possibly be her last that 
 some thoughtless word or inconsiderate 
 act might deprive her of her crown and 
 of her life. For Henry's fierce and 
 cruel disposition seemed, like his bodily 
 ailments, to increase each day. It 
 needed but a trifle to excite him to the 
 highest fury to a fury which smote 
 with a fatal blow the individual who 
 had roused his anger. 
 
 It was this consciousness and this 
 knowledge which had made the queen 
 
 circumspect. She did not yet wish to 
 die. She loved life still the more so, 
 as it had hitherto afforded her so few 
 pleasures : she still loved it because she 
 hoped for so much happiness for so 
 many joys and delights, yet to come. 
 
 No. She did not wish to die; for 
 she looked forward to life, of which she 
 had already had but a dim foreshadowing 
 in her dreams, and of which her trem- 
 bling and anxious heart told her that 
 life was at length ready to wake within 
 her, and to rouse her with eyes of sunny 
 brightness from the winter sleep of her 
 existence. 
 
 It was a beautiful day in spring. 
 Katharine wished to avail herself of it, 
 in order to take an airing on horseback, 
 and to forget for a few hours that she 
 was a queen. She was anxious to enjoy 
 a ride in the forest to inhale the mild 
 breezes of May to hear the song of the 
 wild birds to gaze upon the verdant 
 fields, and to breathe the balmy air of 
 spring. 
 
 She wished to ride. No one sus- 
 pected how mnch secret pleasure and 
 
70 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 hidden delight was contained in these 
 words. No one suspected that for 
 months she had looked forward to this 
 excursion on horseback, albeit she had 
 scarcely ventured to wish for it just 
 because it would be the fulfilment of her 
 anxious desires. 
 
 She had already put on her riding- 
 habit ; and the little red velvet hat, with 
 the long, white waving plume, already 
 adorned her beautiful head. Pacing up 
 and down her apartment, she only 
 awaited the return of her chamberlain, 
 whom she had sent to the king, to know 
 if he wished to see her before going out 
 for her excursion. 
 
 Suddenly the door opened, and a 
 strange apparition stood upon the thresh- 
 old. This was a little shrivelled old 
 man, wrapped in a garment of reddish- 
 purple silk, which was neatly adorned 
 with puffs of many colors, and which, 
 in its various hues and tints, contrasted 
 strangely with the white hair and the 
 dark, determined countenance of the old 
 man. 
 
 " Ah ! the king's jester," said Katha- 
 rine, with a merry laugh. " Well, John 
 Hey wood, and what brings you here now ? 
 Have you any message from the king ? 
 or have you been playing some of your 
 sly tricks again, and do you want me to 
 take you under my protection ? " 
 
 "No, your majesty," replied John 
 Hey wood, gravely, "I have not been 
 playing any foolish tricks, and I don't 
 bring you any message from the king. 
 I only bring you myself. Ah, my lady 
 queen, I see you are disposed to laugh, 
 but I beg you will not forget for a mo- 
 
 ment that John Hey wood is the king's 
 jester, and that it does not become him 
 to wear a serious look and have grave 
 thoughts like other men." 
 
 " Oh, I am aware you are not only 
 the king's jester, but also a poet," said 
 Katharine, with a gracious smile. 
 
 " Yes," he returned, " I am a poet, 
 and for that reason it is quite right that 
 I should wear this fool's cap for poets 
 are all fools, and it would be better for 
 them if they were taken and suspended 
 from the next tree, rather than be al- 
 lowed to run about in their mad ecstasy 
 and prate of things in a way that must 
 make them the scorn and derision of 
 reasonable people. Yes, queen, I am a 
 poet, and therefore I have donned the 
 fool's livery that I wear, which puts me 
 under the king's protection, and suffers 
 me to tell him now and then strange 
 truths which nobody else would have 
 the hardihood to utter. But to-day, 
 queen, I come to you neither as a fool nor 
 as a poet, but I come to embrace your 
 knees and lay my thanks at your feet. I 
 come to tell you that you have made 
 John Heywood forever your slave. 
 Henceforth he will lie at your door like 
 a faithful dog, and watch you against 
 every enemy and every insidious attack 
 v that might threaten to reach you. Night 
 and day he will be ready at your service, 
 and will take neither rest nor repose, 
 when a command or a wish of yours is 
 to be fulfilled." 
 
 And while he thus spoke with falter- 
 ing voice, and his eyes filled with tears, 
 he knelt down and bent his head at 
 Katharine's feet. 
 
THE KING'S JESTER. 
 
 " But what have I done to inspire you 
 with such a feeling of gratitude ? " said 
 Katharine, astonished. "How have I 
 deserved that you, the powerful favorite 
 of the king, and dreaded by all, should 
 devote yourself to my service ? " 
 
 " What have you done ? " he asked. 
 " My liege queen, you have saved my 
 son from the scaffold. They had con- 
 demned him ; yes, they had condemned 
 this fine, noble young man for having 
 spoken with reverence of Sir Thomas 
 More for having said that that great 
 and good man had done right in prefer- 
 ring to die, rather than forswear his con- 
 victions. Ah, in our times it is such a 
 mere trifle to be condemned to death 
 that even a thoughtless word is enough 
 to do so. And this wretched, lick-spittle 
 Parliament, in its cringing baseness, al- 
 ways judges and condemns, for it knows 
 that King Henry is always athirst for 
 blood, and hankers for the stake and 
 the gibbet. They had consequently con- 
 demned my son; and were it not for 
 your majesty's intercession, they would 
 have taken his life. But you, whom God 
 has placed as a conciliating angel upon 
 a royal throne dripping with blood ; you, 
 who daily put your life and your crown 
 in jeopardy for the safety and pardon of 
 those unhappy beings who are con- 
 demned by fanaticism you have also 
 saved my son." 
 
 "What! Was the young man who 
 was yesterday to be sent to the scaffold 
 your son ? " 
 
 " Yes ; he was my son, my own son." 
 
 " And you did not tell the king so, nor 
 intercede for him ? " 
 
 "Had I done so, he would inevitably 
 have been lost. For you know the king 
 is so sensitive upon his impartiality and 
 his virtue. Oh, had he known that 
 Thomas was my son, he would have con- 
 demned him, in order to show his people 
 that Henry the Eighth everywhere 
 strikes down the guilty, and punishes the 
 offender, whatever may be his name, and 
 whoever may intercede for him. Nay, 
 even your majesty's entreaties would not 
 have saved him ; for the high-priest of 
 the English Church would never have 
 been able to par*don the circumstance 
 that this poor young man was not the 
 legitimate son of his father, that he had 
 no right to bear his name, but that his 
 mother was the wife of another, whom 
 Thomas must call his father." 
 
 " Poor Hey wood ! Yes, I now under- 
 stand. Certainly the king would never 
 have pardoned this, and if he knew it, 
 your son would have been irretrievably 
 lost." 
 
 " You have saved him, my queen. Do 
 you now believe that I shall be eternally 
 grateful to you ? " 
 
 " I believe it," said the queen, with a 
 sweet and gracious smile, while she pre- 
 sented her hand for him to kiss. "I 
 believe you, and I accept your ser- 
 vices." 
 
 "And your majesty will stand in 
 need of them, for a storm is gathering 
 over your head, and the thunder will 
 soon roll, and the lightning flash." 
 
 " Oh, I am not afraid of that," said 
 Katharine, smiling. "If a storm should 
 come, it will serve to clear and purify 
 the atmosphere, and we know that 
 
HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 after a hurricane frequently comes sun- 
 shine." 
 
 "You have a stout heart," said John 
 Heywood, pensively. 
 
 "That is to say, I am not conscious of 
 any guilt." 
 
 " But your enemies will impute guilt 
 to you. Ah, when the question is to 
 calumniate a fellow-being and bring him 
 to ruin, men, ay, and women too, have 
 fertile imaginations they are all poets." 
 
 "But you have just said that poets are 
 mad, and that they should be hung from 
 the next tree. We shall therefore treat 
 these slanderers as poets that is all." 
 
 "No, that is not all," said John Hey- 
 wood, with energy ; " for slanderers are 
 like earthworms. You may cut them 
 in pieces, but instead of killing them, you 
 will only multiply each, and give it sev- 
 eral heads." 
 
 "But what do they accuse me of?" 
 exclaimed Katharine, impatiently. " Is 
 not my life blameless and patent to all 
 men ? Do I ever take pains to have any 
 secrets ? Is not my heart, on the con- 
 trary, like a house of glass, into which 
 you all may look, and perceive that it is 
 an unfruitful soil, and that not even one 
 solitary little flower grows therein ? " 
 
 "Exactly so; but your enemies will 
 sow weeds in it, and make the king be- 
 lieve that they are the growth of a con- 
 suming love which has sprung up in 
 your heart." 
 
 " What ! Accuse me of an unlawful 
 passion?" asked Katharine, while her 
 lips trembled visibly. 
 
 "As yet, I know not their plans, but I 
 ; shall discover them. A conspiracy is 
 
 brooding. Be, therefore, on your guard* 
 my queen. Trust nobody, for enemies 
 always conceal themselves under the 
 mask of hypocrisy and flattering words." 
 
 " If you know my enemies, name them 
 to me," said Katharine impatiently. 
 " Name them to me, that I may guard 
 against them." 
 
 " I am not here to accuse any one, but 
 to bid you be watchful. I shall there- 
 fore be careful not to designate your 
 enemies, but I will tell you who your 
 friends are." 
 
 "Ah, then I have friends too?" said 
 Katharine, with a quiet and gratified 
 smile. 
 
 "Yes, you have friends, and those 
 friends are ready to shed their hearts' 
 blood for you if necessary." 
 
 " Oh, pray name them name them 1 " 
 cried Katharine, trembling with joyful 
 eagerness. 
 
 " I name first of all Cranmer, the Arch- 
 bishop of Canterbury. He is your true 
 and faithful friend, upon whom you may 
 safely rely. He loves you as his queen 
 and esteems you as the colleague whom 
 God has sent him, in order here at the 
 court of our most Christian and most 
 blood-thirsty sovereign, to bring the 
 blessed work of the Keformation to a 
 successful issue, and to cause the light 
 of knowledge to illuminate this night 
 of papal error and superstition. Build 
 firmly upon Cranmer, for he is your sur- 
 est and most steadfast support; and 
 were he to fall, your own downfall would 
 be the inevitable result." 
 
 " Yes, you are right," said the queen, 
 thoughtfully. " Cranmer is a noble and 
 
THE KING'S JESTER. 
 
 73 
 
 Constant friend, and very often already 
 be has taken my part with the king 
 against the petty darts of my enemies, 
 which do not indeed kill, bat make the 
 whole body sore and ill at ease." 
 
 " Protect him as you value your own 
 safety." 
 
 44 Well, and the other friends ? " 
 
 " I have given precedence to Cranmer, 
 but now, my queen, I name myself, as 
 the second of your friends. As the 
 archbishop is your stanch upholder, so 
 will I be your watch-dog, and, believe 
 me, while you have such a trusty sup- 
 porter and such a faithful watch -dog, you 
 are out of danger. Cranmer will warn 
 you of every stumbling-block that may 
 cross your path, and I shall bark and 
 bite at the enemies that lurk in ambush 
 behind the thicket, in order to attack 
 you unawares." 
 
 "I thank you sincerely," said Katha- 
 rine, with cordiality. "Now pray con- 
 tinue." 
 
 " Continue ? " said Hey wood, with a 
 sad smile. 
 
 " Yes, name some of my other friends." 
 
 "Ah, my queen, it is much, very 
 much, to have found two friends in life 
 upon whom we can depend, and whose 
 constancy is not determined by selfish mo- 
 tives. You are perhaps the only crowned 
 head that can boast of such friends." 
 
 " I am a woman," said Katharine, pen- 
 sively, "and many ladies surround me. 
 and daily vow their unchanging fidelity 
 and attachment. And am I to consider 
 all these as unworthy the name of 
 friends ? Not even Lady Jane Douglas, 
 whom I regard as one of my early 
 
 friends, and in whom I confide as in a 
 sister? Tell me, John Hey wood, you 
 who are said to know and discover what- 
 ever passes at this court tell me, is not 
 Lady Jane Douglas my friend ? " 
 
 John Hey wood suddenly became 
 grave and silent, and seemed lost in 
 thought. At length, he opened his 
 large lustrous eyes and looked inquiring- 
 ly around the room, as if to convince 
 himself that there was really no listener 
 concealed, and advancing close to the 
 queen, he whispered : 
 
 " Trust her not she is a papist, and 
 Gardiner is her friend." 
 
 " Ah, I suspected it," murmured Kath- 
 arine, sadly. 
 
 "But listen, my queen, do not let 
 this suspicion escape you by word or 
 look, or by the slightest intimation of 
 any kind. Lull this viper, in the belief 
 that you think her harmless. Lull her 
 to sleep, I say. She is a venomous and 
 deadly serpent, that must not be pro- 
 voked, lest she should bite you before 
 you could suspect it. Only remember, 
 queen, not to confide to Lady Jane what 
 you would not tell Gardiner and Lord 
 Douglas. Oh, believe me, she is like the 
 lion in the doge's palace at Venice : the 
 secrets which you confide to her will rise 
 up in evidence against you at the bloody 
 tribunal." 
 
 Katharine smiled and shook her head. 
 
 "You judge too severely, John Hey- 
 wood. The religion to which she secret- 
 ly adheres may possibly have estranged 
 her heart from me, but she would never 
 be so base as to betray me, or ally herself 
 with my enemies. N"o, good John, you de- 
 
HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 ceive yourself. It would be culpable in 
 me to believe what you say. What a 
 wicked and miserable world it would be 
 if we dared not trust our most beloved 
 #nd faithful friends ! " 
 
 " Ay, indeed the world is wicked and 
 miserable, and we must distrust it, or 
 else regard it as a merry pastime with 
 which the devil tickles our fancy. For 
 me it is such a pastime, queen, and 
 therefore I became the king's jester, 
 which at least affords me the privilege 
 of spreading all the venom of human 
 contempt over the crawling brood of 
 courtiers, and of telling the truth to 
 those from whose tongues falsehood is 
 always dripping like a honey-comb. 
 "Wise men and poets are the proper fools 
 of our time ; and as I did not feel within 
 me the vocation to be a king or a philos- 
 opher a hangman or a victim, I became 
 the king's fool." 
 
 " Yes, that is to say, a dealer in epi- 
 grams whose caustic tongue makes all 
 the court tremble." 
 
 " As I cannot send the culprits to the 
 scaffold, like my royal master, I give 
 them the sharp edge of my tongue ; and 
 I assure your majesty you will stand 
 sorely in need of this ally. Be on your 
 guard, queen. This very morning I 
 heard the first growl of the thunder, and 
 saw latent gleams of lightning in the eyes 
 of Lady Jane. Trust her not : trust no- 
 body here but your friends. Cranmer 
 and John Hey wood." 
 
 " And you say that amongst all the 
 brilliant ladies, and all the noble and 
 chivalrous cavaliers at this court, the 
 poor queen has not a single friend, not a 
 
 soul in whom she can confide ? Oh, John 
 Hey wood, recollect yourself; have pity 
 upon a helpless queen; pray recollect 
 yourself. Only you both no other 
 friend, say you ? " 
 
 And the eyes of the queen filled with 
 tears which she strove in vain to check. 
 
 John Heywood perceived it, and 
 sighed deeply. Better, perhaps, than 
 the queen herself, he had read the 
 thoughts of her heart, and knew its 
 secret wounds. But he had compassion 
 for her suffering, and wished to mitigate 
 it as far as he could. 
 
 " Yes, I recollect," he murmured, in a 
 low voice. "I now recollect you have 
 a third friend at this court." 
 
 "Ah! a third friend!" exclaimed 
 Katharine, . in a tone which betokened 
 secret joy. "Pray, who is it who is 
 he ? I am quite impatient to know his 
 name." 
 
 With a peculiar and inquiring glance, 
 and with a pensive and expressive gaze t 
 John Heywood looked into the glowing 
 features of Katharine, and for a moment 
 he dropped his head upon his breast and 
 sighed. 
 
 " Well, John, name this third friend of 
 mine." 
 
 "Do you not know who it is, ray 
 queen ? " he asked, looking at her once 
 more with a firm and fixed gaze. "Do 
 you not know him ? It is Thomas Sey- 
 mour, Lord Sudley." 
 
 A gleam of sunshine seemed to pass 
 over the countenance of Katharine, and 
 she uttered a faint cry. 
 
 John Heywood resumed, in pensive 
 tones : 
 
THE KING'S JESTER. 
 
 75 
 
 " Queen, the sun shines directly upon 
 your face, beware lest it dazzle your 
 "bright eyes. Eepose in the shade, and 
 but, hark! here conies one who would 
 be quite capable of affirming that the 
 sunshine in your countenance was a con- 
 flagration." 
 
 At this moment the door opened, and 
 Lady Jane Douglas appeared at the 
 threshold. She cast a rapid, inquiring 
 glance around the apartment, and a faint 
 smile passed over her pale and beautiful 
 features. 
 
 "Your majesty," she said, u all is 
 ready, and only awaits yonr commands. 
 The Princess Elizabeth is in the ante- 
 chamber, and your master of the horse 
 already holds your stirrup." 
 
 " And the chamberlain ? " asked 
 Katharine, slightly blushing ; " has he 
 no message for me from the king ? " 
 
 44 Yes," said the Earl of Surrey, enter- 
 ing. "His majesty bids me tell the 
 queen that she may extend her ride as 
 far as may be agreeable. This delight- 
 ful weather deserves that the Queen of 
 England should enjoy it, and enter into 
 rivalry with the sun." 
 
 " Oh, the king is the most gallant of 
 cavaliers," returned Katharine, with a 
 smile of satisfaction. "Now, Jane, 
 come, let us mount." 
 
 " Your majesty will pardon me," said 
 Lady Jane, drawing back ; " but I may 
 not enjoy the favor of accompanying 
 you to day, as Lady Anne Ettersville is 
 at present in attendance." 
 
 "Very well, Jane; another time, 
 then. And you, my Lord Douglas, do 
 you not join in our excursion ? " 
 
 " The king has commanded my attend- 
 ance in his closet, your majesty." 
 
 " Now, only think ! Here is a queen, 
 abandoned by all her friends," said 
 Katharine, in a tone of lively raillery; 
 while, with a light, elastic step, she 
 crossed the saloon, and proceeded to the 
 court-yard. 
 
 u There is something going on here 
 which I must find out," muttered 
 John Heywood, who, with the others, 
 had left the room. " A mouse- trap has 
 been laid, for the cats are staying at 
 home, and are hungry for their prey." 
 
 Lady Jane, however, remained behind 
 in the saloon with her father. They 
 both advanced to the window, and 
 looked down in silence into the court- 
 yard, where now the brilliant cavalcade 
 of the queen, with all her attendants, 
 were mingled together. 
 
 Katharine had just mounted her 
 horse. The noble animal, who knew 
 his mistress, neighed loudly, while he 
 pranced and snorted under his royal 
 burden. 
 
 The Princess Elizabeth, who kept be- 
 side the queen, uttered a cry of terror. 
 
 "Your majesty will fall," she ex- 
 claimed. " Your steed is such a high- 
 spirited and wayward animal." 
 
 "Oh, not at all," said Katharine, smil- 
 ing. " Hector is a quiet horse, only he 
 is somewhat like myself to-day. The 
 fresh May breeze has made us both 
 rather lively and mettlesome. Let us 
 away then, my lords and ladies; our 
 horses must put on their best speed to- 
 day : we ride to Epping Forest." 
 
 And through the open gates of the 
 
HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 court-yard rushed the goodly cavalcade. 
 The queen led the procession ; on her 
 right was the Princess Elizabeth, on her 
 left the master of the horse, Thomas 
 Seymour. 
 
 "When the queen and her retinue had 
 vanished, the father and daughter with- 
 drew from the window, and exchanged a 
 glance of peculiar significance. 
 
 " Well, Jane," said Lord Douglas, at 
 length, "she is still queen, and the 
 king's health is daily growing more 
 feeble and uncertain. It is quite time 
 that we should present him with a sev- 
 enth queen." 
 
 " Very soon, dear father; very soon." 
 
 "Does she love Henry Howard at 
 last?" 
 
 " Yes, he loves her,' 1 * said Lady Jane, 
 while her features became deadly pale. 
 
 " I ask you if the queen loves Mm f " 
 
 "She will love him," murmured 
 Lady Jane; and then, suddenly recov- 
 ering herself, she continued : " But it is 
 not enough to make the queen enamoured 
 of the Earl of Surrey ; it would doubt- 
 less be more effectual if the king could 
 be inspired with a new passion. Did 
 you observe, my father, with what 
 ardent looks the king yesterday re- 
 garded the Duchess of Eichmond and 
 myself? " 
 
 "Did I observe it? Why, all the 
 court noticed and spoke of it! " 
 
 " Well, then, make the king feel des- 
 perately ennuye to-day, and then bring 
 him to me. He will find the Duchess of 
 Richmond and myself together." 
 
 "An excellent idea! Come, Jane, 
 you will yet be Henry's seventh wife." 
 
 " I shall at least overthrow Katharine 
 Parr, for she is my rival, and I hate 
 her," said Lady Jane, with glowing 
 cheeks and flashing eyes. She has 
 already been queen long enough, and I 
 have bowed before her. She shall now 
 sink into the dust before me, and I will 
 put my heel upon her neck ! " 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 THE EXCURSION. 
 
 THE morning was delightful. The 
 dew was still upon the grass on the 
 meadows, over which they rode before 
 entering the thick of the forest, in the 
 trees of which gay song-birds piped 
 their wild, melodious lays. They 
 pressed forward along the course of a 
 murmuring brook, and observed the 
 herds of wild deer which flocked to- 
 gether in an open glade of the forest, as 
 if, like the queen and her retinue, they 
 would listen to the warbling of the 
 birds and the murmur of the rivulet. 
 
 Katharine felt an indescribable sensa- 
 tion of happiness, which made her 
 bosom swell with inward delight. To- 
 day she was no longer the queen, sur- 
 rounded by dangers and by enemies; 
 not the wife of an unloved and tyranni- 
 cal husband not the queen, fettered by 
 the trammels of etiquette. She was a 
 free and happy woman, who, with hope- 
 ful yearning, looks forward smilingly to 
 the future, and says to the fleeting 
 
THE EXCURSION. 
 
 77 
 
 hours: "Stay, stay, for ye are laden 
 with delights!" 
 
 The happiness of the present hour -was 
 a visioned bliss, borrowed from the 
 dreamland of the future. Ah, Katharine 
 would joyfully have relinquished her 
 crown if she could have rendered this 
 hour enduring. 
 
 He was at her side. He of whom John 
 Heywood had told her, that he was one 
 of her most steadfast and faithful friends. 
 He was there. And if she did not ven- 
 ture to look at him often, or often to ad- 
 dress him, yet she felt his proximity, and 
 felt, too, that the glowing beams from 
 his eyes fell upon her features like a con- 
 suming fire. No one could observe 
 them, for the members of the court rode 
 at some distance in the rear, and before 
 and around them was nothing but the 
 love-breathing and smiling landscape, 
 with the bright and beautiful sky above 
 them. 
 
 Katharine had meanwhile forgotten 
 that she was not quite alone, and that if 
 Thomas Seymour rode at her left, the 
 Princess Elizabeth rode at her right 
 this youthful girl of fourteen, who 
 amidst fiery ordeals and the storms of 
 ill-fortune, had suddenly sprung up to 
 precocious womanhood, and whose heart 
 had reached early maturity amidst the 
 tears and bitter experience of her un- 
 happy childhood. Elizabeth the child 
 in years, had nevertheless the strong and 
 ardent feelings of a woman. Elizabeth 
 the rejected and disinherited princess, 
 had still inherited from her father his 
 pride and ambition ; and when she looked 
 at the queen, and perceived the email 
 
 crown studded with diamonds, which 
 she wore over her velvet riding-cap, she 
 felt a keen inward pang, and thought to 
 herself with bitter regret that this crown 
 was destined never to adorn her own 
 brow, as the king had excluded her from 
 the succession by a solemn act of Par- 
 liament. 
 
 But the pain which she felt upon this 
 subject had, for some weeks past, be- 
 come somewhat mitigated. Another 
 feeling had overpowered it. Elizabeth, 
 who knew that she should not be a 
 queen or a ruler, wished at least to en- 
 joy the privileges of a woman. As she 
 had been denied the chance of wearing a 
 crown, she would at least enjoy the hap- 
 piness of her sex ; if not a crown of gold, 
 at least a myrtle- wreath should deck her 
 brow. 
 
 She had been early taught by experi- 
 ence to understand her own feelings, and 
 she did not now shrink from examin- 
 ing with a firm and steady gaze the sen- 
 timents which were uppermost in her 
 heart. 
 
 Yes she knew that she loved, and 
 that Thomas Seymour was the object of 
 her affection. 
 
 But on the part of the earl did he 
 return her love ? Did he understand the 
 heart of the young girl ? Had he rec- 
 ognized under her childish aspect the 
 proud and passion-glowing woman ? Had 
 he discovered the secrets of this timid 
 and maidenly, and yet withal this ardent 
 and energetic spirit? 
 
 Thomas Seymour had never yet be- 
 trayed a secret ; and what he had read, 
 perad venture, in the eyes of the prin- 
 
T8 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 cess, and what, perchance, he had said to 
 her in the quiet shady walks of Hampton 
 Court, or in the long dark corridors of 
 Whitehall nohody knew but them- 
 selves ; for Elizabeth had a strong mas- 
 culine soul ; she needed no confidant to 
 impart her secrets to; and Thomas Sey- 
 mour would have been apprehensive lest 
 he should make for himself like the im- 
 mortal barber of Midas a hole, and ut- 
 ter his secret therein ; for he knew well 
 that if the reed should grow up and re- 
 peat his words, he would have to lay his 
 head upon the block. 
 
 Poor princess! She did not suspect 
 that the secret of the earl and her own 
 were not one and the same. She did 
 not suspect that if Thomas Seymour dis- 
 covered her secret, he would only use it, 
 perhaps, for the purpose of making it a 
 glittering foil to his own secret. 
 
 Like Elizabeth, he too had seen the 
 jewelled crown upon the brow of the 
 young queen, and he had observed how 
 old and tottering the king was looking 
 of late. 
 
 As he now rode beside the two prin- 
 cesses, he felt his heart swell with proud 
 exultation, while his thoughts were 
 occupied alone with bold and ambitious 
 projects. 
 
 Of these thoughts, however, his com- 
 panions knew nothing. They were both 
 too much taken up with their own mus- 
 ings ; and while Katharine's eye, beam- 
 ing with lustre, wandered to the scenes 
 around her, the brow of the princess be- 
 came slightly clouded, and her keen 
 glance was fixed upon Thomas Seymour 
 with eager watchfulness. 
 
 She had observed those passionate 
 glances which he sometimes directed 
 toward the queen; and the slight and 
 almost imperceptible tremor of his voice 
 in addressing Katharine, had not escaped 
 her. 
 
 The Princess Elizabeth was jealous. 
 She felt the first painful emotions of this 
 terrible malady, which she had inherited 
 from her father, and in the feverish out- 
 breaks of which the king had sent two 
 of his wives to the scaffold. 
 
 She was jealous but not of the 
 queen ; or rather she did not think for 
 a moment that the queen could share or 
 return Seymour's love. It never oc- 
 curred to her to accuse Katharine of any 
 complicity with the earl. She was only 
 jealous of the glances which he be- 
 stowed upon the queen ; and as she con- 
 tinued to observe those glances, she 
 could not at the same time perceive in 
 the eyes of her young step-mother the 
 subdued fire which was kindled in them 
 by Seymour's burning gaze, and which 
 made her countenance to glow visibly. 
 
 But Thomas Seymour had perceived 
 it, and had he now been alone with 
 Katharine, he would have flung himself 
 at her feet, and have confided to her all 
 the deep and dangerous secrets which 
 he had so long concealed in his bosom, 
 and he would have left her the choice 
 either of sending him to the scaffold, or 
 of accepting the love which he cherished 
 toward her. 
 
 But behind them were the watchful, 
 all-observant courtiers there was the 
 Princess Elizabeth, who, had he ven- 
 tured to speak to the queen, would have 
 
THE EXCURSION. 
 
 divined, from his countenance, the im- 
 port of the words which she might not 
 overhear for love has keen eyes and 
 jealousy quick ears. 
 
 Katharine suspected nothing of the 
 thoughts of her companions. She alone 
 was happy. She alone gave herself up 
 to the perfect enjoyment of the moment. 
 She inhaled with serene delight the 
 pure air around her, which was ren- 
 dered fragrant by the wild flowers of the 
 forest. She listened with eager attention 
 to the soft murmurs of song, which the 
 wind breathed from amidst the trees. 
 Her wishes did not extend beyond the 
 present hour. She reposed in the con- 
 sciousness and enjoyment of her lover's 
 presence. Yes, HE was there! What 
 more was needful to make her happy? 
 
 Beyond the hour her wishes did not 
 extend. She was only conscious how 
 delightful it was thus to be at the side 
 of her lover to breathe the same air 
 that he breathed, to look upon the same 
 bright sky, the same flowers upon which 
 his eye rested, and in which, at least, 
 their eyes might meet in the kisses 
 which were denied their lips. 
 
 But as they thus proceeded in silence, 
 each wrapt up in his own thoughts, 
 the aid which Thomas Seymour had 
 prayed for came, in the shape of a huge 
 fly. 
 
 At first this fly played and buzzed 
 around the nose of the proud and fiery 
 charger which the queen rode, and be- 
 ing observed by no one, it remained 
 undisturbed in Hector's mane, and crept 
 quietly to the top of the noble steed's 
 head, resting here and there, and send- 
 
 ing its sting 
 
 animal, until he began to rear and neigh 
 
 with pain. 
 
 But Katharine was a bold and skilful 
 rider, and the uncurbed mettle of her 
 steed only caused her pleasure, while it 
 gave her master of the horse the oppor- 
 tunity of praising her coolness and dex- 
 terity. 
 
 Katharine received the compliments 
 of her lover with a sweet smile. The 
 fly, however, had crept along, until, in- 
 stigated by a malicious pleasure, it fixed 
 itself in the horse's ear. 
 
 The poor animal, thus tormented, 
 made a dart forward, but this stride in- 
 stead of freeing him from his enemy, 
 only caused the latter to sink more 
 deeply into his ear, until the sting of 
 the horse-fly became fixed in the fleshy 
 part of the ear. 
 
 Goaded to madness by the pain, the 
 fiery animal became uncontrollable, and 
 spurning bit and bridle, suddenly plunged 
 forward, and with furious speed darted 
 along through the glades of the forest, 
 with the swiftness of an arrow. 
 
 "Help! help for the queen!" 
 shouted the master of the horse; and 
 setting spurs to the flanks of his courser, 
 he flew after her with impetuous speed. 
 
 " Help for the queen ! " repeated the 
 Princess Elizabeth, urging forward her 
 horse, and accompanied by the whole 
 retinue. 
 
 But what is the speed of ever so 
 quick but sober a horse, compared with 
 the frantic flcetness of an infuriated 
 courser, who mocks the rein, and 
 springs forward foaming with a sense 
 
80 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 of unchecked freedom, like an impetuous 
 wave lashed into fury by the storm ? 
 
 Already the glades lay far behind 
 them far behind them the avenue 
 which led through the forest ; over 
 brooks and ditches, over plains and sand- 
 banks, dashed the enraged Hector with 
 terrific speed. 
 
 Still the queen kept her saddle firmly ; 
 her cheeks were colorless, and her lips 
 trembled, but her eye was lustrous and 
 clear ; she had not yet lost her self-pos- 
 session, she was perfectly conscious of 
 her danger. The shouts and cries 
 which reached her at first, had died 
 away for some time ; an endless wilder- 
 ness and a death-like stillness now sur- 
 rounded her. She heard nothing but 
 the panting and snorting of her horse, 
 and the sounds of his hoofs as he darted 
 onward. 
 
 But at length the sounds of a well-be- 
 loved voice fell upon her ear, and caused 
 her to utter an exclamation of pleasure 
 and delight. 
 
 This cry, however, terrified the furi- 
 ous animal afresh. Panting and ex- 
 hausted, he had for a moment relaxed 
 his furious speed, but he now pressed 
 forward with renewed ardor and fleet- 
 ness, as if urged upon the wings of the 
 wind. 
 
 But nearer and nearer sounded the 
 beloved voice ; ever nearer the foot-fall 
 of his horse. 
 
 They soon found themselves upon a 
 
 large plain, entirely surrounded by the 
 
 forest ; and while the queen's horse took 
 
 a circuitous course, that of Seymour, 
 
 v obeying the rein of his rider, went 
 
 straight across the plain, and was now 
 close behind the queen. 
 
 " Only a moment longer ! Hold your 
 arms round the horse's neck, lest you 
 should be thrown by the shock, while I 
 seize him by the bridle ! " cried Sey- 
 mour; and setting spurs to his horse, 
 the latter darted forward with a wild 
 yell. 
 
 This yell roused Hector to fresh fury, 
 and panting for breath, he now plunged 
 ahead into the thick of the forest. 
 
 "I hear his voice no longer," mur- 
 mured Katharine; and at length over- 
 come by fear and by the dizzy course, 
 and exhausted by her efforts, she closed 
 her eyes, and her senses seemed to have 
 left her. 
 
 But at this moment a strong and vig- 
 orous hand seized her horse's bridle, 
 until the animal, trembling and as it 
 were abashed, at discovering that he 
 had found his master, dropped his head. 
 
 " Saved ! I am saved ! " muttered 
 Katharine, while breathless, and almost 
 unconscious, she rested her head on Sey- 
 mour's shoulder. 
 
 He lifted her from her saddle, and 
 laid her upon the mossy turf, under an 
 ancient oak. He then secured the horse 
 to a branch of a tree, while Katharine, 
 trembling and exhausted by her efforts, 
 sank down to recover herself. 
 
THE DECLARATION. 
 
 81 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 THE DECLARATION. 
 
 THOMAS SEYMOUR speedily returned 
 to Katharine. She still lay pale and 
 motionless, and with her eyes closed. 
 
 He looked at her with a deep and 
 ardent gaze, while he seemed to imbibe 
 fresh draughts of love from the sight of 
 this noble and beautiful woman not 
 suffering himself to reflect for a moment 
 that she was his queen. 
 
 At length, then, he was alone with 
 her. At length after two years of pa- 
 tience, of torment, and dissimulation, 
 God had granted him this happy hour, 
 for which he had so long sighed in vain 
 which he had so long imagined unat- 
 tainable. She was now beside him. She 
 was now his own. 
 
 And had the entire court had even 
 Henry himself approached at this mo- 
 ment, Thomas Seymour would not have 
 heeded them he would not have been 
 terrified. 
 
 His blood had mounted to his brain, 
 and had overcome his reason ; his heart, 
 which in consequence of this furious 
 chase, and of his anxiety for Katharine, 
 still bounded and panted violently, did 
 not suffer him to hear any voice but the 
 voice of his passion of his love. 
 
 He knelt down beside the queen and 
 gently seized her hand. 
 
 Perhaps it was this touch which 
 roused her from her unconsciousness. 
 She opened her eyes and looked vacantly 
 around her. 
 
 rt Where am I ? " she asked, in a faint 
 accent. 
 
 Thomas Seymour pressed her hand to 
 his lips. "You are with the most 
 faithful and devoted of your servants, my 
 queen ! " 
 
 Queen! This word woke her up 
 from her lethargy, and she raised her- 
 self into a sitting posture. 
 
 " But where is my retinue ? Where 
 is the Princess Elizabeth? Where are 
 all the eyes that are wont to guard and 
 watch me? Where are all the spies 
 and listeners that accompany the 
 queen ? " 
 
 " They are far away from here," re- 
 plied Thomas Seymour, in a tone that 
 betrayed his inward joy. "They are 
 far behind us, and will not overtake us 
 for at least another hour. And now, 
 ray queen, can you conceive what this 
 hour is for me? An hour of freedom, 
 after an imprisonment of two years an 
 hour of happiness, after two long years 
 of daily pain and daily torment ! " 
 
 Katharine, who had smiled at first, 
 now became grave and thoughtful. Her 
 eyes rested upon her hunting-cap, which 
 had fallen from her head and lay beside 
 her on the grass. 
 
 She pointed with trembling h t and to 
 the crown, and said, gently : 
 
 "Do you know what that means, my 
 lord?" 
 
 " Yes, madam, I do ; but at this mo- 
 ment I no longer shrink from it with 
 terror. There are moments when life 
 hangs upon a precipice, and when we do 
 not heed the abyss that lies yawning at 
 our feet. Such a moment is the present. 
 I know that this hour makes me a trai- 
 tor, and may lead me to the sdaffold, but 
 
82 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 yet I will not be silent. The fire which 
 rages in ray breast consumes me, and I 
 must at length give it an outlet. My 
 heart, which has for years burned as in 
 a fiery furnace, but which is withal so 
 vigorous that in the midst of its torments 
 it evermore felt a sensation of bliss, 
 must at length be destroyed or be ap- 
 peased. Your majesty must therefore 
 deign to hear me." 
 
 " No ! no ! " she exclaimed, with al- 
 most painful emotion. " I will not I 
 dare not hear you. Remember that I 
 am the wife of Henry the Eighth, and 
 that it is dangerous even to speak to 
 you. Be silent, therefore my lord. 
 pray be silent, and let us proceed on our 
 ride." 
 
 She attempted to rise, but her own 
 exhaustion, as well as Lord Seymour's 
 gentle coercion, compelled her to resume 
 her seat. 
 
 "No, I will not be silent," he re- 
 plied. " I will not be silent until I have 
 told you all that glows and rages within 
 me. The Queen of England may either 
 pardon or condemn me, but she shall at 
 least know that she is not for me the 
 wife of Henry the Eighth, but the most 
 charming and attractive the noblest and 
 the loveliest woman in England. I will 
 tell her I do not for a moment remem- 
 ber that she is my queen, or if I do so, 
 it is only in order to execrate the king, 
 who has been so presumptuous as to fix 
 this dazzling and spendid jewel in his 
 bloody crown." 
 
 Katharine, almost terrified, laid her 
 hand upon Seymour's lips. 
 
 "Hold! unhappy man hold!" she 
 
 exclaimed. "Know you, that you arc 
 uttering words which would be yonr 
 death-warrant were any one to overhear 
 them?" 
 
 "But no one hears me no one bui 
 the queen and God, who is perhaps even 
 more compassionate and merciful than 
 the queen herself. Accuse me there- 
 fore, madam accuse me if you will. Go 
 and tell your king that Thomas Seymour 
 is a traitor that he dares to love the 
 queen ; the king will send me to the scaf- 
 fold, but I shall still esteem myself happy 
 for my death at least will be owing tc 
 and for you. O, queen if I cannot 
 live for you surely it is a happy fate to 
 meet death for your sake ! " 
 
 Katharine listened to him with mute 
 astonishment, while her senses seemed 
 lost with intoxication. For her this 
 language was wholly new, and it made 
 her heart tremble with emotions of rap- 
 ture; it filled her soul as if with melo- 
 dies of magic spell, which lulled her into 
 a blissful unconsciousness. She even 
 forgot that she was the queen the wife 
 of Henry the jealous and bloodthirsty. 
 She only knew that the man whom she 
 had so long loved, now knelt at her 
 side, and that she listened with rapture 
 to the music of his words which were 
 to her as nectar. 
 
 Thomas Seymour continued to urge 
 his suit. He told her all that he had 
 suffered, he told her that he had often 
 rosolved to die, in order at length to put 
 an end to his torments ; but that then a 
 glance from her eyes, a word from her 
 lips, had again given him the strength to 
 | live, and to endure still longer the tor- 
 
THE DECLARATION. 
 
 83 
 
 tures which were at once painful and 
 full of delight. 
 
 " Bat now, madam, my powers are 
 exhausted, and you must either endow 
 rne with life or consign me to death. I 
 am ready to mount the scaffold to-mor- 
 row, unless you suffer me to live to 
 live for you alone." 
 
 Katharine looked at him with aston- 
 ishment and tremulous emotion. She 
 encountered his proud and commanding 
 glance, which almost caused her fear but 
 it was the bliss-yielding fear of the lov- 
 ing and submissive woman before the 
 strong and imperious man. 
 
 "Do you know," she said, with a 
 charming smile, "that you almost look 
 as if you wished to command me to love 
 you ? " 
 
 "Xo, madam," he replied, proudly. 
 U I cannot command you to love me, but 
 I must charge you to tell me the truth 
 this I must require of yon, for I am a 
 man who has the right of demanding 
 this of a woman. I have already said 
 that for me you are not the queen for 
 me you are only the loved and wor- 
 shipped woman. This feeling has no 
 connection with your kingdom, and in 
 making this avowal of my love, I do not 
 mean to convey that you would be low- 
 ering yourself in accepting it. For the 
 true love of a man is always the most 
 sacred gift which he can offer to a wo- 
 man ; and if even a beggar's love be of- 
 fered to a queen, she must feel herself 
 honored thereby. O queen, behold in 
 me this beggar ! I lie prostrate at your 
 feet, and lift my hands beseechingly to 
 you, but I do not ask for alms nor 
 
 would I crave your pity and compassion, 
 which might perhaps tender me a gift 
 in order to lessen my misery. No I 
 ask for yourself I desire all or nothing. 
 It will not suffice that you pardon my 
 boldness, and throw the veil of silence 
 over my rash enterprise. I desire that 
 you pronounce the decree, whether of 
 my doom or of my bliss. I know you 
 are generous and merciful, and even 
 though you should scorn and not return 
 my love yet perhaps you will not be- 
 tray me : perhaps you will spare me and 
 be silent. But I repeat to you, madam, 
 I shall not accept this offering of your 
 generosity. You shall either declare me 
 to be a traitor, or exalt me to the heaven 
 of bliss for a traitor I am if you con- 
 demn my love, but a god among men if 
 you return it." 
 
 "And now, my lord, do you know 
 you are very cruel," returned Katharine, 
 with gentle reproach. "You wish that 
 I should become either an accuser or an 
 accomplice. You only leave me the 
 choice of being the instrument of your 
 doom, or of becoming a perjured and 
 faithless wife a wife who forgets her 
 sacred duties and her sworn vows, and 
 who dishonors the crown which her hus- 
 band has placed upon her head which 
 dishonor the king would assuredly wash 
 away with your blood and with mine." 
 
 " Be it so ! " exclaimed the earl, with 
 exultation. " Let my head fall at once, 
 if you but love me ! I shall then in- 
 deed be immortal, for a moment in your 
 arms is an eternity of bliss! " 
 
 " But I have just observed, that not 
 only your life but also my own is at 
 
84: 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 stake. You know the severe and vin- 
 dictive character of the king. Even 
 mere suspicion would suffice to condeirih 
 me. Ah, if he 6"nly knew what we 
 have here been saying, he would send 
 me to the block as he did Katharine 
 Howard, though I am not guilty as she 
 was. Oh, I shudder to think of the 
 scaffold, and yet, Lord Seymour, you 
 would condemn me to that wretched 
 fate and then you say you love 
 me!" 
 
 With a deep sigh, Thomas Seymour 
 dropped his head pensively on his 
 breast. 
 
 " You have pronounced my sentence, 
 gracious lady, and though you are too 
 generous to tell me the truth, I have di- 
 vined it. No, you do not love me, for 
 you see with a quick eye the danger 
 which threatens you, and you shrink 
 from it. No, you do not love me, for 
 otherwise you would think of nothing 
 but of love itself; danger would only 
 serve to inspire you, and the sword 
 which threatens would be unseen, or else 
 you would seize its naked edge and say, 
 ' What care I for death, since I am hap- 
 py ? What matter the loss of life, since 
 I have found undying felicity ? ' Ah, 
 Katharine, you have a cool head and a 
 cold heart. God give you a continuance 
 of both, for then you will pass through 
 life quietly and without harm ; but you 
 will still be a poor, cheerless, and deplo- 
 rable being; and when you die a royal 
 crown will be laid upon your coffin, but 
 love will shed no tears over your grave. 
 Farewell, Queen Katharine, and as you 
 cannot love him, bestow at least your 
 
 compassion upon the traitor, Thomas 
 Seymour! " 
 
 Saying which, he bent down and em- 
 braced her feet. He then rose, and 
 with a firm step advanced toward the 
 tree to which the horses were bound. 
 
 But now Katharine sprang up, and 
 rushing forward, seized his hand which 
 held the bridle of his horse, and, breath- 
 less and trembling, said : 
 
 "What would you do? Whither are 
 you going ? " 
 
 "To the king, madam." 
 
 " And for what purpose? " 
 
 " To show him an arch-traitor, who 
 has dared to love the queen. You have 
 taken away the life from my soul, and 
 the king will take the life of my body. 
 The latter is the less painful, and I shall 
 thank him for it." 
 
 Katharine uttered a cry of alarm, and 
 drew him back with passionate violence 
 to the spot where she had previously been 
 resting. 
 
 "If you do what you threaten," she 
 exclaimed, with trembling lips and fal- 
 tering voice, "you will kill me! Hear 
 me! listen! At the very moment 
 that you mount your horse to go to the 
 king, I will mount mine too ; not, how- 
 ever, to follow yeu not to go back to 
 London, but to rush headlong with my 
 horse over yonder precipice. Oh, do 
 not fear, you will not be accused as my 
 murderer; it will be said that I have 
 fallen over with my horse, and that the 
 furious animal has caused my death ! " 
 
 "I would advise your majesty to be 
 cautious, and to consider well what you 
 are saying," exclaimed Thomas Sey- 
 
THE DECLARATION. 
 
 85 
 
 mour, while his countenance brightened 
 up, and his features became radiant with 
 joy. "Consider that your words must 
 either be a condemnation or an avowal. 
 I will cither die or secure your love. 
 Not the love of a queen, who thinks to 
 bestow a favor upon her subject, in per- 
 haps lifting him one day to rank with 
 herself, but the love of a woman who 
 bows her head with yielding humility, 
 the while she accepts her beloved as 
 her lord and husband! Oh, Katharine, 
 take good heed! If you come to me 
 with the pride of a queen if there be 
 but one thought within you, which says 
 that you favor your subject in taking 
 him to your heart, then say no more, 
 but let me go hence. I am proud and 
 nobly born like yourself, and while love 
 has vanquished me and flung me at your 
 feet, still it shall not bow my head to 
 the dust. But if you say, Katharine, 
 that you love me, then will I consecrate 
 to you my whole life. I will be at once 
 your lord and your slave. I shall have 
 no thought, no feeling, and no wish that 
 will not be devoted to your service ; and 
 when I say that I will be your lord, I do 
 not mean thereby that I shall not at the 
 same time be constantly at your feet, and 
 bow my head to the dust, and say to yon, 
 4 Trample upon me, for I am your 
 slave!'" 
 
 And while he thus spoke, he fell upon 
 his knees and bowed his head at Katha- 
 rine's feet, while the noble and glowing 
 expression of his countenance ravished 
 her heart. 
 
 She stooped down, and raised him 
 gently, looking meanwhile, with an inde- 
 
 scribable expression of happiness, into 
 the depths of his beaming eyes. 
 
 " Do you love me ? " asked Seymour, 
 while he gently placed his arm around 
 her slender waist, and roso from his 
 kneeling posture. 
 
 " Yes, I love you," she replied, with a 
 firm voice, and with a smile of ineffable 
 happiness. "Yes, I love you, not as a 
 queen, but as a woman ; and if this love 
 should perchance bring us both to the 
 scaffold, why then we shall at least die 
 together, but only to meet again, and 
 be reunited forever, in realms beyond 
 the skies." 
 
 " Oh, no, Katharine ; think not of 
 dying at present; think only of living; 
 of the delightful and rapturous future 
 which awaits us, and which smiles for 
 our approach. Think of the days which 
 will speedily come, when our love will 
 require no further secrecy, no further 
 concealment, but when we shall be 
 able to proclaim it to all the world, 
 and to shout our joy aloud with happy 
 and exulting hearts. Yes, my Katha- 
 rine, let us look forward to the event 
 which will at length loose the unnat- 
 ural bonds which now bind you to this 
 hoary tyrant ; and then, when Henry is 
 no more, you will be mine mine with 
 all your life and being; and then, in- 
 stead of the proud royal diadem, your 
 brow will be adorned with the bridal 
 wreath. Swear this, Katharine. Vow 
 solemnly that you will be mine as soon 
 as you are set free by the king's death." 
 
 The queen shuddered and her cheek 
 turned pale. 
 
 "Oh!" she sighed, "then death is 
 
HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 our hope, and the scaffold, perhaps, our 
 goal." 
 
 " Not so, my Katharine. Love is our 
 hope, and happiness our goal. Think 
 of life and of our future! Fulfil my 
 request. Swear to me here in the sight 
 of heaven, with God as our witness, 
 that from the day on which death shall 
 have delivered you from the thraldom of 
 your marriage with the king, you will he 
 mine my spouse, my wife. Swear to 
 ine that, disregarding etiquette, and in 
 opposition to a tyrannical custom, you 
 will become the wife of Lord Seymour, 
 even before the funeral-knell shall have 
 ceased for the king. We shall find a 
 priest who will bless our love, and 
 hallow the contract which we have 
 made with each other this day and 
 forever. Promise that you will keep 
 your faith and love for me until the 
 wished-for day, and that you will never 
 forget that my honor is thine, and thy 
 happiness mine ! " 
 
 " This I swear ! " said Katharine, sol- 
 emnly. "You may depend upon me at 
 all times, and under all circumstances. 
 Never will I harbor a thought that does 
 not belong to you. I shall love you as 
 Thomas Seymour deserves to be loved ; 
 that is, with a devoted and confiding 
 heart. It will be my pride to subject 
 myself to you, and with a joyful heart I 
 will serve and obey yon, as your faithful, 
 true, and dutiful wife." 
 
 " I accept your vow," said Seymour, 
 iii a like solemn tone. "And on my 
 side I swear in return that I will honor 
 and reverence you as my queen and 
 mistress \ I swear to you that you will 
 
 never find a more disinterested counsel- 
 lor, a more constant husband, or a more 
 valiant protector than I shall be to you. 
 ' My life for my queen, my heart for my 
 mistress,' will henceforth be my motto, 
 and may I be forsaken by Heaven and by 
 you if I ever break this vow ! " 
 
 " So be it ! " said Katharine, with a 
 bewitching smile. 
 
 Then they were both silent. It was 
 that silence which is only known to love 
 and happiness that silence which is 
 so rich in thoughts, and therefore so 
 poor in words. 
 
 The wind whispered softly through 
 the trees, in the dark foliage of whicb 
 here and there might be heard the shrill 
 or mellow notes of some wild song-bird. 
 The sun flung its emerald and golden 
 rays athwart the soft, velvet sward and 
 mossy turf, along the ground, whicb, 
 rising and falling in gentle undulations, 
 formed miniature hills and valleys 
 while at intervals appeared the graceful 
 form of a stag or a young fawn, which, 
 looking around inquiringly, with its 
 bright eyes, would suddenly disappear 
 into the thicket on perceiving human 
 beings in sight, with their horses en- 
 camped near them. 
 
 Suddenly the stillness was broken by 
 the loud twang of the hunting-horn, 
 and in the distance confused cries and 
 shouts became audible, which resound- 
 ed through the recesses of the forest, and 
 found an echo which was repeated a 
 thousand-fold. 
 
 The queen raised her head, with a 
 sigh, from the shoulder of Lord Sey- 
 mour. Her dream for the present was 
 
THE DECLARATION. 
 
 87 
 
 over; the angel with the fiery sword 
 came to banish her from her paradise. 
 
 For she was no longer worthy of 
 paradise; the fatal word was spoken, 
 and while it had endowed her with 
 love, it made her faithless to her vows. 
 
 The wife of Henry his by the faith 
 which she pledged at the altar had 
 just plighted her word to another, and 
 had given him the love which she owed 
 her husband. 
 
 " It is past ! " she said, with a sad 
 smile. " These sounds recall me to my 
 slavery. We must both resume our 
 several characters. I must once more 
 take the part of queen." 
 
 u But swear to me again that you will 
 never forget this hour that you will 
 always keep in memory the vows we 
 have pledged to each other. 1 ' 
 
 She looked at him with apparent sur- 
 prise. 
 
 " What ! can plighted faith and love 
 be ever forgotten ? " 
 
 " You will always remain true to me, 
 Katharine ? " 
 
 She smiled. " ISTow only imagine, 
 my jealous lord do I address such 
 questions to you ? " 
 
 " Ah, queen, you know that you pos- 
 sess the magic spell which binds me to 
 you forever." 
 
 " Who knows ? " she returned, musing- 
 ly, while she directed her ardent gaze 
 toward heaven, and appeared to follow 
 the fleeting silvery clouds that glided 
 slowly aloft through the blue tirma- 
 ment. 
 
 And then, her eye descending and 
 resting on her lover, while her hand was 
 
 laid on his shoulder, she said : " Love is 
 like God Himself eternal, everlastingj 
 and omnipresent. But we must believe 
 in it, in order to feel its presence. We 
 must trust in it, that we may become 
 worthy to receive its full blessings and 
 rewards." 
 
 But the shouts and the clang of the 
 horns were drawing nearer and nearer, 
 and already the baying of the hounds 
 and the sounds of the horses' hoofs were 
 quite audible. 
 
 The earl had unfastened the horse, 
 and led Hector, who was now as tame 
 and quiet as a lamb, to his mistress. 
 
 u Queen," said Thomas Seymour, 
 "here are two criminals who approach 
 you. Hector is my fellow-culprit; and 
 had it not been for the fly, which I now 
 perceive, from the poor animal's swol- 
 len ear, made him furious, I should still 
 have been the most wretched and un- 
 happy man in your kingdom, whereas I 
 arn now the most fortunate and the 
 most enviable." 
 
 The queen made no reply, but she put 
 her arms round the neck of the noble 
 animal and kissed it fervently. 
 
 u From this day forth," said she, " 1 
 will ride no other horse bu$ Hector, and 
 when he grows old, and unfit for ser- 
 vice " 
 
 " He sh<\ll be tended and nursed in the 
 stables of Katharine, Countess of Sud- 
 ley." interrupted Thomas Seymour, as 
 he held the stirrup for the queen and as- 
 sisted her into her saddle. 
 
 They both rode forward in silenco 
 toward the point whence came the 
 sound of voices and the shrill twang of 
 
88 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 the horns both too much occupied with 
 their own thoughts to interrupt the cur- 
 rent thereof by an indifferent word. 
 
 44 He loves me !" thought Katharine. 
 ** I am a happy and an enviable woman 
 for I have secured the love of Thomas 
 Seymour." 
 
 " The queen loves me ! " said Thomas 
 Seymour to himself with a proud, tri- 
 umphant smile. " I shall therefore one 
 day be Eegent of England." 
 
 They had by this time reached the 
 large open plain which they had previ- 
 ously crossed, and over which now ad- 
 vanced the whole of the royal cavalcade, 
 in the strangest confusion, with the Prin- 
 cess Elizabeth at its head. 
 
 " One thing more," whispered Katha- 
 rine : " whenever you want a messenger 
 to send to me, apply to John Hey wood ; 
 he is a friend in whom I can trust." 
 
 And then she dashed forward toward 
 the Princess Elizabeth, in order to relate 
 to her the whole account of this adven- 
 ture, and the fortunate manner in which 
 she had been saved by her master of the 
 horse. 
 
 Elizabeth meanwhile heard her with 
 a look of sullen distraction ; and when the 
 queen turned to the remainder of her 
 retinue, and, surrounded by her ladies 
 and gentlemen, received their congratu- 
 lations, a slight nod from the princess 
 brought Lord Seymour to her side. 
 
 She suffered her horse to canter for- 
 ward a few paces, so that the earl and 
 herself were a little apart from the 
 others, and were sure of not being over- 
 heard. 
 
 " My lord," she said, in a hasty and al- 
 
 most threatening tone, " you have often 
 besought me in vain to grant you an in- 
 terview, which I refused. You urgQjJ 
 that you had many things to say to me, 
 which would make it necessary to be 
 alone. Well, my lord, we are now alone, 
 and I am at length prepared to hear 
 you." 
 
 She ceased, and awaited his answer. 
 But the earl was taken unawares, and 
 was mute with surprise. He only made 
 her a profound and respectful bow, until 
 he almost touched his horse's neck. 
 " But no matter, I shall attend this ren- 
 dezvous, even if it were only to dazzle 
 Elizabeth's eyes, so that she may not 
 see what she certainly never shall see 
 that's all." 
 
 The young princess cast upon him an 
 angry look, and said, in a tone of sarcastic 
 irony, " You understand well, my lord, 
 the art of concealing your joy, and any 
 one at seeing you might suppose " 
 
 " That, at this dangerous court, Thomas 
 Seymour is discreet enough not to suffer 
 his delight to be visible in his counte- 
 nance," interrupted the earl, in a sub- 
 dued tone. "When, princess, may I 
 venture to see you, and where? " 
 
 "Wait this evening for the message 
 which John Hey wood will bring you," 
 whispered Elizabeth, as she turned round, 
 to rejoin the queen. 
 
 "John Hey wood again!" murmured 
 the earl ''the confidant of both, and 
 therefore my executioner if he likes." 
 
LE ROI S'EiWUIE. 
 
 89 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 LE EOI S' ENNUI E. 
 
 KINO HENRY was alone in his closet. 
 He had spent a few hours in the compo- 
 sition of a Book of Homilies which he 
 was writing for his subjects, and which, 
 by virtue of his dignity as head of the 
 Church, he wished to impose upon them 
 as a substitute for the Bible. 
 
 He now laid down his pen, and 
 glanced with infinite satisfaction over 
 the pages he had written, which would 
 afford his subjects a fresh proof of his 
 paternal love and solicitude, and con- 
 vince them that Henry the Eighth was 
 not only the noblest and most virtuous 
 of monarchs, but also the wisest and 
 most learned. 
 
 This reflection, however, was unable 
 to cheer the king on the present occa- 
 sion ; perhaps because he had contem- 
 plated the subject too often, until it had 
 lost its novelty. He felt restless and 
 dejected, as if oppressed by an uneasy 
 eense of solitude there were so many 
 secret and hidden voices in his heart, the 
 whispers whereof he feared, and which 
 he therefore sought always to drown; 
 there were so many reminiscences of 
 blood ever present to his mind, however 
 often he strode to efface them with 
 fresh blood. These thoughts the king 
 abhorred, although he wore the air of 
 never repenting what he Lad done, and 
 never feeling any remorse of conscience 
 for his deeds. 
 
 He suddenly rang the gold bell which 
 etood beside him, and his countenance 
 
 brightened up when he saw the door 
 open, and the Earl of Douglas appear on 
 the threshold. 
 
 " Oh ! at length," said Lord Douglas, 
 who well understood the expression of 
 Henry's features, "at length the king 
 condescends to show favor to his peo- 
 ple." 
 
 "What! I show favor?" asked the 
 king, with astonishment. " And how ie 
 that, pray ? " 
 
 " Because your majesty at length 
 takes rest from your labors, and thinks 
 a little of your health, which is so pre- 
 cious, and so needful to the public weal. 
 Because you remember, sire, that the 
 well-being of England consists alone in 
 the welfare of her king ; so that your 
 majesty must preserve your health, 
 sound and robust, in order that your 
 people may be so." 
 
 The king smiled with satisfaction. It 
 never occurred to him to doubt the 
 earl's words. He thought it quite natu- 
 ral that the welfare of his subjects was 
 centred in his own person, but still the 
 assurance of this fact was ever a pleas- 
 ing and grateful melody in his ears ; for 
 it appealed to his pride, and he loved to 
 hear the flattering strains repeated again 
 and again by his courtiers. 
 
 The king, as we have said, smiled, 
 but in tbis smile there was something 
 unusual, which did not escape Lord 
 Douglas. 
 
 " He is in the condition of a hungry 
 alligator," said Lord Douglas to himself. 
 "He is on the watch for prey, and he 
 will only recover his cheerfulness and 
 good-humor, when he has tasted some 
 
90 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 human flesh and blood. Ah ! well, for 
 tunately, we have a large stock of that 
 always on hand. It is the king's own 
 and we shall give him some. But we 
 must be cautious, and go to work pru- 
 dently." 
 
 He approached the king, and kissed 
 his hand. 
 
 " I kiss this hand," said the wily lord, 
 " which to-day has been the instrument 
 whereby the wisdom of the head has 
 been poured forth on this thrice-blessed 
 paper. I kiss this paper which will 
 reveal and proclaim to happy England 
 the pure and unadulterated word of 
 God ; but still I would say, let it suffice 
 for the present, sire, and take rest, in 
 order to remember that you are not 
 only a page but also a man." 
 
 " Yea, verily, a feeble, tottering man ! " 
 sighed the king, while he attempted to 
 rise with difficulty, and in doing so 
 leaned upon the arm of the earl with 
 auch force, that the latter almost gave 
 way under the huge burden. 
 
 "Tottering?" said Lord Douglas, re- 
 proachfully. "Your majesty moves 
 with as much ease and freedom as a 
 young man. And there was no need of 
 my assistance to lift you up." 
 
 "Nevertheless we are growing old," 
 said the king, who, being to-day affect- 
 ed with ennui, was unusually sensitive 
 and melancholy. 
 
 "Old!" repeated the courtier, "with 
 these fire-flashing eyes, this unfurrowed 
 brow, and this noble and serene counte- 
 nance ? No, your majesty kings, in 
 common with the gods, enjoy the privi- 
 lege of never growing old." 
 
 "And in that respect they resemble 
 parrots to a hair," said John Hey wood, 
 who at this moment entered the room. 
 " I have a parrot which my great- 
 grandfather inherited from his great- 
 grandfather, who was the barber of 
 Henry the Fourth, and which at the 
 present day chatters with as much glib- 
 ness as he did a hundred years back, 
 ; Long live the king long live this noble 
 pattern of virtue,* grace, beauty, and 
 goodness, long live the king ! ' That was 
 the song my parrot sang a hundred 
 years since, and he repeated it for Hen- 
 ry the Fifth, and Henry the Sixth, and 
 for Henry the Seventh, and Henry 
 the Eighth. And, wonderful ! the 
 kings have changed but this song of 
 praise has endured, and has never been 
 any thing but the pure and simple 
 truth. Just like yours, my Lord Doug- 
 las. Your majesty will allow him to 
 tell the truth, for he is nearly related to 
 my parrot, who always calls him ' cous- 
 in,' and has taught him this immortal 
 song of praise upon kings." 
 
 The king laughed at this merry 
 speech, while Lord Douglas, cast a 
 scornful and withering glance at John 
 Hey wood. 
 
 " He is an insolent knave," said the 
 king, " is he not, Douglas ? " 
 
 " Pie is a fool ! " said the earl, with a 
 supercilious shrug. 
 
 " Exactly so, and consequently I have 
 often told you the truth, for it is well 
 nown that fools and children tell the 
 truth. And my object in becoming a 
 bol was just in order that the king, 
 whom yon all belie with flattery, may 
 
LE ROI S'EXNUIE. 
 
 91 
 
 have some creature, besides his looking 
 glass, to tell him the truth." 
 
 u Well, and what truth are you going 
 to dish up for me to-day, John ? " 
 
 "It is already dished up, sire. Lay 
 aside therefore your royal crown and 
 your chief-priestship for a short time, 
 and resoLye to become a carnivorous 
 animal for a brief space. There is no 
 difficulty in being a king. A man has 
 only to be born of a queen under a can- 
 opy, but it is a different thing to be a 
 man with a good digestion. For this 
 purpose one requires a sound stomach 
 and a quiet conscience. Come, King 
 Henry, come and let us see if you are 
 not only a king, but also a man with a 
 vigorous stomach." 
 
 And with a jocular grin, the jester 
 took the king's arm and led him, with 
 the earl on the other side, into the dining- 
 room. 
 
 The king, who was an extraordinary 
 feeder, nodded silently to his suite to 
 tike their places at the table, after he 
 had himself sunk into his gilded arm- 
 chair. 
 
 With a grave and solemn look, the 
 king took from the hands of the cham- 
 berlain the ivory tablets on which were 
 written the bill of fare for the day. 
 The king's dinner was a serious and im- 
 portant matter. A large number of 
 post-horses and messengers were con- 
 tinually engaged in fetching from the 
 remotest parts of the kingdom and of 
 Europe the most choice and dainty mor- 
 sels for the king's table. The list accord- 
 ingly exhibited on this day, as it alwaj's 
 did, the rarest and most recherche edi- 
 
 bles, and whenever the king found one 
 of his favorite dishes set down, he 
 nodded his head approvingly, which 
 always made the face of the grand mas- 
 ter of the ceremonies beam like rays of 
 sunshine. 
 
 There were birds'-nests from the In- 
 dies, and capons from Calcutta, besides 
 truffles from Languedoc, which the poet- 
 ical King Francis the First had yester- 
 day sent as a special mark of affection 
 to his royal brother of England ; the 
 sparkling wine of Champagne, and the 
 fiery wine of the Island of Cyprus, 
 which the Kepublic of Venice had sent 
 the king as a testimonial of high regard. 
 There were, too, the hard Ehenish 
 wines lustrous as liquid gold, and yield- 
 ing the fragance of an entire bouquet 
 with which the North German Princes 
 hoped to intoxicate the king whom they 
 wished to place at the head of their 
 league. There were also huge pasties oi 
 partridges, which the Duke of Bur- 
 gundy had sent, and the luscious fruits 
 of the South and of the Spanish Main, 
 with which the Emperor Charles the 
 Fifth furnished the table of the King of 
 England. For it was well known that 
 in order to win the favor of the English 
 monarch, his appetite must needs first 
 be appeased, and his palate tickled, be- 
 fore his head or his heart could be won 
 over. 
 
 All these delicacies, however, did not 
 suffice on the present occasion to im- 
 part to the king that happy and cheerful 
 humor, which he generally evinced when 
 he sat down to table. He smiled pen- 
 sively at John Ileywood's jocular sallies 
 
92 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 and witty sarcasms?, and a cloud hung 
 upon his brow. The king needed spe- 
 cially the presence of the ladies to put 
 him in a cheerful mood, he needed 
 them, as the hunter needs the stag in 
 order to enjoy the pleasures of the 
 chase, pleasures which consist in this, 
 that the defenceless are driven to death, 
 and war declared against the peaceful 
 and innocent. 
 
 The wily courtier, Lord Douglas, 
 readily perceived the troubled temper of 
 the King, and understood the secret 
 cause of his sighs and gloomy looks. He 
 had ardently hoped for this, and he re- 
 solved to take advantage of it in favor of 
 his daughter, and to the prejudice of the 
 queen. 
 
 "Sire," he said, "I am just on the 
 point of becoming a traitor, and of ac- 
 cusing my king of injustice." 
 
 The king glanced at him with his flash- 
 ing eyes, while he laid his hand, spark- 
 ling with brilliants, upon the golden gob- 
 let filled with Ehenish wine, that stood 
 before him. 
 
 " Injustice ! Me, your king t " he 
 asked, with a thick utterance. 
 
 " Yes, of an injustice, inasmuch as you 
 are for me the visible representative of 
 God upon earth. I would accuse the Al- 
 mighty if he were one day to deprive me 
 of the sun's brightness and splendor, or 
 of the fragrance of his flowers ; for as we 
 children of men are accustomed to enjoy 
 these delights, we have acquired an un- 
 doubted claim to them in perpetuity. I 
 therefore accuse you, sire, of having 
 withdrawn from us the embodied es- 
 sence of the flowers, and the incarnate 
 
 light of the sflta itself for you have been 
 so cruel as to send the queen to Epping 
 Forest." , 
 
 "Not so the queen wished to ride," 
 said Henry, pettishly. "The spring 
 weather attracted her, and as unfortu- 
 nately I do not possess that highest of 
 God's attributes omnipresence I must 
 needs dispense with her society for once. 
 There is no longer a horse able to carry 
 the King of England." 
 
 "Yet there is Pegasus, sire, and your 
 majesty knows so well how to manage 
 him. But how, sire the queen wished 
 to ride, though by doing so she would be 
 deprived of your presence? Ah, how 
 cold and selfish are the hearts of women ! 
 If I were a woman I would never leave 
 your side; I would covet no greater 
 happiness than to be near you, and lis- 
 ten to the lofty wisdom that flows from 
 your heaven-inspired lips. "Were I a 
 woman " 
 
 " My lord, I think your wish is already 
 gratified," interrupted John Hey wood, 
 with assumed gravity. " At least your 
 lordship gives me quite the idea of an old 
 woman." 
 
 All the company laughed. But the 
 king did not even smile : he remained 
 serious and wore a sullen look of abstrac- 
 tion. 
 
 "It is true," he muttered to himself, 
 " she seemed not only glad, but even 
 elated at this excursion, and her eyes 
 shone with a fire that I have rarely seen. 
 There must be some peculiar circum- 
 stance connected with this ride to Ep- 
 ping Forest. Who accompanied the 
 queen ? " 
 
LE ROI S'ENNUIE. 
 
 " The Princess Elizabeth," said John 
 Heywood, who had heard all, and who 
 had clearly perceived the shaft which 
 the earl had aimed at the queen. " The 
 Princess Elizabeth, her faithful and de- 
 voted friend, who never leaves her side 
 and also her ladies, who, like the drag- 
 on in the fable, watch over the beautiful 
 princess." 
 
 " Who is there besides in the queen's 
 retinue?" asked Henry morosely. 
 
 " Her master of the horse, Lord Sud- 
 ley," replied Douglas, " and " 
 
 " That was quite a superfluous obser- 
 vation," interrupted John Heywood 
 " it is a matter of course, that the master 
 of the horse should accompany the queen. 
 It is as much his duty to do so as it is 
 yours to sing the song of your cousin, my 
 parrot." 
 
 " He is right. Thomas Seymour must 
 accompany her," said the king, hastily 
 " that is my will and pleasure. Thomas 
 Heymour is a faithful servant, and he has 
 inherited that quality from his sister Jane, 
 my much beloved queen, who rests with 
 God. Thomas Seymour is devoted to his 
 king with unwavering fidelity." 
 
 " The time is not yet ripe to assail the 
 Seymour party," thought the earl. 
 " The king is still favorable to them, and 
 he will therefore be hostile to their ene- 
 mies. Let us, accordingly, begin our at- 
 tack against Henry Howard that is to 
 aay, against the queen." 
 
 "Who accompanied the queen be- 
 sides?" repeated Henry, draining the 
 goblet at a draught, as if he wished 
 thereby to cool the fire which was al- 
 ready kindling up within him. But the 
 
 fiery Rhine wine, instead of cooling, only 
 heated him still more ; it fanned like a 
 hurricane the flame which was burning 
 in his jealous breast, until it rose to his 
 head, and made his brain glow like his 
 heart. 
 
 " Who else accompanied her ? " said 
 Lord Douglas, with an air of noncha- 
 lance. "Well, I think it was the 
 queen's chamberlain the Earl of Sur- 
 rey." 
 
 The king knit his brows. The lion 
 had scented his prey. 
 
 " The queen's chamberlain is not in 
 the retinue ! " said John Heywood with 
 earnest vehemence. 
 
 "He is not?" cried Lord Douglas. 
 "Poor Lord Surrey! that will make 
 him very sad." 
 
 " And why do you think it will make 
 him sad ? " demanded the king in a voice 
 that resembled the rumbling of distant 
 thunder. 
 
 " Because Lord Surrey is accustomed, 
 sire, to live in the sunshine of royal favor 
 because he resembles that flower that 
 always turns its face toward the sun, and 
 receives from it life and color and splen- 
 dor." 
 
 "Let him take care that the sun 
 does not scorch him ! " murmured the 
 king. 
 
 "My lord," said John Heywood, "you 
 should use a pair of spectacles to help 
 you to see better. This time you have 
 confounded the sun with one of its sat- 
 ellites. The Earl of Surrey is far too 
 prudent a man to venture to bask in 
 the sun, and so dazzle his eyes and 
 affect his brain. He is content with 
 
94: 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 worshipping one of the planets that sur- 
 round the sun." 
 
 "What does the fool mean?" said 
 Lord Douglas, with a scornful smile. 
 
 "The wise man means you to under- 
 stand that you have this time confounded 
 your daughter with the queen," replied 
 John Heywood, laying a stress upon 
 each word ; " and that it has happened 
 to you like many great astronomers, to 
 mistake a " 
 
 Lord Douglas cast an angry and 
 scornful glance at John Heywood, 
 which the latter returned with a look of 
 stern defiance. 
 
 Their eyes became fixed upon each 
 other, and they each read in the eyes of 
 the other, the hatred and animosity 
 which was fermenting in their hearts. 
 They both knew that from this hour 
 forth they had sworn an implacable 
 and deadly animosity against each other. 
 
 Of this silent but most significant 
 scene, the king had observed nothing. 
 He hung his head, brooding gloomily 
 upon the words of Lord Douglas, and 
 the storm-clouds which gathered on his 
 brow, were becoming more dense and 
 murky each moment. 
 
 With a violent effort he raised himself 
 from his seat, and this time he required 
 no helping hand to stand upright. An- 
 ger was the powerful lever which lifted 
 him up. 
 
 The courtiers rose silently from their 
 seats, and nobody but John Heywood 
 observed the glance of mutual under- 
 standing which Lord Douglas exchanged 
 with Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester, 
 and Wriothesley the chancellor. 
 
 " Ah ! Why is Cranmer not here? '' 
 said John Heywood to himself. " I see 
 the three tiger-cats prowling about, con- 
 sequently there is prey somewhere to 
 be swallowed. Well, at all events, I 
 shall keep my ears wide open, so that I 
 can hear their purring and miauling." 
 
 " Dinner is over, my lords," said the 
 king, hastily, and the gentlemen of the 
 court and the lords in waiting withdrew 
 in silence to the antechamber. 
 
 Only Lord Douglas, Gardiner and 
 Wriothesley remained behind, while 
 John Heywood had glided, unperceived, 
 into the king's closet, and there hid himself 
 behind the gold-brocaded screen which 
 covered the door leading from the 
 king's study into the outer anteroom. 
 
 "My lords," said the king, "you will 
 accompany me to my closet. As time 
 hangs heavily on our hands, it will be 
 most advisable to divert ourself by tak- 
 ing note of what concerns the welfare of 
 our beloved subjects. Follow me there- 
 fore : we will hold a privy council." 
 
 "Lord Douglas, your arm." Ami 
 while the king, leaning upon the arm of 
 his courtier, proceeded slowly toward 
 the cabinet, at the entrance of which 
 the chancellor and the Bishop of Win- 
 chester awaited him, he asked quietly : 
 
 " You say that Henry Howard dares 
 frequently to press into the society of the 
 queen ? " 
 
 "Sire; I did not say that. I only 
 meant that he was continually to be 
 seen in the vicinity of the queen." 
 
 " Oh ! you meant, perhaps, that she 
 encouraged him to do so," said the king, 
 grinding his teeth. 
 
LE ROI S'ENNUIE. 
 
 95 
 
 " Sire : I hold the queen to be a noble 
 and faithful wife." 
 
 "And if you thought otherwise, I 
 should feel disposed to lay your head at 
 your feet," returned the king, in whose 
 countenance the first flash of the thun- 
 der-cloud seeking a vent began to burst 
 forth. 
 
 44 My head belongs to the king," said 
 Lord Douglas, submissively. " Let his 
 majesty do with it as he pleases." 
 
 44 But Howard ? Do you mean, then, 
 that Henry Howard loves the queen ? " 
 
 41 Yes, sire, I venture to maintain that 
 he does." 
 
 44 Well then, by God's mother, I will 
 crush the reptile under my feet. I will 
 serve him as I did his sister ? " exclaim- 
 ed Henry, with passionate vehemence. 
 44 The Howards are a dangerous, an am- 
 bitious, and a hypocritical race." 
 
 " A race which never forgets that a 
 daughter of their house has sat upon 
 your throne." 
 
 44 But they shall forget it ! " exclaimed 
 the king, "even if I were obliged to 
 wash away the proud and arrogant 
 thought with their heart's blood. It 
 seems they have not already had proof 
 enough in the example of their sister, 
 how I can punish faithlessness and 
 treason. This insolent race wants still 
 another proof. If so, they shall have it. 
 Only furnish me with the means, Doug- 
 las give me the smallest hook that I 
 
 can fix in the flesh of these Howard?, 
 and I tell you that with this little hook I 
 will land them on the scaffold. Only 
 give me proofs of the audacious love of 
 the earl, and I promise to grant you as a 
 reward whatever you ask." 
 
 4 ' Sire, I will undertake to furnish the 
 proofs you require." 
 
 44 When?" 
 
 44 Within four days, sire, at the grand 
 tournament of poets, which you have 
 commanded in honor of the queen's 
 birthday." 
 
 41 Thanks, Douglas, thanks," said the 
 king, with a smile of satisfaction. 4 'In 
 four days you will have rid me of the 
 troublesome race of the Howards." 
 
 44 But, sire, if I cannot give the proofs 
 you require, without accusing another 
 person ? " 
 
 The king who was about to enter the 
 door of his closet, stood still and looked 
 at the earl with a fixed gaze. Then he 
 replied, with a grim and sinister smile : 
 44 You mean the queen ? Well, if she 
 is guilty I shall punish her! God has 
 placed his sword in my hand that I may 
 wield it to his honor and to the terror oi 
 men. If the queen has sinned she shall 
 suffer. Furnish me with the proofs of 
 Howard's guilt, and be not concerned, 
 if in procuring them we should discover 
 the guilt of others. We will not shrink 
 back faint-hearted, but let justice take 
 its course! " 
 
BOOK III. 
 
 THE QUEEN'S ROSETTE. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 THE QUEEN'S FRIEND. 
 
 LORD DOUGLAS, Gardiner, and Wri- 
 othesley, had accompanied the king into 
 his study. 
 
 The great blow was at length about to 
 be struck, and the scene so long medi- 
 tated by the three enemies of the queen 
 was coming to a crisis. 
 
 Accordingly, as they followed the 
 king, who strode along before them 
 with unusual activity, they once more 
 exchanged glances of intelligence with 
 one another. 
 
 The look of Lord Douglas said : " The 
 hour is come, hold yourselves ready ! " 
 
 While the looks of his friends replied : 
 " We are ready." 
 
 John Heywood, who was concealed 
 behind a curtain, and who saw and 
 noted all, could not forbear a slight 
 shudder at the sight of these four men, 
 whose hard and sinister features seemed 
 inaccessible to every ray of pity and of 
 mercy. 
 
 There was first of all the king, tho 
 man with the Protean countenance, in 
 which storm and sunshine, heaven and 
 hell, alternately marked fresh lines ; who 
 at one moment was an inspired enthusi- 
 ast, and the next a sanguinary tyrant 
 at one time a sentimental connoisseur, 
 and at another a sensual glutton the 
 king, upon whose constancy no one, not 
 even himself, could build, who was al- 
 ways ready, when it suited his caprice or 
 his interest, to betray his most devoted 
 friends, and to send to the scaffold to- 
 morrow those whom he yesterday em- 
 braced and had assured him of his un- 
 changing attachment the king, who 
 thought himself justified in allowing his 
 own private lusts, his revengeful im- 
 pulses, and his sanguinary propensities 
 to go unpunished ; who was pious from 
 vanity, because piety gave him the op- 
 portunity of always identifying his own 
 cause with that of Heaven, and of re- 
 garding himself in a certain manner as 
 the champion and patron of the Al- 
 mighty. 
 There was Lord Douglas, the crafty 
 
THE QUEEN'S FRIEND. 
 
 97 
 
 courtier with the ever-smiling counte- 
 nance, who seemed to love every one, 
 while he hated all ; who assumed a look 
 of perfect innocence, and appeared in- 
 different to every thing except pleasure, 
 while he secretly held in his hands all 
 the threads of the huge net with which 
 the court and even the king himself was 
 surrounded. 
 
 Lord Douglas, whom the king loved 
 only because he called him the great 
 and wise high-priest of the Church, and 
 who was still the representative of Lo- 
 yola, and the faithful and devoted ad- 
 herent of the pope, who had condemned 
 the king as a degenerate son, and handed 
 him over to the wrath of God. 
 
 There were, in fine, the two men 
 with truculent and sinister features, and 
 with faces rigid and inflexible, never 
 lighted up by a smile or a gleam of 
 pleasure ; who always punished, al- 
 ways condemned, and whose counte- 
 nance only brightened when the death- 
 cry of some unhappy being on the scaf- 
 fold, or the shrieks of anguish of some 
 wretch condemned to the rack, struck 
 their ear; and who were the tormen- 
 tors of human nature, while calling 
 themselves the servants of God. 
 
 "Sire," said Gardiner, as the king 
 sank back slowly on the ottoman, " let 
 us first ask God's blessing upon our de- 
 liberations. May the Almighty, who is. 
 love, but who is also anger, enlighten 
 and bless us ! ' 7 
 
 The king folded his hands devoutly, 
 but it was only a prayer of anger that 
 rose to his lips. 
 
 "Grant, God! that I maybe able 
 7 
 
 to punish thine enemies, and everywhere 
 to crush the guilty ! " he murmured. 
 
 " Amen ! " responded Gardiner, re- 
 peating the words of the king with sol- 
 emn earnestness. 
 
 " Send us the lightning of thy wrath," 
 prayed Wriothesley, "that we may be 
 able to teach the world to recognize 
 thy power and majesty." 
 
 Lord Douglas was careful not to pray 
 aloud. The petitions which he had to 
 send up were not for the king's ear to 
 hear. 
 
 "Grant, O Lord!" he inwardly 
 prayed, " grant that my scheme succeed, 
 and that this dangerous queen may 
 ascend the scaffold, in order to make 
 way for my daughter, who is destined 
 to bring back once more this criminal 
 and faithless king to the arms of our 
 holy mother Church." 
 
 " And now, my lords," said the king, 
 " how do matters stand in our kingdom, 
 and at our court ? " 
 
 " Badly, sire ! " returned Gardiner. 
 " Heresy is daily lifting its head higher 
 and higher. It is the dragon, which, 
 when its head is cut off, only causes two 
 others to spring up in its stead. These 
 accursed sects of Reformers and Atheists 
 are increasing day by day ; our dungeons 
 are no longer sufficient to hold them; 
 and if we send them to the scaffold, 
 their joyful and courageous conduct in 
 meeting death only makes fresh pros- 
 elytes and sectaries." 
 
 " Yes, very badly," pursued the Chan- 
 cellor "Wriothesley ; " in vain have we 
 promised pardon and forgiveness to all 
 who should come back penitent and 
 
HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 contrite : they scorn our forgiveness, 
 and prefer the death of a martyr to the 
 royal pardon. What boots it that we 
 have burnt Miles Coverdale, who has 
 had the hardihood to translate the Bible? 
 His death only appears to have been 
 the alarum bell which has roused other 
 fanatics, and though we cannot imagine 
 where all these books come from, they 
 inundate the whole country, and we 
 have already more than four translations 
 of the Bible. The people read them 
 with eagerness, and the deadly seeds of 
 enlightenment and free thinking wax 
 daily stronger and more destructive." 
 
 " And now, my Lord Douglas, what 
 have you to say ? " asked the king, as 
 the chancellor ceased. "These noble 
 lords have told me what was passing 
 in my kingdom, you will perhaps in- 
 form me how affairs are going on at my 
 court." 
 
 "Sire," said Douglas, slowly and 
 gravely for he wished that every word 
 should sink into the king's breast like 
 a poisoned shaft " Sire, the people only 
 follow the example which the court 
 gives them. How can your majesty ex- 
 pect that the people should believe, 
 when they see how your own court itself 
 mocks at faith, and when heretics and 
 unbelievers find patrons and abettors 
 within the court." 
 
 "You accuse, but you mention no 
 names," said the king impatiently. 
 " Who is there at my court that would 
 dare to be the patron of heretics ? " 
 
 " Cranmer, the Archbishop of Canter- 
 bury ! " exclaimed the three noble lords 
 in a breath. 
 
 The signal was given the bloody 
 standard was unfurled. 
 
 " Oranmer ? " repeated the king, mus- 
 ingly. " And yet he has always been a 
 faithful servant to me, and a careful 
 friend. It was he who once delivered 
 me from that unhallowed union with 
 Katharine of Arragon : it was he who 
 also warned me against Katharine How- 
 ard, and brought me the proofs of her 
 guilt. Of what crime do you accuse 
 him ? " 
 
 " He denies the Six Articles," replied 
 Gardiner, whose sullen countenance 
 now became inflamed with an expres- 
 sion of sinister hate. "He condemns 
 auricular confession, and does not be- 
 lieve that the vows of chastity, freely 
 taken, are binding." 
 
 "If he does that, he is an arch-trai- 
 tor ! " exclaimed the king, who loved to 
 inspire reverence for chastity and vir- 
 tue, as a kind of sacred mantle to hide 
 his own unchaste and profligate life, and 
 whom nothing exasperated more than 
 to meet another upon this path of crime 
 which he himself, by virtue of his royal 
 dignity and his crown, by God's grace, 
 could travel unscathed. 
 
 "If he does that, he is an arch-traitor, 
 and my arm of vengeance will reach 
 him," repeated the king once more. 
 " It is I who have given to my subjects 
 the Six Articles as holy dogmas of the 
 faith, and I wont suffer any one to at- 
 tack or obscure these only true and 
 just doctrines. But you err, my lords! 
 I know Oranmer, and I know that he is 
 a faithful believer." 
 
 " And yet it is he," returned Gardiner, 
 
THE QUEEN'S FRIEND. 
 
 99 
 
 " who confirms these heretics in their 
 obstinacy and hardness of heart ; he is 
 the cause why these reprobates, if not 
 from fear of the divine vengeance, do 
 not return to you at least as their lord 
 and high-priest. For he preaches to 
 them that God is love and mercy, he 
 teaches them that Christ came into the 
 world in order to bring to the world 
 love and the forgiveness of sin, and that 
 those alone are his disciples and ser- 
 vants who imitate his love. And do 
 you not also perceive, sire, that there is 
 a secret and covert attack upon your- 
 self, and that while he praises the love 
 that forgives, he at the same time at- 
 tacks and condemns your just anger that 
 inflicts punishment ? " 
 
 The king made no reply for some 
 time, but looked down gravely and 
 thoughtfully. The fanatical priest had 
 gone too far, and without knowing it, it 
 was he himself who accused the king at 
 this moment. 
 
 Lord Douglas felt this. He read 
 upon the king's countenance that he 
 found himself in one of those moments 
 of contrition, which sometimes over- 
 took him, when his mind cast an in- 
 voluntary glance at its own workings. 
 
 It was necessary to rouse the sleep- 
 ing tiger, and to show him his prey, in 
 order to renew his thirst for blood. 
 
 " It would be all very well," he said, 
 "if Cranmer only preached Christian 
 love. In doing so, he would only be a 
 faithful servant of his master, and an 
 imitator of his king. But he gives the 
 world the abominable example of an un- 
 dutiful and traitorous servant: he de- 
 
 nies the truth of the Six Articles, not in 
 words only but in deeds. You have 
 commanded that the priests of the 
 Church should be unmarried. "Well, 
 then, the Archbishop of Canterbury is 
 married ! " 
 
 " Married I " exclaimed the king, with 
 anger-flaming countenance. u Ah, I'll 
 punish him this transgressor of my 
 holy laws. A servant of the Church, a 
 priest, whose whole life should be de- 
 voted to holy contemplation, to perpetual 
 conversation with God, and whose high 
 vocation it is to renounce all earthly de- 
 sires and lusts of the flesh ! He married ! 
 I shall make him feel the whole rigor of 
 my royal anger; he shall now expe- 
 rience in his own person that the justice 
 of the king is implacable, and never 
 fails to reach the head of the guilty, 
 whoever he be. " 
 
 "Your majesty is the epitome of 
 justice and wisdom," said Douglas, " and 
 your faithful servants well know that if 
 the royal justice sometimes delays to 
 strike down the guilty, this occurs not 
 with your will, but by means of your 
 servants, who have the audacity to hold 
 back the arm of justice." 
 
 "WTiere and when could this have 
 taken place ? " asked Henry, his features 
 glowing with anger and excitement. 
 " Who is the offender that I have not 
 punished? Where lives there in my 
 kingdom the being who has sinned 
 against God or his king, and whom I 
 have not crushed ? " 
 
 "Sire," replied Gardiner, solemnly, 
 "Maria Askew still lives." 
 
 "She lives in order to mock your 
 
100 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 majesty's wisdom, and to contemn your 
 holy doctrines ! " exclaimed Wriothes- 
 ley. 
 
 " She lives because Archbishop Cran- 
 mer is unwilling that she should die," 
 said Douglas, with a shrug. 
 
 The king burst forth into a short, hard 
 fit of laughter. 
 
 "Ah, indeed, so Oranmer is not 
 willing that Maria Askew should die," 
 he said derisively. "He is unwilling 
 that this young woman, who has so 
 fearfully outraged her king and her God, 
 should be punished ? " 
 
 "Yes, she has committed a terrible 
 outrage, and yet two years have elapsed 
 since her deed of guilt," exclaimed Gar- 
 diner. " Two years, which she has spent 
 in contemning her God, and despising 
 her king." 
 
 "Ah," said the king, "we had always 
 hoped to bring back this young misguid- 
 ed creature from the ways of sin and er- 
 ror to the paths of light and repentance. 
 We wished at one time to give a striking 
 example to our people, how willingly 
 we pardon those who repent and le- 
 nounce their heresy, and how we again 
 make them partakers of our royal favor. 
 Hence it was that we gave you, my Lord 
 Bishop, the commission, by virtue of 
 your impressive and convincing words, 
 to recover this poor child from the 
 clutches of Satan, who had led her 
 astray." 
 
 "But she is inflexible," said Gardiner, 
 and he gnashed his teeth. "In vain 
 have I pictured to her the torments of 
 hell which awaited her unless she re- 
 turned to the faith ; in vain have I sub- 
 
 jected her to all sorts of pains and pen- 
 ances ; in vain have I sent other converts 
 into her prison cell, and caused them to 
 pray continually with her night and day : 
 she remains inflexible, as hard as a stone, 
 and neither the fear of punishment nor 
 the prospect of freedom and happiness 
 can soften this heart of marble." 
 
 "There is one means which has not 
 yet been tried," said Wriothesley. "A 
 means, however, which is a more effect- 
 ual preacher of penitence than the most 
 inspired orators or the most eloquent 
 prayers, and to which I am indebted for 
 having brought back many of the most 
 obstinate heretics to God and to the 
 faith." 
 
 "And this means?" 
 
 " Torture, your majesty ! " 
 
 " Ah, torture," repeated the king, with 
 an involuntary shudder. 
 
 "All means are good which conduce 
 to so holy an end ! " said Gardiner, de- 
 voutly clasping his hands. 
 
 " The soul must be saved by wounding 
 the body to the quick ! " exclaimed Wri- 
 othesley. 
 
 "It must be proved to the people," 
 said Douglas, "that the upright con- 
 science of the king does not spare even 
 those who are protected by powerful 
 and influential persons. The people mur- 
 mur that, in this case, justice is not suf- 
 fered to prevail, because Archbishop 
 Cranmer protects Maria Askew, and be- 
 cause the queen is her friend." 
 
 "The queen is never the friend of a 
 malefactor," said Henry, sharply. 
 
 " Perhaps she does not consider Maria 
 Askew to be a malefactor," returned 
 
THE QUEEN'S FRIEND. 
 
 101 
 
 Lord Douglas, with a faint smile. " It is, 
 indeed, well known that Queen Katharine 
 is a great friend of the Keformation, and 
 the people, who dare not call her a her- 
 etic, still call her ' The Protestant.' " 
 
 " Then people really think that it is 
 the queen who protects Maria Askew 
 and saves her from the scaffold ? " asked 
 the king, musingly. 
 
 " That is what they think, your maj- 
 esty." 
 
 " Then they shall see that they have 
 erred, and that Henry the Eighth well 
 deserves to be called Defender of the 
 Faith and Head of his Church," ex- 
 claimed the king, with rising anger. 
 *' For when have I shown myself so in- 
 dulgent and so timid in punishing, that 
 people should think me disposed to for- 
 give or show leniency? Have I not 
 caused Thomas More and Cromwell, two 
 distinguished, and, in some respects, no- 
 ble and highminded men, to mount the 
 scaffold, because they dared to defy my 
 power, and to revolt against the doctrines 
 and ordinances in which I had command- 
 ed them to believe? Have I not sent 
 two of my queens to the block for hav- 
 ing roused my anger, two young and 
 beautiful women, in whom my soul found 
 delight even while I punished them? 
 Who, then, after such striking examples 
 of our crushing justice, will dare to ac- 
 cuse us of being indulgent ? " 
 
 " But at that time, sire," said Doug- 
 las, with his soft insinuating voice, " at 
 that time, there was no queen at your 
 side who called heretics orthodox be- 
 lievers, and esteemed traitors worthy of 
 her friendship." 
 
 The king knit his brow, and his 
 angry glance fell upon the dutiful and 
 devoted countenance of the earl. 
 
 "You know," he exclaimed, "that I 
 hate these covert attacks. If you can 
 accuse the queen of any offence well, 
 do it. But if not, pray be silent ! " 
 
 " The queen is a noble and a virtuous 
 lady," said the earl, "only that she suf- 
 fers herself at times to be led astray by 
 her generous disposition. Or perhaps 
 it has been with your majesty's consent 
 that my lady, the queen, holds a cor- 
 respondence with Maria Askew ? " 
 
 "What do you mean? The queen 
 hold a correspondence with Maria As- 
 kew ? " exclaimed the king, in a voice 
 of thunder. " This is a lie a scandal- 
 ous lie, which has been invented in order 
 to overthrow the queen; for it is well 
 known that the unhappy king, who has 
 been so often deceived and circum- 
 vented, believes, at length, that he has 
 found in this woman a being whom he 
 can trust and in whom he can believe. 
 And people grudge him this they 
 wish to snatch even this last hope from 
 him, in order that his heart may be 
 wholly turned to stone, and that nd 
 emotion of mercy may any longer find 
 an entrance to his bosom. Ah, Doug- 
 las, Douglasl beware of my anger, un- 
 less you can prove what you say 1 " 
 
 " I can prove it, sire ! for it was only 
 yesterday that Lady Jane had to convey 
 a note from Maria Askew to the queen." 
 
 The king remained silent for some 
 time, looking gloomily toward the floor. 
 His three confidants regarded him with 
 strained and breathless attention. 
 
102 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 At length the king raised his head 
 and directed his glance, which was now 
 stern and fixed, toward the chancellor. 
 
 "My Lord Chancellor Wriothesley,"' 
 he said, " I empower you to take Maria 
 Askew to the rack, and to try whether 
 the tortures prepared for the body may 
 not, perchance, have power to bring 
 back this erring soul to repentance. 
 My Lord Bishop Gardiner, I give you 
 my word, that I shall duly attend to 
 your accusation against the Archbishop 
 of Canterbury ; and that if I find it jus- 
 tified, he shall not escape his punish- 
 ment. My Lord Douglas, I shall prove 
 to my people and to the whole world, 
 that I am still the just and avenging 
 Vicar of God upon earth, and that no 
 regard can stem my anger, no consider- 
 ation check my arm, when once it is 
 lifted to strike the head of the guilty. 
 And now, my lords, let us consider this 
 sitting at an end. "We will recruit our- 
 selves a little after our efforts, and ban- 
 ish care for a brief season." 
 
 " You are dismissed, my lords Gardi- 
 ner and Wriothesley. Douglas, you 
 will accompany me into the small draw- 
 ing-room. I wish to see merry and 
 laughing faces around me. Call me, 
 therefore, John Hey wood, and if you 
 meet any ladies in the palace, why, beg 
 them to come and cheer us up with a 
 ray of that sunshine, which you often 
 say is peculiar to the women." 
 
 He leaned, laughing, upon the earl's 
 arm, and once more quitted the closet. 
 
 Gardiner and Wriothesley stood in 
 silence, and looked after the king, who 
 slowly, and with unwieldy gait, strode 
 
 through the adjoining chamber, and 
 whose merry and laughing voice reached 
 them, and resounded through the room. 
 
 "He is like a weather-cock, that 
 turns each moment from side to side," 
 said Gardiner, with a derisive shrug. 
 
 " He calls himself the avenging sword 
 of God ; and yet he is nothing more 
 than a weak tool, that we can twist 
 about and use at our pleasure," mur- 
 mured Wriothesley, with a burst of 
 hoarse laughter. " Poor, miserable fool, 
 who thinks himself so great and power- 
 ful, and fancies he is a free, self-govern- 
 ing king, while in reality he is only our 
 servant and slave. The great work is- 
 drawing to an end, and we shall one 
 day triumph. Maria Askew's death will 
 be the signal for a new league, which 
 will save England, and tread down the 
 heretics like dust under our feet. And 
 when we have at length overthrown 
 Cranmer, and led Katharine Parr to the 
 scaffold, we shall give King Henry a 
 queen who will reconcile him once more 
 with God, and with the only sanctifying 
 Church." 
 
 " Amen. So be it ! " said Gardiner, 
 and arm in arm they both left the closet. 
 
 A deep silence now reigned in this 
 little room ; and no one perceived how 
 John Heywood stepped from behind the 
 curtain, and, for a moment, wholly ex- 
 hausted and weary, flung himself down 
 into a seat. 
 
 " Well, now I know the plans, at 
 least, of these bloodthirsty tiger-cats," 
 he murmured. "They want to give 
 Henry a Catholic queen, and for that 
 reason Cranmer must be overthrown, in 
 
JOIIN HEYWOOD. 
 
 103 
 
 order that when they have robbed the 
 queen of this powerful support, they 
 may be able to destroy her and trample 
 her in the dust. But so true as God 
 lives this plot shall not succeed ! God 
 is just, and he will finally punish these 
 malefactors. Ay, and even if there were 
 no God, we would rouse the Devil to 
 help us. No, they shall not ruin the 
 noble Cranmer, and this beautiful and 
 generous queen. I, John Heywood, the 
 king's jester, won't have it. I'll see, 
 hear, and observe all that passes. They 
 shall find me everywhere in their path ; 
 and if they poison the ear of the king 
 with their diabolical insinuations, I'll 
 cure it all with my plavful devilry. 
 The king's fool will prove the queen's 
 guardian angel." 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 JOHN HEYWOOD. 
 
 AFTER so many cares and anxieties, 
 the king required some recreation and 
 amusement. As the beautiful young 
 queen was seeking enjoyment in the 
 chase, and in the contemplation of na- 
 ture, away from the king, Henry had to 
 find entertainment for himself as best he 
 could, without the help of the queen. 
 His umvitldiness however, and the 
 weight of his flesh prevented him from 
 seeking the pleasures of life outside his 
 palace. The lords and ladies of his 
 court, therefore, must needs bring these 
 pleasures home to him, and place the 
 
 flattering goddess of joy, with folded 
 wings, opposite the king's rolling chair. 
 
 The gout had completely overcome 
 him to-day this mighty king of men ; 
 and as he sat in his arm-chair, he looked 
 a huge unshapen mass. 
 
 But his courtiers still called him a 
 handsome and attractive man, and the 
 ladies still smiled at him, and told him 
 with their sighs and their glances, that 
 they loved him, that he was still to 
 them the same handsome and seductive 
 man he had been twenty years before, 
 when he was still young, slender, and 
 elegant. How they smiled and cast 
 their sly glances at the monarch those 
 high-born and lovely women ! How 
 Lady Jane, formerly the proud and re- 
 served maiden, tries to ensnare him with 
 her glowing eyes, as with a net; how 
 the Duchess of Richmond, lovely and 
 voluptuous, laughs bewitchingly at the 
 king's sensual witticisms, and equivocal 
 puns! 
 
 Poor kin# ! whose corpulence forbade 
 him to dance, as he once used to do 
 with so much grace and skill. Poor 
 king ! whose age forbade him to sing, as 
 he once loved to do, to the delight of 
 his court. 
 
 But still there are some delicious and 
 exquisite moments full of enjoyment, 
 when the man once more revives in the 
 monarch when youth once more opens 
 the eyes of the king, and smiles upon 
 him with some sweet and blissful joys. 
 
 The king has, at least, eyes still left 
 to see beauty, and a heart to feel its 
 effects. 
 
 " How beautiful Lady Jane is, that 
 
104 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 fair lily with the dark, star-glistening 
 eyes, how beautiful is her grace of 
 Eichmond, this full-blown purple rose, 
 with the pearly-white teeth ! " 
 
 And they both smile upon him, and 
 when the king swears that he loves 
 them, they blush and sigh with down- 
 cast looks. 
 
 u Do you sigh, Jane, because you 
 love me?" 
 
 "Oh, sire, you mock me. It would 
 be a crime in me to love you, for Queen 
 Katharine is alive." 
 
 " Yes, she is alive ! " murmured the 
 king, and his brow grew dark, and the 
 smile vanished for a moment from his 
 lips. 
 
 Lady Jane had made a mistake. She 
 had reminded the king of his wife, when 
 it was yet too soon for her death. 
 
 John Hey wood read this on the coun- 
 tenance of his royal master, and resolved 
 to profit by it. He wished to divert 
 the king's attention, and to lead his 
 thoughts away from these beautiful and 
 bewitching ladies who dazzled him with 
 their charms. 
 
 " Yes, the queen lives ! " he repeated, 
 with animation. " And God be thanked 
 she does ! For how dreary and tedious 
 would it be at this court, if we had not 
 beside us our beautiful queen, who is as 
 wise as Methusalem, and as innocent as 
 a new-born child. You join with me, 
 Lady Jane, do you not, in saying, God 
 be thanked the queen lives ? " 
 
 "I do ! " said Lady Jane, with ill- 
 dissembled chagrin. 
 
 "And you, King Henry, don't you 
 say so too ? " 
 
 "Certainly, fool!" 
 
 "Ah, would I were King Henry?" 
 sighed John Hey wood. u King, I envy 
 you, not your crown and royal sceptre, 
 not your courtiers and your wealth I 
 only envy you, that you can say, praised 
 be God, my wife still lives! while I 
 never hear any other phrase, than would 
 to God my wife were not alive! Ah 
 very rarely, king, have I heard a hus- 
 band speak otherwise. In this, as in all 
 other matters, you are an exception, 
 King Henry, and your people will never 
 love you more ardently or sincerely 
 than when you say, thank God that my 
 wife lives ! Trust me, you are, perhaps, 
 the only man at your court who would 
 imitate you in saying so, however ready 
 they are to become your parrots, and to 
 repeat what is said by their lord high- 
 priest." 
 
 " The only man that loves his wife ! " 
 said the Duchess of Kichmond. " Only 
 listen to the chattering clown ! Then 
 you don't believe that we women desire 
 to be loved?" 
 
 " I am convinced that you do not." 
 v " And what do you take us for then ? " 
 
 " For cats, which God has put into a 
 smooth skin, not having any more cat- 
 skins to spare." 
 
 '* Take care, John, that we don't 
 show you our claws," said the duchess, 
 laughing. 
 
 " Please yourself, my lady duchess. 
 I shall only make the sign of the cross 
 and you'll vanish, for, you know, devils 
 can't bear the sign of the cross, and ye 
 women are devils." 
 
 John Hey wood, who was an accom- 
 
JOHH HKYWOOD. 
 
 105 
 
 plished singer, seized the mandolin that 
 lay beside him, and began to sing. 
 
 It was a song such as was only possi- 
 ble at that period, and at Henry's 
 voluptuous and hypocritical court. A 
 song full of the most licentious allusions, 
 of the most offensive jests against monks 
 and women which made the king 
 laugh and the ladies blush, and in which 
 John Heywood had poured forth in 
 glowing strains all his secret anger 
 against Gardiner, the sneaking and hyp- 
 ocritical priest, and against Lady Jane, 
 the false and dissembling friend of the 
 queen. 
 
 But the ladies did not laugh. They 
 directed looks full of anger at John 
 Key wood, and Lady Kichmond de- 
 manded gravely and urgently that the 
 traitor should be punished, who had so 
 dared to calumniate women. 
 
 The king laughed still more. The anger 
 of the ladies was so infinitely diverting. 
 
 " Sire," said the beautiful Richmond, 
 " he has offended not us alone but all our 
 sex, and in the name of our sex I de- 
 mand that this outrage be revenged." 
 
 44 Yes, revenge ! " cried Lady Jane, 
 passionately. 
 
 "Only see what pious and gentle 
 doves you are ! " returned John Hey- 
 wood. 
 
 "Very well, then, you shall have 
 your will you shall chastise him," said 
 the king, laughing. 
 
 u Yes, yes, flog me with scourges, as 
 the Messiah was once flogged for having 
 told the Pharisees tho truth. Just see. 
 I am putting on the crown of thorns 
 already." 
 
 And with a grave air he took the 
 king's velvet cap and raised it to his 
 head. 
 
 " Yes, flog him, flog him," cried the 
 king laughing, as he pointed to the huge 
 porcelain vases which contained im- 
 mense rose bushes, from the long stems 
 of which a prickly forest of thorns 
 rose up. 
 
 "Turn those large bouquets round 
 the other way, take the roses in your 
 hands, and flog him with the stems ! " 
 said the king, and his eyes glistened with 
 grim delight, for the scene promised to 
 be highly interesting. The stems of the 
 rose bushes were long and hard, and the 
 thorns upon them were pointed and 
 sharp as daggers. How would they 
 penetrate his flesh, and how he would 
 cry out and make wry faces the honest 
 fool! 
 
 " Oh, yes, he must take off his coat, 
 and we will flog him," cried the Duchess 
 of .Richmond, and the other ladies cried 
 out after her in chorus, anji like furies 
 they rushed upon him, and forced him 
 to doff his silken overcoat. Then has- 
 tening to the vases they tore out the 
 rose bushes, and skilfully selected the 
 longest and strongest stems, and scream- 
 ed with delight when the thorns were 
 very large and sharp, and so would 
 pierce deep into the flesh of the of- 
 fender. 
 
 The laughter and the shouts of ap- 
 plause of the king encouraged them 
 more and more, and made them still 
 more excited and furious. 
 
 Their cheeks glowed, their eyes glis- 
 tened ; they resembled the Bacchantes 
 
106 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 who, with their cry Evoe! Evoe! sur- 
 round the god of mad festivity. 
 
 "Not yet! Don't strike yet," ex- 
 claimed the king. "You must first 
 strengthen yourselves for the enterprise 
 and give energy to your arm for a 
 weighty stroke." 
 
 He took the large golden heaker that 
 stood before him and handed it to Lady 
 Jane. 
 
 "Drink, Lady Jane, drink, and give 
 strength to your arm ! " 
 
 And they all drank, and with animat- 
 ed smiles pressed their lips to the place 
 which the king's mouth had touched; 
 and now their eyes grew more inflamed 
 and their cheeks glowed with fresh ardor. 
 
 It was a singular and piquant specta- 
 cle, to see all these beautiful women 
 glowing with malicious joy, and thirst 
 for revenge, all of whom, for the mo- 
 ment had laid aside their gentler attrac- 
 tions and their proud and haughty looks, 
 in order to transform themselves into 
 riotous Bacchantes, who wished to 
 chastise the insolent transgressor, that 
 had so often and so severely scourged 
 them all with his tongue. 
 
 " How I wish we had a painter here ! " 
 said the king. " He should paint us a 
 picture of the chaste Nymphs of Diana 
 persecuting Actseon. You are Action, 
 John." 
 
 " But they are not the chaste nymphs, 
 king certainly not," said John Hey- 
 wood, laughing, "and between these 
 beautiful ladies and Diana, I see no re- 
 semblance but only a difference." 
 
 " And wherein consists the difference, 
 John?" 
 
 "In this, sire, that whereas Diana 
 carried her horn at her side, these beau- 
 tiful ladies cause their husbands to wear 
 it on their foreheads." 
 
 A peal of laughter from the gentle- 
 men, and a scream of rage from the la- 
 dies, was the answer to this new epi- 
 gram of John Hey wood. 
 
 They arranged themselves in two 
 rows, and formed a lane through which 
 John Heywood must pass. 
 
 "Come on, John Heywood! Come 
 and receive your punishment ! " 
 
 And they raised their thorny scourges, 
 and swung them with angry gestures 
 high above their heads. 
 
 The scene certainly began to be very 
 piquant for John Heywood, for these 
 scourges had very sharp thorns on 
 them, and his back was defended by 
 only a fine linen shirt. 
 
 Meanwhile, with unflinching step, he 
 approached the fatal passage through 
 which he must run the gauntlet. Al- 
 ready he saw the scourges waving be- 
 hind him, and he felt as if the thorns 
 were already pricking his back. 
 
 He remained standing, and with 
 laughter in his eyes, turned round tow- 
 ard the king, " Sire, as you have con- 
 demned me to die by the hands of these 
 nymphs, I must claim the right of every 
 culprit about to suffer a last favor." 
 
 " Which we grant you, John ! " 
 
 "I claim the right of imposing a 
 condition upon these fair ladies the 
 condition upon which they shall scourge 
 me. Will your majesty grant it? " 
 
 "I will." 
 
 "And you will give me your royal 
 
JOHN HEYWOOD. 
 
 107 
 
 word, that this condition shall be faith- 
 fully observed and performed ? " 
 
 " Yes, my royal word." 
 
 " Well then ! " exclaimed John Hey- 
 wood, as he entered the defile, "my 
 condition is this : The lady among you 
 all who has had the greatest number of 
 lovers, and who has crowned her hus- 
 band the oftenest, shall deliver the first 
 blow upon my back." 
 
 A deep silence ensued. The up- 
 lifted arms of the beautiful ladies were 
 suddenly relaxed, and the rose-trees fell 
 from their hands to the ground. But a 
 moment since, they were filled with 
 spite and revenge, and now they have 
 become the mildest and gentlest beings 
 in the world. 
 
 But had their glances been able to 
 kill, the latent fire thereof must have 
 consumed the hapless John Hey wood, 
 who now looked round at them with 
 derisive laughter. 
 
 "Now, my ladies, why don't you 
 strike ? " asked the king. 
 
 "We despise him too much, your 
 majesty, even to wish to chastise him," 
 said the Duchess of Richmond. 
 
 "Then, in that case, your enemy will 
 have offended you unpunished?" in- 
 quired the king. " No, no, my ladies, it 
 shall not be said that there is a man in 
 ray kingdom whom I would have suffered 
 to escape a well-merited punishment! 
 We will there-fore impose another pen- 
 alty upon him. He calls himself a poet, 
 and has often boasted that he could 
 cause his pen to move as nimbly as he 
 p his tongue. Well then, John, 
 prove to us that thou art no vain 
 
 boaster. I command thee to write an 
 interlude for the great court festival, 
 which will take place a few days hence ; 
 such an interlude, hark ye, John, as 
 shall afford mirth to the most serious, 
 and which shall make these ladies 
 langh so heartily as to forget all their 
 anger ! " 
 
 " Oh ! " replied John, plaintively, 
 " what an equivocal and disorderly 
 composition it must be, if intended to 
 make these ladies laugh and be merry. 
 In that case, my king, in order to 
 please these dear ladies, we must for- 
 get a little of our modesty and bashful- 
 ness, and not stand upon ceremony or 
 delicate reserve ; and we must endeavor 
 .to speak as freely as possible in the 
 sense in which ladies understand license 
 of speech." 
 
 " You are a wretch ! " said Lady 
 Jane. " A common hypocritical fool ! " 
 
 "Lord Douglas, your daughter speaks 
 with you," said John Hey wood, calmly. 
 " Your affectionate daughter flatters you 
 very much." 
 
 "Well, John? " asked the king, "you 
 have understood my command, and you 
 will fulfil it? This festival was to have 
 taken place within four days. I shall 
 postpone it for two days longer. In six 
 days, therefore, from this time, you will 
 have prepared a new interlude for us. 
 And if he fail, my ladies, then you shall 
 scourge him unconditionally and with- 
 out compunction, until the blood 
 comes 1 " 
 
 A loud noise, and the clatter of 
 horses' hoofs was now heard below iu 
 the court-yard. 
 
108 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 
 "The queen has returned!" ex- 
 claimed John Hey wood, and his face 
 beamed with delight, while he directed 
 a look of smiling, hut malicious, satis- 
 faction at Lady Jane. "There now 
 remains for you nothing further to 
 do than to go and meet your mistress 
 on the grand staircase, and render your 
 services, for as you lately observed with 
 so much wisdom, 'THE QUEEN STILL 
 LIVES!'" 
 
 Without waiting for a reply, John 
 Heywood sprang forward, and rushed 
 along through the anterooms and down 
 the steps to meet the queen. Lady 
 Jane looked after him with a glance of 
 anger and resentment, and as she 
 slowly advanced toward the door in 
 order to attend upon the queen, she 
 murmured gently from between her 
 compressed lips: "The fool must die, 
 for he is the friend of the queen ! " 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 THE CONFIDANT. 
 
 THE queen was ascending the steps 
 of the grand staircase, and she greeted 
 John Heywood with a friendly smile. 
 
 "Your majesty," he said aloud, "I 
 have a few private words to say to you 
 in the name of the king ! " 
 
 " Private words ! " repeated Katha- 
 rine, as she stood still on the landing. 
 "Well then, ladies and gentlemen, will 
 you retire a moment, while we receive 
 the private message of his majesty." 
 
 The royal retinue withdrew silently 
 and respectfully into the large anterooms 
 of the palace, while the queen remained 
 behind with John Heywood. 
 
 "Now, John, what is the mes- 
 sage ? " 
 
 " Attend, queen, to my words and en- 
 grave them upon your memory! A 
 plot has been formed against you, and in 
 a few days at the great court festival 
 it will be ripe for execution. Be watch- 
 ful, therefore, over every word you utter, 
 and even keep a check upon your 
 thoughts. Beware of every dangerous 
 step, for you may be sure that you will 
 always have a spy at your side. And if 
 you should need a confidant for any 
 purpose, trust to no one but to me. I 
 tell you that great danger threatens you, 
 and only by prudence and caution will 
 you be able to escape it." 
 
 On this occasion the queen did not 
 laugh at the warning voice of her 
 friend. She looked grave she even 
 trembled. 
 
 She had lost her proud assurance and 
 her cheerful confidence she was no 
 longer blameless she had a dangerous 
 secret to preserve, she was, therefore, 
 fearful of its discovery, and she trem- 
 bled, not for herself alone, but for him 
 she loved. 
 
 " And in what does this plot consist?" 
 she asked with a shudder. 
 
 " As yet, I know not I only know 
 that it exists. But, I shall find it out, 
 and if your enemies lurk like spies 
 around you why, in that case, I shall 
 put on my spectacles to watch their 
 movements." 
 
THE CONFIDANT. 
 
 109 
 
 "And am I the only person whom 
 they threaten?" 
 
 "No. Your friend also is in danger, 
 queen ! " 
 
 Katharine trembled. " Which friend, 
 John ? " 
 
 " Archbishop Cranmer ! " 
 
 " Ah ! the archbishop ! " she repeat- 
 ed, breathing more freely. " And is 
 that all, John ? Does their enmity pur- 
 sue him and myself only? " 
 
 " Only you both ! " said John Hey- 
 wood, pensively, for he well understood 
 the relieved breathing of the queen ; and 
 he knew that she had trembled for 
 another. " But, remember, queen, that 
 the overthrow of Cranrner would also 
 be your own destruction; and that as 
 you protect the archbishop, so also he 
 protects you with the king you and 
 your friends, too, queen." 
 
 Katharine started slightly, and her 
 color deepened. 
 
 u I shall always remember him, and 
 shall never cease to be a true and sted- 
 f:i<t friend both to him and to you, for 
 you both are my only friends, are you 
 not?" 
 
 "No, your majesty. I spoke to you 
 of a third also of Thomas Seymour." 
 
 "Oh, of him!" she cried, with a 
 sweet smile. Then she added, suddenly, 
 in a rapid undertone: "You said I 
 should trust no one here but you. Well, 
 then, I will give you a proof of my con- 
 fidence. Wait for me to-night at twelve 
 o'clock in the green garden saloon. You 
 shall be my attendant on a dangerous 
 excursion. Have you courage, John ?" 
 
 " Yes ; courage to die for you, queen." 
 
 "Then come; but bring arms with 
 you." 
 
 "As you command. But are these 
 your only orders to-day ? " 
 
 " That is all, John. Only," she added, 
 with hesitation, and blushing slightly, 
 " only, if you should chance to meet 
 Lord Sudley, tell him that I have com- 
 missioned you with greetings for him." 
 
 " Oh ! " sighed John Hey wood, sadly. 
 
 "He has to-day saved my life, John," 
 she added, as if by way of excuse. "It 
 is, therefore, right that I should be grate- 
 ful to him." 
 
 And nodding to him in a friendly 
 manner, she entered the palace. 
 
 " Now, who will say that accident is 
 not the most malicious and spiteful of 
 all devils," murmured John Hey wood. 
 " This devil throws in the queen's way 
 just the very man whom she should 
 avoid most of all ; and makes it neces- 
 sary that she should, at the same time, be 
 most deeply bound in gratitude to the 
 man she loves. Ho! ho! then he has 
 saved her life. Who knows, however, . 
 but he may one day be the means of her 
 losing it." 
 
 He bent his head pensively on his 
 breast, when he suddenly heard a voice 
 behind him, which gently called him by 
 name ; and, as he turned round, he saw 
 the young princess Elizabeth, who, with 
 rapid steps, was hastening after him. 
 
 She was very beautiful at this mo- 
 ment. Her eyes flashed with the fire of 
 passion ; her cheeks glowed, and round 
 her thin, crimson lips played a gentle 
 smile expressive of happiness. Accord- 
 ing to the fashion of the time, she wore 
 
110 
 
 HENRY YIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 a closely-fitting robe reaching to the 
 throat, which set off the delicate outline 
 of her slender and youthful figure, 
 while the large high ruffle concealed the 
 somewhat excessive length of her neck, 
 and made her fresh and almost childlike 
 face stand out as from a pedestal. On 
 both sides of her high and thoughtful 
 brow fell bright auburn locks in wanton 
 lavishness ; her head was adorned with a 
 dark velvet cap, from which a white 
 feather descended to her shoulder. 
 
 Altogether she presented a very love- 
 ly and attractive appearance, full of 
 nobleness and grace, full of fire and 
 energy; and, despite her youthfulness, 
 not wanting in a certain lofty dignity. 
 Elizabeth, though still almost a child, 
 and although much humbled by misfor- 
 tune, was yet the true daughter of her 
 father; and although Henry had de- 
 clared her illegitimate, and had excluded 
 her from the succession, yet she bore 
 the stamp of her royal lineage upon her 
 proud and thoughtful brow, and in her 
 keen, flashing glance. 
 
 As she now stood before John Hey- 
 wood, she was no longer the haughty 
 and imperious princess, but only the 
 timid and blushing damsel, who trem- 
 bles at confiding her first maiden secret 
 to the ear of another, and who only 
 ventures with trembling hand to draw 
 aside the veil which hides her heart. 
 
 "John Hey wood," she said, "you 
 have often told me that you love me, 
 and indeed I know that my poor un- 
 happy mother trusted you, and called 
 you as a witness of her innocence. At 
 that time you were unable to save the 
 
 mother; but will you now serve the 
 daughter of Anne Bullen, and be a faith- 
 ful friend to her ? " 
 
 " I will," replied John Heywood, 
 solemnly, " and as truly as there is a 
 heaven above us, you shall never find in 
 me a traitor." 
 
 " I believe you, John ; I know that I 
 may trust you. Listen, therefore. I 
 will now tell you my secret a secret 
 which no one knows but God, and the 
 betrayal of which might lead me to the 
 scaffold. Will you, then, swear to me 
 not to reveal to any one, under any pre- 
 text or motive whatsoever, a word of 
 what I am about to tell you. Will you 
 swear to me not to confide this secret to 
 any one, even upon your dying bed, and 
 not even to disclose it in the confes- 
 sional?" 
 
 "Well, as to that matter, prim 
 you may feel perfectly secure. I never 
 go to confession, for confession is a sort 
 of priestly pabulum which my palate has 
 rejected for many a long day; and as 
 regards my death-bed, one cannot be 
 quite sure, under the pious and blessed 
 reign of Henry the Eighth, that he will 
 really have such an accommodation, or 
 that he may not make the journey to 
 eternity in a much easier and speedier 
 fashion, by the aid of the headsman." 
 
 "Oh! pray be serious, John, I en- 
 treat you ! Let not the jester's mask, 
 under which you conceal your more 
 grave and your better countenance, now 
 hide your true features from me. Be 
 serious, John, and swear to me that you . 
 will keep my secret." 
 
 " Well, then, I will swear to do so, 
 
THE CONFIDANT. 
 
 Ill 
 
 princess. I swear to you, by the spirit 
 of your mother, never to betray a word 
 of what you shall tell me." 
 
 " I thank you, John. Now stoop for- 
 ward, closer, that even the air may not 
 catch one of my words and bear it 
 away. John, I am hi love ! " 
 
 She perceived the half-surprised, half- 
 incredulous smile which played round 
 John Heywood's lips. 
 
 u Ah," she continued, passionately, 
 " you do not believe me. You think to 
 yourself that as I am but fourteen years 
 old, I am only a child, who can know 
 nothing of the feelings of a woman. But 
 remember, John, that young damsels 
 who live under a warm sun, soon attain 
 maturity from the influence of its glow- 
 ing beams, and are already women and 
 mothers, while they should still be chil- 
 dren, living in dream-land. Believe me, 
 John, I am deeply in love. An ardent 
 and consuming tire rages within me it 
 is at once my torment and my delight 
 my happiness, and my future hope. As 
 I shall never be a queen, I wish at least 
 to be loved and to be happy as a wife. 
 And if I am condemned to a life of low- 
 line-*? and obscurity, it shall not at least 
 be denied me to adorn this dark and in- 
 glorious existence with flowers, which 
 do not thrive at the foot of the throne, 
 and to illumine it, as if with stars, more 
 brilliant than the splendors of the most 
 dazzling royal diadem." 
 
 " Oh, you only mistake yourself and 
 your own motives," said John Heywood, 
 pensively. "You only choose the one 
 because the other course is denied you ; 
 you only wish to love, because you can't 
 
 govern ; and as your heart which thirst* 
 for glory and for fame, can find no other 
 object of content, you wish to appease 
 its thirst with some other potion, and so 
 you offer it love as an opiate, with which 
 to lull its burning pains to rest. Believe 
 me, princess, you do not yet know your- 
 self; you are not born merely to fulfil 
 the part of an affectionate wife; your 
 brow is far too lofty and too proud to 
 wear only a crown of myrtle. Consider 
 well, therefore, what you are doing, 
 princess. Do not suffer yourself to be 
 hurried away by the passionate blood 
 of your father, which surges in your 
 veins also. Reflect well before you act. 
 Your foot still rests on one of the steps 
 of the throne. Withdraw it not of your 
 own accord ! Maintain your place, and 
 then the next step brings you one de* 
 gree nearer. Renounce not willingly 
 your just claims, but await patiently for 
 the day of retribution and justice. Only 
 do not, yourself, render it impossible 
 that a complete and splendid satisfaction 
 should then be offered you. The PEIX- 
 CESS Elizabeth may indeed some day be- 
 come a queen, provided she have not ex- 
 changed her name for one of less glory 
 and distinction." 
 
 " John Heywood," she replied, with a 
 charming smile, " I told you truly when 
 I said I loved him." 
 
 " Well, continue to love him still, by 
 all means, but do so in secret, and do 
 not let him know it, but teach your love 
 the art of resignation." 
 
 " He knows it already, John." 
 
 " Alas ! poor princess ; you are in- 
 deed still like a child, which grasps at 
 
112 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 the fire with smiling hardihood and 
 scorches its hands, because it knows 
 not that fire burns." 
 
 " Let it burn, John, burn away, and 
 let its flames meet above my head. 
 Better far to be consumed by such a 
 fire, than to die a wretched and linger- 
 ing death from cold ! I tell you I love 
 him, and he knows it already." 
 
 " Well, love him if you will ; but at 
 least, do not marry him," cried John 
 Heywood, peevishly. 
 
 " Marry ! " she exclaimed with sur- 
 prise. " Marry ! Why I never dreamed 
 of such a thing at present." 
 
 She bent her head upon her breast, 
 and stood for some moments plunged in 
 thought. 
 
 "I greatly fear I have been talking 
 nonsense ! " murmured John Heywood. 
 "I have suggested a new train of 
 thought to her. Ah, King Henry did 
 right in appointing me his fool. Just 
 when we think ourselves wisest, we are 
 greater fools than ever." 
 
 " John," said Elizabeth, as she again 
 raised her head, and looked smilingly, 
 and with an ardent glance, at the court- 
 jester, "John, you are quite right. 
 When people love each other they 
 should marry." 
 
 " But I said just the contrary, prin- 
 cess ! " 
 
 "It is well," she exclaimed, with 
 decision. " All this belongs to the fu- 
 ture. We will now occupy ourselves 
 with the present. I have promised my 
 lover an interview." 
 
 " An interview 1 " cried John Hey- 
 v. wood, astonished. "You will surely 
 
 not be so foolhardy as to keep your 
 promise." 
 
 "John Heywood," she replied, with 
 an air of grave solemnity, " King 
 Henry's daughter will never give a 
 promise without keeping it. Whatever 
 good or ill betide, I shall always be true 
 to my word, once given even though 
 it should conduce to my grievous unhap- 
 piness and destruction." 
 
 John Heywood did not venture to 
 oppose her further. There was at this 
 moment something peculiarly noble and 
 truly royal in her demeanor, which im- 
 posed upon him, and before which he 
 bowed. 
 
 " I have promised him an interview, 
 because he wished it," she continued, 
 " and I will not conceal from you, John, 
 that my own heart was disposed to 
 grant his request. Do not therefore 
 seek to shake my resolution ; it is as 
 firm as a rock. If, however, you are 
 unwilling to assist me say so, and then 
 I shall look elsewhere for some friend 
 who shall love me sufficiently well to 
 impose silence on his doubts." 
 
 "But who will probably go and be- 
 tray you, princess. No, no; as your 
 resolution is unchangeable, no one but 
 myself shall be your confidant. Tell 
 me, therefore, wh/it I am to do, and I 
 shall obey you." 
 
 "You know, John, that my apart- 
 ments are situated in that wing of the 
 palace which faces the garden. Well, 
 then, I have discovered behind a large 
 picture on the wall of my toilet cham- 
 ber, a secret door which opens into a 
 dark and unfrequented corridor leading 
 
THE CONFIDANT. 
 
 113 
 
 to that tower which you see beyond. 
 This tower is never occupied. No one 
 ever thinks of visiting that part of the 
 palace. The rooms are as silent as the 
 grave, but are nevertheless furnished 
 with truly royal splendor. It is there 
 that I intend to receive him ! " 
 
 u But how is he to reach the spot? " 
 
 " Oh, don't be uneasy about that. I 
 have thought over the matter for sev- 
 eral days; and while I always denied 
 my lover the interview for which he 
 besought me, I was silently preparing 
 every thing, in order that I might one 
 day be able to grant his request. This 
 day the goal is reached, and this day I 
 fulfil his wish, wholly of my own free 
 will, because I perceived that he had 
 no longer the courage to renew his re- 
 quest. Listen, then ; from the tower a 
 winding staircase leads down to a small 
 door by which the garden is reached. 
 For that door I have a key. Here it is. 
 With this key in his possession he has 
 nothing more to do than in the evening, 
 instead of leaving the palace, to remain 
 behind in the park, and by means of this 
 key he will be able to reach me ; for I 
 shall wait for him in the large tower 
 saloon which lies exactly opposite the 
 flight of steps. Here, take the key, and 
 give it to him, and repeat to him all 
 tli at I have told you." 
 
 " Very good, princess. There only re- 
 mains that you should fix the hour at 
 which you will receive him." 
 
 "The hour?" she repeated, turning 
 aside to hide her blushes. " You will 
 readily understand, John, that it is not 
 possible to receive him there in the day 
 
 time. I have not a single moment 
 which I can call my own, unobserved." 
 
 '* You will accordingly receive him at 
 night," returned John Heywood, pen- 
 sively. " At what hour ? " 
 
 "At midnight ! And now you know 
 all, and I beg you, John, to make haste, 
 and convey my message to him, for you 
 see the sun is setting and it will soon be 
 night." 
 
 She nodded 10 him with a smile and 
 turned to go. 
 
 " Princess, you have as yet forgotten, 
 the most important point. You have 
 not yet told me his name." 
 
 " "What ! did you not guess it your- 
 self? John Heywood, who has such 
 keen eyes, not to perceive that there is 
 at this court but one person who de- 
 serves to be loved by the daughter of a 
 king!" 
 
 " And the name of this one person ? " 
 
 "Is Thomas Seymour Lord Siidley," 
 whispered Elizabeth, while she sud- 
 denly turned round and entered the 
 palace. 
 
 "What! Thomas Seym our?" exclaim- 
 ed John Heywood, with amazement. 
 As if paralysed by terror, he continued 
 standing and motionless, and looked up 
 at the sky, repeating again and again : 
 " Thomas Seymour ! Thomas Seymour ! 
 Why he is a kind of enchanter, who 
 pours his love-potions into the hearts of 
 all the sex, and befools them with that 
 bold, handsome countenance of his. 
 Thomas Seymour ! The queen loves 
 him ; the princess loves him ; and then 
 there is the Duchess of Richmond, who 
 wants to become his wife at all hazards 1 
 
114 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 This much, however, is certain, that he 
 is a traitor who deceives them both, be- 
 cause he makes the same declarations of 
 love to each alike. And then there is 
 that wicked imp, chance, which has 
 compelled me to become the confidant 
 of both these women. But I shall take 
 good care not to execute loth the com- 
 missions which I have for this enchanter. 
 Let him, if he pleases, become the hus- 
 band of the princess. Perhaps this may 
 be the surest means of weaning the 
 queen from her unfortunate attach- 
 ment." 
 
 He ceased, and for a moment seemed 
 lost in deep thought. " Yes, it shall be 
 so," he exclaimed at length. "I'll sub- 
 due the one love by means of the other. 
 For the queen it would be dangerous to 
 love him. I shall therefore bring the 
 affair to such a pass that she must hate 
 him. I shall still continue to be her 
 confidant. I shall receive her letters 
 and her commissions, only that I shall 
 burn the letters and not execute the 
 commissions. I dare not tell her that 
 the faithless Thomas Seymour has be- 
 trayed her, for I have pledged my 
 solemn word to the Princess Elizabeth 
 to let no one suspect her secret, and I 
 must and shall keep my word. Smile 
 and love on then dream the sweet 
 dreams of thy love, O, queen; I am 
 keeping watch for thee, and I shall 
 cause this dark cloud to pass away from 
 thee. It may perhaps touch thy heart, 
 hut at least it shall not crush thy noble 
 and beautiful head, which " 
 
 " Well, and what are you staring up 
 at the sky for now, as if you were read- 
 
 ing some new epigram there with which 
 you want to make the king laugh and 
 the priests angry?" inquired a voice 
 beside him, and a hand was laid heavily 
 on his shoulder. 
 
 John Heywood did not trouble him- 
 self to look round ; he continued stand- 
 ing in his place, and stared on at the sky 
 without changing or moving. He had 
 easily recognized the voice of the person 
 who addressed him ; he knew quite 
 well that the individual beside him was 
 none other than the fool-hardy enchant- 
 er,, whom he had just been execrating 
 from the bottom of his heart none 
 other that Thomas Seymour, Earl of 
 Sudley. 
 
 u Say, John, is it really an epigram ? " 
 asked Thomas Seymour, once more. 
 " An epigram upon the knavish, greedy, 
 and hypocritical rabble of priests, who 
 with blasphemous flattery fawn round 
 the king, and are always on the alert to 
 see how they can lay a trap for one of 
 us brave and honorable men ? Is that 
 what the sky has just been revealing to 
 you?" 
 
 " No, my lord ; I am only looking 
 after a hawk, which I see yonder in the 
 clouds. I saw him fly up there; and 
 only imagine, he had in each of his 
 claws a dove. Two doves for one hawk. 
 Now is not that too much, and alto- 
 gether opposed to nature and justice ? " 
 
 The earl regarded him with a pene- 
 trating and distrustful glance. But John 
 Heywood remained perfectly calm and 
 composed, and still continued gazing at 
 the clouds. 
 
 " What a stupid creature that is," he 
 
THE CONFIDANT. 
 
 continued, " not to perceive how injuri- 
 ous his avarice is to himself. For as he 
 holds a dove in each of his claws, he 
 will not be able to taste either of them, 
 for he will have no talons left free to 
 tear his prey with. As soon as he at- 
 tempts to devour the one, the other will 
 slip away from him, and when he tries 
 to catch the latter, the other will fly 
 away, and so at last he will have noth- 
 ing because he was too greedy, and 
 wished to have more than he could 
 make use of." 
 
 " And are you really looking np into 
 the clouds after this hawk ? But per- 
 haps you deceive yourself, and that what 
 you are seeking is not up there, but 
 down here, and perhaps even not very 
 far away?" asked Thomas Seymour sig- 
 nificantly. 
 
 John Heywood however would not 
 understand him. 
 
 "Oh, no," he replied, "it is still fly- 
 ing, but it won't continue to do so much 
 longer. For I have already seen the 
 owner of the dove-cot, from which the 
 hawk stole the two doves. He carried 
 a fowling-piece in his hand, and you 
 may be quite sure he will kill the hawk 
 for having robbed him of both his 
 pets." 
 
 " Enough, enough ! " exclaimed the 
 earl, impatiently. "You wish to give 
 me a lesson, but you must know that I 
 accept no counsel from a fool even 
 though he were the wisest of fools." 
 
 " In that you are right, my lord, for it 
 is only fools who are so foolish as to 
 listen to the voice of wisdom. Besides, 
 every one must be the hammerman of 
 
 his own fortune, an 'MOW, my wise 
 mastejr, I will give you a key which you 
 have forged for yourself, and behind 
 which your future stands. There, take 
 this key, and if you will creep along 
 stealthily through the garden to yonder 
 tower, to-night, about twelve o'clock, 
 this key will open the door for you, and 
 then you can fly up the winding stairs 
 without hesitation, and open the door 
 opposite the landing. Behind that you 
 will find the fortune which you have 
 forged for yourself, Master Blacksmith, 
 and which will bid you welcome with 
 ardent lips and fair arms. And so com- 
 mending you to God, my lord, I must 
 now make haste and get home, in order 
 to think over the comedy which the 
 king has commanded me to write." 
 
 " But you do not even tell me from 
 whom this message comes?" said Lord 
 Dudley, holding him back. " You invite 
 me to a rendezvous, and you give me a 
 key, but I don't yet know who is ex- 
 pecting me in that tower." 
 
 "Oh! You don't know who it is? 
 Then there is more than one who 
 might be awaiting yon there? "Well 
 then, it is the youngest and smallest 
 of the two doves who sends you the 
 key." 
 
 " The Princess Elizabeth ? " 
 
 "You have named her not I," re- 
 plied John Heywood, as he disengaged 
 himself from the hand of the earl, and 
 hastened across the court-yard in order 
 to betake himself to his dwelling. 
 
 "Then the princess is waiting for 
 me?" he whispered softly. "Ah, who 
 can read in the stars, or who can tell 
 
116 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 whither the crown will roll away, when 
 it falls from the head of King Henr<y ? I 
 love Katharine ; but I love ambition still 
 more, and if ambition demand it, why 
 I must needs make a sacrifice of my 
 heart ! " 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 GAMMER GUKTON'S NEEDLE. 
 
 SLOWLY, and plunged in gloomy 
 thought, John Heywood reached his 
 dwelling. This dwelling lay in the 
 second, that is to say, the inner court 
 of Whitehall Palace, in that wing of 
 the building which contained all the 
 residences of the superior servants of 
 the royal household, and of course, that 
 of the royal fool also ; for at that time 
 the king's fool was a very important 
 personage, who occupied in a manner 
 the rank of a royal chamberlain. 
 
 John Heywood was crossing this 
 second court-yard, when suddenly the 
 noise of loud voices scolding and 
 jangling, and the sharp and peculiar 
 sound of a box on the ear aroused him 
 from his reverie. 
 
 He stood still and listened. 
 
 His countenance, previously so grave, 
 now once more resumed its accustomed 
 lively and sly expression his large eyes 
 were once more lighted up with humor, 
 and with a species of malicious pleas- 
 ure. 
 
 " Ah, this is my sweet and amiable 
 housekeeper, Gammer Gurton, again," 
 
 murmured John Heywood, laughing, 
 " and she is once more quarrelling with 
 that poor, long-legged, blear-eyed, but 
 excellent creature, my servant, Hodge. 
 Why, it was only yesterday that I sur- 
 prised her bestowing a kiss upon him, 
 at which the fellow made such a rue- 
 ful countenance, that he looked as if a 
 bee had stung him. To-day, however, 
 she boxes his ears. Perhaps this 
 makes him laugh, and he thinks it is a 
 rose leaf to cool his cheeks. He is a 
 singular being this same Hodge. But 
 we must just see what this farce is that 
 they are playing to-day." 
 
 He glided softly up the steps and 
 opened the door of his apartments, and 
 then closed it noiselessly behind him aa 
 he entered. 
 
 Mistress Gammer Gurton, who was 
 in the adjoining room, had neither 
 heard nor seen any thing, and even had 
 the sky fallen at this moment, she would 
 scarcely have observed it; for she had 
 eyes and ears for nothing else but for 
 this lank, raw-boned fellow, who stood 
 opposite her, trembling with pain, and 
 who stared at her out of a pair of wa- 
 tery blue eyes. Her whole soul was cen- 
 tred in her tongue, and this tongue 
 moved as fast as the clapper of a mill, 
 and rattled and rolled like thunder. 
 
 How then could Mistress Gammer 
 Gurton have had ears or time to hear 
 her master, who had crept gently into 
 his room, and had gently glided along to 
 the door which stood ajar, and which 
 separated his chamber from that of his 
 housekeeper. 
 
 "What! you stupid blockhead?" 
 
GAMMER GURTON'S NEEDLE. 
 
 117 
 
 cried Mistress Gammer Gurton, "you 
 want to make me believe it was the cat 
 that took my needle away. As if my 
 needle were a mouse, and smelt of ba- 
 con, you silly, blear-eyed fool ! " 
 
 " Ah you call me a fool," cried Hodge, 
 with a laugh, which produced a some- 
 what irregular slit across his face from 
 ear to ear ; " you call me a fool, which 
 is a great honor for me, for then I am 
 the worthy servant of iny master. And 
 as to the blear-eyed part of the business, 
 why that comes, you see, of having 
 nothing else before me to look at the 
 whole day long, but yourself, Gammer 
 Gurton yourself, with your full-moon 
 face yourself sailing about the room 
 like a great frigate, and with your hands 
 for grappling hooks, smashing every- 
 thing that comes in your way except 
 your own looking-glass." 
 
 "Now you shall pay ror that, you 
 double-faced, shabby lout," cried Mistress 
 Gammer Gurton, rushing at Hodge, with 
 her clenched fist, 
 
 . But the sly servant of John Hey wood 
 saw what was coming, and so he stooped 
 down and took refuge under the large 
 table which stood in the middle of the 
 room. But when the housekeeper 
 rushed forward to fetch him out from 
 his stronghold, he pinched her leg with 
 such hearty good will that she started 
 back with a scream, and, smarting with 
 intense pain, sank down into the huge 
 leather-covered arm-chair which stood 
 near the window alongside her work 
 table. 
 
 " Oh, Hodge, you monster ! " she 
 groaned. "You horrid, heartless mon- 
 
 ster. Yes, and it was you that stole my 
 needle from me, and nobody else. For 
 you knew very well that it was my last, 
 and that before I could get any more I 
 must go a long way to the shop where 
 they are sold. And that is just what 
 you want, you weather-cock knave. 
 You only want that I should go out, in 
 order that you may have time to carry 
 on your games with Tibby." 
 
 "Tibby? Why, who is Tibby?" 
 asked Hodge, poking forward his long 
 neck from under the table, and staring 
 at Mistress Gammer Gurton with well- 
 feigned astonishment. 
 
 " Just' fancy this daddy-long-legs ask- 
 ing me who Tibby is ! " cried the exas- 
 perated lady. " Then I'll tell you who 
 she is. Tibby is the steward's cook over 
 the way. She is a dark-eyed, deceitful, 
 coquettish little minx, who is mean and 
 wicked enough to try to steal away a lover 
 from a respectable and virtuous woman 
 like me ; a lover, God wot, who is such 
 a pitiful little sneak, that one would 
 suppose nobody else but myself could 
 ever see him if they looked for him; 
 and, indeed, I could never have done so, 
 if my eyes hadn't been used to search- 
 ing for things for the last forty years, 
 and that, all that time, I've been looking 
 for a man who would know my value, 
 and lead me to the altar. And then at 
 last my eyes rested upon this ghost of a 
 man, and as nothing else turned up, I 
 must needs drop upon you, you poor 
 cobweb! " 
 
 "What, you call me a cobweb?" 
 cried Hodge, creeping out from under 
 the table, and with a threatening look, 
 
118 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 stretching himself at full length before 
 Gammer Gurton's chair. "You call 
 me a cobweb ? Well, then, I vow and 
 declare that you shall never be the 
 spider that lives in this cobweb. For 
 you are a garden-spider, a great, horrid, 
 old garden-spider, for which such a cob- 
 web as Hodge is much too fine and too 
 delicate. Be quiet, therefore, Mistress 
 Spider, and choose some clumsy cobweb 
 to suit you elsewhere. Yon shan't live 
 in my web, that's only for Tib. Tor I 
 know Tib very well. She is a nice live- 
 ly girl, and only sixteen ; she is as nim- 
 ble and as quick on her legs as a kid. 
 with lips like the corals which you wear 
 round your fat, puffy neck, with eyes 
 that shine much brighter than your 
 nose, and with a figure so slender and 
 elegant that one could cut it out of one 
 of your fingers. Oh, yes, I know Tib 
 very well ; she is a dear good girl, who 
 would never be so hard-hearted as to abuse 
 the man she loves, and call him all man- 
 ner of names, and who would never be 
 so mean or so low in herself, as to want 
 to marry the man she doesn't love, 
 merely because he is a man. Yes, I 
 know Tib, and I'll just go across to her 
 presently, and ask her if she will marry 
 a good honest fellow, who is certainly 
 rather lean, but who will doubtless get 
 fatter when he has better keep than the 
 horrid, hungry stuff that Mistress Gam- 
 mer Gurton gives him ; a fellow who, 
 if he is blear-eyed just now, will soon 
 get cured of that complaint when he 
 loses sight of Gammer Gurton, who has 
 v, the effect of rotten onions upon his eyes, 
 and makes them look red, as if he was 
 
 a crying all day. Good-by, old rotten 
 onions ; I'm off to Tib ! " 
 
 But Mistress Gammer Gurton spun 
 up like a top from her arm-chair, and 
 rushed after Hodge, whom she held by 
 the coat, and forced to remain. 
 
 " Only dare to go and see Tib that's 
 all! Just dare to cross this door, and 
 you'll see that the mild, gentle, and 
 patient Gammer Gurton will be changed 
 into a tigress, if any one attempts to 
 deprive her of her holiest and most pre- 
 cious property I mean her husband. 
 For you know you are my husband in 
 so far as you have given your word that 
 you will marry me." 
 
 " But I haven't told you when and 
 where I mean to do so, Gammer Gurton, 
 and so you may wait for me to all eter- 
 nity, for I won't marry you at least until 
 we meet in Heaven." 
 
 "That's a horrid and a wicked lie, 
 and you know it I " cried Gammer Gur- 
 ton. u It's a mean, shocking lie, I say ! 
 For didn't you come begging and pray- 
 ing to me day after day, until I was 
 obliged to promise you at last, that I 
 would make ray will, and that, I would 
 name my dear husband Hodge in it to be 
 the heir of all my goods and chattels, and 
 leave him every thing that I had scraped 
 together during my virtuous and in- 
 dustrious life ? " 
 
 " Yes ; but you haven't made your 
 will yet ; you have broken your word, 
 and so you cannot expect me to keep 
 mine." 
 
 " But I have though, you fickle man. 
 I have made it, and this very day I in- 
 tended to go with you to the lawyer's, 
 
GAMMER GURTON'S NEEDLE. 
 
 119 
 
 and have it properly signed and wit- 
 nessed, and then to-morrow we should 
 go and get married.*' 
 
 " What, you have actually made your 
 will, you charming little hemisphere ? " 
 said Hodge, affectionately, while he at- 
 tempted to embrace the gigantic form 
 his fiancee with his long bony arms. 
 "You have made your will, and ap- 
 pointed me as your heir ? Come along 
 then. Gammer, come along and let us go 
 to the lawyer's office at once." 
 
 "But don't you see," replied Gam- 
 mer Gurton, with a tender, cat-like 
 purr "don't you see that you are 
 crushing my collar in the way you hug 
 me so. Let me go therefore, and help 
 me at once to find the needle, for with- 
 out this needle we can't go to the law- 
 yer's." 
 
 " "What, you can't go to the lawyer's 
 without the needle?" 
 
 " No, for only look at this great hole 
 which the cat lately tore in my best cap, 
 just as I had taken it out of my box and 
 laid it on the table. Surely I can't go 
 to the lawyer's with such a hole as that 
 in my cap ! Look about then, Hodge, 
 that I may be able to mend my cap and 
 go with you to the lawyer's." 
 
 "Oh, lord, where is the unlucky nee- 
 dle ! I must have it I must find it 
 so that Gammer Gurton may be able to 
 take her will to the lawyer's office." 
 
 And Hodge, with frantic desperation, 
 looked about on the floor for the lost 
 needle, and Gammer Gurton thrust her 
 large spectacles upon her red shining nose, 
 and looked once more all over the table. 
 So zealous was she in her search, that 
 
 she even allowed her tongue to rest for 
 a little, and a deep silence reigned in the 
 room. 
 
 This stillness was suddenly inter- 
 rupted by a voice which proceeded 
 from the court-yard. It was a sweet 
 and a delicate voice which cried : 
 
 "Hodge, dear little Hodge, are you 
 there ? Just come out for a short time. 
 I want to laugh, and I'm just in the 
 humor to have some fun." 
 
 It seemed as if an electric shock had 
 been suddenly produced by this voice, 
 and had seized both Gammer Gurton 
 and Hodge, at the same time. 
 
 They both shuddered, and stood still 
 and immoveable, as if petrified; Hodge 
 especially poor Hodge looked as if he 
 had been struck by lightning. His great 
 watery, blue eyes seemed as if they 
 would start from their sockets ; his long 
 arms hung down dangling and wabbling 
 at his sides like a flail ; his knees totter- 
 ed, and seemed as if they would give 
 way under him, in expectation of the 
 coming storm. This storm in fact burst 
 forth without much delay. 
 
 "That's Tib! " cried mistress Gammer 
 Gurton, rushing upon Hodge like a 
 lioness, and grasping him round the 
 shoulders with her arms. " That's Tib, 
 you poor half-starved greyhound ! Now, 
 wasn't I right when I called you a faith- 
 less, good-for-nothing lout, who doesn't 
 even spare innocence, and breaks the 
 hearts of women like biscuits, which he 
 swallows for his pleasure. Wasn't I 
 right in saying that you were only 
 watching for me to go out, that you 
 might go across and flirt with Tib ? " 
 
120 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 
 44 Hodge, my dear, dear little Hodge," 
 cried a voice below, and this time louder 
 and more affectionately. " Now, Hodge, 
 ain't you coming down to me to-day, as 
 you promised? come and fetch the 
 kiss you were begging so hard for this 
 morning." 
 
 " Why, whatever is the girl thinking 
 of! May I be hanged if I ever begged a 
 kiss of her, I don't understand a single 
 word she says," cried Hodge, quite con- 
 fused and trembling. 
 
 " Ah, don't you though, understand a 
 word of what she says? " screamed Gam- 
 mer Gurton. " Well then, I do. I under- 
 stand that everything is now all over be- 
 tween you and me. I am quit of you 
 you Moloch you! I understand that I'm 
 not going to the lawyer's to sign my will, 
 in order to marry you and worry myself 
 to death with a husband all skin and bone 
 to make you my heir and let you laugh 
 at me. No, no ; it's all over now I I 
 shan't go to the lawyer's I shall tear 
 up my will ! " 
 
 " Oh dear ; she is going to tear up her 
 will!" yelled Hodge. "And now I 
 have had all this worry and trouble for 
 nothing. I have put up with the awful 
 misery of being made love to by this 
 horrid old screech-owl. Oh dear, she 
 won't make any will, and Hodge will 
 still be the same poor fellow he always 
 was." 
 
 Gammer Gurton laughed scorn- 
 fully. 
 
 " Ah, now you see at last what a 
 
 miserable creature you are, and how a 
 
 v. line, handsome woman, like me, lets 
 
 herself down when she stoops to pick 
 
 up a weed, like you, and choose it for a 
 husband!" 
 
 " Yes, yes ; I see it all ! " said Hodge, 
 snivelling. "And I only beg you to 
 pick me up and take me, and above all 
 to make your will ! " 
 
 44 No, I won't take you, and I won't 
 make my will. I tell you it's all over 
 now, and you can now get along and go 
 to Tib, who has been calling you so af- 
 fectionately. But first give me back 
 my needle, you magpie, you. Give here 
 my needle that you stole from me ; it is 
 no more use to you now, for there is no 
 need for me to go out in order that you 
 may be able to go and see Tib. We 
 have nothing more to do with each 
 other, and so you can go away wherever 
 you like. My needle I say my nee- 
 dle or I'll hang you as a scarecrow in 
 some cornfield, to frighten away the 
 sparrows. My needle, or " 
 
 She raised her clenched fist threatening- 
 ly at him, convinced that Hodge this time, 
 as always, would take refuge under the 
 bed or under the table from this formi- 
 dable weapon of his jealous and sensitive 
 inamorata. 
 
 But for once she had made a mistake. 
 Hodge, who saw that all was lost, felt 
 his patience at length exhausted, and his 
 fear was now changed into the most 
 desperate rage. The lamb was changed 
 into a tiger, and with the rage of a tiger 
 he flew at Gammer Gurton, flung her 
 fist aside, and fetched her a sharp blow 
 on the cheek. 
 
 The signal was given and the battle 
 began, and was waged with equal 
 strength and equal animosity on both 
 
GAMMER GFKTON'S NEEDLE. 
 
 P. 121. 
 
GAMMER GURTON'S NEEDLE. 
 
 121 
 
 sides, only that Hodge's bony knuckles 
 went home much more severely upon 
 the mass of flesh with which Gammer 
 Gurton was encumbered, and that he 
 was much more sure of hitting this huge 
 bulk ; while Gammer Gurton's soft hand 
 could rarely catch this lanky figure 
 whose owner adroitly parried her blows. 
 
 "Hold! you blockhead," cried a 
 stentorian voice, suddenly " don't you 
 see, fellow, that your master is present ? 
 Keep quiet there, ye imps of Satan, and 
 don't strike, but love each other." 
 
 " It's the master ! " cried Gammer 
 Gurton, dropping her hands cautiously 
 by her side. 
 
 " Oh, pray, master, don't turn me 
 away?" whimpered Hodge; "don't 
 turn me away for having at last beaten 
 the old hag black and blue. She has 
 deserved it this ever so long, and an an- 
 gel himself must lose patience with her 
 at last." 
 
 " I turn you away ? " cried John Hey- 
 wood, as he dried his eyes, which were 
 oist with laughter. "No, Hodge; you 
 a real jewel a very mine of drol- 
 ery and fun, and you have both of you, 
 without knowing it, given me the most 
 valuable materials for a farce, which at 
 the king's command I must write within 
 six days. I owe both of you my thanks, 
 and these thanks I will discharge forth- 
 with. Listen to me, therefore, rny pair 
 of enamoured and affectionate turtle 
 doves, and mark what I have to say to 
 you. One cannot always know the wolf 
 by his skin, for he sometimes appears in 
 sheep's clothing, and in the same way 
 one cannot always tell a man by his 
 
 : 
 
 len 
 
 voice, for he borrows it for himself 
 sometimes from his neighbor. For ex- 
 ample, I know a certain gentleman 
 called John Heywood, who can imitate 
 quite correctly the voice of a certain lit- 
 tle Tib, and can pipe his voice quite as 
 sweetly ag she does, and say, ' Hodge, 
 my dear little Hodge ! ' " 
 
 And he repeated to them accurately, 
 and with the same tone and expression, 
 the words which the voice had previous- 
 ly uttered. 
 
 "Ah, then it was you, sir?" cried 
 Hodge, with a grin. "The same Tib 
 across the court yonder the Tib about 
 which we've been pummeling one 
 another ? " 
 
 "Yes, Hodge, I was that self-same 
 Tib, and I was close at hand during the 
 whole of your quarrel together, and I 
 found it immensely amusing to throw in 
 Tib's voice, like a shot from a cannon, 
 in the midst of your lovers' quarrel. 
 Ah, Hodge, that was a capital bomb- 
 shell was it not? And when 'I said, 
 * my dear little Hodge,' your head fell 
 like an ear of corn that has been blown 
 upon by a muck-worm. No, no, my wor- 
 thy and virtuous mistress Gammer Gur- 
 ton, it was not Tib that was calling your 
 handsome Hodge on the contrary I 
 saw Tib going out the court-yard gate 
 before your quarrel began." 
 
 "It was not Tib," cried Gammer Gur- 
 ton, with a gust of tenderness. "It 
 was not Tib, and she is not even in the 
 court at all, and therefore Hodge could 
 not have gone across to her while I was 
 going to the shop for needles. Oh, 
 Hodge, Hodge, will you forgive me for 
 
122 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 all this; will you excuse all the hard 
 words that I spoke in the height of my 
 temper and suffering ; and will you try 
 to love me again ? " 
 
 " Well, I'll try," replied Hodge, some- 
 what gravely, " and I don't doubt but I 
 shall succeed, provided beforehand that 
 you go to the lawyer's this very day and 
 make your will." 
 
 "Yes. I'll make my will, and to- 
 morrow we'll get married, won't we, 
 my love ? " 
 
 " Yes, we'll get married to-morrow," 
 growled Hodge, scratching his head, 
 with a dismal grimace. 
 
 " And now, my pet, come and give me 
 a kiss to show that we have made it up." 
 
 She held out her arms, and as Hodge 
 did not come to her, but remained stiff 
 and motionless in his place, she went to 
 Hodge and folded him affectionately to 
 her heart. 
 
 Suddenly she gave a loud scream, and 
 released Hodge from her embrace. 
 She felt a terrible pain in her bosom, 
 just as if a little dagger had penetrated 
 her breast. 
 
 And there it was the lost needle. 
 And Hodge was therefore as innocent 
 and as pure as the new-born day. 
 
 He had not wantonly purloined the 
 needle, in order that Mistress Gammer 
 Gurton should be obliged to leave the 
 house and go to the shop to get some 
 new needles ; he had not intended to go 
 to Tib, for Tib was not at home, but 
 was gone out. 
 
 " Oh, Hodge, Hodge, you good 
 V Hodge! you innocent dove, will you 
 forgive me?" 
 
 " Come to the lawyer's, Gammer Gur- 
 ton, and I']] forgive you." 
 
 They rushed affectionately into each 
 other's arms, quite forgetting their 
 master, who was standing beside them 
 all the while, and who looked on, laugh- 
 ing and nodding approval. 
 
 " Thus then I have found the finest 
 and richest materials for my comedy," 
 said John Heywood, leaving the amor- 
 ous couple, and retiring to his chamber. 
 "Gammer Gurton has saved me, and 
 King Henry will not have the pleasure 
 of seeing me scourged by the highly vir- 
 tuous and highly erotic ladies of his 
 court. To work, then. To work at 
 once ! " 
 
 He sat down to his desk, and seized 
 pen and paper. 
 
 "But how ? " he asked, suddenly hes- 
 itating. " These are certainly valuable 
 materials for a piece, but yet I shall never 
 be able to convert them into an interlude. 
 What then shall I do? Throw the mat- 
 ter overboard altogether, and once more 
 rally the monks and turn the nuns into 
 ridicule ? That's old and used up long 
 ago ! I'll write something new some- 
 thing quite new, and something that 
 shall make the king so full of good hu- 
 mor, that for a whole day he won't sign 
 a death-warrant. Yes, yes ; it shall be 
 a right merry play, and therefore I 
 shall call it boldly and resolutely a 
 pleasure play or, in other words, a 
 comedy." 
 
 And he seized his pen and wrote, 
 " GAMMEE GTJETON'S NEEDLE : A EIGHT 
 PEETTT, PLEASANT, AND MEEEY COMEDY." 
 
 And thus originated the first English 
 
LADY JANE. 
 
 123 
 
 comedy through John Heywood King 
 Henry's fool. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 LADY JANE. 
 
 ALL slept in the Palace of Whitehall. 
 Even the king's servants, who kept 
 watch in the ante-room of the king's 
 bedchamber had already betaken them- 
 selves to slumber, for the king had been 
 snoring for several hours, and the royal 
 noise was the joyful signal to the inhab- 
 itants of the palace that they were 
 relieved from their attendance .for a 
 happy night, and could once more be 
 free men. 
 
 Even the queen had already long 
 since retired to her apartments, and had 
 dismissed her ladies at an unusually 
 early hour. She said she felt herself fa- 
 tigued from the chase, and required rest. 
 No one must therefore attempt to dis- 
 turb her unless by the king's command. 
 
 But the king, as before stated, slept, 
 and the queen had therefore no cause to 
 apprehend that her nightly slumbers 
 would be disturbed. 
 
 Deep silence reigned in the palace. 
 The corridors were empty and deserted ; 
 the apartments mute and forsaken. 
 
 Suddenly a figure tottered along 
 softly and cautiously through the long, 
 feebly-lighted corridor. She was wrapt 
 in a dark mantle, and a thick veil con- 
 cealed her features. 
 
 "With her feet scarcely touching the 
 
 ground, she flitted along, and descended 
 a short flight of steps. Now she stops 
 and listens. Nothing is to be heard. 
 All is noiseless and silent. 
 
 Still onward. Now she quickens 
 her step. For here she is sure of not 
 being heard. This is the uninhabited 
 wing of the Palace of Whitehall. Here 
 no one can listen to her footsteps. 
 
 Onward, therefore still onward 
 along that corridor, and up that flight 
 of steps. And now she stops before 
 the door which leads into the garden 
 saloon. She applies her ear to the 
 key-hole and listens. Then she claps 
 her hands three times. 
 
 The sound finds an echo behind the 
 door. 
 
 Oh, he is there he is there ! For- 
 gotten are now all cares, all pains, all 
 tears. He is there! She has him 
 again ! 
 
 She bursts the door open. The 
 chamber indeed is dark, but yet she 
 sees him, for the eye of love illumines 
 the night, and if she does not see him, at 
 least she feels his presence. 
 
 She rests upon his heart. He presses 
 her closely to his breast. Leaning upon 
 each other, they grope their way cau- 
 tiously through the dark spacious saloon 
 until they reach the ottoman yonder, 
 and both, in rapturous embrace, sink 
 down upon the luxurious cushions. 
 
 " At length I have thee once more ! 
 And my arms once more enfold this di- 
 vine form, and again my lips press this 
 rosy mouth ! Oh, my beloved, what an 
 eternity has been this separation from 
 thee! Six whole days! Six long 
 
124 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 
 nights of torment ! Hast thou not felt 
 how my soul craved and yearned for 
 thee ? How I stretched forth my 
 arms in the night time, and how I 
 again withdrew them comfortless and 
 chilled with pain, hecause I held noth- 
 ing nothing but the cold, cheerless 
 night air. Didst thou not hear, be- 
 loved one, how I called thee with my 
 sighs, my tears ? how in glowing verses 
 I poured out to thee my ardent long- 
 ings, my love, my rapture? And yet, 
 cruel one ! thou didst remain the while 
 unmoved and smiling. Thine eyes 
 were lighted up with the pride, the maj- 
 esty of a Juno ; the roses on thy cheeks 
 are not faded by a single breath. No, 
 no ! thou didst not yearn for me as I did 
 for thee ; thy heart has not felt that 
 painful, that blissful torment ; thou art 
 above all things, and first of all the 
 proud, the cold queen, and then, and 
 then the loving Katharine 1 " 
 
 "How unjust, and how severe thou 
 art, my Henry ! " she whispered softly. 
 "Ah, I have indeed suffered, and per- 
 haps my agonies have been more terri- 
 ble and more bitter than thine own, for 
 I was obliged to swallow my torments 
 inwardly. Thou wast at liberty to give 
 them vent ; thou mightst stretch forth 
 thine arms toward me ; thou couldst cry 
 out, couldst sigh in secret. Thou wast 
 not like me condemned to jest and 
 smile, and, with an apparently attentive 
 ear, to listen to all the oft-repeated, 
 ever-renewed phrases of worship and 
 adulation of those flatterers who sur- 
 round me. Thou wast at least free to 
 suffer ! I was not ! It is true I have 
 
 smiled, but only with the pangs of 
 death, it is true my cheeks have not 
 grown pale, but the tints of art were 
 the veil which I used to hide the pallor 
 of nature. And then, Henry, in the 
 midst of my pains and my yearning, I 
 had also a secret consolation, thy let- 
 ters, thy sonnets, which were as the 
 dews of heaven to my ailing spirit, and 
 restored it once more to new torments 
 new hopes ! Oh ! how I love those 
 rapture-breathing melodies in what 
 noble and entrancing words they re- 
 echo the story of our love and of our 
 sufferings ! How nay whole soul flies 
 forward to meet them, and how a thou- 
 sand times I press my lips to the paper 
 from which thy breath thy sighs seem 
 to emanate ! How I love the kind, 
 faithful Jane the messenger of our 
 love. "When I see her enter my cham- 
 ber with thy letter in her hand, she 
 then seems to me like a dove bearing 
 the olive branch which brings with it 
 peace and happiness ; and I rush toward 
 her, and press her to my bosom, and 
 give her the kisses which I fain would 
 bestow on thee ; and I feel how poor 
 and helpless I am, in not being able to 
 repay her for the happiness which she 
 brings me. Ah, Henry, how much we 
 are indebted to our poor Jane ! " 
 
 " Why dost thou call her poor, when 
 she is ever beside thee can always see 
 thee always hear thee ? " 
 
 "I call her poor, because she is not 
 happy! For she loves, Henry; she 
 loves to desperation to madness, and 
 she is not loved in return. She is wast- 
 ing away with sorrow and pain, and 
 
LADY JANE. 
 
 125 
 
 wrings her hands in agony with im- 
 measurable woe. Hast thou not per- 
 ceived how pale she is, and how her 
 eyes are daily growing more dim ? " 
 
 "No, I have not perceived it, for I see 
 nothing hut thee, and Lady Jane is for 
 me a mere inanimate picture, like all 
 other women. But how now? Thou 
 tremhlest and thy form quivers, as if 
 convulsed in my arms. What ! Thou 
 weepest? " 
 
 " Oh, I weep because I am so happy. 
 I weep because I thought how terrible 
 must be the suffering to give one's 
 heart wholly away, and to receive noth- 
 ing in return nothing but death ! Poor 
 Jane!" 
 
 " Oh, what have we to do with Jane I 
 We love each other that's enough. 
 Come, beloved, let me kiss away the 
 tears from thy cheeks, let me drink this 
 nectar, that I may become inspired and 
 glorified as a deity! Weep no more 
 then no, weep not, or, if thou wilt, let 
 it be in the excess of rapture, and be- 
 cause words and the human breast are 
 too feeble to express or contain the meas- 
 ure of our bliss." 
 
 " Yes, yes, let us exult in our happi- 
 ness, let us fade away in its delights ! " 
 she exclaimed passionately, while she 
 flung herself with frantic violence on his 
 breast. 
 
 They were both silent, and their 
 hearts throbbed together in unison. 
 
 Oh, how sweet is this silence, how 
 rapturous this mute, blissful night. How 
 the trees outside murmur and rustle, as 
 if they sang for the lovers a heavenly 
 song of slumber ; how curiously the pale 
 
 sickle-moon peers through the windows, 
 as if she were seeking the happy pair 
 whose favored confidante she is. 
 
 But happiness is swiftly fled, and 
 time flies quickly when love is its com- 
 panion. 
 
 Already they must part, already take 
 leave of each other. 
 
 u Not yet, beloved ! Stay yet awhile ! 
 Look, it is still dark night and hark, 
 there the palace clock strikes two ! No, 
 don't go yet awhile." 
 
 "I must, Henry, I must; the hours 
 are over when I am free to be happy ! " 
 
 " Oh thou cold, proud soul ! Does this 
 head already long again for its crown, 
 and canst thou no longer tarry for the 
 royal purple to fall upon thy shoulders ? 
 Come, let me kiss thy shoulders, and 
 then fancy, sweet one, that my crimson 
 lips are royal purple." 
 
 "And a purple for which I would 
 gladly give my crown, and even my 
 life!" she exclaimed with enthusiasm, 
 while she folded him in her arms. 
 
 "Dost thou then love me? Lovest 
 thou me really ? " 
 
 " Yes, I love thee." 
 
 " Canst thou swear to me that thou 
 lovest no one else no one but me? " 
 
 " Yes, I can swear it to thee, as truly 
 as there is a heaven above us, the wit- 
 ness of my vow ! " 
 
 " Then be thou blest, thou lovely 
 thou only oh, how shall I name thee, 
 whose name I dare not mention! 
 Knowest thou, sweet one, how Lard it 
 is not to be at liberty even to utter the 
 name of my beloved. Recall this prohi- 
 bition, and grant me the painfully sweet 
 
126 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 
 Happiness of being able at least to ad- 
 dress thee by thy name ! " 
 
 "No," she replied, with a shudder; 
 " dost thou not know that sleep-walkers 
 wake up from their dreams when called 
 by their name? Now, I am a sleep- 
 walker, who with smiling hardihood 
 hovers about on giddy heights ; only call 
 me by my name, and I shall wake up 
 and fall headlong and trembling into the 
 abyss beneath. Ah, Henry, I hate my 
 name, for it is pronounced by other lips 
 than thine. For thee I will not be 
 called as other persons name me. Bap- 
 tise me then, Henry, give me another 
 name a name which is our secret, 
 and which nobody shall know but our- 
 selves." 
 
 " Then I shall call thee GEKALDINE, 
 and as Geraldine I will sing thy praises 
 and extol thee before all the world, and 
 I will repeat to thee, evermore, in des- 
 pite of listeners and spies, that I love 
 thee ; and nobody, not even the king 
 himself, shall be able to forbid me ! " 
 
 " Hush ! " she returned, shuddering, 
 " speak not of him. Oh, I conjure thee, 
 my Henry, to be cautious; remember 
 that thou hast sworn to me ever to bear 
 in mind the danger that threatens us 
 both, and which beyond doubt will 
 crush us one day if thou shouldst betray 
 by a sound, a look, a smile, this sweet 
 secret which binds us both together. 
 Knowest thou what thou hast sworn to 
 me besides ? " 
 
 " I do ! But it is a severe and un- 
 natural law. What, even when I am 
 alone with thee, shall I never dare to 
 address thee otherwise than with the 
 
 awe and reserve which are due to a 
 queen ? Even when no one can hear us 
 shall I not be at liberty to make any, the 
 slightest, allusion to our love? " 
 
 " No, no don't do so, for this palace 
 has eyes and ears everywhere every- 
 where there are spies and listeners be- 
 hind the tapestrybehind the hangings 
 everywhere they lurk stealthily, and 
 watch every gesture, every smile, every 
 look, to discover if possible grounds for 
 suspicion. No no, Henry, swear to 
 me by our love that thou wilt never, ex- 
 cept here in this room, address me other- 
 wise than as thy queen ! Swear to me 
 that in the presence of the world, thou 
 wilt be to me nothing more than the re- 
 served and reverential servant of thy 
 queen, and at the same time the proud 
 lord and earl, of whom people say that 
 no woman had ever the power to touch 
 his heart. Swear to me that by no look 
 or smile, by no pressure of the hand, 
 wilt thou ever betray what, outside of 
 this room, would be regarded as a crime 
 for us both. Let this chamber be the 
 temple of our love ; but when once the 
 threshold is crossed, we will not dese- 
 crate the sweet mysteries of our happi- 
 ness by suffering only a single ray to 
 appear before profane eyes ! Shall it be 
 so, my Henry ? " 
 
 "Well, yes; it shall be so!" he re- 
 plied, with a sad accord, "though I 
 must confess to thee that this terrible 
 illusion often drives me to the verge of 
 despair. Oh, Geraldine ! when I see thee 
 away from here, when I perceive with 
 what a chilling and unmoved expression 
 thine eye meets my glance, I feel as if 
 
LADY JANE. 
 
 127 
 
 my heart were convulsed ; and I say to 
 myself: 'This is not my heloved, not 
 the tender impassioned woman whom I 
 sometimes in the darkness of night fold 
 in my arms; this is Katharine the 
 queen, hut not my beloved. A woman 
 cannot thus dissemble; art cannot so 
 far succeed as to be able to overcome 
 nature itself, and to ignore the essential 
 instincts of the human heart. Oh ! 
 there have been moments fearful terri- 
 ble moments when it seemed to me as 
 if all this were only an illusion, a mysti- 
 fication ; as if some wicked demon as- 
 sumed by night the form of the queen, 
 in order to juggle me, poor frenzied en- 
 thusiast that I am, with a happiness 
 which is unreal, and which exists only 
 in my imagination! And then this 
 
 thought excites within me a frantic rage, 
 
 i 
 an overwhelming desperation, and I feel 
 
 disposed, despite my oath, and even the 
 danger which threatens thee, to rush 
 forward to thee in the presence of all 
 this court-rabble, and even of the king 
 himself, and to ask thee ' Art thou really 
 what thou appearest ? Art thou Kath- 
 arine Parr, the wife of King Henry 
 neither more nor less ? Or art thou my 
 beloved the woman who is mine with 
 her every thought her every breath, 
 who has vowed to me eternal love un- 
 alterable fidelity, and whom, in spite of 
 the whole world and of the king, I 
 press to my heart as my own posses- 
 sion?'" 
 
 " Unhappy Henry ! shouldst thou ever 
 attempt to do so, it would be certain 
 death to us both I " 
 
 " And so it might be ! In death, at 
 
 least, thou wouldst be mine, and no one 
 should any longer dare to divide us, and 
 those eyes would no longer look coldly 
 and strangely upon me, as they often- 
 times do at present. Oh! I entreat 
 thee, never look at me at all, if it can 
 only be with that cold and distant air, 
 which petrifies my heart ! Turn thine 
 eyes away from me, and speak to me 
 with averted countenance." 
 
 "Then people will say that I hate 
 thee, Henry!" 
 
 "Nay, it is even more agreeable if 
 they say that thou dost abhor me, than 
 if they perceive that I am wholly indif- 
 ferent to thee; that I am nothing to 
 thee but the Earl of Surrey, thy Cham- 
 berlain." 
 
 " No, no, Henry, they shall perceive 
 that thou art more to me than that ! I 
 will give thee a token of my love before 
 the entire assembled court. Wilt thou 
 then believe, thou dear foolish enthusi- 
 ast, that I love thee, and that it is no 
 demon that reposes here in thy arms, 
 and swears that she loves but thee 
 alone? Say, wilt thou then believe 
 me?" 
 
 "I shall ! But no, there needs no to- 
 ken no assurances. I know it truly 
 I feel indeed the sweet reality, which 
 nestles, warm, and bliss-infusing, at my 
 side, and it is only the excess of my fe- 
 licity, which makes me incredulous." 
 
 "I will inspire thee with faith, and 
 thou shalt no longer doubt even in the 
 intoxication of happiness. Listen then ! 
 The king, as you know, will hold a 
 grand tournament, and a poet's banquet, 
 which will take place in a few days. 
 
128 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 Well then, at this festivity, I shall give 
 thee publicly, and in the presence of the 
 king and of the court, a rosette, which 
 I wear on my shoulder, and in the silver 
 fringe of which thou wilt find a letter 
 from me. Will that satisfy thee, my 
 Henry ? " 
 
 "And dost thou still ask, my beloved? 
 Dost thou ask if thou wilt make me 
 proud and happy in presence of all thy 
 courtiers ? " 
 
 He pressed her firmly to his heart 
 and kissed her. But suddenly she 
 seemed convulsed in his arms, and 
 started up wildly. 
 
 " Day is dawning, day is dawning ! " 
 she exclaimed. " Behold yonder a red- 
 dish streak above the horizon. The sun 
 is about to rise, and daylight is already 
 appearing." 
 
 He tried to hold her back still, but 
 she tore herself away forcibly, and 
 wrapt her head once more in her veil. 
 
 " Yes," he replied, " day is breaking 
 and light is approaching ! Let me then, 
 at least, behold thy countenance for a 
 moment. My soul thirsts for the sight, 
 as the parched earth for the dew. 
 Come ; here, at the window, it is light. 
 Let me look but a moment into thine 
 eyes ! " 
 
 But she tore herself violently away. 
 "No, no, thou must be gone. Listen, 
 already three o'clock. The court is al- 
 ready awake ! Seemed it not as if some 
 person were walking outside the door ? 
 Hasten, hasten away, if thou wouldst 
 not have me die with fear ! " 
 
 She flung his mantle around him her- 
 self, she pressed his hat over his brow, 
 
 then once more she twined her arms 
 round his neck, and imprinted a burning 
 kiss upon his lips. 
 
 "Farewell, my beloved, farewell, 
 Henry Howard. When we see each 
 other again to-day, thou wilt be once 
 more the Earl of Surrey, and I the 
 queen not thy beloved nor the woman 
 who loves thee ! Happiness is over for 
 the present, and suffering must now re- 
 sume its place. Farewell ! " 
 
 She opened the door herself, and 
 forced her lover to depart. "Adieu, 
 Geraldine, good-night, my beloved ? 
 Day is approaching, and I shall greet 
 thee again as my queen, and once more 
 I shall have to bear the torment of thy 
 cold looks and the agony of thy haughty 
 smile." 
 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 LOYOLA' s GENEEAL. 
 
 SHE rushed to the window and looked 
 after him, until he had vanished in the 
 dim twilight, and then she uttered a 
 deep cry of anguish, and wholly over- 
 come by her sufferings, she sank down 
 upon her knees, weeping and moaning, 
 and wringing her hands despairingly to 
 heaven. 
 
 But a few moments since so joyful 
 and happy, she was now filled with 
 grief and woe, and bitter sighs of lamen- 
 tation trembled on her lips. 
 
 " Alas ! alas ! " she cried sobbingly, 
 " what fearful agonies are these, and 
 what desperate pain is this which rends 
 
^ 
 
 LOYOLA'S GENERAL. 
 
 
 
 my heart! I have lain in his arms, I 
 have received his vows of love, I have 
 suffered his kisses, and yet these vows 
 are not mine, and it was not upon me 
 that those kisses were bestowed. He 
 kisses me and loves in me only the 
 person whom I hate; he vows in my 
 hands the love which he consecrates to 
 her ; his thoughts and feelings are hers 
 and hers alone ! What a terrible mar- 
 tyrdom is this ! To be loved under her 
 name, and under her name to accept the 
 vows of love, which still belong of right 
 to me to me alone ! For he loves me 
 me only. It was my lips that he 
 kissed my form that he embraced ; to 
 me are his words, his letters addressed, 
 and it is I who answer them. He loves 
 me, and only me, and yet believes not 
 in me. I am for him nothing but an 
 inanimate picture, like all other women. 
 This he told me himself, and I did not 
 become frantic, and I had the dreadful 
 resolution to pretend that the tears 
 which despair had wrung from me, were 
 only tears of rapture. 
 
 " Oh, ignominious, horrid mockery of 
 Fate, to be what I am not, and not to 
 be what I am ! " 
 
 And with cries of bitter lamentation 
 she tore her hair and beat her breast, 
 and wept and groaned aloud. 
 
 She heard nothing ; she saw nothing ; 
 she felt nothing, but her own despair 
 her unutterable anguish. 
 
 She did not once tremble for herself. 
 She did not even reflect for a moment 
 that she would be lost if she were to be 
 found here. 
 
 And yet, beyond, at the other end, a 
 
 door had been opened softly and noise- 
 lessly, and a man had entered. 
 
 He shut the door behind him, and 
 walked up to Lady Jane, who still lay 
 upon the floor. He stood behind her. 
 While she uttered her despairing cries 
 he heard every word that fell from her 
 trembling lips ; her whole agonized and 
 woe-riven heart lay unveiled before him, 
 and she knew it not. 
 
 He now stooped down and touched 
 her lightly on the shoulder with his 
 hand. She shuddered and recoiled from 
 the touch, as if she had been stabbed 
 with a dagger, and her sobs ceased 
 straightway. 
 
 A fearful pause ensued. The woman 
 lay motionless, breathless, on the floor; 
 and tall, motionless, and cold as a brazen 
 statue stood the man beside her. 
 
 "Lady Jane Douglas!" he said at 
 length, in grave and solemn accents, 
 " rise up ! It becomes not the daughter 
 of your father to lie prostrate on her 
 knees, unless she kneels before her God. 
 But you are not bending before God, but 
 before an idol which you have made for 
 yourself, and to which you have raised a 
 temple in your heart. This idol is called 
 'Your personal UnhappinessS But it is 
 writen, 4 Ye shall have no other gods but 
 me.' Therefore I say to you once more, 
 Lady Jane Douglas, rise from your 
 knees, for it is not your God before 
 whom you are kneeling." 
 
 And as if the words had exercised a 
 magnetic power over her, she raised her- 
 self slowly from the floor, and now 
 stood, as cold and unmoved as a marble 
 statue, in the presence of her father. 
 
130 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 " Fling away from you the cares of 
 this world which encumber you, and 
 which hinder you from the holy work 
 which God assigns to you," continued 
 Lord Douglas, with his solemn and me- 
 tallic voice. "It is written, 'Come to 
 me, ye that are weary and heavy laden, 
 and I will deliver ye,' says the Lord. 
 But as for you, Jane, you must cast your 
 troubles at the foot of the throne, and 
 your burden shall become for you a 
 crown, which shall- be as a glory around 
 your brow." 
 
 He laid his hand upon her head, but 
 she dashed it fiercely away. 
 
 "No," she cried, with thick, stammer- 
 ing utterance, as if talking in a dream. 
 u Away with the crown! I will have 
 no crown upon which devils have pro- 
 nounced their blessings. I will have no 
 royal purple which is dyed in the blood 
 of my beloved ! " 
 
 " She is still in the delirium of her 
 pain," murmured the earl, while he con- 
 templated the pale, trembling woman, 
 who had now once more sunk down on 
 her knees, and who with wide-spread 
 and wandering eyes stared at vacancy. 
 But the earl's looks remained cold and 
 unmoved, and not the slightest compas- 
 sion was awakened in him for his poor, 
 distracted, and pain-worn daughter. 
 
 " Stand up, Jane ! stand up ! " he re- 
 sumed with stern severity. " The 
 Church commands thee through my 
 mouth to save her, as thou hast prom- 
 ised to do that is to say, with a joy- 
 ful heart, and with a God-confiding 
 mind; with smiling lips, and a serene 
 and cheerful look, as becomes disciples 
 
 filled with the Faith, and as thou hast 
 sworn into the hands of our lord and 
 master, Ignatius Loyola." 
 
 " I cannot ! I cannot ! my father," she 
 murmured plaintively. "I cannot 
 show a joyful heart when this same 
 heart is lacerated by the wild boar of 
 despair. I cannot command my looks 
 to be cheerful when my eyes are dimmed 
 by the tears of agony. Oh, have mercy ! 
 have compassion ! Eemember that you 
 are my father that I am your daughter 
 the daughter of a woman whom you 
 have loved, and who would find no rest 
 in the grave if she knew how you mar- 
 tyr and torment me. Oh, mother, 
 mother ! if thy spirit be near me, come 
 and protect me. Let thy mild lookt 
 fall like a shade over my head, and in- 
 fuse a breath of thy love into the heart, 
 of this cruel father, who wishes to offer 
 his child as a sacrifice upon the altar of 
 his God." 
 
 " God has called me," said the earl: 
 "and like Abraham, I too shall know 
 how to obey. But I shall not adorn my 
 victim with flowers, but with a king's 
 crown. I shall not plunge a knife into 
 her breast, but I will put a golden scep- 
 tre into her hand and say to her : Thou 
 art a queen before men but be a true 
 and obedient servant before God. It is 
 thine to command all. But thou art 
 governed by the Holy Church, to 
 whose service thou hast consecrated thy- 
 self, and which will bless thee if thou 
 art faithful, but which will crush thee 
 with her curse shouldst thou dare to be- 
 tray her cause. No, thou art not my 
 daughter, but the priestess consecrated 
 
LOYOLA'S GENERAL. 
 
 131 
 
 to the holy service of the Church. No, 
 I have no compassion for thy tears and 
 pains, for I see the end of these pains, 
 and I know that these tears will he laid 
 as a diadera of pearls upon thy temples. 
 Lady Jane Douglas, it is the holy Lo- 
 yola who sends you his commands hy 
 my mouth. Obey, therefore, not be- 
 cause I am your father, but because I 
 am the General Superior to whom you 
 have sworn obedience and fidelity to 
 the end of your life." 
 
 " Then kill me at once, my father ! " 
 she replied, faintly. " Let this life have 
 an end, as it is for me but the pro- 
 tracted agony of martyrdom. Punish 
 me for my disobedience by plunging a 
 dagger into my bosom ; punish me, but 
 grant me at least the rest which the 
 grave affords." 
 
 44 Poor enthusiast," said her father, 
 44 thinkest thou we would be so foolish 
 as to subject thee to so easy a punish- 
 ment? No, no! shouldst thou dare 
 with wicked disobedience to oppose my 
 commands, thy atonement will be terri- 
 ble, and thy punishment endless. In 
 that case I shall not put thee to death, 
 but only the man whom thou lovest, 
 it will be his head which shall fall, 
 and thou wilt be his murderess. He 
 will die upon the scaffold, and as for 
 thee, thou wilt live in infamy." 
 
 44 Oh, horror! " groaned Jane, hiding 
 her face in her hands. 
 
 Her father continued : 44 Foolish, short- 
 sighted child, that thought she could 
 play with this sword, and did not per- 
 ceive that this sword had a double edge, 
 which might smite herself. Thou wast 
 
 willing to be the servant of the Church, 
 in order thereby to become the mistress 
 of the world. Thou wast willing to 
 merit a glory for thyself, but this glory, 
 forsooth, was not to scorch thy own 
 head with its fiery rays. Foolish child ! 
 Who plays with fire, will be consumed 
 by fire. We, however, saw through thy 
 purpose, and perceived the wishes of 
 which thou wast thyself unconscious; 
 we scanned the very depths of thy be- 
 ing, and as we found love there, we 
 have used this love for our own objects, 
 and for thy own good. Why dost thou 
 then complain, and wherefore dost thou 
 weep ? Have we not permitted thee to 
 love ? Have we not empowered thee 
 to yield thyself wholly up to this love ? 
 Dost thou not call thyself the Earl of 
 Surrey's wife, and canst thou not name 
 to me the priest who has sanctified your 
 espousals? Lady Jane, obey, and we 
 grant thee the happiness of thy love, but 
 only dare to revolt against us, and dis- 
 grace and infamy shall await thee, and 
 rejected and scorned thou shalt stand 
 before the whole world, the paramour, 
 the" 
 
 44 Hold, father, hold!" cried Lady 
 Jane, springing up from the ground. 
 44 Cease your tejrible words, if you do 
 not wish that I should die with shame. 
 No, I yield, I obey 1 You are right I 
 can no longer go back." 
 
 44 Why indeed shouldst thou wish to 
 do so ? Is not thine a life of pleasure 
 and enjoyment ? Is it not a rare hap- 
 piness to have one's sins proclaimed a 
 virtue, and to bo able to have one's 
 earthly delight imputed as a heavenly 
 
132 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 merit? And why then dost thou com- 
 plain that he does not love thee? Nay, 
 he loves thee of a certainty his vows 
 of love still resound in thy ears, and thy 
 heart still trembles with the happiness 
 which thou hast tasted. What matters 
 if Surrey sees with his inward eye, in 
 the woman whom he holds in his arms, 
 another person than thee? In reality 
 he loves but thee alone ; whether thou 
 art called for the time being, by the 
 name of Katharine Parr, or Jane Douglas, 
 it is all the same, if thou art still his 
 beloved." 
 
 " But a day will come when he will 
 discover his mistake, and then he will 
 execrate me." 
 
 " That day will not come. The Holy 
 Church will know how to prevent that, 
 if thou wilt only bow to her behests and 
 obey her." 
 
 " I bow," sighed Lady Jane. " I shall 
 obey ; only promise me, my father, that 
 no harm shall befall him, and that I shall 
 not be his murderess." 
 
 "No, on the contrary, thou shalt 
 save and deliver him. Only thou must 
 fulfil to the letter the commands which 
 I impose upon thee. In the first place, 
 then tell me the result of your last in- 
 terview together. He doubts not that 
 thou art the queen ? " 
 
 " No ; he believes it so firmly that he 
 would take the sacrament upon it. 
 That is, he believes it now, because I 
 have promised to give him a. token pub- 
 licly, whereby he may perceive that it is 
 the queen who loves him." 
 
 " And this token ! " asked the earl 
 with radiant looks. 
 
 " I have promised him that the queen 
 would present him with a rosette at the 
 great tournament, and that in this ro- 
 sette there would be a note." 
 
 " Ah the thought is worthy of all ad- 
 miration ! " cried Lord Douglas ; " only 
 a woman who wishes to be revenged 
 could have invented the idea. And so 
 by this means the queen will become 
 her own accuser, and will herself put the 
 proof of her guilt into our hands. The 
 only difficulty that still remains is to 
 lead the queen on r without rousing her 
 suspicion, in such a way that she shall 
 wear this rosette and give it to the Earl 
 of Surrey." 
 
 u She will do so, if I request her, for 
 she loves me, and I shall so represent 
 the matter to her that she will grant it 
 to me as a favor of love. Katharine is 
 obliging and kindly disposed, and will 
 not be able to refuse my request." 
 
 "And I shall apprise the king; that is 
 to say, I shall take good care not to do so 
 myself, for it is always dangerous to go 
 into the cage of a hungry tiger and to 
 take him his food, as in the eagerness of 
 his appetite, he might easily devour one's 
 own hand as well as the proffered meal." 
 
 "But how?" she asked, with a terri- 
 fied expression, " will he content him- 
 self with punishing Katharine alone; 
 will he not crush him, whom he must 
 take for her paramour ? " 
 
 " He will do so. But thou wilt thy- 
 self liberate and save him. Thou wilt 
 open his prison for him, and give him 
 freedom, for which he will love thee as 
 the savior of his life." 
 
 "Father, father! the game which you 
 
 
THE PRISONER. 
 
 133 
 
 are playing is a hazardous one, and the 
 result of it may be that you will yourself 
 become the murderer of your own 
 daughter. For hear attentively what I 
 tell you : Should his head fall, I will not 
 survive him. Should you make rae his 
 murderess, you will thereby become 
 yourself my assassin, and I shall curse 
 you, and shall call down imprecations 
 upon your head from the realm of lost 
 spirits. What care I for a royal diadem, 
 if it be stained with the blood of Henry 
 Howard? "What matters to me honor 
 and fame if he is not present to see my 
 greatness, and if he cannot with his 
 beaming looks make my crown resplen- 
 dent ? Project him, therefore, preserve 
 liis life, as the apple of your eye, if you 
 wish that I should accept the royal 
 crown, which you offer me, in order that 
 the King of England may once more be- 
 come a vassal of the Church ! " 
 
 " And in order that the whole of de- 
 vout Christendom may praise Jane 
 Douglas, the pious queen who succeeded 
 in the holy work of bringing back once 
 more the rebellious and apostate son of 
 the Church, and conducting him peni- 
 tently to the feet of the Holy Father at 
 Rome the sole consecrated Head of the 
 Church on earth. Cheer up, good 
 daughter; do not despond! A high 
 destiny beckons to thee, and a brilliant 
 lot awaits thee. Our Holy Mother 
 Church will bless and extol thee, and 
 Henry the Eighth will call thee his 
 queen." 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 THE PBISOSTEK. 
 
 ALL was yet quiet and still in the 
 Palace of Whitehall. Nothing was 
 moving, and no one had heard how- 
 Lady Jane Douglas had quitted her 
 chamber and had glided along the corri- 
 dor. 
 
 Nobody has heard this, no eye is 
 awake, and no one sees what is now 
 taking place in the queen's apartment. 
 
 She is alone quite alone. Her atten- 
 dants are all asleep in their rooms. The 
 queen has herself bolted the doors of the 
 ante-chamber from within, and no other 
 door leads into her boudoir, or into 
 her bedroom, but through the ante- 
 chamber. 
 
 She is therefore perfectly secure from 
 intrusion perfectly safe. 
 
 She now proceeds to wrap herself 
 quickly and hastily in a long dark man- 
 tle, the hood of which she draws down 
 over her head and over her brow, and 
 which completely covers and conceals her 
 figure. 
 
 And now she presses a spring fixed in 
 the frame of a picture on the wall. The 
 picture flies back, and exposes to view 
 an outlet, through which a person can 
 pass quite conveniently. 
 
 Katharine steps forth. She then care- 
 fully restores the picture to its place 
 from the outside, and for some time pro- 
 ceeds along a passage hollowed out in 
 the interior of the wall, feeling her way 
 on both sides until, at length, she finds a 
 knob fixed in the passage. She presses 
 
134: 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 this knob, and a trap-door opens at her 
 feet through which a feeble light pene- 
 trates, and renders visible a small nar- 
 row staircase. Katharine descends with 
 lightning speed. Now at the foot of 
 this flight of steps she touches another 
 secret spring, and again a door opens, 
 through which the queen enters a large 
 saloon. 
 
 " Oh," she whispers, breathing more 
 freely, " at length the garden-saloon." 
 
 She crosses the apartment swiftly, 
 and opens another door. 
 
 " John Hey wood ? " 
 
 " I am here, queen." 
 
 " Quiet, quiet ; go softly, that the 
 sentinel on guard close behind the door 
 may not hear us. Come, we have yet 
 a considerable way to go ; let us make 
 haste." 
 
 Once more she presses a spring fixed 
 in the wall, and once more a door opens. 
 But before Katharine closes it she takes 
 from the table a small lighted lamp, pre- 
 pared on purpose by her faithful atten- 
 dant, and which will enable them to 
 thread their way along the dark and 
 difficult road which they have now to 
 travel over. 
 
 She now shuts the doors behind them, 
 and they enter upon a long dark pas- 
 sage, at the end of which is another 
 staircase,- which they both descend. 
 The number of the steps seems endless, 
 and by degrees the air becomes denser, 
 and the steps become damp. A death- 
 like silence surrounds them. Not a 
 sound of life not the slightest mur- 
 v mnr is perceptible. 
 
 They are now in a subterranean pas- 
 
 sage which seems to extend before them 
 to an interminable length. 
 
 Katharine turns round to John Hey- 
 wood ; the lamp lights up her counte- 
 nance, which is pale, but which exhibits 
 an expression of firmness and resolution. 
 
 " Now, John Hey wood, consider this 
 matter well ! I don't ask you if you 
 have courage, for that I know. I only 
 wish to ascertain if you are willing to 
 devote this courage for your queen." 
 
 " No, not for my queen, but for the 
 noble and generous lady who has saved 
 my son." 
 
 " Then you must be my protector on 
 the 'present occasion should danger 
 threaten us. Yet, with God's blessing, 
 I trust we shall remain unharmed. Let 
 us proceed." 
 
 Silently and resolutely they continu 
 their journey along the dreary way. 
 
 At length they reach a spot where 
 the passage widens and spreads out into 
 a small open chamber, along the side- 
 walls of which are fixed a few seats. 
 
 " We have now completed half our 
 journey." said Katharine, "and we will 
 rest here a little while ! " 
 
 She placed the lamp on a small stone 
 table in the middle of the passage, and 
 sat down, while she beckoned to John 
 Hey wood to take a seat beside her. 
 
 " I am not the queen in this place," 
 she continued, "and yon are not the 
 king's fool, but I am a poor feeble wo- 
 man, and you are my protector. You 
 have therefore a full right to sit beside 
 me." 
 
 John Heywood shook his head smil- 
 ing, and sat down at her feet. . 
 
THE PRISONER. 
 
 135 
 
 " Holy Katharine ! Savior of mj son, 
 I lie down at thy feet and offer thee my 
 prayer of thanks." 
 
 "Dost thou know this subterranean 
 passage, John ? " asked the queen. 
 
 John Heywood smiled sadly. 
 
 u Yes, queen, I know it." 
 
 " Ah ! thou knowest it ? I thought 
 this secret belonged to the king alone." 
 
 "Then you will readily understand, 
 queen, why the fool should know it. 
 For the King of England and the fool 
 are twin brothers. Yes, queen, I know 
 this passage, and once before I travelled 
 it in suffering and tears." 
 
 " What? yourself John Heywood? " 
 
 44 Yes, queen, and now I ask you if 
 you know the history of this subter- 
 ranean passage ? You are silent. Well 
 then, happy for you that you do not 
 know it, and were I to relate to you the 
 whole story, this night would be too 
 short for the purpose. When this pas- 
 sage was built, Henry was still young, 
 and still possessed a heart. At that 
 time he loved not only his ladies, but 
 even his friends and servants, especially 
 Cromwell, the all-powerful minister. 
 Cromwell then lived at Whitehall, and 
 Henry occupied the royal apartments in 
 the tower. But Henry had always a 
 strong affection for his favorite, and so 
 Cromwell surprised him one day with 
 this subterranean passage, the building 
 of which occupied one hundred men for 
 a whole year Ah, the king was at that 
 time greatly touched, and thanked his 
 great minister with tears and embraces 
 for this surprise. Scarcely a day passed . 
 that Henry did not pay Cromwell a visit 
 
 through this passage. Thus he per- 
 ceived, day by day, that the palace at 
 Whitehall was becoming more splendid 
 and magnificent ; and when he returned 
 to the tower he found that this resi- 
 dence was wholly unfit for a king, and 
 that his minister lived in far more royal 
 state than the King of England. This, 
 my queen, was the cause of Cromwell's 
 fall. The king wished to have White- 
 hall ! The wily Cromwell perceived 
 this, and he presented him with his pre- 
 cious treasure his palace, in building 
 and adorning which he had spent ten 
 years of his life. Henry accepted the 
 gift, but now Cromwell's fall was inevi- 
 table. The king could not, of course, 
 forgive Cromwell for having offered him 
 a gift, which was so valuable, that 
 Henry was unable or unwilling to make 
 a return for it. He accordingly re- 
 mained Cromwell's debtor, and as this 
 piqued and annoyed him, he vowed 
 Cromwell's destruction. When Henry 
 repaired to Whitehall it was resolved 
 that Cromwell should mount the scaffold. 
 Ah ! the king is a very thrifty master- 
 builder. A palace costs him nothing 
 more than the head of one of his sub- 
 jects. With Cromwell's head he paid 
 for Whitehall, and Wolsey died on ac- 
 count of Hampton Court." 
 
 " But not upon the scaffold, John ? " 
 " Oh, no. Henry preferred breaking 
 his heart rather than his neck. He first 
 allowed Wolsey to present him with 
 that palatial gem, Hampton Court, 
 with all its treasures, and then de- 
 prived him of all his high offices and 
 stripped him of all his dignities. At 
 
136 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 length he was travelling as a prisoner 
 to the tower, but he died on the way 
 thither. You are quite right ! "Wolsey 
 did not die upon the scaffold, he was 
 executed by a more tedious and cruel 
 process." 
 
 " Did you not say, John, that you had 
 yourself once travelled this road ? " 
 
 " Yes, indeed, my queen ; and it was 
 for the purpose of taking leave of the 
 noblest of men the most faithful of 
 friends, Sir Thomas More! I prayed 
 and besought Cromwell for a long time, 
 until at length he had compassion on 
 my suffering and allowed me to go 
 through this passage to Sir Thomas 
 More, in order that I might at least re- 
 ceive the blessing and the parting fare- 
 well of this sainted man. Ah, queen, 
 ~let us speak no more of this subject! 
 From that day forward I became a fool, 
 for I perceived that one was not paid for 
 his trouble in being a serious man in this 
 world, when such men as More were 
 executed as malefactors. Come, queen, 
 let us go on ! " 
 
 " Yes, John, let us proceed," she re- 
 plied, rising from her seat. "But are 
 you aware whither we are going? " 
 
 "Ah, queen, do I not know you? 
 And did I not tell you that to-morrow 
 Maria Askew would be put to the rack if 
 she did not recant." 
 
 "I see you have understood me," she 
 returned, nodding to him in a friendly 
 manner. "Yes, I am going to Maria 
 Askew." 
 
 "But how shall you find out her 
 \. dungeon without being seen and dis- 
 covered ? " 
 
 "Even the unfortunate have friends, 
 John. Nay, the queen herself has a few. 
 And so chance, or rather Providence, 
 has ordained that Maria Askew should 
 be confined in the little room into which 
 this secret passage leads." 
 
 " Is she alone in this room ? " 
 
 "Yes, quite alone. The sentinels 
 stand outside before the door." 
 
 " But if they hear you, and open the 
 door?" 
 
 " Then I am lost beyond doubt, unless 
 God should assist me." 
 
 They proceeded in silence, both too 
 much occupied with their own thoughts 
 to wish to disturb each other by conver- 
 sation. 
 
 But this long journey at length fa- 
 tigued Katharine. She leaned against 
 the wall quite exhausted. 
 
 " Will you grant me a favor, queen ? " 
 asked John Hey wood. " Allow nie to 
 carry you your little feet are unable to 
 bear you any longer; allow me to be 
 your feet, your majesty." 
 
 This offer she declined with a cordial 
 smile. 
 
 " No, John, this is the suffering-sta- 
 tion of a saint, and you know we are 
 bound to perform this office upon our 
 knees and in the sweat of our brow." 
 
 " Oh, queen, how noble and how cou- 
 rageous you are ! " cried John Hey wood. 
 " You do good without parade, and fear 
 no danger when a work of kindness or 
 charity is to be accomplished." 
 
 "Indeed, John," she rejoined with an 
 enchanting smile, " I do fear danger, and 
 it is because I do, that I requested you 
 to accompany me ! I had a horror of 
 
THE PRISONER. 
 
 137 
 
 this long lonely way, and of the dark- 
 ness and deathlike stillness of this under- 
 ground passage. Ah, John, I thought 
 to myself that if I went this journey 
 alone, the shades of Anne Bullen and of 
 Katharine of Arragon would be roused 
 from their sleep by me, who wear their 
 crown, and that they would hover 
 around me, and would take me by the 
 hand and lead me to their graves, in or- 
 der to show me that there was still 
 room for me also beside them. You see 
 then, John, that I am not courageous, 
 but only a timid, trembling woman." 
 " And yet you came, queen? " 
 " I reckoned upon you, John. It was 
 my duty to attempt this journey, in or- 
 der, perhaps, to save the life of a poor 
 enthusiastic maiden. For it shall not be 
 said that Katharine abandons her friends 
 in misfortune, or that she shrinks from 
 danger. I am but a poor, feeble woman, 
 who cannot defend her friends with 
 arms, and therefore I must have recourse 
 to other means. But look, John, the 
 passage divides here! Alas, I only 
 knew it from descriptions which have 
 been given me, but I was never told that 
 the road branched off at this point! 
 Now, John, which way shall we take ? " 
 " This one, queen, and here we are at 
 the end of our journey. The other way 
 yonder leads to the torture-chamber. 
 That is to say, to a small grated window, 
 through which the torture-chamber can 
 be seen. Whenever King Henry was in 
 a specially good humor, he repaired 
 with his friend to that grating, in order 
 to divert himself a little with the agonies 
 of those who were condemned to the 
 
 rack, as blasphemers. For you are well 
 aware, queen, that the honor of the rack 
 is only accorded to those who have 
 blasphemed God, or in other words who 
 have not recognized King Henry as the 
 pope of their Church. But stay, here 
 we are at the door ; and there is the 
 spring which opens it." 
 
 Katharine put her lamp on the ground, 
 and touched the spring. 
 
 The door turned slowly and noiseless- 
 ly on its hinges, and, softly as shadows, 
 they both entered. 
 
 They now found themselves in a 
 small, round chamber, which appeared 
 to have been originally a niche wrought 
 in the wall of the tower, rather than a 
 room. Only through a small grated 
 aperture in the wall a little light and 
 air entered the dungeon, whose cold, 
 dreary walls showed the stones of the 
 rough masonry. Not a chair, nor a ta- 
 ble was there in this narrow cell, but in 
 one corner, on the ground, was a heap 
 of straw. Upon this straw lay a pale, 
 delicate being ; her hollow and haggard 
 cheeks as white as alabaster, her brow 
 so pure and clear so full of peace the 
 whole countenance; her bare, wasted 
 arms flung back above her head, her 
 hands clasped above her forehead, her 
 head turned aside in quiet, peaceful 
 slumber, her fine delicate figure wrapped 
 in a long dark robe, and a smile upon 
 her lips, known to those only who are 
 happy. 
 
 This was Maria Askew, the malefactor 
 the condemned. Maria Askew, who 
 was only a blasphemer, because she did 
 not believe in the divine attributes and 
 
138 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND BIS COURT. 
 
 lofty pretensions of the king, and be- 
 cause she would not subject her mind to 
 his decrees. 
 
 "She sleeps! " whispered Katharine, 
 deeply moved. And, quite involuntarily, 
 approaching the couch of the sufferer, 
 she folded her hands, and a silent prayer 
 trembled upon her lips. 
 
 " Thus sleep the just 1 " said John 
 Heywood. "The angels comfort them 
 in slumber, and the breath of God wafts 
 refreshment to their souls. Poor 
 maiden, how soon, and they will strain 
 these lovely and beautiful limbs, and 
 torture thee for the honor of God; and 
 this mouth, too, which now smiles so 
 peacefully, they will distort with groans 
 of agony ! " 
 
 "No, no," returned Katharine, eager- 
 ly. " I have come to save her, and God 
 will succor and enable me to do so. I 
 dare no longer spare her slumbers. I 
 must awake her." 
 
 She stooped down and imprinted a 
 kiss upon the young maiden's brow. 
 
 "Maria, wake up, I am here! I will 
 save thee, and will set thee free. Maria, 
 Maria, wake up ! " 
 
 She slowly opened her large brilliant 
 eyes, and nodded a greeting to Kathar- 
 ine. 
 
 " Katharine Parr !" she said smiling. 
 " I only expected a letter from you, and 
 you have come yourself? " 
 
 " The sentinels have been dismissed, 
 and the jailers changed, Maria, for they 
 discovered our correspondence." 
 
 " Ah, then you will no longer write 
 to me in future ! And yet your letters 
 were my sole comfort," sighed Maria 
 
 Askew. " However, it is well, and per- 
 haps this will only tend to lighten the 
 road which I have to travel ! The heart 
 must be free from all earthly ties, in or- 
 der that the soul may move its wings 
 the more freely when it soars aloft to 
 return to its home with God." 
 
 " Listen, Maria, listen ! " said Kathar- 
 ine, softly but eagerly. "A terrible 
 danger threatens thee. The king has 
 directed that thou shouldst be moved to 
 recant by means of the rack ! " 
 
 "Well, and what more?" asked Ma- 
 ria, with a smiling countenance. 
 
 "Unhappy girl, thou knowest not 
 what thou sayest! Little dost thou 
 know the fearful tortures which await 
 thee. Thou knowest not the force of 
 pain, which is perhaps even more pow- 
 erful than the spirit, and is able to sub- 
 due it." 
 
 "And if I knew all this, how far 
 would it help me? " asked Maria Askew. 
 " You say they intend putung me to the 
 rack. Well then, I shall be obliged to 
 bear it, for I have no power to change 
 their will." 
 
 "Nay, Maria, nay; thou hast the 
 power! Recall what thou hast said, 
 Maria ! Declare that knowledge has 
 come to thee, and that now thou per- 
 ceivest thou hadst been deceived. Say 
 that thou wilt acknowledge the king to 
 be the head of the Church, that thou 
 'wilt accept the six articles, and no 
 longer believe in the Pope of Rome. 
 Ah, Maria, God sees into thy heart, and 
 knows thy thoughts. Thou hast no 
 need to announce them with thy lips. 
 He has given thee life, and thou art not 
 
THE PRISONER. 
 
 139 
 
 at liberty to fling it away ; thou must 
 try to preserve it as long as thou canst. 
 Retract, therefore ! It is surely allowa- 
 ble to deceive those who wish to become 
 our murderers. If, in their proud arro- 
 gance, they demand of thee to say what 
 they say, why only imagine them to be 
 men bereft of reason, who are suffered 
 for the moment to indulge their caprice, 
 lest they become raving madmen. After 
 all, what matters it if thou sayest the 
 king is the head of the Church ? God 
 looks down from his throne on high, 
 and smiles at this petty earthly warfare, 
 which men wage amongst themselves, 
 and in which His honor is in no wise in- 
 volved. Let learned men and theolo- 
 gians quarrel arid dispute that is no con- 
 cern of us women. If we only believe 
 in Gorl, and carry His spirit within us, 
 the form or the manner in which we do 
 so is of little importance. Here, how- 
 ever, the question is not about God, but 
 about externals, and non-essential articles 
 of belief. What can such things matter 
 to thee ? "What hast thou to do with 
 the quarrels of priests? Retract, there- 
 fore, poor enthusiastic child, retract ! " 
 
 While Katharine thus spoke with 
 breathless eagerness, Maria Askew had 
 raised herself up slowly from her 'couch, 
 and now stood, like a slender and delicate 
 lily, opposite the queen. 
 
 Her noble features wore an expres- 
 sion of deep anger. Her eyes flashed, 
 and a disdainful smile settled on her 
 lips. 
 
 u What ! you can tender me this ad- 
 vice ? " she asked. u Do you wish me 
 to deny my faith and forswear ray God, 
 
 merely to escape earthlj pain! And 
 your tongue does not refuse to utter 
 these words, and your heart does not 
 recoil with shame while you offer this 
 counsel. Look at these arms! What 
 are they worth that I should not sacri- 
 fice them to God? Look at these feeble 
 limbs ! Are they so precious, that like a 
 sordid miser I should save them ? No, 
 no ; God is my highest good not this 
 feeble, tottering frame. To God I 
 yield it up! I retract or recant? 
 never! Belief does not suffer itself 
 to be hidden under this cloak or that : it 
 must be naked and undisguised before 
 the eyes of mankind. Such be mine ! 
 And if I am chosen to be a witness ot 
 the true faith, which does not deny it- 
 self, but which confesses itself openly, 
 then grant me this choice. Many are 
 called but few are chosen. If I am one 
 of the elect, I thank God for it, and I 
 only bless the poor, erring mortals, who 
 by means of the rack, have made me a 
 chosen vessel. Ah, believe me, Katha- 
 rine, I rejoice in sight of death, for thia 
 life is but a dreary, desolate, and 
 wretched existence. Let me die, Kath- 
 arine die that I may find immortality 
 and bliss ! " 
 
 "But poor, hapless child! This is 
 more than death this is the torture of 
 earth /which threatens thee. Oh, re- 
 flect, Maria, that thou are but a feeble 
 woman ! Who knows but that the rack 
 will yet subdue thy spirit; and that 
 with torn and dislocated limte, thou wilt 
 at length, in the frenzy of pain, be 
 brought to retract and forswear thy 
 faith ? " 
 
140 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 " Were I capable of so doing," cried 
 Maria Askew, with flashing eyes, " be- 
 lieve me, queen, that when I recovered 
 consciousness, I would die by my own 
 hand, in order, as a punishment for my 
 recanting, to deliver myself up to eternal 
 perdition ! God has commanded me to 
 be a witness for the true faith. His 
 command shall be fulfilled ! " 
 
 "Well then, be it so," said Katharine, 
 with decision. " Do not retract, but at 
 least save thyself from thy executioners ! 
 I, Maria, I will save thee! I cannot 
 suffer that this graceful and fair form 
 should fall a victim to the outrageous 
 and contemptible prejudices of men, or 
 that, for the honor of God, a noble 
 image, moulded in His own likeness, 
 should be tortured in the name of that 
 same God ! Oh, come ; I will save thee ! 
 I, the queen. Give me thy hand ! 
 Follow me out of this dungeon ; I know 
 a way which will lead thee away from 
 here, and I will conceal thee. in my own 
 apartments, until thou canst continue 
 thy flight without danger." 
 
 " No, no, queen, it is not you that 
 shall conceal her with you," said John 
 Hey wood. "You have favored me so 
 far as to allow me to become your con- 
 fidant. Suffer me now also to have a 
 share in your noble work. It is not 
 with you that Maria Askew shall find a 
 place of refuge, but with me. Oh, 
 come, Maria, follow -your friends ! It is 
 life which summons you forth, which 
 opens your prison doors, and which 
 calls to you by a thousand cherished 
 names ! Hear you not all the sweet and 
 attractive voices ; see you not all those 
 
 noble and smiling faces, how they greet 
 you and beckon to you ? Maria Askew, 
 it is a noble bridegroom who calls to 
 you. As yet you know him not, but he 
 waits for you abroad in the world. 
 Maria Askew, there are young children 
 who hold out their tender arms to you. 
 You have not yet borne them, but love 
 holds them in its arms, and will bring 
 them to meet you. It is the part of a 
 wife and a mother, which the world has 
 yet to expect from thee, Maria. Thou 
 canst not refuse the sacred vocation 
 which God has given thee! Come, 
 then, and follow us ; follow thy queen, 
 who has the right of commanding her 
 subject. Follow the friend who swears 
 that he will watch over, and protect 
 thee as a father ! " 
 
 "Father in heaven, protect me! ' 
 cried Maria Askew, falling on her knees, 
 and holding up her hands in an attitude 
 of supplication. 
 
 " Father in heaven, they want to 
 snatch thy child from Thee, and to 
 estrange my heart from Thee ! They wish 
 to lead me into temptation, and to se- 
 duce me with their speech ! Protect me, 
 Father; make my ear deaf that I hear 
 them not. Give me some sign that I 
 am thine, that no one else' has power 
 over me but Thee alone ; some token, 
 Father, that Thou callest me ! " 
 
 And as if God had indeed granted her 
 prayer, a loud knockin'g was now heard 
 at the outer door, and a voice cried 
 " Maria Askew, wake up, and prepare 
 the chancellor and the Bishop of Win- 
 chester are coming to take you hence." 
 
 "Alas! the rack," groaned Katha- 
 
THE PRISONER. 
 
 141 
 
 rine, as she hid her face in her hands 
 with a shudder. 
 
 " Yes, the rack," said Maria Askew 
 with a blissful smile. " God calls me ! " 
 
 John Heywood approached the queen 
 and seized her hand with eagerness, 
 " You see it is all in vain,' 1 he said, ur- 
 gently. " Hasten then and save your- 
 self. Haste, and quit this dungeon, ere 
 yonder door be opened." 
 
 "No," said Katharine, firmly and 
 decidedly "No, I remain: she shall 
 not surpass me in courage and greatness 
 of soul ; she will not deny her God, 
 well then, I too shall be a witness for 
 my God! I shall not cast down my 
 eyes with shame to the ground before a 
 young girl ; like her I shall confess my 
 belief freely and publicly like her I 
 shall say : God alone is the Lord of his 
 Church. God" 
 
 Outside, all was activity and motion 
 a key was heard turning in the lock. 
 
 "Queen, I beseech you," entreated 
 John Heywood, " by all that is sacred 
 to you by your love, come come 
 away ! " 
 
 " No, no ! " she exclaimed with vehe- 
 mence. 
 
 But now Maria Askew seized her 
 hand, and raising her other arm to 
 heaven, said with a loud and imperious 
 voice : "In the name of God I command 
 thee to leave me ! " 
 
 While Katharine involuntarily gave 
 way, John Heywood pressed her back 
 to \the secret door, through which he 
 forced her, almost by violence, and 
 drawing it after them both, closed it 
 from the outside. 
 
 Scarcely was the secret door closed, 
 when the other door opened. 
 
 ""With whom were you speaking? " 
 asked Gardiner, looking round with a 
 searching glance. 
 
 "With the tempter, who wished to 
 make me turn away from God," she 
 replied, " With the tempter, who on the 
 approach of your footsteps wished to 
 delude me with fear, and persuade me to 
 recant." 
 
 " Then you are firmly resolved you 
 will not recant ? " asked Gardiner, and 
 a ferocious joy lighted up his hard pale 
 features. 
 
 " No ; I will not recant," she re- 
 plied, with a beaming and smiling coun- 
 tenance. 
 
 " Then I must conduct thee in God's 
 name, and in the name of the king, into 
 the torture-chamber ! " cried the Chan- 
 cellor Wriothesley, stepping forward and 
 laying his hand heavily upon Maria's 
 shoulder. "As thou hast refused to 
 hear the warning and gentle voice of 
 love, we must now endeavor by the 
 voice of anger and of damnation to 
 rouse thee from thy errors ! " 
 
 He beckoned to his racksmen, who 
 stood behind him at the open door, and 
 commanded them to seize and conduct 
 her to the torture-chamber. 
 
 Maria repelled them with a smile. 
 
 " Don't touch me, pray ! that is un- 
 necessary. The Redeemer himself went 
 on foot, and bore his cross to the place 
 of execution. I shall travel as he did. 
 Show me the way, I will follow yon, but 
 let no one dare to touch me. I will show 
 you that, not by compulsion, but freely 
 
142 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 and joyfully, I travel the path of suffering 
 which I am to endure for the sake of my 
 God. Rejoice my soul, sing my lips, for 
 the bridegroom is near, and the banquet 
 is about to begin ! " 
 
 And with jubilant strains Maria Askew 
 began to sing a spiritual song, which was 
 not yet ended when she entered the 
 chamber of torture. 
 
 CHAPTER YIII. 
 
 THE PRINCESS ELIZABETH. 
 
 THE iking sleeps. Let him sleep on ! 
 He is old and feeble, and God has 
 severely punished the restless tyrant 
 the man with the vacillating, uneasy, 
 ne'er-contented mind by laying fetters 
 on his body, and making of that body a 
 prison for his mind ; by making the am- 
 bitious king, striving to attain the im- 
 measurable, the slave of his own flesh. 
 How high soever his thoughts may soar, 
 the king still remains an unwieldy, pow- 
 erless bondsman a human child; how- 
 ever much his conscience may torment 
 him with disquietude and anxiety, he is 
 doomed to endure it all he cannot fly 
 from his conscience ; God has imposed 
 fetters on body and mind alike. 
 
 The king sleeps 1 But not so the 
 queen not so Jane Douglas and not 
 so even the princess Elizabeth. 
 
 She was awake, and her heart was 
 throbbing violently. She had been 
 walking up and down her room restless- 
 
 ly, and with a strange feeling of em bar- 
 rassment, waiting for the hour which 
 she had appointed for the rendezvous. 
 And now this hour had arrived. A 
 glowing crimson suffused the counte- 
 nance of the youthful princess, and her 
 hand trembled as she took the light and 
 opened the secret door leading into the 
 corridor. For a moment she lingered 
 and stood still, and then, as if ashamed 
 of her irresolution, she proceeded along 
 the corridor, and up the narrow stair- 
 case which led into the tower-chamber. 
 "With a hasty movement she pushed the 
 door open and entered the room. She 
 had reached the goal, and Thomas Sey- 
 mour was already there. 
 
 On seeing him she was seized with 
 an involuntary fear, and now for the 
 first time she became conscious of the 
 venturesome step she had taken. 
 
 When Seymour, the gay and ardent 
 man, approached her with an impassion- 
 ed greeting, she drew back timidly, and 
 recoiled from his touch. 
 
 "What! you will not allow me to 
 kiss your hand ? " he asked, and she 
 thought she perceived on his counte- 
 nance a faint smile of derision. " You 
 make me the happiest of mortals by in- 
 viting me to this interview, and now 
 you stand coldly and rigidly before me, 
 and I dare not even fold you in my 
 arms, Elizabeth ? " 
 
 Elizabeth ! He had addressed her by 
 her Christian name, without her having 
 given him permission to do so. This 
 offended her in the midst of her confu- 
 sion, this roused up within her the pride 
 of the princess, and gave her to under- 
 
THE PRINCESS ELIZABETH. 
 
 143 
 
 stand how greatly she must have forgot- 
 ten what was due to her own dignity, 
 when others could so readily forget it. 
 
 This tribute, however, she wished to 
 recover once more. She would at this 
 moment have forfeited a year of her life, 
 not to have taken this step not to have 
 invited the earl to this interview. 
 
 She wished to try and recover in his 
 eyes the position which she had lost, 
 and again to assume toward him the 
 dignity and demeanor of a princess. 
 
 Her pride was still more powerful 
 than her love. She imagined that her 
 lover should at the same time bow be- 
 fore her, as her favored servant. 
 
 "My Lord Thomas Seymour," she 
 said, gravely, " you have often requested 
 us for a private interview, we now grant 
 it. Speak therefore ! What petition or 
 matter have you to lay before us ? " 
 
 And with a solemn and imposing air 
 she proceeded to an arm-chair, in which 
 she seated herself with the grave digni- 
 ty of a queen, giving audience to her 
 vassals. 
 
 Poor innocent child ! who with un- 
 conscious fear -wished to entrench her- 
 self behind her elevated rank as behind 
 a shield, which should hide her anxiety 
 and maidenly timidity. 
 
 Thomas Seymour, however, saw 
 through all this, . and his proud, cold 
 heart revolted against it, on perceiving 
 that this child in years attempted to set 
 him at defiance. 
 
 He wished to humble her to compel 
 her to bend before him, and to sue for 
 his love as for a favored gift. 
 
 He thoreforo bowed profoundly to the 
 
 princess, and said, with a respectful air : 
 " Your highness, it is true I have often 
 begged you for an audience, but you 
 have so long refused it to me, that at 
 last I had not the courage to urge ray 
 request any further, and so I imposed 
 silence on my wishes, and suffered my 
 heart to become mute. Seek not, there- 
 fore, now, that these pains have been 
 overcome, to call them into being once 
 more. My lips shall be sealed my 
 heart dead. You have so willed it, and 
 I have bowed submissively to your will. 
 Farewell, therefore, princess, and may 
 your days be more happy, more serene, 
 than those of the unfortunate Thomas 
 Seymour. 
 
 He then bowed profoundly once more, 
 and proceeded slowly toward the door. 
 He had already opened it, and was 
 about to depart, when a hand touched 
 him on the shoulder and drew him back 
 into the room with violent impetuosity. 
 
 u You wish to go ? " asked Elizabeth, 
 with trembling voice, while she gasped 
 for breath. "You wish to leave me, 
 and with mockery on your lips, to go, 
 perhaps, to the Duchess of Richmond, 
 whom you love, and tell her, with deri- 
 sive laughter, that the Princess Eliza- 
 beth granted you an interview, and that 
 you treated it with scorn ? " 
 
 " I do not love the Duchess of Rich- 
 mond ! " said the earl, gravely. 
 
 " But she will soon be your wife." 
 
 " She will never be my wife ! " 
 
 "And why not?" 
 
 "Because I don't love her, princess! " 
 
 A beam of joy overspread Elizabeth's 
 pale and troubled countenance. 
 
144: 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 " "Why do you call me princess ? " she 
 asked. 
 
 "Because you have come as a prin- 
 cess to grant your poor servant an audi- 
 ence. Indeed it would be abusing your 
 princely favor too much, were I to pro- 
 long this audience still further. I there- 
 fore retire, princess." 
 
 And once more he approached the 
 door; but Elizabeth rushed after him, 
 and seizing his arms with both her 
 hands, she pushed him back wildly. 
 
 Her eyes flashed, her lips trembled, 
 and a passionate ardor glowed visibly 
 in her whole frame. She was now the 
 veritable daughter of her father ; indis- 
 creet and vehement in her anger crush- 
 ing in her fury. 
 
 " You shall not go," she murmured, 
 with firmly compressed teeth. "I 
 will not suffer you to go ! I won't suf- 
 fer you to stand before me any longer 
 with that cold, smiling countenance. 
 Chide me reproach me in the severest 
 manner for having so long attempted to 
 defy you ; execrate me if you can. Only 
 not this smiling composure. This kills 
 me, it stabs me like a dagger to the 
 heart. For thou seest clearly I have no 
 longer the power to resist thee thou 
 seest 1 clearly that I love thee. Yes, I 
 love thee with rapture and desperation, 
 with delight and bewilderment ! I love 
 thee as rny demon and my angel. I am 
 angry with thee for having so complete- 
 ly subdued the pride of my spirit ; I ex- 
 ecrate thee for having made me so en- 
 tirely thy slave, and, at the next mo- 
 ment, I fall upon my knees before God, 
 and beseech him to forgive me these in- 
 
 solent and wicked thoughts to thy pre- 
 judice. I love thee, I say not as those 
 mild, gentle women love, with a smile 
 upon their lips but with rage and des- 
 peration, with jealousy and anger. I 
 love thee as my father loved Anne Bul- 
 len, when, in the hatred of his love, and 
 in the cruel anger of his jealousy, he 
 caused her to mount the scaffold, be- 
 cause he had been told that she was un- 
 faithful to him. Ah, had I the power, I 
 would do as my father did. I would 
 kill you were you to be so daring as to 
 cease to love me. And, now, Thomas 
 Seymour, say now, if you have the 
 courage to wish to leave me ? " 
 
 She wore a look of perfect fascination 
 in this fiery force of her passion, she 
 was so young, so ardent; and Thomas 
 Seymour was so ambitious. In his eyes 
 Elizabeth was not only the beautiful and 
 attractive maiden who loved him ; she 
 was more than that: she was the 
 daughter of Henry the Eighth ; the Prin- 
 cess of England, and would, perhaps one 
 day, become heiress to the throne* Her 
 father, indeed had disinherited her, and 
 by means of an Act of Parliament had 
 declared her unworthy of succeeding to 
 the crown. But Henry's vacillating 
 mind might change, and the rejected 
 princess might one day become queen. 
 
 This thought occupied the Earl's mind 
 as he looked at Elizabeth, as he contem- 
 plated her, so blooming and so attractive, 
 glowing with passion as she stood before 
 him. This thought filled his mind as he 
 now folded her in his arms, and imprinted 
 an ardent kiss upon her lips. 
 
 "No, I shall not go," he whispered. 
 
THE PRIXCESS ELIZABETH. 
 
 145 
 
 " I shall never more wander from thy 
 side, unless it be thy wish that I should 
 go. I am thine ! Thy slave, thy vassal 
 to he such, and nothing more is my 
 sole wish. Let them betray me if they 
 will, let the king punish me as a traitor, 
 I shall still exult with happiness, for 
 Elizabeth loves me, and it will be for 
 Elizabeth's sake that I shall die ! " 
 
 "Thou shalt not die!" she exclaimed, 
 clinging firmly to his side. " Thou shalt 
 live, proud, great, and happy with me ! 
 Thou shalt be my lord and master, and 
 should I one day be a queen and I feel 
 within me that I shall be a queen then 
 Thomas Seymour will be King of Eng- 
 land." 
 
 " That is to say, in the quiet and pri- 
 vacy of thy chamber it would probably 
 be so!" he returned with a sigh. "But 
 in public, and before the world, I shall 
 still be merely a subject and servant 
 nay, I may even be called a favorite." 
 
 " Never never, that I swear to thee! 
 Did I not tell thee that I loved thee ? " 
 
 " But the love of women is so change- 
 able. Who knows, when once the crown 
 decks thy brow, how long thou wilt al- 
 ready have trodden the unhappy Thomas 
 Seymour under foot? " 
 
 She looked at him with astonishment. 
 
 " Can such a tiling be ? Is it possible 
 that one should forget and abandon what 
 one has at any time loved? " 
 
 "Don't ask, Elizabeth ! Has not thy 
 father alrocidy hi> sixth wife? " 
 
 "True," she replied, and she bent her 
 
 head sadly on her breast ; " but I," she 
 
 continued, -after a pause, " I shall not 
 
 resemble my father in this. I shall love 
 
 10 
 
 thee eternally ! And in order that thou 
 mayest have a pledge of my fidelity, I 
 tender myself to be thy wife." 
 
 He looked inquiringly and with aston- 
 ishment into her excited and glowing 
 countenance. He did not understand 
 her. 
 
 She, however, continued with impas- 
 sioned earnestness : " Yes thou shalt be 
 my lord and my husband ! Come, my 
 beloved, come ! I have not summoned 
 thee in order that thou shouldst assume 
 the ignominious part of being the secret 
 lover of a princess. I have summoned 
 thee that thou mayest become my 
 spouse. I wish that a bond should 
 unite us both a bond so indissoluble 
 that neither the anger nor the will of 
 my father but only death itself may be 
 able to rend it asunder. I will give 
 thee a proof of my love and resignation, 
 and then thou wilt see how truly I love 
 thee. Come, my beloved that I may 
 soon be able to greet thee as my hus- 
 band ! " 
 
 He looked at her as if petrified. 
 "Whither wouldst thou lead me?" 
 
 "Into the private chapel of the pal- 
 ace," she replied innocently. "I have 
 written to Cranmer to wait for me there 
 at day-break. Let us therefore make 
 haste!" 
 
 -"Cranmer! written to Archbishop 
 Cranmer ? " cried Seymour with amaze- 
 ment. " What ! Cranmer waiting for us 
 in the private chapel?" 
 
 " No doubt since I have written to 
 him to that effect?" 
 
 " But what is he to do? What service 
 can he render us? " 
 
H-0 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT 
 
 She looked at him with surprise. 
 " What service can he render us ? Why 
 marry us, of course ! " 
 
 The earl staggered hack as if stunned. 
 " And hast thou told him that too? " 
 
 " Oh, certainly not," she replied with 
 a charming and innocent smile. "I 
 know very well it is dangerous to trust 
 such secrets to paper. I have only writ- 
 ten to him to come in his robes of office, 
 because I have important secrets to con- 
 fess to him." 
 
 " Oh, God be thanked ! We are not 
 lost," sighed the earl. 
 
 "What, I don't understand thee?" 
 she asked. u Thou dost not give me thy 
 hand ? thou dost not hasten to conduct 
 me to the chapel ? " 
 
 " Tell me, I entreat thee, only tell me 
 this one thing. Hast thou ever spoken 
 to the archbishop of thy no of our 
 love? Hast thou ever betrayed to him 
 a syllable of that which moves our 
 hearts?" 
 
 She blushed deeply beneath the keen 
 penetrating glance which he fixed upon 
 her. " Chide me, Seymour," she whis- 
 pered. " But my heart was feeble and 
 timorous, and however often I made the 
 attempt to fulfil the sacred duty, and to 
 confess all faithfully and without re- 
 serve to the archbishop, I was never 
 once able to succeed ! The words died 
 upon my lips, and it seemed as if an 
 invisible power paralysed my tongue." 
 
 "Then Cranmer knows nothing? " 
 
 " No, Seymour, as yet he knows noth- 
 ing ! But now he shall learn all ; we 
 will now go before him and tell him that 
 we love each other, and urge him by our 
 
 entreaties to bless our union and to join 
 our hands together." 
 
 " Impossible ! " cried Seymour. " That 
 can never be done ! " 
 
 "But, gracious heavens! why not?" 
 she asked with astonishment. 
 
 " I say that Cranmer will never be so 
 .mad, so guilty as to fulfil thy wish. I 
 say that thou canst never become my 
 wife." 
 
 For a moment she scanned his fea- 
 tures with looks of anxious bewilder- 
 ment. " But hast thou not just told me 
 that thou lovest me ? " she asked. 
 " Have I not sworn to thee that I love 
 thee in return ? Must we not, therefore, 
 espouse each other in order to sanctify 
 the union of our hearts ? " 
 
 Seymour cast his eyes to the ground, 
 and blushed with shame before her 
 pure innocent looks. She did not un- 
 derstand his blushes. She interpreted 
 his silence as a sign that he was con- 
 quered. 
 
 " Come," she said, " Cranmer awaits 
 us!" 
 
 He raised his eyes once more, and 
 looked at her amazed. " Then thou 
 dost not perceive that all this is but a 
 dream, which can never become a reali- 
 ty? Thou dost not perceive that this 
 precious fantasy of thy noble and gener- 
 ous heart will never be realised ? What ? 
 Knowest thou so little of thy father, as 
 not to be aware that he would crush us 
 both, did we thus dare to defy his pater- 
 nal and royal authority? Thy birth 
 would not secure thee from his rage, for 
 thou knowest well he is inflexible and 
 devoid of consideration in his anger ; and 
 
THE PRINCESS ELIZABETH. 
 
 147 
 
 the voice of Nature does not speak so 
 loudly within him as not to be overpow- 
 ered by the thunder of his indignation 
 and wrath. Poor child, thou hast learn- 
 ed this already ! Remember with what 
 relentlessness he has already revenged 
 upon thee the supposed guilt of thy moth- 
 er how he has carried out towards 
 thee his vindictive feelings against her. 
 Remember that he refused thy hand to 
 the Dauphin of France not for the sake 
 of thy happiness, but because he said 
 thou wast not worthy of such a lofty po- 
 sition. The illegitimate daughter of 
 Anne Bullen could never become the 
 Queen of France. And after such proofs 
 of his fierce anger against thee, wilt thou 
 venture to fling this fearful insult in his 
 face? To compel him to recognize his 
 subject his servant, as his son ? " 
 
 " Oh, but this servant is meanwhile 
 the brother of a Queen of England," she 
 returned, timidly. " My father loved 
 Jane Seymour too tenderly not to par- 
 don her brother." 
 
 " Alas ! thou knowest not thy father ! 
 lie has no feelings for the past, or if he 
 has, it is only to punish an offence or 
 a crime, but not to reward affection. 
 King Henry would be quite capable of 
 condemning to death the daughter of 
 Anne Bullen, and of sending the brothers 
 of Katharine Howard to the scaffold or 
 to the rack, because both these queens 
 once grieved him and wounded his 
 heart ; but he would not forgive in me 
 even the slightest offence, merely be- 
 cause I am the brother of a queen who 
 loved him truly and tenderly to the day 
 of her death. But I am not now speak- 
 
 ing of myself. I am a warrior, and both 
 by sea and land I have looked death too 
 often in the face to fear it now. I only 
 speak of thee, Elizabeth ! It is not thus 
 that thou must perish. This noble head 
 shall not be laid upon the block. It is 
 destined to bear a royal crown. A still 
 higher fate than that of love Awaits thee 
 power and fame I I dare not with- 
 draw thee from this proud future. The 
 Princess Elizabeth, though now rejected 
 and scorned, may still one day mount 
 the throne of England. The Countess 
 of Seymour never ! she disinherits her- 
 self. Pursue, therefore, your high des- 
 tiny. Lord Seymour gives way before 
 a throne." 
 
 " That is to say, you spurn me ? " she 
 asked, angrily, stamping with her foot 
 upon the floor. "That. is to say, the 
 proud Earl of Sudley thinks the de- 
 graded daughter of Anne Bullen too 
 mean for his lordly coronet ! In other 
 words, you do not love me ! " 
 
 " No. It means that I love thee more 
 than I do myself more deeply, more 
 purely than any other man can love 
 thee; for this love is so great that it 
 imposes silence on my selfishness and 
 ambition, and only suffers me to think 
 of thee and of thy future." 
 
 "Alas!" she sighed, sadly, "didst 
 thou love me truly, thou wouldst not 
 thus consider; thou wouldst not see 
 danger or fear death. Thou wouldst 
 think of nothing know nothing but 
 love." 
 
 " Because I think of love, I think of 
 thee," replied Seymour. " I think that 
 thou shouldst go forth great, powerful, 
 
148 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 and radiant in an elevated sphere, and 
 that to this end I am willing to lend 
 thee my arm. I think that my queen 
 of the future needs a general who shall 
 win for her the victory, and that I am 
 ready to be that general. But when 
 this goal is attained, when thou art 
 queen, then, thou wilt have the power to 
 make of thy subject thy husband then 
 will it depend upon thy will to raise me 
 up to become the proudest, the happiest, 
 and the most enviable of men. Then 
 shouldst thou offer me thy hand, I shall 
 praise and thank God that He has so fa- 
 vored me, and my whole existence will 
 be spent in the endeavor to afford thee 
 that happiness which thou art so fully 
 justified in demanding." 
 
 " And until then ? " she asked, sadly. 
 
 "Until then we will wait and love 
 each other I " he exclaimed, folding her 
 affectionately in his arms. 
 
 She gently repressed his ardor. " And 
 wilt thou be true and constant to me 
 until then ? " 
 
 " True and constant until death ! " 
 
 "They have told me that thou 
 wouldst be married to the Duchess of 
 Kichmond, in order thereby at length to 
 end the animosity between the Howards 
 and the Seymours." 
 
 Thomas Seymour knit his brow, and 
 his countenance grew dark. " Believe 
 me, this hatred is invincible, and no 
 bonds of affinity could have power to 
 efface it. It is an inheritance of long 
 standing between our families, and I am 
 firmly resolved not to renounce this in- 
 heritance. I shall just as little marry 
 the Duchess of Richmond, as Henry 
 
 Howard my sister the Countess of 
 Shrewsbury." 
 
 " Swear this, Seymour ! swear to me 
 that thou sayest the truth, and that the 
 haughty coquette, the Duchess of Rich- 
 mond, shall never be thy wife. Swear 
 this to me now by all that is sacred to 
 thee!" 
 
 " I swear it by my LOVE I " cried 
 Thomas Seymour, solemnly. 
 
 " Then I shall have at least one care 
 the less," sighed Elizabeth. "I shall 
 have no need to be jealous. And be- 
 sides, we shall see each other often 
 shall we not? We shall both of us 
 faithfully and sacredly preserve the se- 
 cret of this tower, and for days full of 
 illusions and privation we shall here 
 celebrate nights of blissful enjoyment 
 and sweet delight. But why dost thoa 
 smile, Seymour ? " 
 
 "I smile because thou art so pure 
 and innocent, like an angel," he replied, 
 taking her hand, which he kissed re- 
 spectfully. " I smile because thou art a 
 noble and divine child, whom one should 
 worship on his knees, and to whom we 
 should pray as to the chaste goddess 
 Yesta ! Yes, my charming and beloved 
 child, we will here, as thou sayest, live 
 many nights of blissful enjoyment, and 
 may I become a reprobate and a casta- 
 way, should I ever be capable of betray- 
 ing this sweet and innocent confidence 
 which thou reposest in me, or of dim- 
 ming the brightness of thy angelic puri- 
 ty!" 
 
 "Oh, we shall be very happy, Sey- 
 mour," she said, smiling. " But one 
 thing I lack a friend of my own sex to 
 
THE PRINCESS ELIZABETH. 
 
 149 
 
 whom I could confide iny happiness, 
 and to whom I could speak of thee. I 
 often feel as if this love, which must be 
 kept concealed and locked up, would at 
 last cause my bosom to burst asunder 
 as if this secret must find an outlet for 
 itself by violence, and sweep forth like 
 a hurricane over the whole face of na- 
 ture. Seymour, I want a confidante of 
 my happiness and of my love." 
 
 " On the contrary, be most careful to 
 avoid such a thing ! " cried Seymour, 
 with anxiety. "A secret which is 
 known to thf ee persons is no longer a 
 secret, and thy confidante would one 
 day betray us." 
 
 :< Nay, I know a lady who would not 
 be capable of so acting a lady who 
 loves me well enough to keep my secret 
 as faithfully as I could myself a lady 
 who could be more than the confidante 
 who could even be the protectress of 
 our love. Oh, believe me, if we could 
 but win her to our side, then would our 
 future be blest and happy, for then we 
 might the more readily succeed in ob- 
 taining the consent of the king to our 
 marriage." 
 
 "And who is this lady?" 
 
 " It is the queen." 
 
 " The queen ! " cried Thomas Sey- 
 mour, with a look of such consternation 
 that Elizabeth trembled; "the queen 
 thy confidante ? Impossible ! that would 
 be to bring hopeless ruin upon us both. 
 Unhappy child, take good care not to 
 mention a word to her or even a syllable 
 of thy relationship with me beware of 
 betraying to her by the slightest intima- 
 tion that Thomas Seymour is not wholly 
 
 indifferent to thee ! Ah, her anger would 
 crush both thee and me 1 " 
 
 " And why dost thou think so ? " 
 asked Elizabeth, gloomily. " Why dost 
 thou suppose that Katharine would 
 foam with anger because Lord Seymour 
 loves me? Or what! Is it she perad- 
 venture whom thou lovest, and there- 
 fore darest not confess to her that thon 
 hast pledged thy love to me also ? Ah, 
 I now see through all I know all! 
 Thou lovest the queen, and her alone ! 
 For this reason thou art unwilling to go 
 with me into the chapel ; for this reason 
 thou hast, sworn that thou dost not wish 
 to marry the Duchess of Richmond, and 
 for this reason ah, my forebodings did 
 not deceive me for this reason too that 
 frantic ride on horseback yesterday in 
 Epping Forest! Ah, of course the 
 queen's courser must needs become res- 
 tive, and take flight in order that the 
 master of the horse should be able to 
 follow his mistress and lose himself with 
 her in the secluded thickets of the wood ! 
 And now," she continued, with anger- 
 flashing eyes, while she raised her hand 
 threateningly aloft, "now I say to thee. 
 Beware! Beware, Seymour, of betray- 
 ing thy secret by a word, or even by a 
 syllable, for this word will crush thee, 
 Yes, I feel that I am no base-born child 
 but the true daughter of my father; I 
 feel it by this anger, this jealousy 
 which rages within me. Beware, Sey- 
 mour, for I shall go hence to accuse thee 
 to the king, and the head of the traitor 
 will fall upon the scaffold ! " 
 
 She was beside herself. She strode 
 with clinched hands and threatening 
 
150 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 gestures up and down the room. Tears 
 burst from her eyes, but she dashed 
 them away from her eyelids, and sprin- 
 kled them like pearls around her. The 
 violent and ungovernable nature of her 
 father strove within her, and her blood 
 foamed furiously in her veins. 
 
 But Thomas Seymour had already re- 
 gained his composure and presence of 
 mind. He approached the princess and 
 folded the resisting girl in his powerful 
 arms. 
 
 'Foolish charmer!" he said, with 
 many tender kisses. " Sweet, silly 
 charmer, how beautiful thou art in thy 
 anger,- and how I love thee for it! 
 Jealousy befits love, and I don't com- 
 plain of it, albeit thou hast been unjust 
 and cruel toward me. The queen has 
 much too cold and too proud a heart for 
 any one ever to love her. Indeed, the 
 very thought of such a thing would be 
 treason against her honor and virtue, 
 and certainly she has not deserved, of 
 either of us, that we should slander or 
 insult her. She is the first person who 
 was ever just toward thee, and to me 
 ghe has always been only a gracious 
 queen and mistress." 
 
 " True," murmured Elizabeth, asham- 
 ed of her suspicion, " she is to me a true 
 friend and mother, and to her I owe my 
 present position at this court." 
 
 Then, after a pause, she continued, with 
 a smile, while she held out her hand to 
 the earl: "Thou art right, it was a 
 crime to distrust her, and I am a foolish 
 creature. Forget it, Seymour, forget 
 my wayward and childish anger, and I 
 promise thee in return to betray our 
 
 secret to nobody not even to the 
 queen ! " 
 
 " Thou wilt swear that to me ? " 
 
 "Yes. I swear it to thee. And I 
 swear to thee more than that: I will 
 never more be jealous of her." 
 
 " Then thou only dost justice to thy- 
 self and also to the queen," said the 
 earl, smiling, while he once more em- 
 braced her. 
 
 But she gently checked his ardor. 
 "I must now away. The day dawns, 
 and the archbishop is waiting for me in 
 the chapel." 
 
 " And what wilt thou say to him, be- 
 loved?" 
 
 "I shall confess to him !" 
 
 "What? betray our love to him ? ' 7 
 
 "Oh, no," she replied, with an en- 
 chanting smile, "that is a secret be- 
 tween God and ourselves, and it is to 
 Him alone that we can confess it, as He 
 alone can absolve us from what it im- 
 plies. Adieu, then, my Seymour, adieu, 
 and think of me till we meet again. 
 But when, say when, shall we meet 
 again?" 
 
 " When it is such a night as the one 
 just passed, beloved, when the moon 
 appears not in the sky." 
 
 " Oh, then I wish we had a change 
 of the moon every week ! " she returned, 
 with the charming innocence of a child. 
 " Farewell, Seymour, farewell, we must 
 part." 
 
 She clung caressingly for a moment 
 to his tall, robust form, as the woodbine 
 twines round the sturdy oak. And 
 then they separated. The princess gli- 
 ded softly and unperoeived once more 
 
 
THE PRINCESS ELIZABETH. 
 
 151 
 
 back to her apartment, and thence into 
 the private chapel; the earl again de- 
 scended the winding stairs which led to 
 the private garden door. 
 
 Unobserved and unseen he returned 
 to his mansion ; even his chamberlain, 
 who slept in the anteroom, did not per- 
 ceive how the earl crept softly along on 
 tiptoe beside him, and retired to his bed- 
 room. 
 
 But no sleep came to his eyes for the re- 
 mainder of this night, and his soul was 
 troubled and full of wild commotion. 
 He was angry with himself, and accused 
 himself of treachery and faithlessness; 
 and then again, full of arrogant pride, 
 he sought to excuse himself, aad to 
 bring his conscience, which sat in judg- 
 ment upon him, to silence. 
 
 " I love her her alone," he said to 
 himself. "Katharine possesses my 
 heart, my soul to her I am ready to 
 devote my whole life. Yes, I love her ! 
 I have sworn it to her to-day, and she is 
 mine for all eternity ! " 
 
 "And Elizabeth?" asked his con- 
 science. " Hast thou not sworn love 
 and fidelity to her also?" 
 
 " No ! " he replied. " I have only ac- 
 cepted her vows, I did not return them; 
 and when I promised not to wed the 
 Duchess of Richmond, and when I swore 
 tins to her ' by my love,' I then only 
 thought of Katharine, the proud, beauti- 
 ful, and bewitching woman, whose 
 charms HIV at once maidenly and volup- 
 tuous not of the young, inexperienced, 
 and untamed child the unattractive lit- 
 tle princess ! " 
 
 " But this princess may one day be- 
 
 come a queen," whispered his ambi- 
 tion. 
 
 "That is nevertheless very doubtful," 
 he answered to himself. " Certain it is, 
 however, that Katharine will one day be 
 regent, and then, should I be her hus- 
 band, I am of course the Regent of Eng- 
 land." 
 
 This was the secret of his double- 
 dealing and his twofold treachery. 
 Thomas Seymour loved nothing but 
 himself nothing but his ambition. He 
 would have been ready at any time to 
 risk his life for a woman, but this wo- 
 man he would have sacrificed cheerfully 
 for the sake of power and fame. 
 
 For him there was but one goal, one 
 object in life to be the first man in 
 England high and mighty above all the 
 magnates of the land. To reach this 
 goal he would have spared no means 
 would have shrunk back from no treach- 
 ery, from no sin. 
 
 "With the disciples of Loyola, he said 
 to himself by way of exculpation, " The 
 end sanctifies the means." And there- 
 fore to him every means was just which 
 could lead him to his end that is to 
 say, to dignity and splendor. 
 
 He was firmly persuaded that he 
 loved the queen ardently, and in his better 
 moods he really did love her. But whol- 
 ly a creature of the hour, and the slave 
 of impulse, his sensibilities and his will 
 changed place with lightning speed, and 
 he was evermore that which the ca- 
 price or the fancy of the moment sug- 
 gested. 
 
 Accordingly, when he stood before 
 the queen, he was not false to his nature, 
 
152 
 
 in protesting that he loved her passion- 
 ately. He loved her so sincerely with 
 such seeming fervor that to him she 
 had become identified in a certain man- 
 ner with his ambition. He worshipped 
 her because she was the means where- 
 by he might be able to attain his end 
 because she would one day hold in her 
 hands the sceptre of England. And 
 when this event should come to pass, he 
 was desirous of being found her lover 
 and her lord. As her lord she had ac- 
 cepted him, and he was now quite cer- 
 tain of enjoying his lordly prerogatives 
 at some future period. 
 
 He therefore loved the queen; but 
 his proud and ambitious heart could 
 never be so wholly engrossed by a single 
 passion as not to leave room still in it for 
 a second provided that this second 
 love should offer a favorable chance for 
 the attainment of the great object of his 
 life. 
 
 This chance the Princess Elizabeth 
 possessed. And if Katharine must cer- 
 tainly one day become the Regent of Eng- 
 land, yet Elizabeth might perhaps at a 
 subsequent period become its queen. Un- 
 doubtedly, up to the present moment 
 every thing was merely contingent, but 
 then such measures could be adopted 
 as would make of this contingency a 
 decided reality. Moreover, this young 
 and passionate child loved him, and 
 Thomas Seymour himself was too 
 young and too susceptible that he should 
 be able to spurn a love which offered it- 
 self to him with such alluring prom- 
 ises, and with splendid visions of the 
 future. 
 
 HENRY Till. AND HIS COURT 
 
 u To live for love alone befits 
 
 man," said he to himself, as he now 
 pondered over the events of the past 
 night. "He must labor to attain the 
 summit of his hopes, the pinnacle of his 
 wishes, and for gaining this end no means 
 can be left unemployed. Besides, my 
 heart is large enough to enjoy a twofold 
 love. I love them both. Yes, I love 
 both these beautiful women bearing a 
 crown in , their hands to anticipate my 
 wishes. Let Fate determine to which 
 of them both I shall eventually be- 
 long! 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 HENET HOWAED, EAEL OF 8UEEET. 
 
 THE court festivity, so long expected, 
 was at length to take place to-day. 
 The knights and the lords were prepar- 
 ing for the tournaments the poets and 
 the scholars for the encounter of wit. 
 For the gallant and learned king wished 
 to unite both classes on this occasion at 
 the festivity, in order to present to the 
 world the rare and splendid example of 
 a king who claimed for himself all vir- 
 tue and all wisdom, who was equally 
 great as a warrior and a divine equally 
 famous as a poet, a philosopher, and a 
 scholar. 
 
 The knights were to enter the list for 
 the honor of their ladies ; the poets were 
 to recite their verses ; and John Hey- 
 wood was to have his merry comedy 
 performed; nay, even the great schol- 
 ars of the day were to take part in the 
 
HENRY HOWARD, EARL OF SURREY. 
 
 153 
 
 banquet; for the king had expressly 
 summoned to London for the occasion 
 his former instructor in the Greek lan- 
 guage, the great scholar Croke, to 
 whom belongs the merit of having been 
 the first who made the learned world, 
 as well in Germany as in England, ac- 
 quainted with the Greek poets, and who 
 was at that time a professor at the Uni- 
 versity of Cambridge. He wished, to- 
 gether with Croke, to represent before his 
 astonished court a few scenes from Soph- 
 ocles ; and if indeed there were none of 
 his audience who understood the Greek 
 tongue, yet all must doubtless be de- 
 lighted with the exquisite melody of the 
 language, and with the wonderful learn- 
 ing of the king. 
 
 On every side preparations were go- 
 ing forward : some were decking out 
 their minds others their bodies. 
 
 Henry Howard, too, the Earl of Sur- 
 rey, was occupied with his own part, 
 that is to say, lie had retired to his cabi- 
 net, and was busy polishing the son- 
 net which he intended to recite this 
 day, and in which he celebrated the 
 grace and beauty of his fair Geraldine. 
 
 He held the paper in his hand, as he 
 reclined upon the velvet-covered otto- 
 man which stood beside his writing- 
 table. 
 
 Could Lady Jane Douglas have seen 
 him at this moment, her heart would 
 have been filled with a painful delight, 
 j;t perceiving him with his head leaning 
 back on the cushions, and his large blue 
 eyes looking heavenward in dreamy con- 
 templation ; he smiled and murmured 
 some tender words. 
 
 He was wholly plunged in sweet re- 
 trospection ; he thought of those raptur- 
 ous those blissful hours which but a 
 few days previously he had enjoyed with 
 his Geraldine; and while he thus 
 mused, he worshipped her in fancy, and 
 renewed to her inwardly his vows of 
 unchanging love and inviolable con- 
 stancy. 
 
 His enthusiastic mind was wholly 
 filled with a sweet melancholy, and he 
 felt himself quite intoxicated by the en- 
 trancing happiness with which his Ger- 
 aldine had endowed him. 
 
 She was his own at length his own! 
 After so many long and painful struggles 
 after such bitter denial and such sad 
 resignation Fortune had favored him 
 at last : his pictured visions had at 
 length become a reality. Katharine 
 loved him she had pledged him the 
 most sacred vows that she would one 
 day become his spouse that she would 
 become his wife in the eye of God and 
 man. 
 
 But when would come that day on 
 which he could present her to the world 
 as his wife ? When would she be at 
 length freed from the burden of her 
 royal crown ; when would those golden 
 chains at length be loosed which bound 
 her to her tyrannical and bloodthirsty 
 husband the cruel, the arrogant king ? 
 
 Strange 1 As he asked himself these 
 questions he shuddered inwardly, and 
 an inexplicable horror crept upon his 
 soul. 
 
 He felt as if a voice whispered in 
 his ear: "Thou wilt never live to see 
 this dayl The king, however old he 
 
154 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 
 is, will yet outlive thee! Prepare to 
 die. for death is already at thy door ! " 
 
 And it was not the first time that he 
 had heard this voice. It had ere this 
 often spoken to him, and always with 
 the same words the same warning. 
 Often in his dreams it had seemed to 
 Mm as though he felt a cutting pain at 
 his neck, and that lie had seen a scaf- 
 fold, on which his own head rolled 
 along. 
 
 Henry Howard was superstitious, for 
 he was a poet, and to poets it is granted 
 to imagine a secret connection between 
 the visible and the invisible world, and 
 to believe thaf supernatural agencies and 
 unseen forms surround man, and either 
 afford him protection or else hurl him 
 into the abyss. 
 
 There were moments when he be- 
 lieved in the truth of his dreams, when 
 he doubted not this dismal and awful 
 fate which they announced to him. 
 
 At first he had yielded to these fan- 
 cies with smiling resignation, but now 
 since he loved Katharine, since she be- 
 longed to him, he was unwilling to die; 
 and when life offered him its most de- 
 lightful enjoyments, its most intoxica- 
 ting raptures, he was loath to leave it 
 he now recoiled from the thought of 
 death. He was therefore cautious and 
 thoughtful ; and knowing the king's 
 fierce, and malignant, and jealous dis- 
 position, he had always been very care- 
 ful to avoid every thing that could 
 provoke Mm, or that could rouse the 
 royal tiger from his slumber. 
 
 It seemed to him as if the king had 
 directed his special rancor against him 
 
 and his family as if he never could for- 
 give them that the wife he had most 
 loved, and who had pained him the most 
 deeply, had sprung from their race. In 
 every look, in every word of the king, 
 Henry Howard felt and experienced this 
 secret animosity of his royal master, and 
 he suspected that Henry was only 
 watching for a favorable moment in 
 order to seize him and send him to the 
 scaffold. 
 
 He was therefore on his guard. For 
 now that Geraldine loved him, his life no 
 longer belonged to himself; she loved 
 him; she had claims upon him his day;; 
 were therefore rendered sacred in hi;j 
 own eyes. 
 
 Accordingly, toward all those petty 
 mortifications and manoeuvres on the 
 part of the king, he had maintained 
 silence ; he had even given way without 
 a murmur, and without asking for any 
 justification of the fact, when the kin^ 
 suddenly recalled him from the command 
 of the army which was fighting against 
 France, and had sent Lord Hertford in 
 his place to take charge of the troops 
 which were encamped before Boulogne 
 and Montreuil. He had returned quiet- 
 ly to his mansion, without evincing ani- 
 mosity or pique; and as he could no 
 longer be a general or a warrior, he be- 
 came once more a scholar and a poet. 
 His mansion now became once more the 
 rendezvous of all the learned men of the 
 time, and with true princely liberality 
 he was ready to aid despised and op- 
 pressed genius, and to grant the perse- 
 cuted scholar an asylum in his house. 
 It was he who saved the learned Fox 
 
HENRY HOWARD, EARL OF SURREY. 
 
 155 
 
 from starvation, and who received him 
 into his palace, where Horace Jimius, as 
 his physician, and the afterward so cele- 
 brated poet, Churchyard, as his page, 
 had already found a home. 
 
 Love, and the arts and sciences, had 
 already healed the wounds which the 
 king had given to his ambition, and now 
 he no longer felt chagrined ; he was al- 
 most thankful to the king. For to his 
 recall alone he was indebted for his hap- 
 piness, and Henry, who wished to mortify 
 him, had only ministered to his good for- 
 tune and felicity. 
 
 lie now smiled as he reflected that the 
 king, who had deprived him of his staff 
 a> a general, had unknowingly given 
 him his own queen in return, and had 
 elevated him at the moment that he 
 wished to humble him. 
 
 He smiled, and once more resumed his 
 lini>]fmtr touches on the poem, with 
 which he intended this day to celebrate 
 at the court festivity the honor and the 
 praises of his beloved Geraldine the 
 beautiful, the unknown. 
 
 "These verses are harsh, he murmured, 
 i( this language is so feeble ! It does not 
 express all the fulness of worship and 
 rapture which I feel. Petrarch was 
 more successful. His hi-autitul, soft lan- 
 guage sounds like mu-i'-. and is even by 
 i'. -elf the harmonious accompaniment of 
 l.is love. Ah! Petrarch, I envy thee, 
 and yet 1 should not wish to be like thee. 
 For thy fate was a sad one and filled with 
 litter sweets. Laura never loved thee, 
 and she was the mother of twelve chil- 
 dren, of which not one was thine." 
 
 He laughed in the consciousness of his 
 
 own proud and successful career as a 
 lover, and turned to one of Petrarch's 
 sonnets, which lay beside him on the 
 table, in order to compare his own recent 
 sonnet with a similar one of Petrarch's. 
 
 So completely was he engrossed by 
 this investigation, that he never once per- 
 ceived that the curtain which screened 
 the door behind him was drawn back, 
 and that a young woman, of striking 
 exterior, sparkling with trinkets and 
 resplendent with jewels, had entered h:s 
 study. 
 
 She was a person of imposing beauty; 
 her large eyes flashed and glowed, her 
 lofty brow seemed specially formed to 
 wear a crown, even though it was but a 
 ducal coronet that adorned her dark 
 hair, which fell down in long, rich clus- 
 ters upon her finely-moulded shoulders. 
 Her tall and majestic figure was clad in 
 a robe of white satin, richly set off with 
 ermine and pearls ; two clasps with costly 
 brilliants, fastened round her neck a short 
 mantle of purple velvet, edged with er- 
 mine, which descended below her waist. 
 
 Thus appeared the Duchess of Rich- 
 mond, the widow of King Henry's natu- 
 ral son, Henry, Duke of Richmond, the 
 Msu-r of Lord Henry Howard, Karl of 
 Surrey, and daughter of the noble Duke 
 of Norfolk. 
 
 Since the death of her husband, who 
 had left her a youthful widow of twenty, 
 she had resided with her brother, under 
 whose protection she had placed herself, 
 and the world called them u the affection- 
 ate brother and sister." 
 
 ! how little knew the world, 
 which usually judges by appearances, of 
 
156 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 the hatred and the love which existec 
 between the earl and his sister how 
 little it suspected their real sentiments 
 toward each other ! 
 
 Henry Howard had offered to his 
 sister his mansion for her residence, be- 
 cause he hoped, perhaps, by his presence 
 to impose a restraint upon her gushing 
 and wanton disposition, and to prevent 
 her overstepping the limits of decorum 
 and propriety. Lady Richmond had 
 accepted his offer, because she was 
 obliged to do so because the parsimo- 
 nious and avaricious king only allowed 
 the widow of his son a slender annuity, 
 and because she had squandered her own 
 means with lavish hand upon her nu- 
 merous train of admirers. 
 
 Henry Howard had thus acted for the 
 honor of his name and family, but he 
 did not love his sister on the con- 
 trary, he despised her. The Duchess of 
 Richmond, however, hated her brother, 
 because her proud spirit felt humbled by 
 the gratitude which she owed him. 
 
 But this contempt and this hatred 
 were secrets which they both studi- 
 ously kept from the world, and which 
 they scarcely ventured to acknowledge 
 to themselves. Thus they had both con- 
 cealed /rorn each other their inmost sen- 
 timents, under the cloak of affection, 
 and it was only at times that they each 
 betrayed th em selves to the other, by 
 some hasty word, or by some undis- 
 guised look. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 BEOTHER AND SISTEE. 
 
 THE duchess glided softly along tow- 
 ard her brother, still unobserved. The 
 thick Turkish carpet rendered her foot- 
 steps inaudible; already she stood be- 
 hind the earl, and he had not yet per- 
 ceived her. 
 
 She bent forward over his shoulder, 
 and fixed her eyes on the paper which 
 her brother held in his hand. 
 
 And then she proceeded to read 
 aloud the title of the piece , " A lament 
 that Geraldine never appears to her 
 lover, unless concealed by a veil." 
 
 "Ah," said the duchess, laughing, " I 
 have at last discovered your secret, and 
 you must now surrender to me, either 
 graciously 'or ungraciously. Then you 
 are really in love, and the name of the 
 chosen one to whom you address your 
 verses, is Geraldine? I swear to you, 
 brother, that you shall pay me dearly for 
 this secret." 
 
 "It is no secret, sister," said the 
 earl, with a placid smile, while he stood 
 up and saluted the duchess. " It is so 
 little a secret, that I shall recite this 
 sonnet this very evening at the court 
 festivity. I shall, therefore, stand in no 
 need of your secrecy, Rosabella." 
 
 "Then the beautiful Geraldine al- 
 ways appears to you only in a dark veil 
 black as night," said the duchess, 
 with an air of though tfulness. "But 
 pray tell me, brother, who is this beau- 
 iful Geraldine ? I don't know at court 
 a single lady who bears this name." 
 
BROTHER AND SISTER. 
 
 "From which you may perceive, 
 sister, that the whole is but a fiction a 
 mere creation of my fancy." 
 
 " Come, come, brother, don't deceive 
 me," she returned, smiling; "people 
 don't write such glowing verses as 
 these, unless they are really in love. 
 Under the name of Geraldine you are 
 singing the praises of some one else. 
 That's very evident! Don't deny it, 
 Henry, for I know very well that you 
 have some fair object in your mind's 
 eye. Nay, I can read it in your very 
 looks. And now let me tell you, it is to 
 know something of this lovely person- 
 age that I have come to see you. 
 Keally it grieves me, Henry, that you 
 have so little confidence in me, and 
 that you favor me with so small a share 
 in your pains and pleasures. You 
 really don't know how much and how 
 tenderly I love you, my dear and noble 
 brother." 
 
 She laid her arm affectionately on his 
 shoulder and was about to kiss him. 
 He bent his head back, and laying his 
 hand upon her round dimpled chin, he 
 looked with an inquiring smile into her 
 eyes. 
 
 " What ! you want something from 
 me, Rosabella ! " he said. " I have never 
 had cause to rejoice in your sisterly af- 
 fection, unless when you required my 
 services." 
 
 " How distrustful you are ! " she ex- 
 claimed with a charming pout, dashing 
 his hand away from her face. "I have 
 come, from the most disinterested sym- 
 pathy, partly to warn you, Henry, and 
 partly to learn if your love, perchance, 
 
 were directed toward some lady who 
 made my warning unnecessary." 
 
 " You see, therefore, that I was quite 
 right, Rosabel, and that your affection- 
 ate inquiry was not without a motive. 
 Well, then you wished to warn me? 
 But I was really unaware to what ex- 
 tent I stood in need of a warning." 
 
 " Nay, brother! For surely it would 
 be very dangerous and detrimental to you 
 if your love, mayhap, were not in accord 
 with the commands of the king." 
 
 A fugitive blush passed over Henry 
 Howard's countenance, and his brow 
 became clouded. 
 
 "With the commands of the king?" 
 he asked, astonished. " I was not aware 
 that Henry the Eighth had any power 
 to govern ray inclinations. At all 
 events, I would never accord him such a 
 right. Tell me, therefore, at once, sister, 
 what you mean ? What about the 
 king's commands? and what matrimonial 
 schemes have you women been again in- 
 venting ? For I know very well that my 
 mother and yourself have no rest, with 
 the thought of seeing me still unmar- 
 ried. You want to drive me into wed- 
 ded bliss, and yet it seems to me that 
 you have both of you had sufficient ex- 
 perience that this bliss is but imaginary, 
 and that marriage in renlity, is, to say 
 the least, but a foretaste of hell." 
 
 "Very true," laughed the duchess; 
 " the only happy moment of my married 
 life was that in which my husband died. 
 For, by that means, I am more fortunate 
 than my mother, who has her tyrant 
 .-till alive about her. Ah, how I pity 
 my mother 1 " 
 
158 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 
 " Don't attempt to calumniate our no- 
 ble father! " cried the earl, in a some- 
 what threatening tone. "God alone 
 knows how much he has suffered through 
 our mother, and how much he still suf- 
 fers. It is not he who is to blame for 
 his unhappy marriage. But it was not 
 in order to speak of these sad and disa- 
 greeable family matters that you came, 
 sister! you said you wished to warn me ! " 
 
 " Yes, to warn you ! " replied the 
 duchess affectionately, taking the hand 
 of her brother and leading him to an ot- 
 toman. " Now, come and let us sit 
 down here, Henry, and talk together, 
 for once, with all the confidence and 
 cordiality becoming a brother and sister. 
 Tell me who is Geraldine? " 
 
 ** A phantom, an airy vision ? I've 
 told you so already ! " 
 
 " Then you really don't love any lady 
 at this court ? " 
 
 " No, not one ! There is not amongst 
 all the ladies by whom the queen sur- 
 rounds herself, a single one whom I 
 could bring myself to love." 
 
 " Ah, well in that case your heart is 
 free, Henry, and you will be so much 
 the more easily inclined to fulfil the 
 wishes of the king." 
 
 " What does the king wish ! " 
 
 She laid her head upon her brother's 
 shoulder and whispered softly : " that 
 the family of Howard and Seymour 
 should at length become reconciled, 
 that by firm and sincere bonds of love 
 they would at length allay the hatred 
 which has divided them for centuries." 
 
 "Oh, that is what the king wishes! " 
 cried the earl, derisively, " Well, truly, 
 
 he has made a good beginning towards 
 effecting this reconciliation. He his 
 disgraced me in the face of all Europe 
 by depriving me of my command, and 
 by investing a Seymour with my rank 
 and dignity ; and now, forsooth, he 
 wishes that in return I should love this 
 arrogant earl who has robbed me of 
 what was justly mine, and who, by in- 
 trigues, falsehood, and slander unceas- 
 ingly beset the king's ear, until at length 
 he succeeded in gaining his object by 
 ousting me from my command." 
 
 " It is true the king recalled you from 
 the army, but it was only to bestow 
 upon you one of the highest offices at 
 his court, by appointing you chamber- 
 lain to the queen." 
 
 Henry Howard trembled slightly, an d 
 was silent. " It is true," he murmured, 
 after a pause, "I am indebted to tie 
 king for this office." 
 
 " And besides," continued the duchess 
 artlessly, "besides, I don't believe that 
 Lord Hertford is to blame for your re- 
 call. In order to satisfy you of this, he 
 has made a proposal to the king and 
 also to me, which must prove to you 
 and to the whole world, how high an 
 honor Lord Hertford esteems it to be re- 
 lated to the Howards, and especially to 
 you, by the most sacred bonds." 
 
 "Ah, the noble, magnanimous lord!" 
 cried Henry Howard, with a bitter 
 laugh. "As he cannot advance with 
 laurels, he tries to do so with myrtles ; 
 as he can win no battles, he wishes to 
 try his fortune by marriage. Well, sis- 
 ter, let us hear what he has to pro- 
 pose?" 
 
BROTHER AND SISTER. 
 
 159 
 
 41 A double marriage, Henry ! He 
 sues for my hand for his brother, 
 Thomas Seymour, provided that you 
 choose for your wife his sister, the Lady 
 Margaret." 
 
 " Never ! " exclaimed the earl. " Hen- 
 ry Howard will never give his 
 hand to a daughter of that house will 
 never so far degrade himself as to ele- 
 vate a Seymour to become his wife. 
 That may be well enough for a king, but 
 not for a Howard." 
 
 " Brother, you defame the king ! " 
 
 " Be it so then let him be defamed ! 
 He, too, has injured my fair fame, by 
 lending himself to this unworthy 
 scheme." 
 
 " Consider, brother, the Seymours 
 are powerful, and stand very high in the 
 king's favor." 
 
 "Yes, in the king's favor they do 
 stand high ! But the people know their 
 proud, cruel, and arrogant disposition, 
 and the people and the nobility alike de- 
 spise them. The Seymours have the 
 voice of the king on their side, but the 
 Howards have the voice of the whole 
 kingdom, and that is of far greater value. 
 The king can elevate the Seymours, for 
 they stand far beneath him ! The How- 
 ards he cannot raise, for they are his 
 equals. He cannot even degrade them. 
 Katharine died upon the scaffold, but 
 the king thereby only made himself a 
 headsman, and neither our arms nor our 
 honor were sullied by that deed ! " 
 
 " Those are very proud words, 
 Henry ! " 
 
 " They become a son of the house of 
 Norfolk, Rosabella ! Ah, only imagine 
 
 this petty Lord Hertford ! He longs to 
 have a ducal coronet for his sister. He 
 wishes to give her to me for a wife; 
 for, as soon as our poor father dies, I 
 succeed to his title. Arrogant up- 
 start ! My coronet for his sister ? your 
 coronet for his brother's coat of 
 arms ? Never, I say, will that come to 
 pass!" 
 
 The duchess grew pale, and her proud 
 figure quivered. Her eyes flashed vin- 
 dictively, and an angry retort already 
 rose to her lips, but she still held it back, 
 and constrained herself to calmness and 
 composure. 
 
 "Consider the matter once more, 
 Henry," she said, "don't decide too 
 hastily. You speak of our greatness 
 but you forget the power which the 
 Seymours possess. I tell you they are 
 powerful enough, despite all our great- 
 ness and our ancient lineage, to trample 
 us in the dust. But they are not only 
 powerful at the present moment but 
 they will likewise be so in time to come ; 
 for it is well known in what views and 
 sentiments the Prince of Wales has been 
 educated. The king is old, feeble, and 
 declining ; death is already lurking he- 
 hind his throne, and will soon seize and 
 carry him off. Edward will then be 
 king; with him the heresy of protest- 
 antism will be victorious ; and however 
 great and numerous our party may be, 
 they will still be powerless and defeated 
 nay we shall be oppressed and per- 
 secuted when the time comes." 
 
 " We shall then know how to struggle, 
 and, if need be, to die ! " exclaimed her 
 brother. " It is more honorable to die 
 
160 
 
 11ENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 upon the battle-field, than to have pur- 
 chased life by humiliation." 
 
 " Yes, it is honorable to die upon the 
 battle field, Henry, but disgraceful to 
 fall upon the scaffold. And this, my 
 brother, may be your fate, if you will 
 not now curb your pride if you refuse 
 to grasp the hand which Lord Hertford 
 offers you in a spirit of conciliation, and 
 so offend him in a manner that he will 
 never forgive. He will take a bloody 
 revenge should he one day attain to 
 power." 
 
 " Let him do so, if he can ! My life 
 is in the hand of God. My head belongs 
 to the king, but my heart belongs to 
 myself ; and this I will not debase so far 
 as to convert it into merchandise, which 
 I could barter for a little security and 
 royal favor." 
 
 ** Brother, I entreat you, consider 
 what you say ! " exclaimed the duchess, 
 no longer able to restrain her impassion- 
 ed, nature, and glowing with wild anger. 
 " Do not venture with wanton pride to 
 ruin my future prospects, at least. You 
 may die upon the scaffold yourself, if 
 you choose ; but for my part, I wish to 
 be happy, I wish, at length, after so 
 many years of anxiety and reproach, to 
 have my share also in the joys of life. 
 He is suitable for me, and I shall not re- 
 nounce him ; and you must not dare to 
 snatch him away from me. Know, 
 brother, that I love Thomas Seymour 
 my whole existence all my hopes are 
 bound up with him, I will not tear this 
 love out of my heart. I will not give 
 him up ! " 
 
 ** Weil, if you love him, marry him by 
 
 all means!" exclaimed her brother. 
 "Become at once the wife of this 
 Thomas Seymour. Ask the duke, our 
 father, for his permission, and I am sure 
 he will not refuse it, for he is prudent 
 and thoughtful, and will be better able 
 than I am to estimate the advantage 
 which an union with the Seymours may 
 procure for our family. Do this, sister, 
 and marry your well-beloved I don't 
 hinder you ! " 
 
 " Yes, you do hinder me you alone ! " 
 cried his sister, trembling with anger. 
 "You want to refuse the hand of Lady 
 Margaret, and so mortally offend the 
 Seymours. By this means you render 
 my union with Thomas Seymour impos- 
 sible. In the selfish pride of your arro- 
 gance you don't perceive that you are 
 destroying my happiness, while you only 
 think of offering insult to the Seymours. 
 I tell you, however, that I love nay 
 I worship Thomas Seymour; he is my 
 happiness my future my bliss. Have, 
 therefore, pity upon me, Henry ! Grant 
 me this happiness, for which I entreat 
 you as for a blessing from Heaven. 
 Prove to me that you love me, and that 
 you are willing to make this sacrifice in 
 my behalf. Upon my knees I beseech 
 you, Henry ! Give me the man whom I 
 love; bend your proud head, become 
 Margaret Seymour's husband, in order 
 that Thomas Seymour may become 
 mine." 
 
 She had meanwhile sunk down upon 
 her knees, and, with her face bathed in 
 tears, was wondrously beautiful in her 
 impassioned emotion, while she looked 
 up entreatingly at her brother. 
 
BROTHER AND SISTER. 
 
 161 
 
 The earl, however, did not raise her 
 from her kneeling posture, but retreated 
 a step and smiled. 
 
 " How long is it, duchess," he asked, 
 derisively, " since you vowed that Mr. 
 Wilford, your secretary, was the man 
 whom you loved? Keally, I believed 
 all this; I even believed it, until one 
 day I found you in the arms of your 
 page. On that day I made a firm reso- 
 lution never again to believe you, though 
 you swore to me with ever so many 
 sacred oaths that you loved a man. But 
 stay, you do love at times, though some- 
 what indiscriminately ; to-day it is 
 Thomas, to-morrow it will be John or 
 Edward, as the case may be ! " 
 
 For the first time, the earl drew aside 
 the veil from his heart, and allowed his 
 sister to perceive all the anger and con- 
 tempt which he entertained toward her. 
 
 The duchess thus felt herself wounded 
 to the quick by his scathing sarcasms. 
 
 She started up from her knees; her 
 eyes flashed with anger, she . gasped for 
 breath, and every fibre in her frame 
 seemed convulsed as she stood before 
 her brother. 
 
 She was no longer a woman, but an 
 infuriated tigress, ready to devour with- 
 out pity the person who has dared to 
 provoke her. 
 
 "My Lord Surrey," she said, with 
 compressed and trembling lips, " you 
 are a shameless slanderer! Were I a 
 man, I would strike you to the ground, 
 and tell you that you are a knave and a 
 coward. But, by the everlasting God ! 
 you shall not say that you have af- 
 fronted me with impunity. Once more, 
 11 
 
 and for the last time, I now ask you 
 will you fulfil Lord Hertford's wish ? 
 Will you marry the Lady Margaret, and 
 conduct me to the altar with Thomas 
 Seymour ? " 
 
 " No ; I will not, and I never shall ! " 
 replied her brother, solemnly. " The 
 Howards do not bow before the Sey- 
 mours, and never will Henry Howard 
 wed a woman whom he does not love ! " 
 
 " Ah, you don't love her ! " she said, 
 breathless, and gnashing her teeth. 
 "You don't love the Lady Margaret; 
 and for this reason your sister must re- 
 nounce her love, and give up the man 
 whom she idolizes ! Ah, you don't love 
 the sister of Thomas Seymour ! She i? 
 not the Geraldine that you worship, and 
 to whom you address your sonnets! 
 Well then, I shall discover who this 
 Geraldine is I shall find her out, and 
 then woe betide her and you ! You re- 
 fuse me your hand, to lead me to the 
 altar with Thomas Seymour ; be it so, I 
 shall one day offer you my hand, in 
 order to conduct you and your Geraldine 
 to the scaffold ! " 
 
 And as she perceived how the earl 
 shuddered and grew pale, she continued 
 with a scornful laugh : 
 
 "Ah, you tremble, and terror steals 
 upon you ! Your conscience warns you 
 that the strenuous champion of virtue 
 may also stumble sometimes. You 
 think to conceal your secret by shroud- 
 ing it under the veil of night, like your 
 Geraldine; who, as you complain in 
 your verses, never shows herself to you 
 without her dark nocturnal veil. Wait a 
 little wait! I shall kindle a flame for 
 
162 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 you, before which all your nightly veils 
 shall be rent asunder. I shall light up 
 your dark secrets for you, with a torch 
 which will be large enough to ignite the 
 scaffold which you shall one day ascend 
 in company with your Geraldine ! " 
 
 " Ah ! you are now disclosing to me 
 your true features for the first time," 
 said Henry Howard, with a shrug. 
 "The angelic mask drops from your 
 countenance, and I see the Fury who 
 was concealed behind it. You are now 
 the true daughter of your mother, and 
 at this moment I understand for the first 
 time what my father has suffered, and 
 why he did not shrink from even the 
 disgrace of a divorce, in order to be lib- 
 erated from such a Megsera." 
 
 " Oh, thank you thank you ! " she 
 exclaimed, with a wild laugh, " you fill 
 up the measure of your crime. It is not 
 enough that you should drive your bister 
 to desperation, but you must also revile 
 your mother? You say that we are 
 Furies ; very well, we shall one day be 
 Furies for you at least, and we will 
 show you our Medusa's countenance, 
 before which you shall be turned into 
 stone. Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, 
 from this hour forth I am your impla- 
 cable enemy ! Take care of your head 
 upon your shoulders, for my hand is 
 raised to smite it ; and in my hand is a 
 sword'! Beware of the secret which 
 slumbers in your breast, for you have 
 made of me a vampire which will suck 
 your heart's blood ! You have insulted 
 my mother too, and I shall now go and 
 inform her of it. She will believe me, 
 for she knows well that you hate her, 
 
 and that you are the true son of your 
 father ; that is to say, a pious hypocrite, 
 a miserable wretch, who carries virtue 
 on his lips and vice in his heart." 
 
 " Cease, I say, cease ! " cried the earl, 
 " if you would not have me forget that 
 you are a woman and my sister ! " 
 
 "Forget it at once and forever," she 
 replied, scornfully. "I have long for- 
 gotten that you are my brother, that 
 you are your mother's son. Farewell, 
 Lord Surrey, I now leave you and your 
 palace, and from this time forth I shall 
 reside with my mother the divorced 
 wife of the Duke of Norfolk. But 
 mark this. We both have done with 
 you as regards our love, but not as re- 
 gards our hate! Our hatred remains 
 with you unchangeably, and it will one 
 day crush you to the dust ! Farewell, 
 Lord Surrey. When next we meet it 
 will be in the king's presence I " 
 
 She rushed toward the door Henry 
 Howard did not restrain her. He 
 looked after her with a smile, as she left 
 his closet, and murmured compassion- 
 ately, "Poor woman! I have perhaps 
 disappointed her of a lover, and that 
 she will never forgive me. Well, be it 
 so ! Let her evermore be my enemy 
 let her annoy me with all her petty 
 rancor and malice, if only she be unable 
 to injure HER. I hope, however, that I 
 have guarded my secret carefully, and 
 that she did not suspect the real cause 
 of my refusal. I had no alternative but 
 to intrench myself behind this foolish 
 family pride, and to assume haughtiness, 
 as a cloak for my love. Oh, Geraldine, 
 thee I would choose wert thou the 
 
BROTHER AND SISTER. 
 
 163 
 
 daughter of a peasant; nay I would not 
 deem it a blot on my escutcheon, were I 
 compelled to cross it with a bar sinister 
 for thy sake. Bat hark! The clock 
 strikes four ! My service begins. Fare- 
 well, Geraldine. I must go to attend 
 upon the queen ! " 
 
 And while he retired to his dressing- 
 room in order to prepare his toilet for 
 the great court festivity, the Duchess of 
 Richmond returned trembling with 
 anger to her apartments. She passed 
 along through the suite of rooms with 
 eager speed, and repaired to her bou- 
 doir, where Lord Douglas awaited her. 
 
 " Well ? " he asked, advancing toward 
 her with his smooth lurking smile. 
 "Has he consented?" 
 
 "No," she replied, gnashing her 
 teeth. u He swears that he will never 
 enter into any union with the Sey- 
 mours." 
 
 "I knew that well," murmured the 
 earl. " And what does your grace now 
 purpose doing ? " 
 
 "I will be revenged! He wishes 
 to prevent my being happy for this I 
 shall make him unhappy ! " 
 
 "In that you will do well, my lady. 
 For he is a faithless and apostate son of 
 the Church; he leans to the heretical 
 sects, and has forgotten the faith of his 
 fathers." 
 
 "I know it!" she returned, breath- 
 
 Lord Douglas looked at her with as- 
 tonishment, and continued: "But he 
 is not only an unbeliever, but a traitor, 
 and more than once he has defamed 
 his king, to whom in the pride of 
 
 his heart he thinks himself far supe- 
 rior." 
 
 " I know it ! " she repeated. 
 
 "So proud is he," continued the 
 earl "so full of blasphemous arro- 
 gance, that he fain would stretch forth 
 his hand to grasp the crown of Eng- 
 land." 
 
 " I know it ! " said the duchess once 
 more. Perceiving, however, the aston- 
 ished and doubting looks of the earl, she 
 added with a malicious smile ; " I know 
 all that you wish I should know. Only 
 accuse him only bring some charge 
 against him, and I shall testify to all, 
 corroborate all that can lead to his de- 
 struction. My mother .is our ally ! she 
 hates the father as heartily as I do the 
 son. Bring forward your charges 
 therefore, Lord Douglas, we are your 
 witnesses." 
 
 " Oh, by no means, your grace," he re- 
 turned, with his soft insinuating smile. 
 "I know nothing at all, have heard 
 nothing how can I then accuse ? You 
 know all. To you he has spoken. You 
 must be his accuser." 
 
 " Well then, conduct me to the king ! " 
 
 " Will you allow me in the first 
 place to offer you one word of advice ? " 
 
 " Certainly, Lord Douglas." 
 
 "Be prudent in the choice of your 
 means don't exhaust them all at once, 
 in order that if your first blow should 
 fail, you may not afterward be wholly 
 unarmed. It is better and much less 
 dangerous to kill the enemy you hate 
 by degrees, and by a slow insinuat- 
 ing poison, than to stab him suddenly 
 with a dagger, which may be broken in 
 
164 
 
 HENRY YIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 the act, and so become useless. Do not, 
 therefore, say all you know at once, 
 but by degrees. Administer your 
 poison, therefore, to the king, slowly, 
 until you provoke his rage, and if to- 
 day you do not succeed in bringing 
 down your enemy, imagine that you 
 will do so the more surely to-morrow. 
 Don't forget, too, that we have not 
 only to punish the heretical Henry 
 Howard, but especially the heretical 
 queen, whose unbelief will bring down 
 the anger of Heaven upon this land." 
 
 " Come along to the king ! " ex- 
 claimed the duchess, impatiently. " You 
 can tell me on the way what am I to 
 confess, and what I must withhold. I 
 shall do exactly what you tell me! 
 Now, Henry Howard," she murmured 
 to herself, " get ready, the battle begins ! 
 In the pride and selfishness of your 
 heart you have destroyed the happiness 
 of my life nay, my eternal felicity. I 
 loved Thomas Seymour. I hoped to 
 find by his side, that happiness for 
 which I had sought so long and so 
 vainly in the labyrinth of life. By 
 means of this love, my soul would haAe 
 been saved, and would once more have 
 returned to the paths of virtue. My 
 brother has otherwise decreed. He has 
 condemned me to become, instead of 
 an angel, a demon. I shall fulfil my 
 destiny; I shall be to him an evil 
 demon I " 
 
 CHAPTEK XI. 
 THE QUEEN'S TOILET. 
 
 THE festivities of the day were 
 ended, and the brave knights and com- 
 batants, who had this day broken a 
 lance in honor of their ladies, could now 
 rest from their victories upon their 
 laurels. The feats of arms were ended, 
 and now the contests of Mind were 
 about to commence. The knights had, 
 accordingly, retired in order to change 
 their armor for gold-laced and velvet 
 trappings; the ladies, to assume their 
 lighter evening robes; and the queen 
 too, had withdrawn for this purpose to 
 her dressing-room, while the ladies and 
 gentlemen of her suite waited for her in 
 the great ante-chamber, in order to es- 
 cort her to the throne-room. 
 
 The day was already fast fading, and 
 the twilight cast its long shadows across 
 the saloon in which the cavaliers of the 
 court were walking up and down with 
 the ladies, engaged in a lively conversa- 
 tion, and discussing the principal inci- 
 dents of the tournament which had just 
 taken place. 
 
 Thomas Seymour Lord Sudley, had 
 carried off the prize of the day and van- 
 quished his opponent, Henry Howard. 
 The king had been delighted at this. 
 For Thomas Seymour had for some time 
 been his favorite perhaps because he 
 was the declared enemy of Howard. He 
 had accordingly, in addition to the 
 wreath of laurel and gold with which 
 the queen presented the earl as his prize, 
 bestowed upon him a diamond pin, 
 
THE QUEEN'S TOILET. 
 
 165 
 
 which he commanded the queen to fasten 
 with her own hand in the earl's collar. 
 This office Katharine had performed with 
 a grave expression of countenance, and 
 with averted looks; and even Thomas 
 Seymour had evinced hut little delight 
 at the proud honor which the queen, at 
 her husband's command, had to confer 
 upon him. 
 
 The strenuous Papal court party drew 
 fresh hopes from this circumstance, and 
 augured a revolution in the queen's sen- 
 timents, and a return to the true faith ; 
 while the Protestant, or "heretical" 
 party looked with gloomy misgiving to 
 the future, and feared that they were 
 deprived of their most powerful support 
 and their most influential protection. 
 
 No one had perceived that when the 
 queen rose to crown the victor Thomas 
 Seymour her gold-embroidered hand- 
 kerchief dropped on the floor; or that 
 the earl, after he had picked it up, and 
 restored it to the queen, carried his 
 hand, by an accidental and undesigned 
 movement, for an instant to his collar, 
 which was as white as the small folded 
 paper which he concealed therein, and 
 which he had found in the queen's hand- 
 kerchief. 
 
 One person only had seen it. This 
 little artifice of the queen had not es- 
 caped John Hey wood, who immediately, 
 by one of his exuberant and pungent 
 sallies of wit, made the king laugh, and 
 BO contrived to avert the attention of the 
 courtiers from the queen and her belov- 
 ed Seymour. 
 
 He now stood in a niche near one of 
 the windows, quite concealed behind the 
 
 silken hangings ; and thus, unperceived, 
 he scanned the whole room with his 
 eagle eye. 
 
 He saw and heard every thing, and un- 
 seen by any one, he watched and ob- 
 served all. 
 
 He saw how Lord Douglas now made 
 a sign to Bishop Gardiner, and how the 
 latter immediately returned it. 
 
 As it were by accident, they both 
 now quitted the groups among which 
 they had just been laughing and talking, 
 and approached each other, glancing 
 round for a spot where, unobserved, and 
 isolated from the crowd, they could con- 
 verse together. All the recesses of the 
 windows were thronged with knots of 
 busy talkers ; only one window was un- 
 occupied that behind the hangings of 
 which John Heywood was concealed. 
 
 Thither Lord Douglas and the Bishop 
 directed their steps. 
 
 " Shall we reach the goal to-day ? " 
 asked Gardiner, softly. 
 
 " With God's gracious help we shall 
 this day annihilate all our enemies. The 
 sword is already suspended above their 
 heads, and soon it will descend and rid 
 us of them, 1 ' replied Lord Douglas, with 
 grave emphasis. 
 
 "Then you are sure of it?" asked 
 Gardiner, and an expression of ferocious 
 joy passed over his pale, truculent fea- 
 tures. " But tell me how comes it that 
 Archbishop Cranmer is not here ? " 
 
 " He is ill, and was therefore obliged 
 to remain at Lambeth." 
 
 " May this illness be the precursor of 
 his death ! " murmured the bishop, 
 clasping his hands devoutly. 
 
166 
 
 EENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 "It will be so, my lord. God will 
 destroy his enemies, and will bless us. 
 Oranmer has been accused, and the king 
 will judge him inexorably." 
 
 "And the queen?" 
 
 For a moment Lord Douglas was si- 
 lent, and then he whispered softly: 
 " Only wait a few hours more and she 
 will no longer be queen. Instead of re- 
 turning from the throne-room^ to her 
 apartments, we shall escort her to the 
 Tower." 
 
 John Hey wood, hidden behind the 
 folds of the hangings, held his breath 
 and listened. 
 
 " And are you also quite sure of our 
 victory?" asked Gardiner. "May not 
 some chance or accident snatch him 
 away from us?" 
 
 " Not if the queen should present him 
 with the rosette. For then the king 
 will discover Geraldine's letter conceal- 
 ed in the folds thereof, and she is lost. 
 All, therefore, depends upon this that 
 the queen should wear the rosette and 
 not discover its contents. But see, my 
 lord, here comes the Duchess of Kich- 
 mond. There, she gives me a concerted 
 signal. Pray for us, therefore, my lord, 
 for now I shall go with her to the king, 
 and she will accuse this detestable Kath- 
 arine Parr ! I tell you, my lord bishop, 
 this charge will be a matter of life and 
 death, and should Katharine escape one 
 danger, she will perish in the other. 
 Let your lordship wait here for me. I 
 shall soon return and let you know the 
 result of our scheme. Lady Jane too 
 will soon bring you some news." 
 
 He stepped forth from the embrasure 
 
 of the windpw, and followed the duch- 
 ess, who proceeded to the other end of 
 the saloon, and disappeared with him 
 through the door which led into the 
 king's apartments. 
 
 The ladies and gentlemen of the court 
 continued their conversation and laugh- 
 ter. 
 
 John Heywood stood witli panting 
 heart and breathless anxiety behind the 
 hangings, close beside Gardiner, who 
 with his hands rigidly clasped was mut- 
 tering a prayer. 
 
 While Gardiner prayed and Douglas 
 accused and slandered the qneen little 
 suspecting the plots which her enemies 
 were putting into operation against her 
 was in her toilet-room, attended by 
 her ladies, who assisted in adorning- 
 their mistress for the festivities of the 
 evening. 
 
 She looked surpassingly beautiful in 
 her gorgeous attire. A woman at once, 
 and a queen simple elegance combined 
 with splendor with 1 a charming smile 
 playing around her lips, and yet com- 
 manding respect in her proud and im- 
 posing beauty. 
 
 None of Henry's former wives had so 
 well understood how to enact the part 
 of a queen, and retain the distinctive at- 
 tributes of a woman withal. 
 
 As she now stood before the large mir- 
 ror, which the Eepublic of Venice had 
 sent to the king as a wedding gift, and 
 whicn now reflected the form of the 
 qneen resplendent with jewels, she 
 smiled, for she was obliged to admit to 
 herself that she was this day very beau- 
 tiful, and she thought how Thomas Sey- 
 
THE QUEEN'S TOILET. 
 
 167 
 
 rnour would behold her with a sentiment 
 of conscious pride. 
 
 While she thus thought of him a 
 crimson glow overspread her counte- 
 nance, and then for a moment she trem- 
 bled. How brave and handsome he had 
 looked to-day at the tournament, how 
 splendidly he had dashed into the lists, 
 how his eyes had flashed, and how scorn- 
 ful his smile had sometimes been. And 
 then the look which he cast across tow- 
 ard her at the moment that he had van- 
 quished his opponent, Henry Howard, 
 and hurled the lance from his hand. Oh ! 
 her heart could have burst with rapture 
 and delight ! 
 
 Wholly wrapt up in these blissful rev- 
 eries, she sank down into her gilded arm- 
 chair, and cast her eyes dreamily and 
 smiling to the ground. 
 
 Behind her stood her women, waiting 
 in respectful silence for the nod of their 
 mistress. But the queen no longer be- 
 stowed a thought upon them. She be- 
 lieved herself to be alone, she saw noth- 
 ing but the noble and manly countenance 
 of him for whom she hnd prepared a 
 place in her heart. 
 
 The door now opened, and Lady Jane 
 Douglas entered. She, too, was in fes- 
 tive attire, and glittered with brilliants ; 
 she, too, was beautiful, but it was the 
 pale, terrible beauty of a demon ; and 
 whoever had but seen her as she entered 
 the apartment, would have trembled 
 from a sense of undetinable fear. 
 
 She cast a rapid glance at her mis- 
 tress, who was absorbed in her dream, 
 and when she saw that the queen's toi- 
 let was finiahel, she beckoned to the 
 
 women, who silently obeyed her, and left 
 the room. 
 
 Still Katharine had noticed nothing. 
 Lady Jane stood behind her, and ob- 
 served her in the mirror. When she 
 saw the queen smile, her brow dark- 
 ened, and wild anger kindled in her 
 eyes. 
 
 " Ah ! she shall smile no more," said 
 Lady Jane to herself. " My sufferings 
 through her have been terrible. She, 
 too, shall suifer in her turn ! " 
 
 Softly and noiselessly she glided into 
 the next room, the door of which stood 
 open, and eagerly opened a box filled 
 with ribbons and rosettes. She then 
 drew forth from her velvet pocket, which 
 hung down at her side suspended by a 
 gold chain, a dark-red rosette, and flung 
 it into the casket. That was all. 
 
 Lady Jane now returned to the ad- 
 joining room, and her countenance which 
 had previously been sullen and threat- 
 ening, was now elated and haughty. 
 
 With a cheerful smile she advanced 
 toward the queen, and kneeling down at 
 her side, kissed her hand with empresse- 
 ment. 
 
 " What is my queen musing upon ? " 
 she asked, while she laid her head upon 
 Katharine's knees and looked up at her 
 affectionately. 
 
 The queen started slightly, and raised 
 her head. She perceived Lady Jane's 
 affectionate smile and her inquiring gaze 
 withal. 
 
 Feeling conscious of guilt, or, at least, 
 of a guilty thought, she was upon her 
 guard, and called to mind the warnings 
 of John Hey wood. 
 
168 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 " She is observing me," thought Kath- 
 arine to herself. " She looks very affec- 
 tionate, and, therefore, she is brooding 
 over some wily scheme." 
 
 "Ah, I am glad you have come, Jane," 
 she said aloud. u You can help me, for, 
 to tell you the truth, I feel quite em- 
 barrassed at the present moment. I 
 want a rhyme, and I'm thinking in vain 
 how I shall find it." 
 
 " Indeed, queen then you are writing 
 verses ? " 
 
 41 What, Jane, does that surprise you ? 
 Shall I, the queen, not be allowed to con- 
 tend for any prize ? I would freely give 
 my most precious jewel if I could but 
 succeed in producing a poem to which 
 the king would have to accord the prize. 
 But I greatly lack a musical ear I can't 
 find the rhyme I want, and I shall at 
 last be obliged to give up the idea of 
 winning laurels for myself. But how the 
 king would rejoice at my success! For, 
 to be candid, I believe he is rather afraid 
 that Henry Howard will carry oif the 
 prize, and he would be very thankful to 
 me if I could contest the palm of victory 
 with the Earl of Surrey. You are well 
 aware the king does not love the How- 
 ards." 
 
 " And you, queen ? " asked Lady Jane, 
 and she grew so deadly pale, that the 
 queen herself remarked it. 
 
 " You are ill, Jane," she said, full of 
 sympathy. u Really, Jane, you appear 
 to be suffering. You need repose you 
 should rest a little." 
 
 But Jane had already recovered her 
 calmness and composure, and she suc- 
 ceeded in smiling. 
 
 U 0h, by no means," she returned. 
 "I am quite well, and am happy in 
 being allowed to be near you. But will 
 your majesty permit me to beg a favor 
 of you ? " 
 
 " Certainly, Jane, certainly nay, con- 
 sider it already granted ; for I know that 
 Jane will ask for nothing that her friend 
 cannot give." 
 
 Lady Jane was silent, and cast her 
 eyes to the ground with a thoughtful and 
 absent air. She struggled inwardly for 
 a firm resolution. Her proud heart re- 
 volted at the thought of being obliged to 
 bend before this woman whom she hated, 
 and of being compelled to approach her 
 fawningly to ask a favor. She felt sach 
 burning hatred toward the queen, that 
 at this moment she would willingly have 
 given her own life could she first have 
 seen her enemy crushed and weeping at 
 her feet. 
 
 Henry Howard loved the queen ; Kath- 
 arine had therefore robbed her, Lady 
 Jane, of the heart of the man whom 
 she worshipped. Katharine had con- 
 demned her to the perpetual torment of 
 abnegation to the rack to taste a hap- 
 piness and a rapture not her own ; to 
 kindle her ardors at a fire, which, like a 
 thief, she had stolen from the altar of 
 another's god. 
 
 Katharine was found guilty, and con- 
 demned. 
 
 Jane had no more compassion. She 
 resolved therefore to crush her. 
 
 " Well," inquired the queen, "you are 
 silent ? You don't tell me what I am to 
 do for you ? " 
 
 Lady Jane raised her eyes toward her 
 
THE QUEEN'S TOILET. 
 
 169 
 
 mistress, and her looks were placid and 
 composed. 
 
 4C Your majesty," she replied, " I have 
 just met in the anteroom an unhappy 
 raan, who seems quite cast down. With 
 you alone it rests to lift him up once 
 more. Will you do so? " 
 
 " Will I do so ! " cried Katharine with 
 vivacity. "Oh, Jane, you know well 
 how anxious I always am to help the un- 
 happy, and to be useful to them. Alas, 
 there are but too many at this court 
 whose wounds are bleeding and torn, and 
 the queen has so little balm to heal them 
 wherewithal ! Allow me, therefore, to 
 have this pleasure, Jane, anc^ all the 
 gratitude will be on my side, not on 
 yours. Speak, Jane, tell me at once, who 
 it is that needs my help ? " 
 
 " Not your help, queen, but your com- 
 passion your gracious favor. Lord 
 Sudley has this day vanquished the poor 
 Earl of Surrey at the tournament, and 
 you can readily understand that your 
 chamberlain feels himself deeply morti- 
 fied and humiliated." 
 
 " Can I alter that, Jane ? Why does 
 the dreamy earl the enthusiast poet 
 suffer himself to enter the lists with a 
 champion who always knows what he is 
 about, and who always accomplishes 
 what he has resolved. Ah, it was won- 
 derful to see with what lightning speed 
 Thomas Seymour lifted him out of his 
 saddle ; and the proud Earl of Surrey, 
 that most wise and learned man, the 
 powerful party-leady, was forced to suc- 
 cumb to the champion, who, like the 
 angel Michael, had hurled him to the 
 dust." 
 
 The queen laughed. 
 
 This laugh went like a sword through 
 Lady Jane's heart. 
 
 li She shall atone for this 1 " she whis- 
 pered to herself. u Your majesty is quite 
 right," returned the maid of honor. 
 "He deserved this humiliation; but 
 being punished, you should now heal his 
 wounds. Nay, don't shake your beauti- 
 ful head so. I)o it for your own sake, 
 queen ; do it from motives of prudence. 
 The Earl of Surrey, with his father, is 
 the head of a powerful party, who will 
 return this humiliation of the Howards 
 with increased vindictiveness toward the 
 Seymours, and who will one day take a 
 bloody revenge for it." 
 
 " Ah, you frighten me," said the queen, 
 who had now become serious. 
 
 Lady Jane continued : 
 
 "I saw how the Duke of Norfolk bit 
 his lips when his son was forced to yield 
 to Lord Seymour ; I heard persons here 
 and there uttering bitter execrations 
 and vows of revenge against the Sey- 
 mours." 
 
 " Who did so ! Who dared to do so ? " 
 exclaimed Katharine, springing up vio- 
 lently from her seat. " Who is there at 
 this court audacious enough to wish to 
 injure those whom the king loves? 
 Name him to me, Jane ; I want to know 
 who he is, in order that I may accuse 
 him before the king ! For the king does 
 not wish that the noble Seymours should 
 give way to those Howards; that they, 
 
 nobler, better, and more distinguished, 
 
 i 
 should be compelled to bow before those 
 
 ambitious, intriguing, and power-seek- 
 ing papists. The king loves the noble 
 
1TO 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 Seymours, and his mighty arm will pro- 
 tect tli em against all their enemies." 
 
 " And your majesty will doubtless as- 
 sist him therein ? " said Lady Jane smil- 
 ing. 
 
 This smile made the queen once more 
 cautious and collected. 
 
 She felt that she had gone too far, 
 that she had hetrayed too much of her 
 secret. She must therefore make amends 
 and cause her excitement to be forgot- 
 ten. 
 
 "Certainly, Jane, I shall assist the 
 king to be just," she replied in a calmer 
 tone. " But I will never be unjust 
 not even toward those papists. If I 
 cannot love them, at all events it shall 
 not be said that I hate them. And be- 
 sides it becomes a queen to rise above 
 party feuds. Tell me, therefore, Jane, 
 what can I do for poor Lord Surrey ? " 
 
 " You have publicly shown the victor, 
 at the tournament, a mark of your great 
 favor by crowning him." 
 
 "It was the king's command! " cried 
 Katharine with vivacity. 
 
 a Doubtless ! However", he will not 
 command you to reward the Earl of 
 Surrey also, sliould he in his turn gain 
 the victory this evening. Do it there- 
 fore of your own accord, queen. Give 
 him publicly before your whole court a 
 token of your favor. Princes have it in 
 their power at all times to gladden the 
 hearts of- their subjects, and 1 to console 
 the afflicted, without labor or exertion. 
 A smile, a friendly word, a pressure of 
 the hand suffices. A mere ribbon which 
 you wear upon your dress makes the 
 person to whom you give it proud, even 
 
 happy, and raises him for the moment 
 high above his fellows. And consider, 
 queen, that I am not now speaking for 
 the Earl of Surrey I am thinking more 
 of your personal interest. If you have 
 the courage publicly, and in spite of the 
 disfavor with which King Henry threat- 
 ens the Howards, to be still just toward 
 them, and to recognize their merits like 
 those of other persons believe me, if 
 you do so, the whole of this powerful 
 party which is now hostile to you, will 
 be overcome, and will fall down van- 
 quished at your feet ; you will at length 
 be the all-powerful and all-beloved 
 Queen of England, and like the heretics, 
 the papists too will call you their, pro- 
 tectress. Do not hesitate any longer! 
 Let your noble and magnanimous heart 
 prevail. Spiteful chance has flung Henry 
 Howard in the dust ; extend your hand 
 to him, good queen, that he may be able 
 to raise himself once more, and to stand 
 proudly and confidently at your court, 
 as he was wont. Henry Howard well 
 deserves that you sliould be gracious 
 toward him. Great and resplendent as 
 a star, he shines far beyond all other 
 men, and there is no one who can say 
 he -is more prudent or more brave, more 
 learned or more wise, more noble or 
 more renowned, than the noble and dis- 
 tinguished Surrey. All England re- 
 sounds with his fame. Women repeat 
 to themselves with delight his beautiful 
 sonnets and love songs; scholars are 
 proud to call him one of themselves, 
 and warriors speak with admiration of 
 his feats of arms. Be just, therefore, 
 queen ! Since you have so highly hon- 
 
THE QUEEN'S TOILET. 
 
 ored the deserts of bravery, give due 
 honor also to the deserts of mind. In 
 Seymour you have honored the warrior 
 in Howard give honor to the poet and 
 the man I " 
 
 " I will do so," said Katharine, while 
 she gazed with a winning smile into 
 Jane's deeply-glowing and animated 
 countenance. " I will do so, Jane, but 
 upon one condition." 
 
 "And this condition is?" 
 
 Katharine threw her arm round Jane's 
 neck and drew her close to her heart. 
 " That you acknowledge to me that you 
 love Henry Howard, whom you know 
 how to defend with such glowing ar- 
 dor." 
 
 For a moment Lady Jane became 
 slightly convulsed, and leaned her head 
 on the queen's shoulder quite overcome. 
 
 "Well," asked the latter, "do you 
 acknowledge it ? "Will you confess that 
 your proud, cold heart must at length 
 declare itself .vanquished and captive ? " 
 
 " Yes, I acknowledge it," cried Lady 
 Jane, while she flung herself at Katha- 
 rine's feet with impassioned vehemence. 
 " Yes, I love him, I worship him ! I 
 know that it is a despised and unfortu- 
 nate love, but what would you have? 
 My heart is more powerful than all else. 
 I love him, he is my idol, and my lord, 
 and I worship him as I do my Redeem- 
 er. Queen, you know my whole secret 
 now. Betray me if you will ! Tell it 
 to my father if you will, that he may 
 curse me tell it to Henry Howard if it 
 should please you to learn how he scorns 
 me. For alas, my queen, I am not loved 
 by him ! " 
 
 171 
 
 " Poor unhappy Jane ! " cried the 
 queen, full of commiseration. 
 
 Jane uttered a faint shriek, and raised 
 herself up from her knees. That was 
 too much. Her enemy pitied her. The 
 person who was to blame for her woes 
 expressed compassion for her ! 
 
 Ah, she could have killed the queen, 
 she could have plunged a dagger in- 
 to her heart for daring to commiserate 
 her. 
 
 " I have fulfilled your condition, 
 queen," said she, breathing more freely; 
 " will you now grant my request i " 
 
 "Then you really want to intercede 
 for this cruel, ungrateful man, who does 
 not love you ? He passes by your beau- 
 ty with haughty indifference, and yet 
 you plead for him." 
 
 " True love, queen, thinks not of it- 
 self; it gives way to its object. It asks 
 not about the reward which it receives, 
 but about the happiness which it has to 
 offer. I saw by his pale, sorrowful 
 countenance how much he suffered; 
 was it not then my duty to try to con- 
 sole him ? I went to him, I spoke to 
 him; I heard his lamentations at this 
 untoward accident, which indeed was 
 not the fault of his skill and bravery, 
 but, as everybody saw, was the fault of 
 his horse, which was shy, and stumbled 
 with its rider. And when in all the 
 bitterness of his pain he complained, 
 queen, that you would scorn and de- 
 spise him, then I promised him, in full 
 reliance upon your noble and generous 
 heart, that at my request you would 
 this very evening give him a mark of 
 your favor in the presence of the whole 
 
172 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 court. Have I done wrong, Katha- 
 rine?" 
 
 " No, Jane no! You did right, and 
 your promise shall be fulfilled. But 
 how set about it? What am I to do ? " 
 
 " This evening, after the king has per- 
 formed in the Greek scene with Croke, 
 the earl will read some new sonnets 
 which he has composed. When he has 
 done so give him some gift or token, be 
 it what it may, so long as it is a mark 
 of your favor." 
 
 " But how, Jane, in case his sonnets 
 should deserve no praise, no recogni- 
 tion?" 
 
 " You may be sure they will deserve 
 it, for Henry Howard is a true poet, and 
 his verses are full of sublime thoughts 
 and divine melody." 
 
 The queen smiled. 
 
 " Yes," she said ; " you love him ar- 
 dently, for you have no doubts in him. 
 We will therefore acknowledge him as a 
 great poet. But with what shall I re- 
 ward him ? " 
 
 "Give him a rose which you wear in 
 your bosom, or a rosette fastened on 
 your dress, and which shows your col- 
 ors." 
 
 " But unfortunately, Jane, I wear nei- 
 ther roses nor rosettes to-day." 
 
 " Your majesty, however, may wear 
 one if you please. A bow is wanted 
 just here upon the shoulder. The pur- 
 ple mantle is too carelessly stitched, we 
 must therefore introduce a slight deco- 
 ration in the shape of a rosette or shoul- 
 der-knot." 
 
 She hastened into the adjoining room, 
 and returned with the little box con- 
 
 taining the queen's gold-embroidered 
 ribands and jewelled rosettes. 
 
 Lady Jane turned them over again 
 and again, as if unable to make choice 
 of any. At last she took up the purple- 
 red velvet rosette, which she had herself 
 previously thrown into the box, and 
 showed it to the queen. 
 
 " See, it is at once tasteful and costly, 
 for it is held in the centre by a clasp 
 of brilliants. Will you allow me to 
 fasten this rosette on your shoulder, 
 and will you give it to the Earl of Sur- 
 rey?" 
 
 " Yes, Jane, I will give it to him as 
 you wish it. But, my poor Jane, what 
 do you gain by my doing so ? " 
 
 " Well, at all events a friendly smile, 
 queen." 
 
 "And that is enough for you? Do 
 you then love him so very much? " 
 
 " Alas, I do ! " said Lady Jane with a 
 painful sigh, while she fastened the vel- 
 vet bow on the queen's shoulder. 
 
 "And now, Jane, go and announce to 
 the grand master of ceremonies that I 
 am ready, as soon as the king wishes, to 
 proceed to the gallery." 
 
 Lady Jane turned to leave the room, 
 but she had scarcely reached the door, 
 when she turned back once more. 
 
 "Pardon me, queen, if I venture to 
 address to you one petition more. You 
 have caused me this day to find in you 
 once more the noble and faithful friend 
 of earlier times, and therefore I urge 
 this request with so much the more 
 confidence." 
 
 " Well, what is it, my poor Jane ? " 
 
 "I have entrusted my secret not to the 
 
THE QUEEN'S TOILET. 
 
 173 
 
 queen, but to Katharine Parr, the 
 friend of ray youth ; will she preserve it, 
 and not betray to any one my disgrace 
 and humiliation ? " 
 
 "My word upon it, Jane. No one 
 but God and ourselves shall ever learn 
 what has been said here." 
 
 Lady Jane kissed her hand with hu- 
 mility, and murmured a few words of 
 thanks. She then left the queen's 
 apartment, in order to repair to the 
 grand master of ceremonies. 
 
 In passing through the queen's ante- 
 room, she stood still for a moment and 
 leaned against the wall, as if exhausted 
 and quite broken down. There was 
 no one here who could watch or observe 
 her. She had no need to smile, no 
 need under a calm and composed ex- 
 terior, to conceal those stormy feelings 
 of desperation which raged within her. 
 She could give vent to her hatred and 
 her rancor, her rage and her despair, by 
 words and gestures, by tears and impre- 
 cations, by sobs and sighs. She could 
 fall down on her knees and implore God 
 for grace and mercy, and invoke satan 
 for vengeance and destruction. 
 
 When she had done so, she rose up, 
 and her features resumed their usual 
 cold and placid expression. Only her 
 cheeks were paler, and a more dismal 
 fire glowed in her eyes, and a scornful 
 smile played upon her thin, firmly-set 
 lips. 
 
 She quitted the room and hastened 
 along the corridor, and now she en- 
 tered the ante-chamber of the king. 
 On perceiving Gardiner, who stood 
 alone, separated from the others near 
 
 the window niche, she went up to him ; 
 and John Hey wood, who was still con- 
 cealed behind the hangings, shuddered 
 at the terrible and scornful expression 
 of her features. 
 
 She held out her hand to the pre- 
 late, and attempted to smile. "It is 
 done," she murmured, in dull, leaden 
 tones. 
 
 "What? The queen will wear the 
 rosette on her dress ? " inquired Gardi- 
 ner, eagerly. 
 
 " She wears it on her shoulder, and 
 will give it to him." 
 
 "And the note is inside it ? " 
 "It is concealed under the jewelled 
 clasp." 
 
 "Then she is lost," murmured Gar- 
 diner, " should the king find this 
 paper, Katharine's death-warrant is 
 signed." 
 
 "Hush!" said Lady Jane. "See, 
 there comes Lord Hertford toward us. 
 Let us go forward to meet him." 
 
 They both quitted the window-re- 
 cess and walked along the saloon to- 
 gether. 
 
 Straightway John Hey wood glided 
 from behind the hangings, and creeping 
 softly along by the wall, unseen by any 
 one, left the saloon. 
 
 For a moment he stood still and re- 
 flected. 
 
 "I must probe their intrigues to the 
 very bottom," said he to himself. " I 
 must discover through whom, and with 
 whom, they wish to destroy her, and, 
 finally, I must have strong and undenia- 
 ble proof at hand, in order to convict 
 the intriguers, and to be able to accuse 
 
174 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 
 them successfully before the king. It is 
 therefore necessary that I should be 
 cautious and guarded. Let us then con- 
 sider what is to be done ; the simplest 
 plan would be to beg the queen not to 
 wear the rosette. But that would only 
 be to destroy, for once, the web, with- 
 out at the same time being able to kill 
 the spider that wove it. She must ac- 
 cordingly wear the rosette, for otherwise 
 I should never be able to learn to whom 
 she is to give it. But the paper which 
 is concealed inside this rosette that I 
 must have it cannot be left where it 
 is. * Should the king find this paper 
 then Katharine's death-warrant is signed.' 
 Well, then, my worshipful priest of the 
 devil, the king will not find this paper, 
 for John Hey wood won't allow it. But 
 how shall I set to work ? Shall I tell 
 the queen what I heard! No! she 
 would lose her composure and cheerful- 
 ness ; and in the eyes of the king, her 
 embarrassment would be the most con- 
 vincing proof of her guilt. No, I must 
 take this paper from the rosette with- 
 out the queen's perceiving it. Cheer 
 up then for the work! I must have 
 this paper, and cheat these hypocrites. 
 How it is to be done I don't at pres- 
 ent exactly see; but I shall do it, and 
 that's enough. Come, let's be off to the 
 queen ! " 
 
 "With eager steps he hurried along 
 through the saloons and corridors, while 
 he chuckled and muttered to himself on 
 the way; "Thank God I have the 
 honor of being the fool ; for only the king 
 and the fool have the privilege of being 
 
 able to enter every room, even that of 
 the queen, unannounced." 
 
 Katharine was alone in her boudoir, 
 when the little door by which the king 
 usually visited her was opened softly. 
 
 " Ah, here comes the king! " she ex- 
 claimed, stepping forward to the door to 
 greet her husband. 
 
 " Yes, the king is coming, for the fool 
 is already here," said John Hey wood, 
 who entered by the private door. " Are 
 we alone, queen are we overheard by 
 any one ? " 
 
 "No, John Heywood, we are quite 
 alone. What is it you bring me ? " 
 
 " A letter, my queen." 
 
 " From whom ? " she asked, and a 
 deep blush suffused her cheeks. 
 
 "From whom ? " repeated John Hey- 
 wood, with a waggish smile " That I 
 don't know, queen ; but, at all events, it 
 is a begging-letter, and doubtless you 
 would do well not to read it at all, for I 
 would lay a wager the shameless writer 
 of this letter requires some impossibility 
 of you, were it only a smile, or a press- 
 ure of the hand, a lock of your hair, or, 
 perhaps, even a kiss. Therefore your 
 majesty had better not read this begging- 
 letter at all." 
 
 "John," she returned, smiling and yet 
 trembling with impatience "John, give 
 me the letter." 
 
 " I will sell it to you, queen. I have 
 learned that from the king, who also be- 
 stows nothing from mere generosity, 
 and takes more than he gives. There- 
 fore let us make a bargain. I will give 
 you the letter, and you shall give me the 
 
THE QUEEN'S TOILET. 
 
 175 
 
 rosette which YOU wear on your shoul- 
 der." 
 
 u Nay, John ; choose something else 
 he rosette I cannot indeed vfy well 
 give you.' 
 
 " Then hy all the gods be it sworn," 
 cried John, with comic pathos, " I won't 
 give you the letter unless you give me 
 the rosette." 
 
 " Why, you foolish fellow," said the 
 queen, U I tell you I cannot! Choose 
 something else; and now, my good 
 John, pray do give me the letter." 
 
 " Only if you give me the rosette. I 
 have sworn it by all the gods, and what I 
 vow to them I perform ! No, no, queen, 
 not those black looks not those indig- 
 nant frowns. If I cannot in reality have 
 a present made me of the rosette, why 
 let us do like the Jesuits and the Papists, 
 who even chaffer with their Lord God, 
 and snap their fingers at him when the 
 bargain is struck. My vow I must keep ! 
 I give you the letter, and you give me 
 the rosette but mind, you only lend it 
 to me ; and when I have had it for a 
 moment in my hand, I shall be as mag- 
 nanimous nnd generous as the king, and 
 make you a present once more of your 
 own property." 
 
 With a hasty movement the queen 
 tore the rosette from her shoulder, and 
 handed it to John Ileywood. 
 
 " And now give me the letter, 
 John?" 
 
 " Here it is," said John Heywood, as 
 he took the rosette. u Take it and you 
 will see that Thomas Seymour is my 
 brother." 
 
 " Your brother, John ? " asked Kath- 
 
 arine, smiling, while with trembling 
 hand she broke the seal. 
 
 " Yes, my brother, for he is a fool ? 
 Ah! I have a great many brothers. 
 The family of the Fools is a very large 
 one ! " 
 
 The queen heard no more. She read 
 the letter of her beloved ; she had eyes 
 only for those written words, which told 
 her that Thomas Seymour loved her, 
 worshipped her, and was pining away 
 through yearning for her. 
 
 She did not perceive how John Hey- 
 wood, with nimble fingers, loosed the 
 jewelled clasp from the rosette, and took 
 from out the folds of the velvet a small 
 piece of paper which was hidden 
 there. 
 
 " She is saved ! " he murmured, while 
 he thrust the fateful paper into his 
 doublet, and once more fastened the clasp 
 in its place. " She is saved, and for this 
 time, at least, the king will not sign her 
 death-warrant." 
 
 Katharine had read the letter to the 
 end. She now concealed it in her 
 bosom. 
 
 " Queen, you have sworn to me that 
 you would burn every letter that T 
 brought you from Mm; for it is a dan- 
 gerous thing to preserve clandestine 
 love-letters. One day they might gain 
 the use of speech, and testify against 
 you. I will not bring you another letter 
 again, unless you burn this billet-doux 
 at once." 
 
 u I shall burn it, John, when I have 
 first really read it. As yet I have only 
 read it with my feelings, and not with 
 my eyes. Allow me, therefore, to carry 
 
176 
 
 HENRY YIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 it for a few hours longer next my 
 heart." 
 
 " But swear to me that you will burn 
 it this very evening ? " 
 
 " I swear to you that I will! " 
 
 " Then for this time I shall be satisfied. 
 Here is your rosette, and like the cele- 
 brated fox in the fable, who declared the 
 grapes were sour because he could not 
 reach them, I say to you, ' Take back 
 your rosette I don't like it ! " 
 
 He handed the rosette to the queen, 
 and she fastened it once more, smiling, 
 on her shoulder. 
 
 " John," she said, extending to him 
 her hand with a bewitching smile, 
 "John, when will you permit me to 
 thank you otherwise than by words? 
 When will you suffer your queen, to re- 
 ward you for all your kind services, 
 otherwise than by expressions of grati- 
 tude ? " 
 
 John Heywood kissed her hand, and 
 replied with a sad expression : " I shall 
 demand a reward from you on the day 
 on which my tears and entreaties shall 
 have succeeded in persuading you to give 
 up this sad and dangerous love. Truly 
 on that day I should have deserved a re- 
 ward, and I would accept it from you 
 with a proud and thankful heart." 
 
 "Then, my poor John, in that case 
 you will never receive your reward, for 
 that day will never come! " 
 
 " Apparently then I shall receive my 
 reward, but from the king, and it will 
 be a reward whereby one loses his sight 
 and hearing, and his head to boot! "Well, 
 we shall see ! Until then, farewell 
 queen ; I must go to the king, for some- 
 
 body might surprise me here, and might 
 hit upon the wise thought that John 
 Heywood is not always a fool, but is 
 sometimes the messenger of love; I kiss 
 the hem of your garments; farewell, 
 queen ! " 
 
 And once more he glided through the 
 private door. x 
 
 "We will now examine this paper," 
 he murmured to himself, when he had 
 reached the corridor, and was sure of 
 not being seen by any one. 
 
 He drew the paper forth from his 
 doublet and opened it. " I don't know 
 the handwriting, but it is that of a wo- 
 man." 
 
 The letter was as follows : " Dost 
 thou believe me now, my beloved? I 
 swore that this day, in presence of the 
 king, and of my whole court, I would 
 give thee this rosette, and I have done 
 it. For thee I gladly risk my life, for 
 thou art my life, and it would ever more 
 be more blissful to die with thee than to 
 live without thee. I only live when I 
 rest in thy arms and those dark nights 
 when thou art beside me they are the 
 light and sunshine of my days. Let us 
 pray heaven, that speedily we may have 
 a moonless night, for such a night brings 
 to me my beloved, and to thee thy thrice- 
 blest wife once more. 
 
 " GEEALDINE." 
 
 " Geraldine ! Who is Geraldine ? " 
 murmured John Heywood, again thrust- 
 ing the paper into his doublet. " I must 
 disentangle this web of falsehood and de- 
 ceit, I must know what all this means. 
 For this is more than an intrigue it is a 
 
THE QUEEN'S TOILET. 
 
 177 
 
 fictitious accusation! Some matter of 
 fact is apparently involved. This letter 
 was to be given by the queen to some 
 man or other, and it speaks of sweet rec- 
 ollections and blissful nights! The per- 
 son therefore who receives this letter is 
 in the plot against Katharine, and I dare 
 say her bitterest enemy, for he makes 
 use of love against her. Some treachery, 
 some trick is concealed in the back- 
 ground. Either the man is deceived for 
 whom this letter is intended, and he is 
 an unwitting tool in the hands- of the 
 papists, or else he is in league with them, 
 and like an arrant knave, has undertaken 
 to represent himself as the queen's para- 
 mour. But who can it be? Thomas 
 Seymour perhaps? It were possible, 
 for he has a cold, deceitful heart, and he 
 would be quite capable of such treachery. 
 If so, then I am the man who will accuse 
 him to the king, and by Heaven his head 
 shall fall. And now to the king ! " 
 
 Just as he entered the king's ante- 
 room, the door of the closet opened, and 
 the Duchess of Richmond came out, ac- 
 companied by Lord Douglas. 
 
 Lady Jane and Gardiner were stand- 
 ing, as if by accident, in the vicinity of 
 this door. 
 
 44 Well, have we also reached our goal 
 there ? " asked Gardiner. 
 
 " We have," replied Lord Douglas. 
 "The duchess has accused her brother 
 of an amorous relationship with the 
 queen. She has declared that sometimes 
 by night he leaves his mansion, and does 
 not return to it before morning. She 
 has stated that four nights since she fol- 
 lowed the footsteps of her brother, her- 
 12 
 
 self, and saw how he had entered the 
 wing of the palace inhabited by the 
 queen; and one of the women of the 
 queen's bedchamber informed the duch- 
 ess that the queen was not in her own 
 rooms on that night." 
 
 "And the king listened to the accusa- 
 tion, and (}id not in his anger strangle 
 you?" 
 
 " He is still in that dull state of rage 
 when the lava is first fermenting, which 
 will soon overflow the crater. As yet, 
 all is quiet, but be assured there will be 
 an eruption, and streams of seething lava 
 will overwhelm those who have dared to 
 provoke the god Vulcan." 
 
 "And does he know of the rosette? " 
 asked Lady Jane. 
 
 " He knows all. And up to the criti- 
 cal moment he will not let his anger be 
 suspected by any one. He says he will 
 make the queen feel quite assured, in 
 order thereby to be able to get into his 
 hand the sure proof of her guilt. Now 
 we shall certainly give him this proof, 
 from which it follows that the queen ia 
 irrecoverably lost." 
 
 " But hark ! The doors are opening, 
 and the grand master of the ceremonies 
 is coming to summon us to the golden 
 gallery." 
 
 " Walk in, ladies and gentlemen walk 
 up ! " murmured John Heywood, gliding 
 along behind them. " I'm with you al- 
 ready, and I shall be the mouse to bite 
 the net in which ye wish to catch my: 
 tine great-hearted lioness." 
 
178 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 THE QUEEN'S EOSETTE. 
 
 
 
 THE golden gallery in which the poets' 
 tournament was to be held, presented on 
 this evening a truly enchanting and 
 fairy-like spectacle. Mirrors of gigantic 
 size encased in broad golden frames, dec- 
 orated with carved work of the most 
 exquisite kind, adorned the walls, and 
 reflected in endless perspective the huge 
 chandeliers, which with their innumer- 
 able wax tapers shed a noonday splen- 
 dor throughout the immense saloon. 
 Here and there before the mirrors were 
 arranged groups of the choicest and rar- 
 est flowers, which emitted on all sides 
 their overpowering yet soothing fra- 
 grance, and which in the variety and 
 beauty of their colors outshone the Turk- 
 ish carpet that covered the whole saloon, 
 and converted the floor into one vast 
 flower-bed. Between the different flow- 
 er-groves were tables with golden ves- 
 sels, filled with refreshing drinks, while 
 at the other end of the immense gallery 
 stood a huge buffet laid out with the 
 rarest and most costly viands. At pres- 
 ent the doors of the buffet which, when 
 it was opened, represented an entire 
 room in itself were still closed. 
 
 As yet the guests had not pressed 
 forward to the material enjoyments of 
 the evening; they were still occupied 
 with the pleasures of the mind. The 
 brilliant and select company which filled 
 the saloon were yet for some time con- 
 demned to silence ; they were forced to 
 confine their laughter and their scandal, 
 
 their wit and their calumny, their flat- 
 tery and their hypocrisy, within them- 
 selves. 
 
 A pause had just ensued. The king, 
 assisted by Croke, had represented to his 
 court a scene from the " Antigone," and 
 his audience had just begun to breathe 
 freely after the wonderful and sublime 
 enjoyment of having heard a language 
 of which none of them understood a 
 word, but which they thought very beau- 
 tiful because the king admired it. 
 
 Henry the Eighth had once more flung 
 himself back in his chair of state, and was 
 gasping and panting, after his immense 
 efforts ; and while he rested and mused, 
 an invisible orchestra played a piece of 
 music composed by the king himself, 
 which, with its grave and solemn meas- 
 ures, contrasted strikingly with the gay 
 and dazzling saloon, and with the assem- 
 bled company brilliant, mirthful, and 
 wit-abounding. 
 
 For the king had given command that 
 his guests should laugh and be merry, 
 that they should converse with unre- 
 strained freedom. It was therefore but 
 natural that they should indulge their 
 gay ety and their laughter-loving impulses, 
 and that they did not appear to observe 
 the exhaustion and fatigue of the king. 
 
 An reste, the king had not for a long 
 time been so cheerful, so youthfully ac- 
 tive, so sparkling with wit and humor, 
 as on this evening. His mouth brimmed 
 over with jests, which made the gentle- 
 men laugh, and the fair, fascinating ladies 
 blush ; more especially the young queen, 
 who sat beside him on his splendid and 
 costly throne, and who from time to 
 
THE QUEEN'S ROSETTE. 
 
 179 
 
 time could only cast a stolen and yearn- 
 ing glance toward her beloved, for whom 
 she would joyfully have relinquished her 
 royal crown. 
 
 When the king saw how Katharine 
 blushed, he turned round to her, and in 
 his most affectionate tone begged her 
 forgiveness for his jest, which, from its 
 freedom, had only seemed to make his 
 queen still more beautiful, still more 
 charming. And then his words were so 
 cordial and tender, his looks so full of 
 admiration and love, that no one could 
 doubt but that the qneen was in the 
 highest favor with her spouse, and that 
 he loved her in the most affectionate 
 manner. 
 
 Only the few who knew the secret of 
 this public and unreserved show of ten- 
 derness on the part of the king, fully un- 
 derstood the danger which threatened 
 the queen ; for the king was never more 
 terrible than when he flattered, and 
 upon no one did his anger fall more 
 crushingly than upon him whom he 
 had just embraced and assured of his 
 favor. 
 
 This was what Lord Douglas said to 
 himself when he saw with what a look 
 of cordial affection King Henry con- 
 versed with his wife. 
 
 Behind the throne of the royal pair 
 stood John Heywood in his fantastic 
 garb, with his noble and withal sly 
 countenance; and one of his sarcastic 
 and pungent repartees had just caused 
 the king to burst out into a loud and 
 boisterous fit of laughter. 
 
 "King Henry, your laugh does not 
 please me to-night," said John Heywood 
 
 gravely. "It smacks of gall. Don't 
 you think so yourself, queen ? " 
 
 The queen started up from her sweefc 
 reverie, and this was what John Hey- 
 wood had intended. He therefore re- 
 peated his question. 
 
 " Nay," she replied, " I think the king 
 greatly resembles the sun to-day, for, 
 like the sun, he is bright and beaming." 
 
 " Your majesty does not mean the sun, 
 but the pale moon," returned John Hey- 
 wood, with a laugh. "But only look 
 yonder, Henry, how cheerful Lord Arch- 
 ibald Douglas is gossiping with the 
 Duchess of Eichmond ! I love that excel- 
 lent nobleman. He always looks like a 
 slow-worm, just on the point of biting 
 some one in the leg ; and so it is that 
 whenever I am near his lordship I change 
 myself into a crane. I stand upon one 
 leg, because then I can be sure to save 
 the other from his bite. Now, if I were 
 you, king, I would not let those persons 
 be put to death who have been stung by 
 the slow-worm, but I would cause all 
 the slow-worms to be rooted out, so that 
 the feet of honest men may be safe from 
 them." 
 
 The king darted a sudden and inquir- 
 ing look at him, to which John Hey- 
 wood replied with a smile : 
 
 " Kill the slow-worms, King Henry," 
 he continued ; " and if you should ever 
 happen to be destroying vermin, it won't 
 hurt if you also stamp vigorously with 
 your foot upon the priests. It is such a 
 long time since we burnt any of them, and 
 they will again become wanton and wick- 
 ed, as they always were and always will 
 be. I even see the mild and pious Bishop 
 
180 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 of Winchester the noble Gardiner who 
 is yonder there conversing with Lady 
 Jane, smiling very serenely, and that's a 
 bad sign ; for Gardiner only smiles when 
 he has once more caught a poor soul, and 
 has prepared her as a breakfast for his 
 master I don't mean yourself, king, but 
 the devil ! for the devil is always rav- 
 enous after noble human souls, and who- 
 ever catches one for him, his devilship 
 gives him absolution of his sins for an 
 hour. And it is for this reason that 
 Gardiner catches so many souls for as 
 he sins every hour, he must for every 
 hour get absolution." 
 
 "You are very spiteful to-day, 
 John," said the queen, with a smile, 
 while the king cast his eyes to the 
 ground with a thoughtful and abstracted 
 air. 
 
 John Hey wood's words had touched 
 the sore spots in his nature, and invol- 
 untarily filled his distrustful heart with 
 new doubts. 
 
 He suspected not only the accused but 
 also the accuser, and if he punished the 
 one as a delinquent, he was ready to 
 punish the other as the denouncer. 
 
 He asked himself what object Lord 
 Douglas and Gardiner could have had 
 in accusing the queen, and why they 
 had roused him up from his peace and 
 confidence. At this moment, when he 
 cast a glance at his beautiful wife, smil- 
 ing with such calm and cheerful com- 
 posure beside him, he felt his heart 
 filled with deep resentment, not against 
 Katharine, but against Lady Jane who 
 had accused her. 
 
 She was so lovely and so beautiful 
 
 why did they grudge her to him why 
 not have left him in his sweet illusion ? 
 And perhaps, after all, she was not 
 guilty. The eye of a guilty woman is 
 not so clear and serene the demeanor 
 of one impure, not so maidenly and self- 
 
 Moreover, the king felt himself ex- 
 hausted and llase. Even the practice 
 of cruelty may prove wearisome by rep- 
 etition ; and at this moment Henry felt 
 quite satiated with bloodshed. 
 
 His heart for in such moments of 
 mental relaxation and bodily unbending 
 even the king had a heart was already 
 on the point of giving way to the sen- 
 timents of mercy by which he was ani- 
 mated, when his eye fell upon Henry 
 Howard, who with his father, the Duke 
 of Norfolk, stood surrounded by a circle 
 of noble lords, at a short distance from 
 the royal throne. 
 
 The king felt a deadly sting in his 
 breast, and his eyes flashed across at 
 the group yonder. 
 
 How proud and imposing was the 
 form of the noble earl, while his lofty 
 stature rose high above his compeers; 
 how noble and handsome his feature*, 
 how princely his bearing and his whole 
 appearance ! 
 
 All this Henry could not but admit, 
 and, because he was compelled to do so, 
 he hated him. 
 
 No, there is no mercy for Katharine ! 
 If what her accusers had told him were 
 true if they could give him proofs of 
 the queen's guilt, then her fate was 
 sealed. And how could he doubt the 
 fact ? Had they not told him that in a 
 
THE QUEEN'S ROSETTE. 
 
 181 
 
 rosette which the queen would give the 
 Earl of Surrey, was contained a love- 
 letter from Katharine, which he would 
 find ? Had not the Earl of Surrey com- 
 municated this fact yesterday to his sis- 
 ter in a confidential moment, when he 
 wanted her to convey 'billets-doux be- 
 tween Mm and the queen? Had she 
 not accused the queen of holding noc- 
 turnal interviews with the earl in the 
 lone tower f 
 
 No, there must be no mercy for the 
 queen, if Henry Howard was her lover. 
 
 Once more he glanced across at his 
 hated enemy. There he stood as before, 
 with his father, the Duke of Norfolk. 
 With what activity and grace the old 
 duke moved about, how slender his fig- 
 ure, and how haughty and imposing his 
 air! The king was younger than the 
 duke, and yet he was confined to his 
 wheeled chair- and there he sat like an 
 immovable Colossus upon his throne, 
 while the duke moved about freely and 
 easily, and only obeyed the dictates of 
 his will not the laws of necessity. The 
 king could have crushed him on the 
 spot this proud, haughty duke, who 
 was a free agent, while his king was 
 nothing but a prisoner in his own flesh 
 the slave of his unwieldy body. 
 
 " I shall annihilate this haughty and 
 arrogant Howard race ! " murmured the 
 king, as he turned with a friendly smile 
 to the Earl of Surrey. 
 
 " Cousin, 1 ' he said, u you have prom- 
 ised us some of your sonnets! Let 
 us therefore enjoy them now for you 
 see how impatiently all the lovely 
 women of our court are glancing at 
 
 England's noblest and greatest poet, and 
 how angry they would be with me, if I 
 were any longer to debar them of this 
 enjoyment. Even our beautiful queen 
 longs ardently for your enthusiastic 
 effusions, for you know well, Howard, 
 she is a great lover of poetry, and es- 
 pecially of yours." 
 
 Katharine had scarcely noticed what 
 the king had said. Her glance had en- 
 countered that of Seymour, on whom it 
 was for an instant riveted. And then, 
 with her eye yet filled with the image 
 of her beloved, she cast her looks tow- 
 ard the ground, in order to think of 
 him, as she dared not prolong her 
 gaze. 
 
 But when the king pronounced her 
 name, she started up, and looked at him 
 inquiringly : she had not heard what he 
 had said to her. 
 
 "Not even for an instant does she 
 turn her eyes toward me ! " said Henry 
 Howard to himself. " Ah, she does not 
 love me, or, at least, her understanding 
 is stronger than her love. Oh, Katha- 
 rine, Katharine, dost thou so much fear 
 death, that thou canst on that account 
 deny thy love ? " 
 
 With a kind of desperate haste, he 
 drew forth his portfolio. " I will com- 
 pel her," thought he, " to turn her looks 
 toward me, to think of me, and to re- 
 member her vows. "Woe betide her 
 should she not give me the rosette she 
 promised me with such solemn protesta- 
 tions. If she does not, then I shall 
 break this fearful silence and accuse her 
 to the king, before her whole court, of 
 treason toward her love. Then, at least, 
 
182 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 she will not be able to renounce me, for 
 we shall mount the scaffold together." 
 
 " Will her majesty the queen permit 
 me to commence ? " lie asked aloud, quite 
 forgetting that the king had already 
 given his commands to that effect, and 
 that it was the king alone who could 
 grant such permission. 
 
 Katharine looked at him with aston- 
 ishment. But then her eye rested on 
 Lady Jane Douglas, who, with an air of 
 entreaty, gazed up at her. 
 
 The queen smiled, for she now re- 
 membered that it was Jane's beloved 
 who had spoken to her, and that she 
 had promised the poor young maiden 
 to raise up once more the humbled 
 Earl of Surrey, and to be gracious tow- 
 ard him. 
 
 "Jane is right," thought she," "he 
 seems much downcast, and appears to 
 suffer. Ah, it must be very sad to see 
 the man suffer whom we love! I shall 
 comply with Jane's request, for she 
 said this would be the means of raising 
 him up from his prostrate condition." 
 
 With a smile she bent forward tow- 
 ard the earl. 
 
 "I beg," she said, "your lordship 
 will lend this festive scene its fairest 
 embellishment, by decking it with the 
 fragrant flowers of your muse. You 
 see we are all glowing with the desire 
 to hear your verses." 
 
 The king quivered with suppressed 
 rage, and words of crushing fury trem- 
 bled on his lips. But he restrained 
 himself he wished to have proofs be- 
 forehand he wished to see her not 
 only accused but condemned, and for 
 
 this was required the proof of her 
 guilt. 
 
 Henry Howard now approached the 
 throne of the royal couple, and with 
 beaming looks of inspiration, and with 
 a voice tremulous with emotion, he re- 
 cited his love-sonnets to the beautiful 
 Geraldine. 
 
 A murmur of approbation rose when 
 he had read his first sonnet ; the king 
 alone looked grave and stern, and only 
 the queen remained cold and unmoved. 
 
 " She is a perfect actress," thought 
 Henry Howard, in the intensity of his 
 pain. "Not a muscle of her counte- 
 nance moves, and yet this sonnet must 
 have recalled to her mind the most 
 blissful the happiest moments of onr 
 love." 
 
 The queen continued cold and im- 
 passive. But if Henry Howard had 
 looked toward Lady Jane Douglas, he 
 would have seen how she turned pale 
 and blushed, how she smiled with de- 
 light, and yet how her eyes were filled 
 with tears. 
 
 Still the Earl of Surrey saw nothing 
 but the queen, and her aspect made him 
 tremble with anger and chagrin. His 
 eyes flashed, his countenance glowed 
 with passion his whole being was filled 
 with a kind of desperate inspiration. He 
 would at this moment have joyfully 
 breathed out his life at Geraldine's feet, 
 if she would but recognize him if she 
 would but summon courage to call him 
 her beloved. But her smiling compo- 
 sure, her cold civility drove him to des- 
 peration. 
 
 He crumpled the paper in his hand 
 
THE QUEEN'S ROSETTE. 
 
 183 
 
 the characters danced before his eyes 
 h& could read no more. 
 
 But yet he would not be mute. Like 
 the dying swan, he would breathe forth 
 his pain in a last melody, and give 
 words and voice to his torment and de- 
 spair. He could no longer read he im- 
 provised. 
 
 Like a stream of seething lava, the 
 words flowed from his lips; in fiery 
 dithyrambs, in hymns of inspiration, he 
 poured forth the story of his love and of 
 his woes. The genius of poetry hovered 
 around him, and lighted up his noble and 
 thoughtful brow. 
 
 He became radiant with inspiration, 
 and even the queen felt herself carried 
 away by his words. His love-com- 
 plaints, his painful yearnings, his rap- 
 tures, and his gloomy phantasies found an 
 echo in her heart. 
 
 She understood him, for she felt the 
 same joy. the same woe, and the same 
 rapture only that she felt not these 
 emotions for him. 
 
 But, as before stated, he inspired her ; 
 the stream of his passion hurried him 
 along. She wept at his sorrows, she 
 smiled at his hymns of exultation. 
 
 When at length Henry Howard 
 ceased, a deep silence reigned through- 
 out the large, resplendent saloon. 
 
 The countenances of all were deeply 
 moved, and this universal silence was 
 the poet's finest triumph, for it showed 
 him that even envy and ill-will were 
 struck dumb, and that derision itself 
 could find no utterance. 
 
 A momentary pause ensued ; it re- 
 sembled that sultry and boding stillness 
 
 which generally precedes the outbreak 
 of a storm, when Nature rests for a mo- 
 ment to gather strength for the coming 
 tornado. 
 
 It was a significant, a fearful pause, 
 yet few there were who understood 
 its meaning. 
 
 Lady Jane, breathless and overcome, 
 was leaning against the wall. She felt 
 that the sword was hanging over her 
 head, and that it would destroy her, 
 should it reach her beloved. 
 
 Lord Douglas and the Bishop of Win- 
 chester had involuntarily approached 
 each other, and now stood hand in hand 
 united for the deadly struggle ; while 
 John Heywood had slipped behind the 
 king's throne, and, in his sarcastic fash- 
 ion, had whispered an epigram in his 
 ear, which made the king smile against 
 his will. 
 
 But now the queen rose from her seat 
 and made a sign to Henry Howard to 
 approach. 
 
 "My lord," she said, in a tone ap- 
 proaching solemnity, " I thank you as a 
 queen, and as a woman, for the noble 
 and sublime verses which you have 
 written in honor of a woman. And as 
 the favor of my sovereign has raised me 
 to be the first woman in England, it be- 
 comes me, in the name of all women, to 
 express to you my thanks. The poet 
 and the warrior have each their peculiar 
 reward. The victor on the battle-field 
 reeives a laurel-crown ! You have won 
 for yourself a no less brilliant victory; 
 for you have captivated hearts ! We de- 
 clare ourselves conquered; and in the 
 name of all these noble ladies, I appoint 
 
184 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 you their champion as a token of 
 which, take this rosette, my lord ! It 
 entitles you to wear the queen's colors ; 
 it binds you to be the trusty knight and 
 champion of all women ! " 
 
 She loosed the rosette from her 
 shoulder, and presented it to the earl. 
 
 He had bent on one knee before her, 
 and was in the act of extending his hand 
 to receive this precious and much-longed- 
 for pledge. 
 
 But at this moment the king rose up, 
 and with an imperious gesture, held back 
 the queen's hand. 
 
 " Your majesty will allow me," he said, 
 while his voice trembled with anger 
 " your majesty will first allow me to ex- 
 amine this rosette, and to satisfy myself 
 if it be worthy to be presented to the 
 noble lord as his sole reward ! Let me 
 see this rosette ! " 
 
 Katharine looked with amazement at 
 his features quivering with passion and 
 rage, but she handed him the rosette 
 without hesitation. 
 
 " We are lost I " murmured the Earl 
 of Surrey, while Lord Douglas and Gar- 
 diner exchanged glances of triumph, and 
 Jane Douglas, in her trembling heart, 
 murmured prayers of anxiety and bewil- 
 derment, scarcely hearing the words of 
 malicious joy which the Duchess of 
 Richmond whispered in her ear. 
 
 The king held the rosette in his hand 
 and looked at it ; but his hands trembled 
 so much that he was unable to open the 
 clasp which held it together in the 
 centre. 
 
 He therefore gave it to John Hey- 
 wood. "These diamonds are bad," 
 
 said he, in a short, dry tone. "Loose 
 this clasp, fool, we will replace it with 
 this pin. The gift will then acquire a 
 double value for the earl; for it will 
 come to him from myself and from the 
 queen." 
 
 " How gracious you are to-day," said 
 John Hey wood, smiling. " As gracious 
 as the cat that plays with the mouse for 
 a while before she swallows it." 
 
 " Loose this clasp I " cried the king, in 
 a voice of thunder, no longer able to 
 conceal his rage. 
 
 John Heywood slowly unfastened the 
 clasp from the ribbon. He did so with 
 marked deliberation and circumspection ; 
 he allowed the king to see every move- 
 ment and turn of his fingers ; and it de- 
 lighted him to keep those who had 
 woven this plot, in fearful suspense and 
 expectation. 
 
 While he appeared quite calm and un- 
 concerned, his keen, penetrating glance 
 scanned the whole assembly, and he 
 clearly perceived the trembling impa- 
 tience of Gardiner and Lord Douglas, 
 and it did not escape him how pale Lady 
 Jane was, and how strained with expec- 
 tation were the features of the Duchess 
 of Eichmond. 
 
 " These are the authors of this plot," 
 said John Heywood to himself ; "but I 
 shall keep silent until I can one day con- 
 vict them." 
 
 " There, that's the clasp ! " said he at 
 length, aloud to the king. "It was 
 fixed as firmly in the ribbon, as malice 
 and hate in the hearts of priests and 
 courtiers." 
 
 The king snatched the ribbon out of 
 
THE QUEEN'S ROSETTE. 
 
 185 
 
 his hand, and passed it carefully through 
 his fingers. 
 
 " Nothing nothing at all I " he said, 
 gnashing his teeth ; and now disappoint- 
 ed in his anticipations, he was no longer 
 able to resist the fermenting torrent of 
 anger which overflowed his heart. The 
 tiger within him was roused once more ; 
 he had calmly awaited the moment when 
 the promised victim should be flung to 
 him; and now that it appeared to be 
 withdrawn, his cruel and ferocious in- 
 stincts rose up resentingly. The tiger 
 was athirst and panted for blood, and be- 
 cause it was denied him he became fu- 
 rious with rage. 
 
 He flung the rosette on the ground 
 with a fierce gesture, and raised his arm 
 in a threatening attitude toward Henry 
 Howard. 
 
 " Do not dare to touch that rosette ! " 
 he exclaimed, in a voice of thunder 
 " before you have justified yourself as 
 to the guilt of which you are accused." 
 
 The Earl of Surrey looked at the king 
 with a firm, unflinching gaze. " Then I 
 have been accused?" he asked. "In 
 that case I desire, in the first place, that 
 my accusers may be brought before me 
 face to face ; and then that I may know 
 what my crime is ! " 
 
 " Ha, traitor ! you dare to defy me ! " 
 exclaimed the king, stamping wildly with 
 his foot. " Well, then, I shall be your ac- 
 cuser and your judge ! " 
 
 "And surely, my lord and husband, 
 you will be a just judge," said Katha- 
 .rine, while she bent forward entreatingly 
 toward the king, and seized his hand. 
 " You will not condemn the noble Earl 
 
 of Surrey without having heard him ; and 
 should you find him innocent, yon will 
 punish his accusers." 
 
 But this intercession on the part of 
 the queen made the king frantic. He 
 dashed her hand away, and looked at 
 her with such an anger-flashing glance, 
 that she involuntarily trembled. 
 
 "Traitress thyself! " he cried, wildly, 
 " speak not of innocence you, who are 
 yourself stained with guilt, and before 
 you venture to defend the earl, defend 
 yourself! " 
 
 Katharine rose np from her seat, and 
 with a look of lofty indignation scanned 
 the anger-inflamed countenance of the 
 king. " King Henry, of England," she 
 said, in solemn accents, " yon have pub- 
 licly, and before your whole court, ac- 
 cused your queen of a crime. I demand 
 to know what it is ! " 
 
 She looked supremely beautiful in her 
 proud, defiant bearing in her imposing 
 and majestic calmness. 
 
 The decisive moment was at hand, and 
 she felt conscious that her life and her 
 future were struggling with death for the 
 victory. 
 
 She looked across toward Thomas 
 Seymour, and their eyes met. She saw 
 how he laid his hand on his sword, and 
 returned her glance with a smile of greet- 
 ing. 
 
 " He will defend me, and sooner than 
 suffer me to be hurried away to the Tow- 
 er, he will himself pierce my breast with 
 his sword," she whispered to herself, and 
 a joyful and triumphant confidence filled 
 her whole breast. 
 
 She saw nothing but him, the man 
 
186 
 
 I1ENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 who had sworn that he would die with 
 her when the decisive moment should 
 have arrived. She looked with a smile 
 at the sword which he had already half 
 drawn from the scabhard, and she greet- 
 ed it as a dear and long-wiyhed-for 
 friend. 
 
 She did not perceive that Henry How- 
 ard, too, had his hand on the hilt of his 
 sword that he, too, was ready to defend 
 her firmly resolved to kill the king 
 himself, before his lips should have pro- 
 nounced sentence of death against the 
 queen!: 
 
 But Lady Jane perceived it. She 
 knew how to read it in the earl's coun- 
 tenance ; she felt that he was ready to 
 die for the object of his love, and it filled 
 her heart at once with sorrow and de- 
 light. 
 
 She too had now firmly resolved to 
 obey only the dictates of her heart, and 
 the promptings of her love, and forget- 
 ting all else but this, she hastened for- 
 ward and now stood beside Henry How- 
 ard. 
 
 "Be prudent, Lord Surrey," she whis- 
 pered softly. "Withdraw your hand 
 from your sword. The queen commands 
 you by my lips." 
 
 Henry Howard looked at her with as- 
 tonishment and surprise, but he suffered 
 Ids hand to fall from the hilt of his 
 sword, and looked across at the queen. 
 
 She had repeated her demand; she 
 had once more requested the king, who, 
 speechless and overpowered with anger, 
 had sunk back into his chair, to name 
 to her the crime with which she was 
 charged. 
 
 " Well, then," he exclaimed at length, 
 "you demand it, and you shall hear it! 
 You wish to know the crime of which 
 you are accused ? Answer me, therefore, 
 my lady queen ? You are accused with 
 not always remaining in your chamber 
 at night. It is asserted that you some- 
 times leave it for several hours, and that 
 none of your ladies accompany you when 
 you go along the corridor and up the 
 private stairs leading to the deserted 
 tower, in which your paramour awaits 
 you, and that he at the same time enters 
 the tower by the little gateway from the 
 public street." 
 
 " He knows all ! " murmured Henry 
 Howard, and again he laid his hand on 
 his sword, and was about to draw near 
 the queen. 
 
 Lady Jane checked him. " Wait the 
 result ! " she whispered. " There is still 
 time enough for death! " 
 
 "He knows all," thought the queen; 
 and now she felt within her the defiant 
 courage to dare all, and at least not to 
 stand convicted as a traitress in the eye 
 of her lover. 
 
 " He shall not believe that I have been 
 untrue to him," she thought. "I shall 
 tell all admit all, in order that he may 
 know whither and for what purpose I 
 have gone." 
 
 " Answer me, now, Lady Katharine," 
 thundered the king. " Answer, and tell 
 me, if you have been falsely accused. 
 Is it true that a week since, on a Monday 
 night, you quitted your chamber, and 
 went secretly to the deserted tower? 
 Is it true that you there received a man 
 who is your paramour ? " 
 
THE QUEEN'S ROSETTE. 
 
 187 
 
 The queen looked at him with a proud 
 and angry glance. 
 
 " Henry ! Henry ! Shame upon you, 
 that you thus dare to insult your own 
 wife ! " she exclaimed. 
 
 " Answer me. You were not in your 
 chamber on that night ? " 
 
 "No," replied Katharine, with lofty 
 composure, " I was not there ! " 
 
 The king sank back in his seat, and 
 bellowed with intense rage. The ladies 
 grew pale, and even the men trembled. 
 
 Katharine alone had paid it no heed ; 
 she alone had perceived nothing but the 
 exclamation of horror which burst from 
 Thomas Seymour, and she only saw the 
 angry and reproachful glances which he 
 flung across at her. 
 
 She replied to his looks with a cordial 
 and confident smile, and pressed her hand 
 upon her heart in returning his gaze. 
 
 " Before him at least I shall justify my- 
 self," she thought. 
 
 The king had recovered from his first 
 shock of horror. He raised himself up 
 once more, and his features now betray- 
 ed an inexorable and stern composure. 
 
 u Then you admit the fact ? " he 
 asked. "You were not in your cham- 
 ber on that night? " 
 
 " I said so already," cried Katharine, 
 impatiently. 
 
 The king bit his lips so violently that 
 they bled. 
 
 "And there was a man with you?" 
 ho inquired. "A man to whom you 
 had given a rendezvous about this hour, 
 and whom you received in the deserted 
 tower?" 
 
 " There was a man with me^, But I 
 
 did not receive him in the deserted tow- 
 er, and there was no rendezvous in ques- 
 tion." 
 
 " Who was this man ? " cried the king. 
 " Answer me. Name to me this man, if 
 you would not have me strike you dead 
 myself." 
 
 " I no longer fear death, King Hen- 
 ry," replied Katharine, with a scornful 
 smile. 
 
 "Who was this man? Tell me his 
 name ! " exclaimed the king once more. 
 
 The queen raised herself proudly, and 
 glanced round with an air of confidence 
 at the entire assembly. 
 
 "The man," she replied, with meas- 
 ured emphasis, "who was with me on 
 that night, is named " 
 
 "John Hey wood!" interrupted the 
 court jester, stepping forth with a grave 
 air from behind the king's chair. " Yes, 
 Henry, your brother, the fool, had the 
 proud honor on that night of accom- 
 panying your wife on her holy mission, 
 but I assure you that he resembled the 
 king less than the king resembles the 
 fool just now." 
 
 A murmur of astonishment ran 
 through the whole assembly. The king 
 leaned back speechless in his chair. 
 
 "And now, King Henry," said Kath- 
 arine calmly, "now I will tell you where 
 I went to on that night with John 
 Hey wood 1 " 
 
 For a moment she was silent, and re- 
 clined in her seat. She felt that the eyes 
 of all were fixed upon her, she heard the 
 angry groans of the king, she perceived 
 the reproachful glances of her beloved, 
 she observed the derisive smiles of those 
 
188 
 
 HENRY VHI. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 high-born dames who had never forgiven 
 her for having, from a simple baroness, 
 become a queen. But all this only tended 
 to give her courage and confidence. 
 
 She had reached that pinnacle of life 
 when one must venture all to avoid sink- 
 ing down into the abyss. 
 
 But Lady Jane, too, had just reached 
 such a decisive moment of her existence. 
 She too, said to herself, "I must now 
 venture all or lose all." She saw Henry 
 Howard's pale features strained with ex- 
 pectation. She knew that if the queen 
 now spoke, the whole web of her own 
 intrigues would be revealed to him. 
 
 She must, therefore, anticipate the 
 queen. She must warn Henry Howard. 
 
 " Fear nothing ! " she whispered to 
 him. " We were prepared for this. I 
 have put the means of escape into her 
 hands!" 
 
 "Will you now speak at length?" 
 cried the king, trembling with rage and 
 impatience. u Will you tell us at last 
 where you went to on that night ? " 
 
 " I will do so ! " replied Katharine, 
 rising once more from her chair with a 
 calm and resolute air. " Bat woe betide 
 those who have driven me to it! For I 
 tell you beforehand that the accused will 
 become an accuser who demands justice, 
 if not before the throne of England's 
 king, yet before the throne of the Lord 
 of all kings ! You ask me, King Henry 
 of England, where I went to on that 
 night with John Hey wood! I might, 
 perhaps, as your queen 'and wife, expect 
 that you would not put this question to 
 me before so many witnesses, but rather 
 in the silence of our chamber but you 
 
 have sought publicity, and I do not 
 shrink from it! Well, then, hear the 
 truth, all of you ! On that night of Mon- 
 day, and Tuesday morning, I was not in 
 my chamber^ because I had a serious 
 and a sacred duty to fulfil because a 
 dying woman had called to me for aid 
 and mercy. Would you know, my lord 
 and husband, who this dying woman 
 was ? It was Maria Askew." 
 
 " Maria Askew ! " cried the king, and 
 his countenance assumed a less angry 
 expression. 
 
 u Maria Askew ! " murmured the oth- 
 ers, and John Heywood observed how 
 Bishop Gardiner's brow became clouded, 
 and how Wriothesley the chancellor 
 turned pale, and cast his eyes to the 
 ground. 
 
 "Yes, I was with Maria Askew!" 
 continued the queen u with Maria As- 
 kew, whom the wise and pious lords yon- 
 der had condemned not so much be- 
 cause of her belief as because they knew 
 that I loved her. Maria Askew must die 
 because Katharine Parr loved her ? She 
 must mount the burning pile in order 
 that my heart, too, should be made to 
 burn with anguish ! And because such 
 was the case, I was obliged to venture 
 all to save her. Oh, my lord, tell me 
 was I not bound to try every means for 
 the purpose of saving her ? For my sake 
 it was indeed that she was doomed to 
 suifer all these agonies. For a letter had 
 been shamefully stolen from me, which 
 Maria Askew in her hour of need had 
 addressed to me ; and this letter they 
 showed you, in order to make me sus- 
 pected in your eyes, and to accuse me. 
 
THE QUEEN'S ROSETTE. 
 
 But your noble heart rejected the sus- 
 picion, and then your anger fell upon 
 Maria Askew, and she was made to suf- 
 i'er hecause I had escaped punishment. 
 She was made to atone for having ven- 
 tured to write to me. She gained from 
 you the end she sought, of being put to 
 the rack. But when ray spouse yielded 
 to her urgency, the nobleness of the king 
 remained still unchanged in his nature. 
 'Go away,' said he, 'put her to the 
 rack to death, but see in the first place 
 if she will not recant ! " 
 
 Henry looked with astonishment into 
 her noble and resolute countenance. 
 " You knew that?" he asked. "And 
 yet we were alone, and there was no 
 human being present who could betray 
 it to you." 
 
 " When man is no longer able to help, 
 God takes the matter in His own hands," 
 replied Katharine, solemnly. " It was 
 God who commanded me to go to Maria 
 Askew, and to try if I could save her. 
 And I went. But although the wife of 
 a great and noble king, I am still but a 
 feeble and timid woman. I was afraid 
 to travel this long and dangerous way 
 alone ; I required a strong and manly 
 arm to lean upon, and John Hey wood 
 lent me his." 
 
 " And you really were with Maria 
 Askew ? " interrupted the king, with a 
 thoughtful air "with that hardened 
 sinner who despised mercy, and in the 
 perverseness of her heart refused to ac- 
 cept the pardon which I had offered 
 her? 
 
 " My lord and spouse," returned the 
 queen, with tears in her eyes, " the wo- 
 
 man whom you now accuse stands at 
 this moment before the throne of the 
 Almighty, and has received from her 
 God the forgiveness of her sins. Be you, 
 therefore, forgiving also; and may the 
 flames which yesterday rose up around 
 the noble and tender form of that young 
 maiden, have also consumed the anger 
 and the hatred which men kindled in 
 your heart against her. Maria Askew 
 has gone hence as a saint, for she forgave 
 all her enemies and blessed her torment- 
 ors." 
 
 " Maria Askew was an abandoned sin- 
 ner, who dared to oppose the commands 
 of her lord and king ! " interrupted Gar- 
 diner, with a severe and angry glance. 
 
 " And will you venture to maintain, 
 my lord, that you have at all times ac- 
 curately and punctually fulfilled the 
 commands of your royal master ? " 
 asked Katharine. " Did you faithfully 
 perform them toward Maria Askew ? 
 No, I say you did not ; for the king did 
 not command you to put her to the tor- 
 ture he did not direct you in blasphe- 
 mous anger to lacerate a noble human 
 form, and to disfigure this image of God 
 by converting it into a mangled and 
 monstrous mass, which makes one shud- 
 der to contemplate. And that, my lord, 
 you have done ! Before God and your 
 king, I accuse you of this I, the queen, 
 accuse you ! For now, my lord and 
 husband, you must know that I was pres- 
 ent when Maria Askew was put to the 
 rack. I witnessed her torture, and John 
 Heywood saw it with me." 
 
 All eyes were turned inquiringly tow- 
 ard the king, from whom a violent out- 
 
190 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 burst of choler and ferocity was now 
 expected. 
 
 For once, however, they were disap- 
 pointed. The king was so well pleased 
 at finding his spouse blameless of the 
 crime laid to her charge, that he will- 
 ingly forgave her an offence of minor 
 gravity. Besides, it afforded him un- 
 x bounded satisfaction to find that his wife 
 had confronted her accusers so defiantly 
 and so loftily, and he conceived toward 
 them no less anger and animosity than 
 he had before entertained against the 
 qneen. He was well pleased that the 
 knavish and unceasing persecutors of his 
 beautiful wife were now about to be 
 humbled before the eyes of the whole 
 court. 
 
 He, therefore, looked with an imper- 
 ceptible smile at his spouse, and said, in 
 a more sympathetic tone, "But how did 
 this happen, madam? By what way 
 did you reach there ? " 
 
 " That is a question which any one 
 else but the king would be justified in 
 asking. King Henry alone knows the 
 way which I took," replied Katharine, 
 with a subdued smile. 
 
 John Heywood, who still continued 
 standing behind the king's chair, now 
 bent forward close to Henry's ear, and 
 spoke to him in a rapid undertone for a 
 long time. 
 
 The king listened attentively to him, 
 and then he murmured, loud enough to 
 be heard by those who stood around : 
 " By Heaven ! she is a bold and a coura- 
 geous woman, and we should be com- 
 pelled to admit that in her favor, even 
 v, though she were not our queen." 
 
 "Continue, madam," said the king 
 aloud, turning to the queen with a look 
 of encouragement. " Tell me, Katha- 
 rine, what did you see in the torture- 
 chamber ? " 
 
 "Oh, my lord, it gives me horror 
 only to think of it," she exclaimed, shud- 
 dering, and turning pale. "I saw, 
 writhing in terrible agony, a poor young 
 woman, whose rigid looks were turned 
 to heaven with mute entreaty. She did 
 not beg her tormentors for pity; she 
 besought them for no mercy or compas- 
 sion ; she did not shriek or mourn with 
 pain, though her joints cracked, and her 
 limbs were torn asunder. She raised 
 her hands to God, and her lips mur- 
 mured a gentle prayer, which perhaps 
 made the angels in heaven weep, but. 
 which had no power to touch the 
 hearts of her torturers. You, my hus- 
 band, had commanded that she should 
 be put to the rack if she refused to re- 
 cant. But she was not asked this ques- 
 tion the torture was applied. Still 
 her soul was strong and courageous 
 within her, and under the torments of 
 the racksmen her lips remained mute. 
 Let learned theologians decide if Maria 
 Askew's faith was true or false, but this 
 they will not venture to deny, that in 
 the noble inspiration of this faith, she 
 was a heroine who at least did not deny 
 her God. At length, exhausted by so 
 much useless exertion, the racksmen 
 left off their bloody work, in order to 
 rest from the tortures which they had 
 prepared for Maria Askew. The lien- 
 tenant of the Tower declared the opera- 
 tions of the rack at an end the highest 
 
THE QUEEN'S ROSETTE. 
 
 191 
 
 degrees of torture had already been ap- 
 plied, and had been found useless. Bar- 
 barity itself had to confess that it was 
 vanquished. But the priests of the 
 Church demanded with eager ferocity 
 that she should once more be stretched 
 on the rack. Dare to deny this, my 
 lords, ye whom I see standing yonder, 
 with deadly-pale countenances! Yes, 
 my king ; the servants of the rack re- 
 fused to obey the servants of God, for 
 in the hearts of the racksmen there was 
 more mercy than in the hearts of the 
 priests. And when they refused to con- 
 tinue their work of blood, and when 
 the lieutenant of the Tower, by virtue 
 of the existing laws, declared the tor- 
 ture at an end, I then saw one of the 
 first servants of the Church fling aside 
 his sacred robe, and then the priest of 
 God became changed into a common ex- 
 ecutioner, who, with bloodthirsty pleas- 
 ure, lacerated afresh the mangled body 
 of the young maiden, and, more barba- 
 rous than the racksmen, relentlessly 
 broke and tore asunder the limbs which 
 the latter had only forced into their 
 screws. Your majesty will allow me to 
 abstain from any further depicting this 
 scene of horror. Trembling and sick at 
 heart, I fled from that terrible spot, and 
 returned to my chamber with a sad and 
 weary spirit." 
 
 She ceased, and sank exhausted into 
 her chair. 
 
 A breathless silence ensued. The 
 faces of all were pale and colorless; 
 Gardiner and "Wriothesley looked gloomy 
 and defiant, expecting that the anger of 
 the king, breaking forth with terrible 
 
 vehemence would crush and overwhelm 
 them. 
 
 But the king scarcely bestowed a 
 thought upon them ; he thought only 
 of his young and beautiful queen, whose 
 daring imposed upon him, and whose 
 innocence and purity filled him with 
 proud and blissful joy. 
 
 He was therefore inclined to pardon 
 those who in reality had only been 
 culpable in having too exactly and too 
 strictly fulfilled the commands of their 
 master. 
 
 A long pause had once more ensued 
 a pause full of anxious expectation for 
 all who were assembled in the saloon. 
 Katharine alone seemed quite composed 
 as she sat in her chair, and looked across 
 with a beaming countenance toward 
 Thomas Seymour, whose handsome fea- 
 tures betrayed the pleasure and satisfac- 
 tion which he felt at this explanation of 
 her mysterious nocturnal wandering. 
 
 At length the king rose up, and, with 
 a profound obeisance to the queen, he 
 said with a loud, full-toned voice : " I 
 have done you deep and grievous wrong, 
 my noble spouse, and as I have publicly 
 accused you, I will also publicly re- 
 quest your pardon. You are justified in 
 being angry with me; for it was my 
 bounden duty to believe, with implicit 
 and unwavering confidence, in the honor 
 and fidelity of my queen. Madam, you 
 have procured for yourself the most 
 brilliant justification, and it now be- 
 comes me, the king, to bow before you, 
 and to beg that you will forgive me, and 
 impose on me a penance by way of 
 atonement." 
 
192 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 " Commit to me the task, my queen, 
 of imposing penance on this repentant 
 sinner! " cried John Heywood, gleefully. 
 "Your majesty is much too generous 
 and too faint-hearted to treat my brother, 
 King Henry, as he deserves.' Leave it 
 therefore to me to punish him ; for only 
 the fool is wise enough to punish the 
 king according to his deserts." 
 
 Katharine nodded to him with a 
 grateful smile. She quite understood 
 the tenderness and the fine tact of John 
 Heywood ; she knew that he wished by 
 means of a jest to relieve her from this 
 delicate situation, and to bring to a con- 
 clusion this public acknowledgment of 
 the king, which would otherwise tend 
 to an inward reproach for herself. 
 
 "Well," she replied, smiling, "and 
 what punishment would you then award 
 the king?" 
 
 "That he should acknowledge the 
 fool to be one of his own sort ! " 
 
 " God is my witness that I do so ! " 
 cried the king, with an air of solemnity. 
 "Fools we are one and all, while we 
 lack the glory which men accord to us." 
 
 "But that's not all my sentence, 
 brother I " continued John Heywood. 
 "I further condemn you, King Henry, 
 to have my poem recited in your pres- 
 ence, and to lend your ears, that you 
 may hear what John Heywood, the 
 Wise, has composed ! " 
 
 "Then thou hast fulfilled my com- 
 mand, and written a new interlude ? " 
 cried the king, with vivacity. 
 
 " Not an interlude, king, but quite a 
 new and merry sort of matter a jest- 
 and-scandal play, which will make your 
 
 eyes open not with tears I hope, but 
 with laughter. To our most noble Earl 
 of Surrey belongs the proud fame of 
 having presented our happy England 
 with the first sonnets ; well, then, I too 
 will give it something new, by present- 
 ing it with the first comedy ; and as he 
 celebrates the beauty of his ' GERALDINE,' 
 so will I celebrate the fame of * GAMMER 
 GURTON'S NEEDLE ! ' which is the name 
 of my new piece, and yon, King Jlenry, 
 shall hear it as the punishment for your 
 sins." 
 
 "I will do so," cried the king, cheer- 
 fully, "provided that you allow it, Kate! 
 But before I do so, I also will make 
 another condition a condition for you, 
 my queen ! You have scorned, Kate, to 
 impose a* penance on me, but at least 
 you must grant me the pleasure of being 
 allowed to fulfil some wish for your 
 sake ! Mention some request which I am 
 to grant you ! " 
 
 "Well, then, my lord and king," said 
 Katharine with a bewitching smile, " I 
 beg that you will no longer remember 
 the incidents of this day, and that you 
 will pardon those whom I have only ac- 
 cused because their accusation was my 
 justification. Those who made charges 
 against me, have at this moment had 
 penance awarded them for their own of- 
 fence. Let that suffice my king, and 
 pardon them as I do ! " 
 
 " You are always a noble and generous 
 woman, Kate," cried the king ; and while 
 his glance was directed at Gardiner with 
 an expression of contempt, he continued : 
 " your request is granted ! But woe to 
 those who shall again dare to accuse you ! 
 
THE QUEEN'S ROSETTE. 
 
 193 
 
 And have yon nothing more to ask, 
 Kate?" 
 
 u One thing more, my lord and hus- 
 band ! " She bent forward close to the 
 king's ear, and whispered : "They have 
 accused your noblest and most faithful 
 servant, Cranmer. Do not condemn 
 him, my lord, without having first heard 
 him, and if I have to request a favor of 
 you it is this speak to Cranmer your- 
 self. Tell him what he is charged with, 
 and listen to his justification." 
 
 "It shall be as you wish, Kate," re- 
 plied the king, " and you shall yourself 
 be present. But let this be our secret, 
 Kate, and we will accomplish the matter 
 quietly. And now, John Hey wood, let 
 us hear your comedy, and woe betide 
 you if it does not fulfil your promise of 
 making us laugh ! For you are well 
 aware that in that case you have fallen 
 a hopeless victim to the scourges of our 
 offended ladies." 
 
 " They shall flog me to death if I don't 
 make them laugh ! " cried John Hey- 
 wood, gracefully, as he produced his 
 manuscript. 
 
 Soon the hall once more resounded 
 with loud laughter, and amid the general 
 mirth it was not observed that Bishop 
 Gardiner and Lord Douglas had elunk 
 quietly out of the saloon. 
 
 For some time they continued standing 
 
 outside in the anteroom, and gazed at 
 
 each other with mute dismay. Their 
 
 looks betokened the anger and chagrin 
 
 13 
 
 which inwardly filled them, and they 
 mutually understood the unspoken lan- 
 guage expressed in each other's fea- 
 tures. 
 
 " She must die ! " said Gardiner, 
 with sententious brevity. " She has 
 slipped through our nets for once ; but 
 the second time we shall be careful to 
 tie our knots more securely 1 " 
 
 " And I hold the threads in my hand 
 already from which we shall weave 
 those nets," said Lord Douglas. "To- 
 day we had falsely accused her of am- 
 orous intrigues. When we do so again 
 we shall have told the truth. Did you 
 not observe the looks which Katharine 
 exchanged with the heretical Thomas 
 Seymour, Lord Sudley ? " 
 
 " Yes, I perceived them." 
 
 " Those looks will be her death, my 
 lord. The queen loves Thomas Sey- 
 mour, and this love will seal her doom." 
 
 " Amen," responded Bishop Gardiner, 
 solemnly, as he directed his looks pi- 
 ously toward heaven. "Amen! Tho 
 queen has this day bitterly and griev- 
 ously offended us. She has insulted 
 and abused us before the whole court. 
 She shall one day indemnify us for this. 
 The torture-chamber, which she paint- 
 ed with such lively colors, may also 
 open its doors for her one day not 
 that she may witness the agonies of 
 others, but that she may suffer those 
 agonies herself. "We shall one day be 
 revenged ! " 
 
BOOK IT. 
 
 THE WOMEN'S WAR, 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 THE KEVENGE. 
 
 Miss HOLLAND, the "beautiful and 
 much-admired mistress of the Duke of 
 Norfolk, was alone in her richly- 
 adorned boudoir. It was the hour 
 when the duke usually paid his visits ; 
 she had therefore attired herself in her 
 most attractive manner in the loose, 
 flowing neglige which the duke so 
 much admired, as it enhanced the 
 charms and the graceful form of his fair 
 friend. 
 
 But on this day he had not appeared ; 
 instead of himself, his chamberlain had 
 come, and had brought Miss Holland a 
 note from the duke. She held this note 
 in her hand, as, with hasty and impatient 
 steps, she paced her boudoir backward 
 and forward. Her cheeks glowed, and 
 her large, haughty eyes shot forth flames 
 of anger. 
 
 She was cast off, and had to endure 
 the outrage of being rejected by her 
 lordly lover. 
 
 There it stood, in the letter which she 
 held in her hand, and which scorched 
 her fingers like a burning coal, there 
 stood the announcement written, that he 
 would see her no more that he re- 
 nounced her love, and had given her up. 
 
 Her whole form trembled as these 
 thoughts rushed through her mind. It 
 was not the pain of lost love that shook 
 her frame; it was the mortified pride 
 of her woman's nature. 
 
 He had forsaken her. No longer had 
 her youth and beauty the power of cap- 
 tivating that white-haired old man with 
 wrinkled features. 
 
 He had written her that it was not of 
 her, but only of love, that he had grown 
 weary ; that his heart had become old 
 and withered like his face, and that there 
 was no longer any room left in his 
 breast for love, but only for ambition. 
 
 Was not this a most revolting and un- 
 heard-of outrage ? To forsake the most 
 beautiful woman in England for the sake 
 of some cold, calculating, and wretched 
 ambition ! 
 
 She opened the letter once more, and 
 
THE REVENGE. 
 
 195 
 
 once more perused the passage; and 
 said, with tears in her eyes, while she 
 gnashed her teeth "He shall repent 
 this ! I'll be revenged for this insult ! " 
 
 She thrust the letter into her bosom, 
 and touched her silver bell. 
 
 "Let my carriage be got ready," she 
 said, addressing the servant who entered 
 at her summons, and who bowed in si- 
 lence to her command. 
 
 " I'll be revenged," she murmured, as 
 she wrapped herself in her shawl of 
 Turkish fabric. " I'll be revenged ; and 
 I take Heaven to witness that it shall be 
 a speedy and a bloody revenge 1 I'll 
 show him that I, too, am ambitious, and 
 that my pride won't bend. He said he 
 would forget me, but I'll compel him to 
 think of me, even though it were only to 
 curse me." 
 
 "With rapid steps she hastened through 
 the brilliant apartments which the liber- 
 ality of her admirer had so gorgeously 
 decorated, and * descended to her car- 
 riage, which already awaited her. 
 
 " To the Duchess of Norfolk's," she 
 said, addressing the footman who ap- 
 proached the carriage door to receive her 
 commands. 
 
 The servant looked at her with inquir- 
 ing astonishment. 
 
 " You mean the Duke of Norfolk's, 
 madam ? " 
 
 " Certainly not. I mean the Duchess 
 of Norfolk's," she replied, with a frown 
 of displeasure, as she flung herself back 
 in her seat. 
 
 After a short time the carriage stopped 
 before the mansion of the duchess, and 
 with a commanding air and haughty 
 
 step Miss Holland entered the vesti- 
 bule. 
 
 " Announce me immediately to the 
 duchess," was her command to the 
 servant who hastened forward at her 
 approach. 
 
 " Your name, madam." 
 
 " Miss Arabella Holland." 
 
 The servant started back, and stared 
 at her with visible amazement. " Miss 
 Arabella Holland ? And you wish me to 
 announce you to her grace? " 
 
 A faint smile of contempt played for 
 a moment around her thin lips. "I 
 see you know me," she replied, " and 
 you are a little surprised at seeing me 
 here. Wonder as you will, my good 
 friend, only conduct me at once to the 
 duchess." 
 
 "I doubt if her grace receives visitors 
 to-day," stammered the man, with hesi- 
 tation. 
 
 " Well, go and ask her, and in order 
 that I may know her answer without 
 delay, I shall follow you myself." 
 
 With an air of command she directed 
 the servant to precede her, and he had 
 not the courage to gainsay the proud 
 beauty. 
 
 They passed along in silence through 
 the principal apartments, and at length 
 stood before a door hung with curtains. 
 
 " I must beg you to remain here a mo- 
 ment, madam," said the servant, " while 
 1 go and announce you to the duchess, 
 who is inside here in her boudoir." 
 
 "Never mind, pray I'll undertake 
 this duty myself," replied Miss Holland, 
 forcibly pushing the man aside, as she 
 opened the door. 
 
196 
 
 BENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 The duchess was seated at her writing- 
 table, with her hack toward the door 
 through which Arabella had entered. 
 She did not move from her place, not 
 having perceived the door open. She 
 went on quietly writing. 
 
 Miss Holland walked with a firm and 
 haughty step through the chamber un- 
 til she stood close by the chair of the 
 duchess. 
 
 "My lady duchess," she said, in a 
 tone of calm self-possession, " I wish to 
 speak to yon." 
 
 The duchess, with a cry of surprise, 
 looked up. " Miss Holland ! " she ex- 
 claimed, suddenly rising from her seat. 
 "What! you here beside me? in my 
 own house? Pray what brings you 
 here ? How dare you attempt to cross 
 my threshold?" 
 
 " I see, duchess, you still hate me, as 
 you have always done," said Arabella, 
 smiling. "You have not yet forgiven 
 me that your husband, the duke, found 
 more delight in my face, which is young 
 and beautiful, than in yours, which is 
 old and faded; that my lively sallies and 
 whimsical conceits pleased him more 
 than your cold reserve and conventional 
 propriety." 
 
 The duchess grew pale with rage, and 
 her eyes flashed with scorn. " Silence ! " 
 she exclaimed. "Silence! shameless 
 woman, or I shall call my servants to rid 
 me of your presence." 
 
 " You will not do so, for I have come 
 to conciliate you, and to offer you peace." 
 
 " Peace with you ! " returned the duch- 
 ess, with derisive contempt. " Peace 
 with an abandoned creature who robbed 
 
 me of my husband the father of my 
 children; who exposed me to the re- 
 proach of standing before the whole 
 world as a despised and rejected wife, 
 that I might be compared with you. in 
 order to decide which of us both was 
 the most worthy of his love. Peace 
 with you, indeed ! with an insolent para- 
 mour, who with wanton prodigality dis- 
 sipates my husband's fortune, and 
 plunders my children of their lawful in- 
 heritance, with infamous effrontery!" 
 
 " True indeed, the duke is very gen- 
 erous," said Miss Holland, calmly. " He 
 overwhelms me with jewels and with 
 gold." 
 
 "For which I am forced almost to 
 suffer want, "re turned the duchess, with 
 bitter emphasis. 
 
 "Want of love, perhaps, my lady 
 duchess, but not want of money ; for 
 you are luxuriously provided for, and it 
 is well known that the Duchess of Nor- 
 folk is rich enough to dispense with the 
 trifles which her husband flings at my 
 feet. By Heaven, my lady, Iwould not 
 have thought it worth while to stoop for 
 them, if amongst these trifles I had not 
 also seen his heart. The heart of a man 
 is well worth the trouble of stooping for 
 it. This you had neglected to do, and 
 for that reason you lost your husband's 
 heart. I picked it up that is all. Why 
 will you impute this to me as a 
 crime ? " 
 
 "Enough!" exclaimed the duchess. 
 "It does not become me to dispute with 
 you, and I only desire to know how you 
 have had the hardihood to come to 
 me." 
 
THE REVENGE. 
 
 197 
 
 " Well, my lady duchess, and do you 
 hate me only, or do you also hate the 
 duke your husband?" 
 
 u She asks me if I hate him! " cried 
 the duchess, with a burst of scornful 
 laughter. "Yes, Miss Holland, I hate 
 him as thoroughly as I despise you. I 
 hate him so much that I would give all 
 I possess nay, years of my life if I 
 could only punish him for the outrage 
 which he has offered me." 
 
 " Then in that case we shall soon un- 
 derstand each other, for I also hate 
 him," said Miss Holland, as she quietly 
 took a seat on the velvet-covered otto- 
 man and smiled at witnessing the speech- 
 less astonishment of the duchess. 
 
 " Yes, my lady, I hate him, and doubt- 
 less more intensely and more fiercely 
 than you do yourself, for I am young 
 and ardent, while you are old, and have 
 always known how to keep your heart 
 free from emotion." 
 
 The duchess quivered with suppressed 
 rage, but she silently swallowed the 
 drop of gall with which her malicious 
 rival had flavored the cup of joy. 
 
 44 You say you hate him, Miss Hol- 
 land ? " she asked, with evident satisfac- 
 tion. 
 
 44 Yes, I hate him, and I have come to 
 league myself with you against him. He 
 is a faithless man, a perjurer a traitor, 
 and I have resolved to be revenged for 
 the injury which he has done me." 
 
 "Ah, then he has forsaken you too ? " 
 
 44 Yes, he has forsaken me too. 1 ' 
 
 "Thank God!" exclaimed the duch- 
 ess, and her face beamed with delight. 
 44 God is great anil just, and He has pun- 
 
 ished you with the instrument ot your 
 own guilt. It was for your sake that 
 he left me, and now he gives you up for 
 the sake of some other woman." 
 
 4 ' Not so, my lady duchess ! " said 
 Miss Holland, proudly. " A woman like 
 me is not given up for the sake of 
 another, and whoever loves me will love 
 no one else after me. There, read his 
 letter!" 
 
 Saying which, she handed to the duch- 
 ess the letter of her husband. 
 
 44 And what do you propose doing 
 now ? " asked the duchess, as she fin- 
 ished reading the letter. 
 
 44 Til take revenge, my lady! He says 
 he has no longer a heart with which to 
 love; well, then, we shall see that he 
 has no longer a head with which to 
 think. Will your grace consent to be 
 my ally ? " 
 
 44 1 will" 
 
 "And I too," said the Duchess of 
 Richmond, who at this moment opened 
 the door of the adjoining apartment and 
 entered the room. 
 
 Not a word of this conversation had 
 escaped her, and she understood quite 
 well that the question was not one of 
 petty revenge, but one which placed her 
 father's head in jeopardy. She knew 
 that Miss Holland was not one of those 
 women who when provoked prick with 
 a needle, but one who would seize 
 a dagger and stab her enemy to the 
 heart. 
 
 44 Yes, I, too, will be your ally," cried 
 the Duchess of Richmond. " We have 
 all three been injured by the same man. 
 Let our revenge therefore be taken in 
 
198 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 common. You both have been outraged 
 by the father, and I by the son. Well, 
 then, I shall help you to bring down the 
 father, if you will lend your assistance 
 to annihilate the son." 
 
 " Oh, I will assist you," said Arabella, 
 smiling, " for I also hate the proud Earl 
 of Surrey, who parades his virtue as if it 
 were the order of the Golden Fleece, 
 which God himself had fastened to his 
 breast ; I hate him because he has al- 
 ways treated me with haughty contempt, 
 and he alone is to blame for the faith- 
 lessness of his father." 
 
 " I was present when he besought the 
 duke our father with tears, to escape 
 from the thraldom in which you held 
 Lim, and to give up his disgraceful and 
 dishonorable connection with you," said 
 the young duchess. 
 
 Arabella made no reply. But she 
 clasped her hands firmly together, and 
 a slight pallor overspread her cheeks. 
 
 " And why are you angry with your 
 brother ? " asked the old duchess, with a 
 thoughtful air. 
 
 " Why am I angry with him, you ask? 
 I am not angry with him, but I detest 
 him, and I have made a vow never to 
 rest until I have had my revenge. My 
 happiness, my heart, my future, lay in 
 his hands, and he has mercilessly trod- 
 den these most precious treasures of his 
 sister under his proud feet. It lay with 
 him to make me the wife of the man I 
 love, and he has not done so although 
 I besought him with tears and supplica- 
 tions on. my bended knees." 
 
 " But the sacrifice which you demand- 
 ed of him was a great one," said her 
 
 mother. " It was nothing less than to 
 bestow his hand on a woman he did not 
 love, in order that you might become 
 the wife of Thomas Seymour." 
 
 " You are defending him, mother, and 
 yet it is he who daily accuses you nay, 
 it was only yesterday that he thought it 
 quite natural and right that the duke had 
 forsaken you." 
 
 " He thought that ? " said the duchess, 
 fiercely. "Then he has forgotten that 
 I am his mother, and in my turn I shall 
 forget that he is my son. I am your 
 confederate. Revenge for our wounded 
 feelings ! Revenge on father and son ! " 
 
 She held out both her hands, and the 
 two younger women placed their hands 
 within hers. 
 
 " Revenge on father and son ! " they 
 both repeated, and their eyes flashed, and 
 a crimson blush suffused their cheeks. 
 
 " I am tired of living here like a re- 
 cluse in my palace, banished from court 
 through fear of meeting my husband 
 there." 
 
 " You are not likely to meet him there 
 again, mother," returned her daughter, 
 laconically. 
 
 " People shall not have it in their 
 power to laugh at and mock me ; and 
 when they know that he has left me, 
 they shall know at the same time the re- 
 venge I took for it." 
 
 " Thomas Seymour cannot be my hus- 
 band so long as Henry Howard lives, for 
 he has mortally offended him, inasmuch 
 as Henry Howard has rejected the hand 
 of his sister. Perhaps I may become 
 his wife when Henry Howard is no 
 more," said the young duchess. "Let 
 
THE REVENGE. 
 
 199 
 
 us therefore consider how we shall man- 
 age to take a sure aim, so as to bring them 
 both down together." 
 
 "When three women are of one mind 
 they may be certain of gaining their 
 end," said Arabella, with a knowing 
 glance. " We live, thank God, under a 
 noble and magnanimous king, who re- 
 gards the blood of his subjects with as 
 much indifference as he does the purple 
 of his royal robes, and who never 
 shrinks back from signing a death-war- 
 rant." 1 ' 
 
 "But on this occasion he will shrink 
 back," said the old duchess. "He will 
 not venture to deprive the noblest and 
 most powerful men in his kingdom of 
 their heads." 
 
 " It is just such an enterprise which 
 will provoke him," replied Lady Rich- 
 mond, smiling; "and the more difficult 
 it is to remove these heads, the more im- 
 patiently will he strive to effect that ob- 
 ject. The king hates them both, and he 
 will thank us for converting his hatred 
 into retributive justice." 
 
 " Then let us both lay an accusation of 
 high-treason against him," cried Ara- 
 bella. " The duke is a traitor, for I can 
 and will prove that he has often enough 
 called the king a bloodthirsty monster 
 and a merciless tyrant a man who has 
 neither honor nor faith although he 
 makes pretence to be the source and 
 stronghold of all faith." 
 
 "If he has said so, and that you 
 heard it, you are bound to make it 
 known to the king, unless you wish to 
 be the accomplice of high-treason your- 
 
 self," exclaimed the young duchess, with 
 solemn emphasis. 
 
 " And have you not observed that for 
 some time past the duke bears the same 
 arms as the king? " asked the Duchess of 
 Norfolk. It does not, forsooth, suffice 
 for his proud and ambitious mind to be 
 the first subject in the realm, but he 
 must needs strive to become its king and 
 ruler." 
 
 "Tell the king so, and to-morrow 
 morning the traitor's head falls. The 
 king is as jealous of his kingdom as ever 
 woman was of the man she held most 
 dear. Only tell him that the duke 
 bears his royal arras, and his ruin is cer- 
 tain." 
 
 " I shall tell him so, my daughter." 
 
 "Now we are sure of the father, but 
 how shall we deal with the son ? " 
 
 "By certain infallible means which 
 will send him to eternity as surely as the 
 hunter's bullet sends the proudest stag 
 its death-wound. Henry loves the 
 queen, and I shall convey proof thereof 
 to the king," said the young duchess. 
 
 " Then let us go at once to the king ! " 
 cried Arabella, impatiently. 
 
 " No, not yet ! That would cause sus- 
 picion, and might frustrate our whole 
 plan," rejoined the duchess. "Let us 
 speak to Lord Douglas first and hear his 
 opinion. Come, every minute is pre- 
 cious ! We owe it to our honor as women 
 to be avenged. We ought not and will 
 not leave unpunished those who despised 
 our love, mortified our honor, and tram- 
 pled under foot the holiest ties of na- 
 ture." 
 
200 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 ACKNOWLEDGED. 
 
 SAD and self-contemplative sat the 
 Princess Elizabeth in her chamber. Her 
 eyes were red with tears, and she 
 pressed her hand to her heart, as if to 
 stifle the painful emotions that were 
 struggling for utterance. 
 
 With a cheerless and wandering gaze 
 she looked around the room, and its 
 loneliness on the present occasion made 
 her doubly sad, for it bore witness to 
 her own forlorn condition, and to the 
 disgrace which still rested upon her. 
 Had it been otherwise, this day would 
 have been a day of congratulations and 
 rejoicing for the whole court. 
 
 This was Elizabeth's birthday. On 
 this day fourteen years the daughter of 
 Anne Bullen had been ushered into life. 
 
 Anne Bullen's daughter 1 That was 
 the secret of her isolation that was 
 the reason why none of the lords or la- 
 dies of the court took any note of her 
 birthday, for this would have been to 
 call to mind Anne Bullen Elizabeth's 
 beautiful but unhappy mother who had 
 to pay the penalty of her greatness and 
 exalted rank with her life-blood. 
 
 Besides this, too, the king had already 
 pronounced his daughter Elizabeth a 
 bastard, and had solemnly declared her 
 unworthy of succeeding to the crown. 
 
 Her birthday was accordingly a day 
 of sorrow and humiliation for Elizabeth. 
 Reclining upon her ottoman, she be- 
 thought her of the contumely and joy- 
 lessness of her past life, and of the dreary 
 and cheerless future that lay before her. 
 
 She was a princess, and yet did not 
 possess her birthright ; she was a young 
 maiden, and yet doomed to renounce all 
 the pleasures and enjoyments of her 
 youth, and to stifle the yearnings of her 
 ardent and passionate nature in perpet- 
 ual silence. For when the Infanta of 
 Spain had sued for her hand, Henry the 
 Eighth declared that Ids illegitimate 
 daughter Elizabeth was unworthy of a 
 princely husband. And in order to re- 
 pulse any other suitors, he had declared 
 loudly and publicly that no subject 
 should dare be so rash as to make ad- 
 vances to any royal daughter of his, at 
 the risk of being punished as a traitor. 
 
 Thus Elizabeth was condemned to re- 
 main unmarried, and yet she loved and 
 cherished but one thought, that of be- 
 coming the wife of her beloved, and of 
 being one day able to exchange her 
 proud title of princess for the more 
 lowly one of Countess of Seymour. 
 
 Ever since her love began, a new world, 
 a new sun had dawned upon her, and, in 
 presence of the sweet and enchanting 
 whispers of love, the haughty and allur- 
 ing voice of ambition itself was forced to 
 be silent. She ceased to reflect that she 
 should never be a queen, and was 
 troubled with the sole thought that she 
 could not be the wife of Seymour. 
 
 She had no longer a wish to rule she 
 only wished to be happy. But then her 
 happiness rested in him alone in Thom- 
 as Seymour. 
 
 These were her thoughts on the morn- 
 ing of her birthday, as she sat in her 
 chamber, lonely and alone; while her 
 eyes, red with tears, and her lips, pale 
 
ACKNOWLEDGED. 
 
 201 
 
 and quivering, betrayed how much she 
 had this day wept, and how much this 
 youthful girl of fourteen had already 
 suffered. 
 
 But she determined to think no more 
 on this subject, and not to afford the 
 watchful, prying, and malicious courtiers 
 who surrounded her, the triumph of see- 
 ing the traces of tears upon her coun- 
 tenance, and of rejoicing in her suffering 
 and humiliation. Hers was a proud and 
 resolute spirit. She would rather have 
 died than have accepted the pity of those 
 haughty courtiers. 
 
 "I will work," she said. "Labor is 
 the best balm for sorrow." 
 
 And she took up the elaborate em- 
 broidery which she had commenced for 
 her poor, unhappy friend, Anne of 
 Cleves, the rejected spouse of Henry. 
 But the work occupied her fingers only, 
 not her thoughts. 
 
 She flung it aside, and seized a book. 
 It was the Sonnets of Petrarch, and his 
 plaintive woes soothed while they moved 
 her own love-sick spirit. 
 
 Her eyes streaming with tears, and yet 
 smiling and filled with a sweet sadness, 
 Elizabeth read those beautiful and pa- 
 thetic strains of the great Italian poet. 
 It seemed to her as if Petrarch had only 
 expressed what she herself had so 
 warmly felt. These were her own 
 thoughts, her own sorrows. He had 
 given utterance to them in his native 
 language she would now repeat them 
 in her own. She accordingly seized a 
 pen, and, while her hands trembled with 
 sensibility, and wholly carried away by 
 the glowing emotions of inspiration and 
 
 delight, she began the translation of the 
 first sonnet of Petrarch. 
 
 A loud knock interrupted her, and 
 through the suddenly-opened door ad- 
 vanced the stately and graceful form of 
 Katharine. 
 
 "The queen!" exclaimed Elizabeth, 
 joyfully. " How kind of you to come to 
 me so early in the morning ! " 
 
 " Should I then have waited until even- 
 ing to wish my Elizabeth joy on her 
 birthday should I first have allowed the 
 sun to go down on this day, which has 
 given to England so noble and lovely a 
 princess?" asked Katharine; "or did 
 you perchance think I had forgotten 
 that this is your birthday, and that my 
 Elizabeth on this day bids farewell to 
 the years of childhood, and commences 
 her career as a proud and hopeful 
 maiden ? " 
 
 "Hopeful?" said Elizabeth, sadly. 
 " The daughter of Anne Bullen has no 
 hopes, and when you speak of my birth- 
 day you remind me at the same time of 
 the disgrace attached to my birth." 
 
 " It shall no longer be so ! " exclaimed 
 Katharine, and, putting her arm affec- 
 tionately round Elizabeth's neck, she 
 placed a small roll of parchment in her 
 hands. 
 
 " Take this document, Elizabeth, and 
 may it be to you the promise of a happy 
 and brilliant future ! The king, at my 
 request, has granted this patent, and he 
 has at the same time accorded me 
 the pleasure of bringing it to you my- 
 self." 
 
 Elizabeth opened the parchment, and 
 when she had read it, an expression of 
 
202 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 beaming delight overspread her counte- 
 nance. 
 
 "Acknowledged! I am acknowledg- 
 ed ! " she exclaimed. " The stigma of 
 my birth has been removed. Elizabeth 
 is no longer illegitimate she is a royal 
 princess ! " 
 
 "And she may one day become a 
 queen ! " added Katharine, smiling. 
 
 "Oh," cried Elizabeth, "that is not 
 what makes me feel so happy ! But the 
 stigma has been taken away from me, 
 and now I can hold up my head freely, 
 and mention the name of my mother 
 without shame. Oh, mother, my own 
 mother! Thou canst now rest peace- 
 fully in thy grave, for it is no longer dis- 
 honored! Anne Bullen was no royal 
 mistress, she was King Henry's lawful 
 wife, and Elizabeth is her king's lawful 
 daughter. I thank Thee, my God! I 
 thank Thee!" 
 
 And the young, enthusiastic girl flung 
 herself on her knees, and lifted her 
 hands and eyes to heaven. 
 
 "Spirit of my sainted mother," she 
 continued, in accents of solemn emotion, 
 " I call upon thee ! Oh, come to me, and 
 overshadow me with thy smile, and 
 bless me with thy breath! Queen Anne 
 of England, thy daughter is no longer 
 base-born, and no one shall henceforth 
 dare to asperse her. Thou wast near me, 
 mother, when I wept and suffered, and 
 often in my disgrace and humiliation I 
 felt as if I heard thy voice whispering 
 comfort to me as if I saw thine own 
 angelic eyes shedding beams of peace 
 and love into my heart ! Oh, stay with 
 me now, too, mother now that the 
 
 stigma is removed from me ; stay with 
 me in the day of prosperity, and watch 
 over my heart, that it may be kept free 
 from pride and arrogance, and may still 
 continue humble in good fortune ! Anne 
 Bullen, they once laid thy innocent and 
 beautiful head upon the block, but this 
 parchment - scroll replaces the royal 
 crown upon that head, and woe, woe to 
 those who shall dare to insult thy 
 memory! " 
 
 She suddenly rose from her knees, 
 and rushed toward the wall opposite, on 
 which hung a large oil painting, which 
 represented herself as a little child play- 
 ing with a dog. 
 
 " Oh, mother, mother ! " she exclaim- 
 ed, "this picture was the last earthly 
 object on which thy looks rested, and 
 upon the inanimate lips of thy child here 
 painted thou didst bestow the last kiss, 
 which thy cruel persecutors would not 
 suffer the living child to receive. 
 
 " Oh, let me drink away this kiss 
 from the canvas, let my lips touch the 
 spot which thine have sanctified ! " . 
 
 She bent forward and kissed the pic- 
 ture with tenderness and rapture. 
 
 "And now come forth from thy 
 grave, my mother," she continued, sol- 
 emnly. " I have so long been obliged 
 to hide and cover thee up. Once more 
 thou mayst see the world and the 
 light of day ! The king has acknowl- 
 edged me to be his lawful daughter, 
 and he cannot refuse to have the pic- 
 ture of my own mother in my room." 
 
 So saying, she pressed a spring in- 
 serted in the gold frame of tho picture, 
 which suddenly moved and opened like 
 
ACKNOWLEDGED. 
 
 203 
 
 a door, disclosing to view another pic- 
 ture concealed behind, which represent- 
 ed the hapless Anne Bullen in her bridal 
 robes, in the full splendor of youth and 
 beauty, as Holbein had painted her, at 
 the desire of King Henry her hus- 
 band. 
 
 " What a beautiful and angelic face! " 
 said Katharine, approaching. "What 
 pure and innocent features! And yet, 
 unhappy queen, thy enemies succeeded 
 in fixing suspicion upon thee, and lead- 
 ing thee to the scaffold. Alas, when I 
 look at thee I shudder, and my own fu- 
 ture rises before me like a threatening 
 spectre. Who can be safe and free from 
 danger, when Anne Bullen was not safe, 
 but was doomed to suffer an ignomini- 
 ous death ? Ah, believe me, Elizabeth, 
 it is a melanchdly fate to be Queen of 
 England, and many a time have I asked 
 myself in the morning if I should still be 
 greeted as queen in the evening. We 
 must not, however, speak of me at the 
 present moment, but only of you, Eliza- 
 beth of your future, and of your hap- 
 piness. May this parchment prove ac- 
 ceptable to you, and may it be the means 
 of realizing all the wishes that slumber 
 in your bosom ! " 
 
 <; One great wish it has already ful- 
 filled," said Elizabeth, still intently gaz- 
 ing on the picture " it gives me the 
 privilege of uncovering the portrait of 
 my mother. That I might be able to do 
 so one day was her last prayer, and the 
 last wish which she charged John Hey- 
 wood to convey to me. To him she 
 committed this picture for me. He 
 alone knew the secret of its hiding- 
 
 place, which secret he has faithfully 
 kept," 
 
 u Oh, John Hey wood is a trusty and a 
 true friend," said Katharine, earnestly, 
 " and it was he who assisted me to in- 
 cline the king's mind to our projects, 
 and move him at a favorable moment to 
 acknowledge you." 
 
 Elizabeth seized the hand of her friend 
 with an expression of unspeakable de- 
 light. "To you," she said, "I owe my 
 own honor and the honor of my mother ; 
 I shall always love you as a daughter 
 for it, and never shall your enemies find 
 in me a ready listener or an adherent. 
 Let us both enter into a mutual league, 
 offensive and defensive ! Let us keep true 
 to each other, and the enemies of the 
 OH0 shall be the enemies of the other, 
 and whenever we see danger we will op- 
 pose it in common, and with the faithful 
 eyes of sisters we shall watch over and 
 warn each other, if any accidental gleam 
 of light should reveal to us an enemy 
 who may be lurking in the dark, 
 ready to stab us unawares with his 
 ;er." 
 
 "Beit so! " said Katharine, earnestly. 
 " We will stand by one another faith- 
 fully and inseparably, and love each 
 other like sisters." 
 
 And pressing an affectionate kiss on 
 the lips of Elizabeth, she continued : 
 " But now, princess, turn your attention 
 once more to that parchment, of which 
 you have as yet only read the beginning. 
 Believe me, it is of sufficient importance 
 for you to read it to the end ; for it con- 
 tains various provisions respecting your 
 future welfare, and appoints for you an 
 
204 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 annual income and a household suitable 
 to the rank of a royal princess." 
 
 " Oh, what care I for such things 1 " 
 cried Elizabeth, gayly. "That's my 
 steward's concern let him look after 
 those matters." 
 
 " But there is still another paragraph 
 which will interest you even more," said 
 Katharine with a sweet smile, "for 
 there is a new and complete reparation 
 of honor for my proud and ambitious 
 Elizabeth. Do you remember the an- 
 swer which your father gave the King 
 of France, when the latter made suit for 
 your hand for his son the dauphin ? " 
 
 " Do I remember it? " cried Elizabeth, 
 
 as her brow became suddenly clouded. 
 
 " King Henry said that the daughter of 
 
 m Anne Bullen was not worthy to receive 
 
 the hand of a royal prince." 
 
 " Well then, Elizabeth, in order that 
 the restoration of honor in your favor 
 shall be complete, the king, in confer- 
 ring upon you your rightful title and 
 dignity, has decreed that you should 
 only espouse a husband of equal birth 
 with your own, and that you cannot be- 
 stow your hand upon any other than a 
 prince of royal blood, if you would pre- 
 serve your right of succession to the 
 throne. Indeed, there could be no more 
 complete reparation for the former 
 wrong done you; and for the king's 
 having consented to do so you are in- 
 debted to the eloquent pleading of a faith- 
 ful and trusty friend I mean John Hey- 
 wood." 
 
 "John Hey wood ! " cried Elizabeth, in 
 an angry tone. "Oh, I thank you, 
 queen, that it was not you who deter- 
 
 mined my father to make this decree. 
 What! John Hey wood has done so, and 
 yet you call him my friend? You say 
 that he is a true and devoted servant to 
 us both ? Beware of his fidelity, queen, 
 and build not upon his devotedness, for 
 I tell you his heart is filled with deceit, 
 and while he appears to bow humbly be- 
 fore you, his eyes are only seeking for a 
 vulnerable spot to strike a sure and deadly 
 blow. Ah, he is a serpent a venomous 
 serpent and he has just inflicted upon 
 me an incurable and mortal wound. 
 
 "But no," she continued, with energy, 
 " I shall not submit to this wily artifice 
 I will not be the slave of this untoward 
 decree ! I wish to be free to love or to 
 hate as my heart dictates. I will not 
 suffer myself to be chained down and 
 compelled to renounce the man I might 
 love, and to marry one whom I should 
 perhaps loathe and detest." 
 
 With a look of firm and resolute deci- 
 sion she took the roll of parchment and 
 handed it back to Katharine. 
 
 "Take back this parchment, queen, 
 and return it to my father again, and tell 
 him that I thank him for his considerate 
 kindness, but that I renounce the bril- 
 liant destiny which this act offers me. 
 I love liberty so well that even a royal 
 crown cannot entice me, if I am to re- 
 ceive it with shackled hands and with a 
 heart no longer free ! " 
 
 "Poor child," said Katharine, with a 
 sigh, "you little know how a royal 
 crown always surrounds us with chains, 
 and compels us to wear cramping-irons 
 on our hearts. Ah, you would be free, 
 and still be a queen 1 Trust me, Eliza- 
 
ACKNOWLEDGED. 
 
 beth, there are none who are less at lib- 
 erty than crowned heads ; there are none 
 who have less right or power to dispose 
 of their hearts than princes." 
 
 " Then in that case," cried Elizabeth, 
 with flashing eyes, "I renounce the 
 dreary prospect of perhaps one day he- 
 coming a queen. In that case I must 
 reject the decree which would hind my 
 affections and control my will. What, 
 the daughter of King Henry of England 
 suffer her course to be prescribed by a 
 paltry sheet of parchment, or allow her 
 heart and her actions to be hampered 
 for life by a wretched brief? I am a 
 royal princess, and therefore I am to be 
 compelled, forsooth, to bestow my hand 
 upon none other than a royal prince? 
 Yes, you were right it was not my fa- 
 ther who laid down this law ; for his own 
 proud spirit would never brook the con- 
 straint of such miserable etiquette. He 
 loved as his inclinations directed, and no 
 Parliament or law had power to prevent 
 him. I intend to be the true daughter 
 of my father in this respect. I won't 
 submit to this decree! " 
 
 "Poor child," returned Katharine, 
 "you will nevertheless have to learn to 
 submit for one cannot be a princess 
 with impunity. People never ask if our 
 hearts bleed. They throw a purple robe 
 around us, and if this should be crimsoned 
 with our heart's blood, who is there to 
 perceive or suspect it ? You are still so 
 very young, Elizabeth, and you still hope 
 for so much ! " 
 
 " I hope for so much because I have 
 already suffered so much I have al- 
 ready been forced to shed so many tears. 
 
 205 
 
 Already, in my childtu 
 pelled to take my share of the sorrows 
 and sufferings of life in advance of my 
 age, and now I shall determine for my- 
 self my portion of life's happiness and 
 enjoyment." 
 
 " And who has told you that you shall 
 not have it? This law, in reality, im- 
 poses upon you no particular husband ; 
 it only gives you the proud and once- 
 disputed right of choosing for yourself 
 a husband from among the sons of 
 kings." 
 
 " Oh," cried Elizabeth, and her eyes 
 flashed, " if I were really to become a 
 queen one day, I should feel prouder in 
 choosing a husband whom T could raise 
 to a throne, than one who could place a 
 crown on my own head. You will own, 
 Katharine, that it must be a proud and 
 happy privilege to bestow greatness and 
 splendor on the being that we love, and 
 in the fulness of our love to elevate him 
 above all other men, and humbly to lay 
 down at his feet our own greatness and 
 majesty, in order that he may invest 
 himself therewith, and appropriate as 
 his own what had been" % ours ! " 
 
 u I vow," said Katharine, smiling, 
 " you are as proud and ambitious as a 
 man. The true daughter of your fa- 
 ther ! So thought Henry when he gave 
 his hand to Anne Bullen, so thought 
 he, too, when he raised me to be his 
 queen. But it becomes him to think 
 and to act so, for he is a man." 
 
 " He thought so because he loved not 
 because he was a man." 
 
 " And you also, Elizabeth you think 
 so because, perhaps, you love ? " 
 
206 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 "Yes, I love!" cried Elizabeth, as 
 she flung herself with violent emotion 
 into Katharine's arras, and hid her 
 blushing cheeks on the queen's bosom. 
 " Yes, I love ! And my love is like that 
 of my father not regarding my rank or 
 birth, but only feeling that my beloved 
 is my equal in all that constitutes true no- 
 bility of mind and spirit, and in greatness 
 of soul ; that he is superior to me in all 
 those noble and lofty qualities which 
 should adorn a man, and yet which are 
 accorded to so few. Judge, therefore, 
 queen, if this decree can make me 
 happy. The man whom I love is not a 
 prince he is not the son of a king." 
 
 "My poor Elizabeth!" said Katha- 
 rine, embracing the young girl tenderly 
 in her arms. 
 
 "And why do you pity me, since it is 
 in your power to make me happy?" 
 asked Elizabeth, urgently. " It was you 
 who moved the king to free me from the 
 stiguna that rested upon me. You will 
 also have influence over him to annul 
 this clause, which contains the sentence 
 of doom for my heart." 
 
 Katharine shook her head with a 
 sigh. " My power does not extend so 
 far," she replied, sorrowfully. "Ah, 
 Elizabeth, why had you no confidence 
 in me ? why did you not inform me soon- 
 er of this love which you cherish, and 
 which is at variance with this decree ? 
 Why did you not acquaint your friend 
 with this dangerous secret ? " 
 
 "It is just because it is dangerous 
 that I withheld it from you, and for 
 this reason, too, I cannot now inform you 
 of the name of my beloved. Through 
 
 my means, at least, you shall not be- 
 come liable to the guilt of high-treason 
 toward your husband ; for you are well 
 aware that he punishes every secret not 
 revealed to him, as a treasonable crime. 
 No, queen, if I am culpable, you shall 
 not be my accomplice. It is always 
 dangerous to be the confidante of such a 
 secret. That you may see in the case of 
 John Heywood. He alone was ray con- 
 fidant, and he betrayed me. It was I 
 myself who put the weapons into his 
 hands, and he turned them against me." 
 
 "No, no," said Katharine, thought- 
 fully, "John Hey wood is faithful and 
 trustworthy, and incapable of any 
 treachery." 
 
 "He has betrayed me," cried Eliza- 
 beth, angrily. " He alone knew that I 
 loved, and that my lover, although of 
 noble, is still not of princely birth. 
 And, yet it was he who, as you tell 
 me, moved the king to introduce this 
 clause into the act of succession." 
 
 " Then, doubtless, he only wished to 
 save you from an error of feeling or judg- 
 ment." 
 
 " No, he feared to possess the danger- 
 ous knowledge of this secret ; and, at the 
 cost of my happiness and affections, he 
 wished to obviate this danger. But oh, 
 Katharine, you at least are noble, gener- 
 ous, and firm you are incapable of such 
 petty fears and base calculations ; help 
 me, therefore ; be my deliverer and pro- 
 tectress. By virtue of the vow which 
 we have already pledged to each other, 
 by virtue of that alliance into which we 
 have mutually entered, I call upon you 
 to aid and assist me. Oh, Katharine, 
 
INTRIGUES. 
 
 207 
 
 grant me the proud and blissful happi- 
 ness of being enabled one day, perhaps, 
 to make him whom I love great and 
 powerful through my own will grant 
 me the intoxicating joy of being able to 
 offer to his ambition, with my own 
 hand, power and splendor, and perhaps 
 even a crown. Oh, Katharine, on my 
 knees I implore you, help rne to over- 
 throw this odious decree, which binds 
 my heart and hand I " 
 
 With impassioned emotion she had 
 flung herself on her knees before the 
 queen, and she now lifted her hands in an 
 attitude of supplication. 
 
 Katharine bent, smiling, over her, and 
 raised her np in her arms. "Enthusi- 
 ast ! " she said " poor young enthusi- 
 ast ! Who knows if you would one day 
 thank me were I to grant your request ; 
 nay, you might curse the hour which, 
 instead of the hoped-for happiness, 
 should have brought you delusion and 
 sorrow ! " 
 
 u Even though it were so," cried 
 Elizabeth, with energy, " it is better to 
 bear self-chosen misfortune, than to be 
 coerced into happiness. Say, Katha- 
 rine, say, will you succor me? Will you 
 urge the king to retract this hateful 
 clause ? If you will not, I swear, queen, 
 by the spirit of my mother, that I will 
 not obey the law, that I will solemnly 
 and before all the world renounce the 
 privileges offered me, and that I " 
 
 "You are a dear, foolish child," inter- 
 rupted Katharine, "a child which, in 
 youthful self-will, would be rash enough 
 to bring down lightning from heaven, 
 and even to borrow thunderbolts from 
 
 Jove himself. Yes, you are very young 
 and inexperienced not to know that 
 Fate heeds not our sighs or murmurs, 
 and despite our struggles or gainsaying, 
 it will only lead us the way it chooses, 
 and not that which we prefer. You 
 will yet have to learn that, poor child ! " 
 
 " But I will not ! " cried Elizabeth, 
 stamping on the floor with all the way- 
 wardness of a child. "I will not be 
 evermore and eternally the victim of 
 another's caprice ; and even Fate itself 
 shall not make me its slave." 
 
 " Well, we shall see," said Katharine, 
 smiling. "At all events we will try for 
 this time to fight against Fate; and I 
 shall assist you if I can." 
 
 " Then I shall love you as my mother 
 and my sister, if you will," cried Eliza- 
 beth, as she flung herself with impas- 
 sioned tenderness into Katharine's arms. 
 " Yes, I shall love you for this, and I 
 shall pray God to give me the opportu- 
 nity of one day proving to you my grat- 
 itude, and of rewarding you for yonr 
 generosity and kindness." 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 INTKIGTJES. 
 
 FOR some days past the king's suffer- 
 ings from his feet had grown worse, 
 and, much to his discomfiture and anger, 
 had confined him a prisoner in his arm- 
 chair carriage. 
 
 It was therefore very natural that the 
 king should be sullen and morose, and 
 
HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 that he should hurl the lightning of his 
 anger at all those who enjoyed the 
 melancholy preeminence of being near 
 his person. His sufferings, so far from 
 subduing his temper, only served to in- 
 crease his natural ferocity, and ever and 
 anon might be heard echoing through 
 the chambers of Whitehall palace the fu- 
 rious bellowing.-* of the king, and his 
 loud invectives, which now spared no 
 one, regardless of rank or dignity. 
 
 Lorcl Douglas, Gardiner, and "Wriothes- 
 ley understood quite well how to turn 
 this angry mood of the king to account, 
 and to procure for the pain-stricken 
 monarch, at least, some compensation 
 for his suffering, namely the satisfac- 
 tion of making others suffer also. 
 
 Never had so many scaffolds been 
 seen in England, as in these days of the 
 king's illness never had the dungeons 
 been so filled with victims never had 
 so much blood been shed, as King Henry 
 now caused to flow. 
 
 But all this did not yet suffice to ap- 
 pease the anger and thirst for blood of 
 the king of his friends, counsellors, 
 and priests. 
 
 There still remained two powerful 
 mainstays of Protestantism, which Gar- 
 diner and Wriothesley had resolved to 
 overthrow these were the queen and 
 Archbishop Cranmer. 
 
 There were still two powerful and 
 hated enemies whom the Seymours 
 had to vanquish, and these were the 
 Duke of Norfolk, and his son, the Earl 
 of Surrey. 
 
 But the different parties, who, by 
 turns, besieged and commanded the ear 
 
 of the king, were at once inflamed with 
 the most singular hostility, and with the 
 bitterest animosity toward each other, 
 and mutually strove to supplant one 
 another in the king's good graces. 
 
 To the popish party of Gardiner and 
 Lord Douglas, it was all-important to 
 oust the Seymours from the king's favor, 
 and these, in their turn, wished above 
 all things to keep in their power the 
 young queen, who was inclined toward 
 them, and to destroy the Duke of Nor- 
 folk, one of the most powerful chiefs of 
 the papal side. 
 
 The one party commanded the ear of 
 the king through the medium of the 
 queen the other through that of his 
 favorite, Lord Douglas. 
 
 Never had the king been more gra- 
 cious and kind to his consort never had 
 he stood more in need of the presence 
 of Lord Douglas, than in those days of 
 his illness and bodily suffering. 
 
 But there was yet a third party which 
 held an important place in the king's 
 favor a power which everybody feared, 
 and which appeared to keep itself wholly 
 independent and free from all foreign 
 influences. This power was John Hey- 
 wood, the king's jester the satirist 
 dreaded by the whole court. 
 
 One person alone had influence over 
 him. John Heywood was the friend of 
 the queen. For the moment, therefore, 
 it seemed as if the "heretical party," 
 of whom the queen was regarded as the 
 head, was the most powerful at court. 
 
 It was accordingly very natural that 
 the papists should entertain the bitter- 
 est hatred against the queen very natu- 
 
INTRIGUES. 
 
 209 
 
 ral that they should always contrive 
 new plans and schemes to ruin her, and 
 to hurl her from the throne. 
 
 But 'Katharine well knew the danger 
 which threatened her, and she was on 
 "her guard. She kept watch over every 
 word she uttered, and even over her 
 looks ; and Gardiner and Wriothesley 
 could not scrutinize more searchingly, 
 day hy day, and hour by hour, the mode 
 of life of the queen, than she did herself. 
 
 She saw the sword which daily hung 
 over her head, and thanks to her pru- 
 dence and presence of mind thanks to 
 the ever-active watchfulness and cunning 
 of her friend John Hey wood, she had al- 
 ways been able to ward off the impend- 
 ing ^word. 
 
 Ever since the day of the eventful excur- 
 sion to Epping Forest, she had not spoken 
 to Thomas Seymour alone, for Katharine 
 knew full well that on whatever side she 
 turned her steps, some prying eye would 
 follow her, and some lurking ear would 
 penetrate, which would overhear her 
 most softly-whispered words, and repeat 
 them where they must be interpreted to 
 her condemnation to her death. * 
 
 She had accordingly renounced the 
 pleasure of speaking to her beloved, ex- 
 cept before witnesses, or of seeing him, 
 unless in the presence of her whole 
 court. 
 
 But after all, what need had she of 
 secret meetings what did her pure and 
 guileless heart seek, that she might not 
 be with him alone ? She was always at 
 liberty to see him, and to imbibe fresh 
 draughts of happiness and fortitude from 
 the sight of his noble and handsome 
 14 
 
 countenance; he was always free to be 
 near her, and she could listen to the. 
 music of his words, and gladden her 
 heart with the sound of his manly and 
 sonorous voice. 
 
 Katharine, though a woman of eight- 
 and-twenty, still possessed the enthusi- 
 asm and innocence of a young girl of 
 sixteen. Thomas Seymour was her first 
 love, and she loved him with that chaste 
 and pure ardor which is peculiar to a 
 first passion. 
 
 It, therefore, sufficed her to see him, 
 to be near him, to know that he loved 
 her that he was faithful to her ; that 
 to her belonged all his thoughts, all his 
 wishes, as hers belonged to him. 
 
 All this she knew. For still there re- 
 mained to her the sweet enjoyment of 
 his letters those impassioned declara- 
 tions, those memorials of his love ; and, 
 though she could not tell him in words 
 how ardently she returned his love, she 
 yet could express her thoughts in writ- 
 ing. 
 
 It was John Hey wood, the faithful 
 and discreet friend, who brought those 
 letters to her, who conveyed her an- 
 swers back in return, and who, as the 
 reward for these dangerous messages, 
 only stipulated that both should regard 
 him as the sole witness of their love, and 
 that they should both destroy the letters 
 which he brought them. He had not 
 been able to prevent Katharine from 
 yielding to this fatal passion, but he 
 wished at least to preserve her from its 
 deadly consequences. Knowing that her 
 love required a confidant, he had assum- 
 ed this character, in order that Katha- 
 
210 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 rine, in the ardent impetuosity of her in- 
 nocent heart, should not make others 
 the witnesses of her dangerous se- 
 cret. 
 
 John Heywood accordingly watched 
 over the safety and happiness of Katha- 
 rine, as, in her turn, she watched over 
 Thomas Seymour and her friends. He 
 protected and defended her with the 
 king, as she defended Cranmer, and pro- 
 tected him against the repeated attacks 
 of his enemies. 
 
 That she had saved the noble and lib- 
 eral-minded Archbishop of Canterbury 
 from their toils, was what they could 
 never forgive her. On more than one 
 occasion, Katharine had succeeded in 
 frustrating their wily plots, and in de- 
 stroying the nets which Gardiner and 
 Lord Douglas had so craftily and so 
 adroitly spread for Cranmer. 
 
 If, then, they would overthrow Cran- 
 mer, they must first overthrow the 
 queen. To this end there was a power- 
 ful means a means of at once annihi- 
 lating the queen and the detested Sey- 
 mours, who stood in the way of the pa- 
 pists. 
 
 Could they but prove to the king that 
 Katharine maintained culpable corre- 
 spondence and relationships with Thomas 
 Seymour, both were lost, and the power 
 and supremacy of the papal party were 
 secured. 
 
 But whence obtain the proofs of this 
 dangerous secret, which the astute Lord 
 Douglas had only read in Katharine's 
 eyes, and for which he had no other 
 grounds but his own impressions ? By 
 what means should the queen be moved 
 
 to take some inconsiderate step, which 
 would furnish speaking evidence of her 
 love? 
 
 The king was growing so weary it 
 would be so easy to persuade him to 
 some deed of atrocity some speedy sen- 
 tence of death I 
 
 But it was not the blood of the Sey- 
 mours for which the king thirsted. This 
 Lord Douglas well knew. He, who ob- 
 served the king day and night, who 
 probed and sounded his every sigh, his 
 most softly-murmured words, every con- 
 vulsive movement of his lips, every frown 
 that passed over his brow, he knew 
 what dark and sanguinary thoughts 
 were brooding in the king's mind, and 
 whose the blood was for which he 
 craved. 
 
 It was the blood of the Howards for 
 which the royal tiger thirsted ; and. that 
 they still lived in health, and wealth, and 
 splendor, while he, their king and mas- 
 ter, rolled in pain and Buffering upon 
 his weary couch, this was the worm 
 which gnawed at the king's heart, which 
 increased his pains, and made his suffer- 
 ings more poignant. 
 
 The king was jealous jealous of the 
 power and greatness of the Howards. 
 It filled him with morbid resentment to 
 think that the Duke of Norfolk, when he 
 rode through the streets of London, was 
 everywhere greeted by the shouts and 
 acclamations of the people, whilst he, 
 their king, was a prisoner in his palace. 
 It was to him an unceasing source of 
 pain to know that Henry Howard, the 
 Earl of Surrey, was regarded as the 
 handsomest and the greatest man in 
 
INTRIGUES. 
 
 211 
 
 England, that he was looked upon as the 
 most learned person and the most dis- 
 tinguished poet in the realm, although 
 the king had himself written poems and 
 learned dissertations, nay even had 
 composed a devout treatise, which he 
 had caused to be printed for the edifica- 
 tion of his people, and which he had 
 commanded them to read instead of the 
 Bible. 
 
 Yes, it was the Howards who every- 
 where disputed his fame. The Howards 
 supplanted him in the favor of his sub- 
 jects, and usurped the love and admira- 
 tion which were the king's exclusive 
 right, and which none should dare to be- 
 stow upon any one save upon himself. 
 There he lay upon his weary couch, and 
 his people would doubtless have forgot- 
 ten him, had he not daily put them in 
 mind of his existence by means of the 
 rack, the stake, and the scaffold ; he lay 
 upon his weary couch, while the duke, 
 dazzling with magnificence and splen- 
 dor, exhibited himself before the people, 
 and excited their feelings in his favor 
 by the lavish and princely munificence 
 with which he scattered his gold 
 amongst them. 
 
 Undoubtedly, the Duke of Norfolk 
 was the king's dangerous rival. The 
 crown was not secure upon his head so 
 long as the Howards lived; and who 
 could tell if the jubilant love of the peo- 
 ple might not one day, when the king 
 had closed his eyes, summon to the 
 throne the Duke of Norfolk, or his noble 
 son the Earl of Surrey, instead of the 
 rightful heir the boy Ed ward Henry's 
 only son ? 
 
 Whenever these thoughts crossed the 
 king's mind he felt as if his brain was 
 on fire, he clasped his hands convulsive- 
 ly, he roared and bellowed aloud his 
 threats of vengeance vengeance 
 against these detested Howards, who 
 wished to snatch the crown from his 
 son. 
 
 The youthful Edward, still in his mi- 
 nority, was alone the rightful and di- 
 vinely appointed heir of the royal crown. 
 It had cost his father so great a sacrifice 
 to give his people this son and successor ! 
 In order to do so, he had sacrificed his 
 best-beloved wife, Jane Seymour; he 
 had suffered the mother to perish, that 
 he might preserve the'son as heir to his 
 crown. 
 
 And the people did not once thank 
 the husband of Jane Seymour, who had 
 offered this sacrifice on their behalf. 
 They shouted for the Duke of Norfolk, 
 the uncle of that unchaste queen, whom 
 Henry had loved so much that her infi- 
 delity had struck him to the heart like a 
 poisoned dagger. 
 
 These were the thoughts which occu- 
 pied the king as he lay upon his bed of 
 suffering, and he revolved them in his 
 mind with all the obstinacy and all the 
 frenzy which a distempered fancy could 
 suggest. 
 
 "We shall be obliged to sacrifice 
 these Howards to him ! " said Lord 
 Douglas to Gardiner, as they had just 
 overheard one of the angry outbursts of 
 their royal master. "If we wish to be 
 able eventually to succeed in over- 
 throwing the queen, we must in the first 
 place extirpate the Howards." 
 
212 
 
 HENRY VHI. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 The pious bishop looked at him with 
 inquiring astonishment. 
 
 Lord Douglas smiled. 
 
 " Your lordship is too highly elevated 
 and too noble to understand the things 
 of this world ; your gaze, which is only 
 fixed upon God and heavenly things, 
 does not always perceive the minute and 
 pitiful objects here below upon earth." 
 
 " Not exactly that," returned Gardi- 
 ner, with a grim smile. " I see them, 
 and it delights my soul when I behold 
 how God's vengeance here on earth 
 punishes the enemies of His Church. 
 Prepare, therefore, without delay, the 
 scaffold or the stake for these Howards, 
 if their death can serve as a means for 
 attaining our pious and godly ends. 
 You can depend upon my aid and bless- 
 ing! Only, I do not quite understand 
 how these Howards can stand in the 
 way of our plans, which are only di- 
 rected against the queen as they belong 
 to the side of the queen's enemies, and 
 are adherents of the holy and only true 
 Church." 
 
 " The Earl of Surrey is an apostate, 
 who has opened his heart and mind to 
 the errors of Calvin ! " 
 
 u Then let his head fall, for he is a 
 malefactor against God, and no one dare 
 have compassion for him ! And what is 
 the charge which we are to bring against 
 the father?" 
 
 " The Duke of Norfolk is even more 
 dangerous perhaps than his son, for, al- 
 though a Catholic, he has not the true 
 faith, and his heart is full of unholy pity 
 and pernicious clemency. He commis- 
 erates those whose blood is shed for hav- 
 
 ing given themselves up to the false doc- 
 trines of the priests of Baal, and calls 
 both of us the king's bloodhounds." 
 
 " Well, then," cried Gardiner, with a 
 sinister and ghastly smile, " we will 
 prove to him that he has called us by 
 our proper name for we will rend him 
 asunder." 
 
 "Besides this, the Howards, as we 
 have said, stand in the way of our pro- 
 jects with reference to the queen," said 
 Lord Douglas, gravely. "The king's 
 mind is so entirely occupied with this 
 hatred and this jealousy, that he has no 
 room left for any other feeling. It is 
 true he signs, often enough, those death- 
 warrants which we lay before him, but 
 he does it carelessly and without anger, 
 as the lion crushes the little mouse that 
 happens to run accidentally between his 
 legs. But if the lion is to enter the lists 
 and attack his equal, his anger must be 
 roused in the first instance. And when 
 his rage is kindled he will rend his oppo- 
 nent to pieces. Well, then, the Howards 
 shall be his first booty. But we must 
 take care that, when next he shakes his 
 mane, his anger shall fall upon Katharine 
 Parr and the Seymours." 
 
 " The Lord oar God will be with ns 
 and will enlighten us to find the proper 
 means of securely striking down His 
 enemies ! " cried Gardiner, raising his 
 hands devoutly. 
 
 " I believe the proper means are al- 
 ready discovered," said Lord Douglas, 
 smiling, " and that already before this 
 day is ended, the gates of the Tower will 
 open to let this proud and tender- 
 hearted Duke of Norfolk and his heret- 
 
THE ACCUSATION. 
 
 213 
 
 ical son pass through. Perhaps we may 
 succeed in bringing down the queen and 
 these Howards at a single blow. Look ! 
 there stands a carriage before the great 
 gate ; I see the Duchess of Norfolk and 
 her daughter, the Duchess of Richmond, 
 alighting. Observe, they are beckoning 
 to us. I have promised to conduct these 
 two noble and pious ladies to the king, 
 and I will do so. While we are closeted, 
 perhaps your lordship will offer a 
 prayer that our words, like well-sped 
 arrows, may strike home to the king's 
 heart, and then rebound upon the queen 
 and the Seymours." 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THE ACCUSATION. 
 
 IN vain had the king hoped to sub- 
 due his pains, or at least to forget them, 
 while he sought for sleep. Rest had 
 fled the king's couch; and as he now 
 sat, weary and racked with pain, upon 
 his rolling-chair, he reflected with brood- 
 ing rancor, that the Dnke of Norfolk had 
 told him only yesterday, he had sleep at 
 his own command, and could summon it 
 if he wished. 
 
 This reflection made him furious with 
 anger, and gnashing his teeth he mut- 
 tered " He can sleep, while I, his lord and 
 king, am nothing but a poor beggar, who 
 craves in vain of God a little sleep or a 
 little forgetfulness of his pains. But it 
 is this traitorous Norfolk who hinders me 
 from sleeping. Thinking of him keeps 
 
 me wakeful and restless. And yet I 
 cannot crush this traitor with my hands. 
 I am a king, and yet so feeble and 
 powerless that I can find no means of ac- 
 cusing this delinquent, or of convicting 
 him of his sinful and impious deeds. Oh, 
 that I could find a true friend a devoted 
 servant, who would venture to under- 
 stand my unuttered thoughts, and to 
 
 i 
 fulfil the wishes to which I can give no 
 
 name 1 " 
 
 As these thoughts rushed through his 
 brain the door opened behind him, and 
 Lord Douglas entered. His face wore 
 an expression of exultant pride, and such 
 wild delight shone in his eyes that even 
 the king himself was surprised thereby. 
 
 " Oh," he said, peevishly, " you call 
 yourself my friend, and yet you are 
 cheerful, Douglas; whilst your king is a 
 poor prisoner, whom the gout keeps 
 eternally bound down in this chair." 
 
 "Your majesty is growing well, and 
 from this captivity you will go forth like 
 a brilliant and successful conqueror, who 
 with the magic of his presence tramples 
 down his enemies in the dust, and who 
 triumphs over all those who are opposed 
 to him, and who would betray their 
 king!" 
 
 " Then there are traitors who would 
 threaten their king? " asked Henry, with 
 a dark frown. 
 
 "Yes, there are such traitors, your 
 majesty ! " 
 
 " Name them to me ! " exclaimed the 
 king, trembling with eager impatience; 
 "name them to me, that my arm may 
 crush them, and that my retributive jus- 
 tice may overtake the guilty ! " 
 
214: 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 " It is superfluous to name them, for 
 you, King Henry, the wise and all-know- 
 ing, know their names already." 
 
 And as Lord Douglas bent forward 
 toward the king, he continued u King 
 Henry, I have just cause to call myself 
 jour truest and most devoted servant, 
 for I have read your thoughts. I have 
 understood the sublime grief that was 
 gnawing at your heart, and which ban- 
 ished sleep from your eyes, and peace 
 from your mind. You saw the enemy 
 who was lurking in the dark. You heard 
 the hissing of the serpent that was ready 
 to dart its venomous sting at yon. But 
 so much were you the noble and un- 
 daunted king, that you would not your- 
 self become the accuser, nay, would not 
 recoil a step from the serpent which 
 threatened yon. Great and merciful 
 like the Almighty Himself, you smiled 
 upon him whom you knew to be your 
 enemy. But, for my part, I have other 
 duties toward your majesty. I am like 
 the faithful watch-dog, who has eyes 
 only for the safety of his master, and 
 who attacks any one who threatens him. 
 I have perceived the serpent which fain 
 would sting you to death, and I will and 
 shall bruise his head for you." 
 
 "The name of the serpent of which 
 you speak?" asked the king, and his 
 heart beat so violently, that he felt it 
 trembling on his lips. 
 
 " Is Howard I " said Lord Douglas, 
 gravely and solemnly. 
 
 The king uttered a cry, and, forgetting 
 his pains and his gout, raised himself up 
 from his chair. 
 
 "Howard," he said, with a grim smile, 
 
 " you say that a Howard threatens our 
 life ? Who is he? Name the traitor." 
 
 " I name them both, father and son ! 
 I name the Duke of Norfolk and the 
 Earl of Surrey ! I say that they are both 
 arch-traitors, who threaten the life and 
 the honor of my king, and who even 
 dare with blasphemous arrogance to 
 stretch forth their hands to grasp the 
 crown ! " 
 
 "Ah, I knew it I knew it," cried the 
 king. " And that was what made my 
 nights sleepless, and pierced my flesh 
 like a red-hot iron." 
 
 And as he turned his anger-flashing 
 eyes toward Douglas, he asked, with a 
 fierce smile, "And can you prove that 
 these Howards are traitors? Can you 
 prove that they are aiming at my 
 crown ? " 
 
 " I hope to be able to do so," replied 
 Douglas. "True, there are no decided 
 and overt acts " 
 
 " Oh," interrupted the king, " there 
 is no need for overt acts, only give me 
 the slightest clew the slenderest thread, 
 and I'll make a rope of it which shall be 
 strong enough to draw the father and 
 son together up to the gallows." 
 
 " As for the son there is already proof 
 enough," said Douglas, smiling ; " and as 
 regards the father, I shall bring before 
 your majesty some accusers who will 
 indeed have weight enough to send him 
 to the scaffold.* Permit me at once to 
 introduce them to your majesty." 
 
 "Yes, bring them! bring them!" 
 cried the king. "Every moment is 
 precious which can send the traitors the 
 more speedily to their doom." 
 
THE ACCUSATION. 
 
 215 
 
 Lord Douglas proceeded to the door, 
 which he opened. Three female figures, 
 closely veiled, entered silently, and bowed 
 respectfully to the king. 
 
 "Ah," whispered the king with a 
 cruel smile, as he sank back once more 
 into his chair, " here are the three Fates 
 who are spinning the thread of life of the 
 Howards, and who, I trust, will now cut 
 it short. I will give them the shears for 
 that purpose, and if not sharp enough, 
 why I will e'en help them to rend the 
 thread asunder with my own royal 
 hands." 
 
 " Sire," said Lord Douglas, while the 
 three women, at a signal from him, un- 
 veiled themselves ; " Sire, the wife, the 
 daughter, and the mistress have come to 
 accuse the Duke of Norfolk of high-trea- 
 son ; the mother and the daughter are 
 here to denounce the Earl of Surrey for 
 a crime equally worthy of death." 
 
 "Why, truly," cried the king, "it 
 must he a weighty and blasphemous 
 crime which so much provokes the loyal 
 feelings of these noble women, as to 
 make them disown the voice of nature ! " 
 
 " Such it is," said the Duchess of Nor- 
 folk, in a solemn tone, and as she drew 
 a few steps nearer to the king, she con- 
 tinued: "Sire I accuse the duke, my 
 husband, (from whom I am separated,) 
 of high treason and disloyalty toward 
 his king. He has dared to assume your 
 own royal arms, and Displays upon his 
 seal, and on his carriage, and over the 
 portal of his mansion, the arms of the 
 kings of England." 
 
 " It is quite true ! " said the king, who 
 now that he was sure of the downfall of 
 
 the Howards, had again recovered his 
 composure and presence of mind, and 
 had once more resumed the air of a strict 
 and unbiassed judge. " Yes, he bears the 
 royal arms on his standard, but if "we re- 
 member aright there is wanting in it the 
 crown and the motto of our ancestor 
 Edward the Third." 
 
 " He has now added both the crown 
 and motto to his armorial bearings," 
 said Miss Holland. " He says he is justi- 
 fied in doing so, for he also, like the 
 king, is descended from Edward the 
 Third, and therefore it is meet for him 
 to bare the royal arms." 
 
 " If he says so he is a traitor, who 
 presumes to consider his lord and king 
 as his equal !" cried the king, whose 
 countenance lighted up with ferocious 
 joy, at the thought of having his enemy 
 at length in his power. 
 
 " Yes, he is a traitor," continued Miss 
 Holland. " I have often heard him say 
 he had the same right to the crown of 
 England as Henry the Eighth, and that 
 a day might come when he would con- 
 test this crown with Henry's son." 
 
 " Ah ! " exclaimed the king, and his 
 eyes flashed with such angry looks, that 
 even Lord Douglas stood aghast. " Ah ! 
 he wants to dispute the crown of Eng- 
 land with my son. Well, that is good ; 
 for now it is my sacred duty, as a king 
 and as a father, to crush the head of 
 this serpent which threatens to sting me 
 in the tenderest part; and no pity and 
 no mercy should now restrain me any 
 longer. And if there were no other 
 proofs of his crime and of his guilt than 
 these words which he has spoken to you, 
 
216 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 they will suffice, and will rise up against 
 him as the headsmen who shall conduct 
 him to the scaffold." 
 
 "But there are yet other proofs," said 
 Miss Holland, loconically. 
 
 The king perforce unloosed his doub- 
 let. He felt as if his joy would over- 
 power him. 
 
 " Name them! " he exclaimed. 
 
 "He is bold enough to deny the royal 
 supremacy he calls the Bishop of Kome 
 the sole head and Holy Father of the 
 Churcb." 
 
 "Indeed?" said the king, laughing. 
 u Well we sball see whether this Holy 
 Father will save his trusty son from the 
 scaffold which we shall erect for him. 
 Yes, we must give the world a fresh ex- 
 ample of our inviolable justice, which 
 overtakes all, however high and power- 
 ful they may be, and however near they 
 may stand to our throne. Yet verily, it 
 grieves our heart to fell this oak which 
 we had planted so near our throne in 
 order that we might lean against it for 
 support ; but justice requires the sacrifice, 
 and we must therefore offer the victim 
 not with vindictiveness or anger, but 
 that we may fulfil the sacred and painful 
 duty of our kingship. We have greatly 
 loved this duke, and it pains us to tear 
 the love we bore him from our heart." 
 
 And the king with his jewelled hand 
 wiped from his eyes the tears that did 
 not come. 
 
 "But how, then?" demanded the 
 king, after a pause; "how will you have 
 the courage to maintain your accusation 
 before the House of Lords ? Shall you, 
 his wife, and you, too, his mistress, be 
 
 willing to confirm publicly, with a sacred 
 oath, the truth of this charge ? " 
 
 " I shall be ready to do so," said the 
 duchess, solemnly, "for he is no longer 
 my husband no longer the father of 
 my children, but only the enemy of my 
 king, whom to serve is my first and 
 holiest duty. " 
 
 " And I, too, shall be ready," said 
 Miss Holland, with a fascinating smile, 
 "for he is no longer my lover, but an 
 arch-traitor and blasphemer, who has 
 the hardihood to recognise as supreme 
 chief of the Christian Church the Bishop 
 of Kome, who has dared to hurl his 
 anathemas against the head of our king. 
 That is what has destroyed my affection 
 for the duke, and what has caused me to 
 hate him now as intensely as I once 
 loved him." 
 
 The king, with a gracious smile, pre- 
 sented his hands to the two ladies. "Yon 
 have, this day," he said, " done me 
 a great service, for which I shall know 
 how to reward you. To you, iny lady 
 duchess, I shall give one-half of his pos- 
 sessions, as if you were his lawful heir, 
 and entitled to it as his widow ; and to 
 you, Miss Holland, I shall leave the un- 
 disputed possession of all the goods and 
 valuables which the enamoured duke 
 bestowed upon you." 
 
 The two ladies broke out into loud 
 expressions of gratitude and exuberant 
 delight toward the generous and mag- 
 nanimous king, who was so gracious as 
 to bestow upon them what they already 
 enjoyed as their own property. 
 
 " Well, my little duchess, are you 
 quite silent ? " asked the king, after a 
 
THE ACCUSATION. 
 
 217 
 
 pause, turning round to the Duchess of 
 Richmond, who had withdrawn to the 
 embrasure of a window. 
 
 "Sire," said the duchess, smiling. 
 *' I was only waiting for my cue." 
 
 "And pray, what is the cue? " 
 
 " Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey ! 
 Your majesty knows I am a lively hut 
 harmless creature, and I understand much 
 better how to laugh and he merry than 
 to talk gravely and seriously. Both of 
 these worthy and beautiful ladies have 
 accused the duke my father, and they 
 have done so in a very solemn and be- 
 coming manner ; I am prepared to accuse 
 my brother Henry Howard, but you 
 must be indulgent with me, sire, if my 
 words should not be quite so grave or so 
 solemn. They have told you that the 
 Duke of Norfolk is a traitor, and calls the 
 Pope of Rome Head of the Church. 
 Now the Earl of Surrey is neither a trai- 
 tor nor a papist, and he entertains no 
 criminal designs against the crown of 
 England, nor has he ever denied the 
 king's supremacy. No, sire, the Earl of 
 Surrey is not a traitor nor a papist. " 
 
 The duchess was silent, and contem- 
 plated the astonished looks of those 
 around her with a smile expressive of 
 drollery and mischief. 
 
 The king's brow became clouded with 
 a sinister frown, and his glance which 
 had just been so radiant, was now di- 
 rected with an angry expression toward 
 the young duchess. 
 
 "Then, in that case, my lady, why 
 did you come here ! " he asked. " To 
 what purpose have you come forward 
 if you have nothing more to tell me 
 
 than I know already that the Earl of 
 Surrey is a very loyal subject and a man 
 wholly devoid of ambition, who neither 
 courts popular favor, nor harbors the 
 thought of stretching forth a traitorous 
 hand to grasp my crown ? " 
 
 The young duchess shook her head 
 with a smile. 
 
 " I don't know if he deserves all "that 
 praise," she replied. "I have indeed 
 heard that he has said, with bitter 
 mockery, that you, my liege, wished to 
 be thought the protector of religion, 
 while you really believed in no creed or 
 religion at all ; and it was only recently 
 that he broke forth into bitter impreca- 
 tions against you, because you had 
 robbed him of his marshal's staff and 
 bestowed it upon the Earl of Hertford 
 the noble and generous Seymour. He 
 also hinted that he should like to see if 
 the throne of England was so firm and 
 unassailable as not to require the aid of 
 his hand and arm to support it. All 
 this, indeed, I heard from him myself, 
 but you are right, sire, it is unimportant, 
 not even worth being mentioned, and 
 for that reason I do not make it the sub- 
 ject of accusation against him." 
 
 "Ah, you are still the same little 
 madcap, Arabella! " cried the king, who 
 had once more regained his cheerfulness. 
 "You say you don't wish to accuse him, 
 and yet you are making a plaything of 
 his head, which you are trying to bal- 
 ance upon those ruby lips of yours. 
 But, beware, my little duchess, beware, 
 lest while you laugh, this head should 
 be thrust away from your lips and made 
 to roll along the ground, for I won't 
 
218 
 
 HENRY VHI. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 undertake to keep in equilibrium the 
 head of this Earl of Surrey, of whom 
 you say that he is no traitor." 
 
 " But would it not be tedious and 
 monotonous if we were to accuse both 
 father and son of the same crime ? " 
 asked the duchess, smiling. "Let us 
 have a little variety ! Let the duke be 
 a traitor ; the son, my liege, is a crimi- 
 nal of a deeper dye." 
 
 " Is there then any crime more wicked 
 or more execrable than that of being a 
 traitor to one's lord and king, and of 
 speaking of the Lord's anointed with- 
 out reverence or love ? " 
 
 "Yes, sire, there is a crime still 
 worse and of that I accuse the Earl of 
 Surrey. He is an adulterer ! " 
 
 " An adulterer ? " repeated the king, 
 with an expression of horror. "Yes, 
 by God's mother, you are right ; this is 
 an odious and unnatural crime, and we 
 shall judge it severely. For it shall not 
 be said that honor and virtue find no 
 protector in the king of this realm, and 
 that he is not a crushing and avenging 
 judge against all those who dare to vio- 
 late the laws of decency and morality. 
 Oh, the Earl of Surrey is an adulterer, 
 is he?" 
 
 " That is to say, sire, he dares to per- 
 secute a chaste and virtuous woman 
 with his sinful love ; he dares to direct 
 his impious glances toward a lady who 
 is raised as far above him as the sun is 
 beyond the earth, and who, at least, by 
 reason of the greatness and elevated 
 position of her spouse, should be secure 
 against every impure wish and unchaste 
 desire." 
 
 "Ah," exclaimed the king, uneasily, 
 " I perceive already what you are com- 
 ing to. It is always the same complaint, 
 and now I tell you, as you said before, 
 let us have a little variety ! The accu- 
 sation I have heard often enough, but 
 the proofs were always wanting." 
 
 " Perhaps, on this occasion, sire, we 
 may be able to furnish the proofs," said 
 the duchess, gravely. "Would you 
 know, my noble liege, Avho the Geral- 
 dineis, to whom Henry Howard addresses 
 his amatory sonnets ? Shall I tell you the 
 real name of this lady to whom, in the 
 presence of your sacred person and of 
 your whole court, he offers the passion- 
 ate declaration of his love, and the vows 
 of his eternal fidelity ? Well, then, this 
 so much-worshipped and idolized Ger- 
 aldine is the queen ! " 
 
 " That is false ! " exclaimed the king, 
 purple with rage, and his hands clutched 
 with such a convulsive grasp the sides 
 of his rolling arm-chair, that it creaked ; 
 " that is false, my lady ! " 
 
 "It is true," said the duchess, proud- 
 ly and fearlessly. " It is true, sire, for 
 the Earl of Surrey has confessed the 
 fact to me himself, that it is the queen 
 whom he loves, and that Geraldine is 
 only a well-sounding paraphrase of 
 Katharine." 
 
 " What ! he has confessed this to you 
 himself? " asked the king, gasping for 
 breath. " He dares to love the wife of 
 his king ? Woe betide him, I yay, woe 
 betide him ! " 
 
 He raised his clenched hand to heaven, 
 while his eyes flashed with a terrible 
 expression. 
 
THE ACCUSATION. 
 
 219 
 
 "But how is this," he continued, after 
 a pause. " Did he not lately recite be- 
 fore us a poem to Geraldine, in which 
 he thanks her for her love, and declares 
 himself for ever indebted for the kisses 
 which she has bestowed upon him ? " 
 
 " Yes, my liege, he did recite such a 
 poem in your majesty's presence." 
 
 The king groaned, and raised himself 
 up from his seat. 
 
 "I must have proofs," he murmured 
 in a hoarse, dismal voice, "proofs, or if 
 not, I tell you your own head shall pay 
 the forfeit for this accusation ! " 
 
 "With these proofs I shall furnish 
 your majesty ! " said Lord Douglas, in a 
 solemn accent. " You are pleased, sire, 
 in the fulness of your pity and of your 
 gentle disposition, to doubt the accusa- 
 tion of the noble duchess. Well, then, 
 I undertake myself to supply you with 
 infallible proofs that Henry Howard, 
 Earl of Surrey, really loves the queen, 
 and that he dares to extol and worship 
 the spouse of his king, under the name 
 of Geraldine. You shall hear with your 
 own ear, sire, how the Earl of Surrey 
 makes protestation of his love to the 
 queen;" 
 
 The exclamation which the king ut- 
 tered at these words was so terrible, 
 and betrayed such deep anguish, min- 
 gled with rage, that the earl became 
 mute, while the cheeks of the ladies 
 were blanched with fear. 
 
 " Douglas, Douglas, beware of rousing 
 the lion ! " said the king, trembling with 
 emotion. "The lion in his fury might 
 rend you to pieces ! " 
 
 " This very night, you shall have the 
 
 proofs which you demand, sire, this 
 very night, you shall hear how the Earl 
 of Surrey, sitting at the feet of his Ger- 
 aldine, offers to her the vows of his 
 love." 
 
 "It is well," said the king. "This 
 night be it then! But woe, woe to you, 
 Douglas, unless you can redeem your 
 promise ! " 
 
 "I shall do so, sire! Only one thing 
 is necessary, and that is, that you will 
 graciously pledge me your royal word 
 that you will not betray yourself by 
 a breath or a sigh. The earl is 
 suspicious, and the anxiety caused by 
 an evil conscience has sharpened his 
 ear. He would recognize you by a sigh 
 or a whisper, and then his lips would not 
 utter the words of avowal which you de- 
 sire to overhear." 
 
 " I pledge my royal word that I will 
 not betray my proximity by a word or a 
 sigh ! " said the king, solemnly. " ISTay, 
 I swear this by the Holy Mother of 
 God ! But enough of this now ! Air, 
 air ; I cannot breathe. My brain reels ! 
 Open the windows, and let in a little 
 air. Ah, that is a relief ! This air is at 
 least pure and unpolluted by calumny and 
 sin." 
 
 And the king suffered himself to be 
 wheeled toward the open window, 
 where he inhaled in draughts the pure 
 fresh air. He then turned with an 
 agreeable smile to the ladies. 
 
 "My ladies," he said, "I thank 
 you. This day you have proved your- 
 selves to be true and devoted ser- 
 vants. I shall always remember this, 
 and if ever you stand in need of a 
 
220 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 friend and protector, you may rely upon 
 me with all confidence. "We shall never 
 forget the great service which you have 
 . this day rendered us." 
 
 Whereupon he gave them a familiar 
 nod, and, with a majestic wave of his 
 hand, he dismissed them, and the audi- 
 ence was over. 
 
 "And now, Douglas," exclaimed the 
 kimy impetuously, as the ladies withdrew 
 " now there must he an end of this 
 fearful torment ! You tell me that I am 
 to punish these traitors, Norfolk and 
 Surrey, and you impose upon myself the 
 most terrible agonies ! " 
 
 " Sire, there was no other means of 
 putting Surrey in your power. You 
 wished to find him a criminal, and I shall 
 prove to you that he is one." 
 
 "Then I shall at length be able to 
 trample his accursed head under my 
 feet ! " cried the king, gnashing his 
 teeth. " I shall no longer have to tremble 
 before this malicious enemy, who goes 
 about among my people with his hypo- 
 critical tongue, while I sit in the dun- 
 geon of my sick chamber tormented 
 with pain and suffering. Yes, I thank 
 you, Douglas, that you are about to 
 place him within reach of my avenging 
 arm, and my soul is filled with joy and 
 delight at the thought. Ah, why was it 
 necessary that you should cast a cloud 
 over this moment of rejoicing ! Why 
 was it needful that the queen should 
 become entangled in these dreary meshes 
 of crime and guilt. Her cheerful smile 
 and her beaming Jooks have ever been 
 to me a source of such pure enjoy- 
 ment." 
 
 " Sire, I do not by any means assert 
 that the queen is guilty. Only there 
 was no other means of proving to you 
 the Earl of Surrey's guilt, than that 
 you should yourself hear the confession 
 of his love to the queen." 
 
 " Aye, and I will hear it 1 " exclaimed 
 the king, who had now already over- 
 come the emotions of sentiment in which 
 he had just been indulging. "Yes, I 
 am resolved to have the full conviction 
 of Surrey's guilt, and woe to the queen, 
 if I should find her also guilty ! This 
 night, therefore, Douglas! But until 
 then silence and secrecy! We shall 
 seize father and son at the same moment 
 and have them arrested, for otherwise the 
 arrest of the one might serve as a warn- 
 ing to the other, who might thus be 
 able to elude our just anger. Ah, these 
 Howards are so crafty, and their hearts 
 are so full of malice and deceit ! But 
 now they shall no longer evade us they 
 are now in our power. The very 
 thought of this does me good and makes 
 my heart bound freely and lightly. I 
 feel as if a new stream of life flowed 
 through my veins and imparted fresh 
 strength to my blood. Ah, it was those 
 Howards who made me ill ; but I shall 
 recover my powers once more when I 
 know they are in the Tower ! Yes, my 
 heart bounds with joy, and the present 
 day shall be one of delight and happi- 
 ness. Call hither the queen that I may 
 rejoice once more in the sight of her 
 rosy countenance, before I make it grow 
 pale with terror. Yes, let the queen 
 come in her most brilliant attire ; I wish 
 to see her once more in the full splendor 
 
THE ACCUSATION. 
 
 221 
 
 of her youth and royal estate, before her 
 brow becomes clouded. I will delight me 
 once more in her society before I make 
 her weep. Ah, Douglas, you know 
 there is no pleasure at once so devilish 
 and so divine as to see a woman who 
 thus smiles without suspicion while she 
 is already condemned ; who adorns her 
 head with flowers, while the headsman 
 is already whetting his axe; who still 
 hopes for a future of joy and happiness, 
 while the hours of her life are already 
 numbered while I have already com- 
 manded her to stand still, and to descend 
 into the grave. Call me hither the 
 queen, therefore, and tell her that we 
 are merry, and would laugh and jest 
 with her. Summon all the ladies and 
 gentlemen of our court, and let the royal 
 saloons be thrown open, and let them 
 stream resplendently with light, and let 
 us have music loud, crashing music 
 for on this day at least we will have 
 mirth and pleasure, since it appears we 
 are about to have a dull and comfortless 
 night. Yes, good soothe, we will have 
 a merry and a joyous day, let what fol- 
 lows be as it may. The halls shall re- 
 sound with laughter and glee, and noth- 
 ing but shouts of mirth and exultation 
 shall be heard in the grand saloons of 
 the king. And invite for me, too, the 
 Duke of Norfolk, my noble cousin, who 
 shares with me my royal arms. Yes, 
 invite him, that I may admire once more 
 his noble countenance and his lofty 
 bearing, before this exalted luminary 
 becomes extinguished, and leaves us be- 
 hind in darkness and gloom. Then, too, 
 invite me Wriothesley, my chancellor, 
 
 and let him bring with him an escort 
 of stout and trusty soldiers of our body- 
 guard. They shall compose the retinue 
 of the noble duke when he leaves our 
 festive party on his return home ; aye, 
 home, if not to his palace, at least 
 to the Tower and to the grave ! Go, 
 Douglas, go and see that all these ar- 
 rangements are properly carried out! 
 And send me straightway my merry 
 jester, John Hey wood. He shall help 
 me to pass the time until the festivity 
 begins, and shall make me laugh with 
 his pungent drollery." 
 
 " I shall go and fulfil your commands, 
 sire," said Douglas. "I shall make 
 preparations for the festivity, and im- 
 part your commands to the queen and 
 to the court. And first of all I shall 
 send you John Heywood. But will 
 your majesty pardon me if I venture to 
 remind you, that you have pledged your 
 royal word that you will not betray our 
 secret by any allusion, or even by any 
 symptom." 
 
 " I have given my word and I shall 
 keep it ! " said the king. " Go, now, 
 Lord Douglas, and do as I have directed 
 you." 
 
 Wholly exhausted by this paroxysm 
 of grim exultation, the king sank back 
 in his chair, and groaned aloud with 
 agony as he rubbed his leg, the tor- 
 menting pain of which he had for a mo- 
 ment forgotten, but which pain, by its 
 terrible fury, now reminded him of its 
 presence. 
 
 " Ah, me ! " sighed the king. k ' He 
 boasted that he could sleep whenever 
 he pleased. "Well, this time, at least, we 
 
222 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 shall have the pleasure of lulling the 
 haughty duke to rest ; but his sleep will 
 be one from which he shall never more 
 awake ! " 
 
 While the king thus moaned and suf- 
 fered, Lord Douglas hastened with rapid 
 and firm steps through the long ranges 
 of royal chambers. A proud and tri- 
 umphant smile played around his lips, 
 and a joyful expression of victory flashed 
 from his eyes. 
 
 " Triumph ! triumph ! we shall con- 
 quer ! " he exclaimed, as he now entered 
 the apartment of his daughter, and pre- 
 sented his hand to Lady Jane. " Jane, 
 we have at length reached the goal, and 
 you will soon be the seventh wife of 
 King Henry! "' 
 
 For a moment Lady Jane's pale and 
 colorless cheeks became tinged with a 
 roseate hue, and a smile played upon 
 her lips a smile which, however, 
 seemed as sad and dreary as if it had 
 been indeed the result of an hysterical 
 attack. 
 
 44 Ah," she murmured, faintly, "I only 
 fear that my poor head will be too weak 
 to bear a royal diadem ! " 
 
 "Courage, courage, Jane! hold up 
 your head and be once more a brave, 
 proud daughter." 
 
 " Only I suffer so nnach, my father," 
 she sighed. " I feel as if an infernal fire 
 were raging within me ! " 
 
 " But scon, Jane, very soon, you will 
 experience the delights of heaven! I 
 had forbidden you to make any appoint- 
 ments for meeting Henry Howard, lest it 
 might get us into danger. Well, then, 
 v, to-night your tender little heart shall be 
 
 satisfied. This very night you will be 
 able to greet your beloved ! " 
 
 "Alas!" she murmured, "he will 
 again call me his Geraldine, and it will 
 not be Jane Douglas, but the queen 
 whom, in my person, he will embrace." 
 
 " Yes, to-night only it must be so, 
 Jane, but I swear to you that this will 
 be the last time that you shall so receive 
 him!" 
 
 " The last time that I shall see him ? " 
 she inquired, with a look of terror. 
 
 "No, Jane, only the last time that 
 Henry Howard shall, in your person, love 
 the queen instead of yourself." 
 
 " Oh, he will never love me I " she 
 murmured sadly. 
 
 "Yes, he will love you, Jane, for it 
 will be you who shall save his life. 
 Hasten, therefore, Jane, hasten, and 
 write speedily to him one of those tender 
 notes which you can compose with so 
 much skill ; invite him to a rendezvous 
 for this night, at the accustomed time 
 and hour." 
 
 " Oh, I shall at length have him beside 
 me once more ! " whispered Lady Jane, 
 and she went to her escritoire, and be- 
 gan to write with trembling hand. 
 
 Suddenly, however, she ceased, and 
 looked at her father with an air of scru- 
 tiny and suspicion. 
 
 " You swear to me, my father, that 
 no danger threatens him if he should 
 come ? " 
 
 " I swear to you, Jane, that it will be 
 you who shall save his life ? I swear to 
 you, too, Jane, that you shall take re- 
 venge on the queen, revenge for all the 
 agony, the humiliation and despair which 
 
THE BANQUET OF DEATH. 
 
 223 
 
 you have suffered on her account I To- 
 day she is still Queen of England. To- 
 morrow she will be nothing more than a 
 guilty creature, awaiting with sighs the 
 hour of her execution, iii the dungeons 
 of the tower; while you will be Henry's 
 seventh wife. Write, therefore, daugh- 
 ter, write, and may love inspire you 
 with the most effectual words ! " 
 
 CHAPTER Y. 
 
 THE BANQUET OF DEATH. 
 
 FOR a long time the king had not been 
 so cheerful as on this festive evening ; 
 for a long time he had not shown him- 
 self so mucli the devoted and affectionate 
 husband, the gay companion, the spright- 
 ly man of the world. 
 
 The pains in his leg seemed to have 
 vanished, and e?en the weight of his 
 body seemed on the present occasion to 
 be less burdensome than usual ; for more 
 than once, he raised himself from his 
 rolling-chair and walked a few steps up 
 and down the brilliantly lighted saloon, 
 in which the ladies and gentlemen of his 
 court moved backward and forward in 
 festive attire in which music and mer- 
 ry laughter resounded. 
 
 "What tenderness he displayed on this 
 evening toward his spouse, with what 
 extraordinary favor did he greet the 
 Duke of Norfolk with what smiling at- 
 tention did he listen to the Earl of Sur- 
 rey, as the latter at the king's desire 
 
 repeated some new sonnets to Geral- 
 dine! 
 
 This marked preference for the noble 
 Howards delighted the Catholic party of 
 the court, and filled them with new 
 hopes and new confidence. 
 
 But there was present one person who 
 did not suffer himself to be deceived by 
 this mask with which Henry had for 
 the nounce covered his angry counte- 
 nance. 
 
 John Hey wood believed neither in the 
 cheerfulness nor in the conjugal affection 
 of the king. He understood his royal 
 master ; and he knew that those toward 
 whom the king displayed the most cor- 
 dial regard, had often the most to fear 
 from him. He, therefore, observed him 
 closely, and so perceived that under the 
 guise of this friendly exterior, the king's 
 real and angry countenance would some- 
 times become inflamed by a hasty and 
 sudden glance. The pealing music and 
 boisterous gaiety no longer deceived 
 John Heywood. He saw death stand- 
 ing behind this brilliant and living 
 throng; he scented the odors of cor- 
 ruption concealed amidst the fragrance 
 of these dazzling flowers. 
 
 John Heywood ceased to laugh and 
 ceased to chatter. He observed and 
 kept watch. 
 
 For the first time for a long while, 
 the king did not on the present occa- 
 sion, require the inciting pleasantries 
 and the pungent drolleries of his jester, 
 to make him cheerful and to keep him 
 in good humor. 
 
 The fool accordingly had ample leisure 
 to play the part of a rational and ob- 
 
224 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 servant being, and he took advantage of 
 his time. 
 
 He saw the looks of mutual under- 
 standing and triumphant security, which 
 were exchanged between Lord Douglas 
 and Gardiner, and he felt distrustful at 
 perceiving that those, otherwise so 
 jealous, favorites of the king, did not 
 appear in anyway disconcerted at the 
 marked favor evinced toward the How- 
 ards. 
 
 Once, he heard how Gardiner, in 
 passing near "Wriothesley, asked : " And 
 the soldiers from the Tower? " and how 
 the latter answered, in words equally 
 laconic "They are standing near the 
 carriage, waiting." 
 
 It was accordingly quite evident that 
 some one was about to be arrested this 
 very night. There was, therefore, 
 amongst this crowd of laughing, jesting, 
 and richly-arrayed courtiers, one, at 
 least, who, when he left these brilliant 
 saloons, radiant with splendor and filled 
 with exuberant mirth, would have to 
 contemplate the dreary and dismal dun- 
 geons of the Tower. 
 
 The only question was, who could the 
 individual be for whom the brilliant 
 comedy of this evening was to be 
 changed into such a melancholy 
 drama ? 
 
 John Heywood felt oppressed with 
 inexplicable anxiety, and this marked 
 tenderness of the king toward his 
 spouse filled him with apprehension and 
 terror. 
 
 As the king now smiled upon Katha- 
 rine, as he caressed her cheek, so had 
 he smiled upon Anne Bullen within the 
 
 same hour that he signed the warrant 
 for her imprisonment ; thus, too, had he 
 stroked the cheek of Buckingham on the 
 very day that he confirmed the sentence 
 of death against him. 
 
 The court jester stood aghast in pres- 
 ence of this splendid entertainment, this 
 crashing music, and this extravagant 
 gaiety of the king. He recoiled from t.he 
 mirthful faces and from the thoughtless 
 witticisms which fell from the lips of 
 the assembled guests. 
 
 Good Heavens! they laughed, and 
 death was in the midst of them; they 
 laughed, and already the gates of the 
 Tower stood open, to admit one of these 
 blithesome guests of the king into a 
 domicile, from which in those days of 
 Henry the Eighth, no one ever came 
 forth, unless to go to the stake or to 
 mount the scaffold. 
 
 Who was now the unhappy offender ? 
 For whom were the soldiers from the 
 Tower now waiting below beside the 
 carriage? In vain did John Heywood 
 rack his brain to answer this ques- 
 tion. 
 
 Nowhere was there a trace visible 
 which could set him on the right track ; 
 nowhere a clue to lead him out of this 
 labyrinth of terror. 
 
 ""When one fears the devil, it is best 
 to take refuge at the nearest shelter," 
 muttered John Heywood, and he glided 
 with a sad and trembling heart behind 
 the state chair in which the king was 
 seated, and crouched down beside him 
 on the floor. 
 
 John Heywood was of such a slight 
 and diminutive frame, and the state 
 
THE BANQUET OF DEATH. 
 
 chair of the king was so large and broad 
 that it entirely concealed the little 
 squatting figure of the jester. 
 
 No one had observed that John Hey- 
 wood lay concealed behind the king ; no 
 one perceived his large piercing eyes, 
 which scanned and overlooked the entire 
 saloon from behind the throne. 
 
 John Hey wood could hear and see all 
 that transpired in the vicinity of the 
 king; he could observe everyone who 
 approached the queen. 
 
 He also perceived Lady Jane, who 
 stood beside the chair where the queen 
 was seated. He saw how Lord Douglas 
 approached his daughter, and how s]ie 
 became deadly pale as he drew near 
 her. 
 
 John Hey wood held his breath while 
 he watched and listened. 
 
 Lord Douglas stood beside his daugh- 
 ter and nodded to her with a smile of 
 peculiar significance. " Go, now, Jane," 
 he said, " and change your attire. It is 
 time. Just observe how impatiently and 
 anxiously Henry Howard already looks 
 this way, and with what languishing 
 and amorous glances he appears to re- 
 gard the queen. Go, therefore, Jane, 
 and remember your promise." 
 
 " And will you too, my dear father, 
 remember your promise ? " asked Lady 
 Jane, with trembling lips. "Will no 
 danger threaten him ? " 
 
 " I shall do so, Jane 1 But now has- 
 ten, good daughter, and show yourself 
 discreet and skilful." 
 
 Lady Jane bowed, and muttered a few 
 unintelligible words. She then ap- 
 proached the queen, and begged permis- 
 15 
 
 sion to leave the 
 
 sudden and violent headache. 
 
 Lady Jane's countenance was so 
 deadly pale, that the queen could readily 
 believe in the indisposition of her first 
 maid of honor, and permitted her to re- 
 tire. 
 
 Lady Jane left the saloon, and the 
 queen resumed her conversation with 
 Lord Hertford, who stood near her. 
 
 It was a very lively and earnest collo- 
 quy, and the queen accordingly gave but 
 little heed to what was passing around 
 her, and heard nothing of the conver- 
 sation between the king and ord Doug- 
 las. 
 
 John Heywood who was still crouch- 
 ing behind the king's state chair, ob- 
 served all, and heard every word of 
 this lightly whispered dialogue. 
 
 "Sire," said Lord Douglas, "it ia 
 late, and the midnight hour is fast ap- 
 proaching. Will it please your majesty 
 to close the festivity ? For you know 
 we must be in the green garden-cham- 
 ber, yonder, by midnight, and it is some 
 distance thither." 
 
 "Yes, yes, by midnight," murmured 
 the king; "by midnight the carnival 
 is over, and then we shall tear off the 
 masks, and show our angry counte- 
 nance to the guilty! By midnight we 
 must be yonder in the green chamber. 
 Yes, Douglas, we must make haste, for 
 it would be cruel to let the affectionate 
 Surrey wait any longer. We will also 
 give his Geraldine leave to quit the 
 festivity, and we must ourselves set out 
 on our way. Ah! Douglas, the road 
 we have to travel is a hard one, but 
 
226 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 
 Nemesis and the Eumonides shall be 
 our torch-bearers Vengeance and the 
 Furies our lit companions. To work, 
 then to work! " 
 
 The king rose from his chair and 
 approached the queen, to whom he 
 gave his hand, with an affectionate 
 smile. 
 
 " It is late, my sweet lady," he said, 
 "and we, although the king of so many 
 subjects, are still ourself the subject of 
 another king, that is to say, of our phy- 
 sician, and we must obey him. He has 
 commanded me to seek my couch before 
 midnight, and I obey as a loyal subject 
 should do. We therefore wish you a 
 good-night, Kate, and may those bright 
 eyes of yours be as star-like to-morrow 
 as they are this evening." 
 
 "They will be equally bright to mor- 
 row, if my lord and spouse should be 
 still as gracious to me as he has been 
 to-day," said Katharine, without suspi- 
 cion or constraint, as she presented 
 her hand to the king. 
 
 Henry bestowed upon her a penetrat- 
 ing and distrustful look, and a peculiar 
 and malicious expression played over 
 his features. 
 
 " Do you believe then, Kate, that we 
 could ever be ungracious toward you ? " 
 be asked. 
 
 " I think," she replied, smiling, " that 
 even the sun does not always shine and 
 that a dark night often follows the 
 brightest day." 
 
 The king made no reply. He looked 
 for a moment into her face with a 
 fixed gaze, and then his features sud- 
 denly assumed a milder expression. 
 
 Perchance he felt compassion for his 
 young wife ; perhaps he felt pity for her 
 youth, and thought of that bewitching 
 smile, which had so often gladdened and 
 refreshed his heart. 
 
 Lord Douglas at least certainly feared 
 so. 
 
 , " Sire," he said, " it is late ; it is near 
 midnight already." 
 
 " Then let us go," said the king, with 
 a sigh. " Once more, then, Kate, good- 
 night ! "No, do not follow me ; I wish 
 to leave the saloon quite unobserved ; 
 and I shall be pleased if my guests will 
 prolong this festivity until morning. All 
 remain here; no one accompanies me 
 but Douglas." 
 
 "And your brother, the fool," said 
 John Heywood, who for some time had 
 come out from his hiding-place, and 
 now stood beside the king. "Yes, 
 brother Henry, let us leave this ban- 
 quet. It becomes not sages like us to 
 favor the assembly of fools any longer 
 with our presence. Come along to 
 your couch, king, and I'll lull you to 
 sleep with my wise proverbs, and re- 
 fresh your soul with the manna of my 
 learning." 
 
 While John Heywood was thus 
 speaking, it did not escape him that 
 the earl's brow became suddenly clouded, 
 and that his features assumed a sinister 
 expression. 
 
 " Keep your wisdom to yourself for 
 the present, John," said the king, " for 
 you would only be preaching to deaf 
 ears. I am tired, and I have no wish 
 for your learning, but for sleep. Good- 
 night, John ! " 
 
THE BANQUET OF DEATH. 
 
 227 
 
 The king left the saloon, leaning on 
 the arm of Lord I>juglas. 
 
 " So I see ray Lord Douglas does not 
 want me to accompany the king," mut- 
 tered John Heywood, to himself. " He 
 is afraid the king will tell me something 
 about this devilish hob-goblin scene 
 which is to take place about midnight. 
 Well, then, I call the devil my brother, 
 just as much as the king, and with the 
 help of his infernal majesty, I, too, shall 
 be in the green-room at midnight. The 
 queen is already leaving, and there goes 
 the Duke of Norfolk. I am rather curi- 
 ous to see if the duke escapes safely, or 
 whether the soldiers who, according to 
 "Wriothesley, are standing near his car- 
 riage, will perchance be the duke's body- 
 guards to-night." 
 
 Gliding stealthily from the saloon. 
 John Heywood reached the anteroom 
 before the duke, and hastened forward 
 to the outer gate in front of which the 
 carriages were drawn up in rank. 
 
 John Hey wood leaned against one of 
 the pillars, and watched. A few min- 
 utes and the tall, stately figure of the 
 duke appeared in the outer hall, while 
 his carriage was ordered by one of the 
 servants in attendance. 
 
 The carriage advanced the door was 
 opened. 
 
 Two men wrapped in dark cloaks sat be- 
 side the driver; two others stood behind, 
 while a fifth waited at the open carriage 
 door. 
 
 The duke did not notice it until his 
 foot had already touched the step. 
 
 " That is not my carriage ! These are 
 not my servants ! " he exclaimed, draw- 
 
 ing back. But the pretended servant 
 pushed him forward impetuously into 
 the carriage, and closed the door. 
 
 u Forward ! " he shouted, and the 
 vehicle rolled away. 
 
 For a moment John Heywood per- 
 ceived the pale features of the duke 
 through the open window of the car- 
 riage, and it seemed as if he stretched 
 out his arms entreatingly for help, and 
 then the carriage vanished in the dark- 
 ness. 
 
 " Unhappy duke ! " murmured John 
 Heywood. u The gates of the Tower are 
 heavy, and your arms will never be 
 strong enough to open them, when they 
 have once closed behind you. But it is 
 useless to think of him at the present 
 moment. The queen, too, is in danger. 
 Away then to the queen ! " 
 
 With lightning steps, John Heywood 
 hastened back into the palace. Swiftly he 
 glided along through corridors and pas- 
 
 He had now reached the corridor that 
 led to the queen's apartments. 
 
 "I shall mount guard for her to- 
 night," muttered John Heywood, as he 
 concealed himself in a niche in the cor- 
 ridor. " The fool, with his prayers, will 
 banish every devilish apparition from the 
 door of his saints, and will protect them 
 from the snares in which the pious 
 Bishop Gardiner and the sly courtier, 
 Douglas, wish to entrap them. No, my 
 queen shall not fall a victim to their 
 wiles. May the fool still live to protect 
 her!" 
 
228 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 THE QUEEN. 
 
 FKOM the niche in which John Hey- 
 wood had concealed himself, he had a 
 full view of the entire corridor and of 
 all the doors which opened upon it : he 
 could hear all and see all, without being 
 seen himself, for the projecting pillars 
 of the wall securely sheltered him from 
 observation. 
 
 Accordingly, John Heywood stood 
 and listened. In the corridor all was 
 still. In the distance could now and then 
 be heard subdued sounds of music, while 
 a confused murmur of many voices 
 borne along from the banquet-chamber, 
 fell upon the ear of the listener. 
 
 This was all that John Heywood conld 
 hear: beyond this there was perfect 
 stillness. 
 
 But this stillness was of brief dura- 
 tion. The corridor was suddenly lighted 
 up, and rapid footfalls were heard ap- 
 proaching. 
 
 It was the gold-laced footmen, bear- 
 ing large silver candlesticks to light the 
 way for the queen, who was advancing 
 along the corridor accompanied by her 
 ladies. 
 
 She looked extremely beautiful. The 
 brilliancy of the wax-lights borne be- 
 fore her illumined her countenance, 
 which beamed serenely. As she passed 
 along near the pillars, behind which 
 John Heywood stood, she spoke with 
 unconstrained mirth and animation to 
 both her maids of honor, and when a 
 cheerful peal of laughter burst from her 
 lips, she displayed to view a set of teeth 
 
 of dazzling whiter oss. Tier eyes glowed, 
 her cheeks were suffused with an exqui- 
 site roseate hue; the brilliants in the 
 diadem which decked her lofty brow 
 glistened like stars ; and like liquid gold 
 shone her rich brocaded robe, the train 
 of which, bordered with dark ermine, 
 was held by two youthful pages. 
 
 Having reached the door of her cham- 
 ber, the queen dismissed her pages and 
 her other male attendants: her ladies 
 of honor alone were permitted to enter 
 the sleeping apartment. 
 
 The pages conversed together with 
 thoughtless gaiety, retired along the pas- 
 sage and down the steps. Then came 
 the footmen who had carried the wax- 
 lights. They too, forsook the corridor. 
 .And now once more all was still. 
 John Heywood continued to listen, 
 firmly resolved to speak to the queen 
 this very night, even though he should 
 have to rouse her from sleep. He was 
 only waiting a little longer until the 
 ladies of honor should also have left the 
 apartment. 
 
 At length the door opened and the 
 maids of honor came out. They pro- 
 ceeded along the corridor in the direc- 
 tion in which their own chambers were 
 situated. John Heywood heard them 
 open their doors, and fasten the bolts 
 when they had entered. 
 
 " Now then, only a short time, and I 
 shall go to the queen," murmured John 
 Heywood. 
 
 He was just upon the point of quitting 
 his hiding place, when he heard a slight 
 creaking sound, as if a door was being 
 opened slowly and cautiously. 
 
THE QUEEN. 
 
 229 
 
 John Hey wood crouched closely be- 
 hind the pillars, and held his breath in 
 order to listen. 
 
 A bright gleam of light fell athwart 
 the corridor. The rustling of a garment 
 was heard approaching. Astonished 
 and amazed, John Heywood closely 
 scanned a female form which hnrried 
 along close to the spot where he lay, 
 but without perceiving him. 
 
 The figure was that of Lady Jane 
 Douglas. 
 
 Lady Jane, had left the banquet- 
 room from indisposition, in order to re- 
 tire to rest And now, when all were 
 sleeping she was awake when all the 
 others had put off their festive attire, 
 she had resumed hers. Like the queen, 
 she wore a robe of gold brocade, bor- 
 dered with ermine, and like her too, a 
 diadem of brilliants adorned Lady Jane's 
 brow. 
 
 She now stood before the queen's 
 door and listened. Then a derisive and 
 scornful smile seemed for a moment to 
 flit over her features, which were dead- 
 ly pale, and her dark eyes flashed with 
 & fierce lustre, 
 
 " She sleeps," murmured Lady Jane. 
 41 Sleep on, queen, sleep on, till we come 
 to rouse you up. To rouse you up! 
 Sleep, in order that I may be able to 
 watch in your stead ! " 
 
 She raised her arm with a threaten- 
 ing gesture toward the door and shook 
 her head wildly. Her long raven looks, 
 like the snakes of Erinnys, swept around 
 her dark brow ; and pale, and colorless, 
 and beautiful as a demon, as she was, 
 she resembled nothing so much as the 
 
 goddess of revenge, preparing with 
 scornful triumph to trample her victim 
 in the dust. 
 
 With a faint laugh she now glided 
 along the corridor, but not to yonder 
 flight of steps, but farther on toward 
 the end, where the large portrait of 
 Henry the Sixth hung on the wall. She 
 pressed a spring, the picture opened, and 
 through a door concealed behind it, Lady 
 Jane disappeared. 
 
 " She is going into the green saloon to 
 keep her rendezvous with Henry How- 
 ard! " whispered John Heywood, who 
 now stepped forth from behind the pil- 
 lars. " Ah, now I understand it ail- 
 now the whole of this devilish scheme is 
 quite clear. Lady Jane is the inamorata 
 of the Earl of Surrey, and they will try 
 to make the king believe that it is the 
 queen. Doubtless this Surrey himself is 
 in the plot, and perhaps he will even call 
 Jane Douglas by the queen's name. The 
 king will only be suffered to see her for 
 a moment. She wears a robe of gold 
 brocade, and a diadem like the queen, 
 and by this means they hope to impose 
 upon the king. Her figure is exactly 
 like the queen's, and every one knows 
 the wonderful resemblance of Lady 
 Jane's voice to that of the queen. Ho, 
 ho, the trick is not bad ! But with all 
 their cunning, the victory won't be 
 theirs. Patience, only a little patience! 
 We, too, shall be in the green saloon, 
 and we shall bring the real queen face 
 to face with her would-be representa- 
 tive!" 
 
 With hasty steps John Heywood also 
 quitted the corridor, which was now sol- 
 
230 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 itary and still, for the qneen had retired 
 to rest. 
 
 Yes, the queen slept, and yet every 
 thing had been prepared for her recep- 
 tion yonder in the green chamber. 
 
 It was to be a very splendid and ex- 
 traordinary reception, for the king in 
 person had repaired to that wing of the 
 palace, and the chief master of the cere- 
 monies, Lord Douglas, had accompanied 
 him. 
 
 1 This journey, which the king was 
 obliged to perform on foot, had been 
 very fatiguing to him, but this fatigue 
 only made him all the more furious and 
 enraged, and the least trace of mercy 
 for his queen had now vanished from the 
 king's breast ; for it was on Katharine's 
 account that he had been compelled to 
 go this long distance to the green saloon, 
 and with a grim delight Henry only 
 thought how terrible would be the 
 punishment of Henry Howard and also 
 of Katharine. 
 
 Now that Lord Douglas had conducted 
 him hither, the king no longer doubted 
 of the queen's guilt. It was no longer an 
 accusation ; it was a proof. For never 
 would Lord Douglas have dared to bring 
 him, his king, to this place, unless he 
 were certain that he could here furnish 
 him with infallible proofs. 
 
 The king, therefore, doubted no long- 
 er. Henry Howard was at length in 
 his power, and could no longer escape 
 him. He was accordingly certain of 
 being at length able to bring both his 
 hated enemies to the scaffold, so that he 
 should no longer feel his sleep disturbed 
 by thinking of his two powerful rivals. 
 
 The Duke of Norfolk had already 
 passed the gates of the Tower, and his 
 son would shortly follow him. 
 
 This thought afforded the king such 
 ferocious delight, that he forgot for the 
 moment that this very sword which was 
 to fall upon the head of Henry Howard, 
 was also hanging over the queen. 
 
 They had already reached the green 
 saloon, and the king, panting and groan- 
 ing leaned upon the arm of Lord Douglas, 
 
 This immense saloon with its antique 
 furniture and its faded splendor, was 
 only dimly and scantily lighted up in the 
 centre by the two wax tapers of the 
 branch candlestick which Lord Douglas 
 had brought with him, while in the 
 distance it seemed shrouded in darkness, 
 and, through this darkness, appeared to 
 the eye to extend itself to an unlimited 
 distance. 
 
 " Yonder, through that door will come 
 the queen," said Douglas, and he started 
 at the loud tone of his own voice, 
 which acquired an awful resonance in 
 this large dreary hall. "And this, close 
 by, is the entrance of Henry Howard. 
 Oh ! he knows the way quite well, for he 
 has trodden it often enough in the dark 
 already, and his foot stumbles at no ob- 
 stacle." 
 
 " Perhaps, however, it will stumble on 
 the scaffold I " muttered Henry, with a 
 grim laugh. 
 
 " I will now allow myself to ask only 
 one question," said Douglas, and the 
 king little suspected how violently this 
 question caused the earl's heart to trem- 
 ble. "Will it suffice your majesty to 
 see the earl and the queen both appear at 
 
THE QUEEN. 
 
 231 
 
 tlie appointed rendezvous ? Or do you 
 also wish to hear a little of the earl's 
 endearing protestations ? " 
 " Not a little, but all ! I will hear all," 
 said the king. " Nay, we must let this 
 noble swan sing his farewell song before 
 he plunges down into the sea of blood ! " 
 
 " Then, in that case." said Douglas, 
 "we must extinguish these lights, and 
 your majesty must be content with 
 hearing the guilty pair, without seeing 
 them! We will, therefore, at once, 
 retire to the boudoir, which I have got 
 ready for this purpose, and in which an 
 arm-chair is prepared for your majesty. 
 We will then place this chair near the 
 open door, which will enable your maj- 
 esty to hear every word of their tender 
 dalliance." 
 
 " But how shall we eventually be able 
 to gain a sight of this affectionate couple, 
 and procure for them the dramatic 
 surprise of our presence, if we extinguish 
 the only lights which we have got ? " 
 
 " Sire, as soon as the Earl of Surrey, 
 has entered, twenty men of the royal 
 body guard will take possession of the 
 ante-room through which the earl must 
 pass, and it will only require a summons 
 from you to make them enter the saloon 
 with their torches. I have also taken 
 care that at the private door behind the 
 palace, two coaches shall be in readi- 
 ness, the drivers of which are well ac- 
 quainted with the streets which lead to 
 the Tower." 
 
 ** Two coaches ! " said the king, laugh- 
 ing. " Ah, Douglas, how very cruel we 
 are ! To think of separating such a lov- 
 ing pair upon this journey, which indeed 
 
 will be their last! Now, perhaps, we 
 may be able to compensate them for 
 this, by allowing these turtle-doves to 
 travel together on their last road the 
 road that leads to the scaffold. No, no, 
 we won't separate them in death. They 
 shall both lay their heads on "the block 
 together I " 
 
 The king laughed, quite gratified with 
 his own pleasantry, while leaning on the 
 arm of the earl, he proceeded to the lit- 
 tle boudoir beyond, and seated himself 
 in the arm-chair which was placed in- 
 side the door. 
 
 " We must now put out the light, and 
 may it please your majesty to await in 
 silence the events which shall speedily 
 come to pass." 
 
 The earl extinguished the light, and a 
 profound darkness and a death-like still- 
 ness succeeded. 
 
 But this did not continue long. The 
 sound of footsteps was heard quite dis- 
 tinctly; they came nearer and nearer, 
 and now a door was heard to open and 
 again to shut, and it seemed as if some 
 one were gliding gently into the saloon 
 on tip-toe. 
 
 " Henry Howard I " whispered Doug- 
 las. 
 
 The king could scarcely restrain the 
 cry of wild malicious joy which now rose 
 to his lips. 
 
 The hated enemy was at present in his 
 power; he was convicted of his crime; 
 tie was irrecoverably lost. 
 
 " Geraldine ! " whispered a voice. 
 "Geraldine! " 
 
 And as if a faint signal had already 
 sufficed to attract the inamorata, a secret 
 
232 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 door was here opened in the immediate 
 vicinity of the boudoir ; the rustling of 
 robes too was distinctly heard, and the 
 sound of footsteps. 
 
 " Geraldine ! " repeated the Earl of 
 Surrey. 
 
 " Here I am, my Henry ! " 
 
 With an outburst of delight, the wo- 
 man rushed forward toward the sound 
 of the beloved voice. 
 
 " The queen ! " murmured Henry, and 
 involuntarily he felt his heart seized with 
 a bitter pang. 
 
 He saw with his inward eye how they 
 held each other in close embrace; he 
 could even hear the kisses which they 
 exchanged, and the soft whispers of their 
 mutual endearments ; and all the bitter- 
 ness of jealousy and anger filled his soul. 
 But still the king succeeded in preserving 
 silence and self-restraint, and devoured 
 his rage inwardly. He wished to hear 
 all to know all. 
 
 . He clasped his hands convulsively in 
 each other, and pressed his lips firmly 
 together, in order to check his troubled 
 breathing. He wanted to hear. 
 
 How happy they both were ! Henry 
 Howard had quite forgotten that he had 
 come in order to reproach her for her 
 long silence. She, on her part, had no 
 thought that this was to be the last 
 time she should see the man whom she 
 loved. 
 
 They were now together, and their 
 hours were their own. "What cared they 
 for the whole world why stop to in- 
 quire if afterward ruin and destruction 
 should overtake them. 
 
 They sat down side by side on an otto- 
 
 man which stood at a short distance 
 from the boudoir. They jested and 
 laughed in playful dalliance, and Henry 
 Howard kissed away the tears whicfc 
 the rapture of the moment drew from 
 the eyes of his Geraldine. 
 
 He vowed to her eternal, unchanging 
 love. In blissful silence she drank in the 
 music of his words, and then with exult- 
 ant delight she returned the vows which 
 he had pledged. 
 
 The king was now scarcely able any 
 longer to curb his rage. 
 
 The heart of Lord Douglas bounded 
 with satisfaction and content. "How 
 fortunate that Jane does not suspect our 
 presence," he thought. "She would 
 otherwise have been more reserved and 
 less ardent, and the ear of the king 
 would have imbibed less poison." 
 
 Lady Jane never bestowed a thought 
 upon her father ; scarcely even did she 
 remember that her hated rival, the 
 queen, would this night be brought to 
 ruin. 
 
 Henry Howard had only called her his 
 Geraldine. Jane had quite forgotten 
 that it was not herself to whom her 
 lover had given this name. 
 
 But at length he reminded her of it 
 himself. 
 
 "Do you know, Geraldine," said the 
 Earl of Surrey, and his voice which had 
 hitherto been so blythe and gladsome, 
 now became sad. " Do you know, Ger- 
 aldine, that I had begun to doubt you ? 
 Oh, these were fearful, terrible hours, 
 and in my agony of mind I at length 
 formed the resolution of going to the 
 king and accusing myself of this love 
 
TIIK QUEEN," MURMURED HENRY. 
 
 P 232. 
 
THE QUEEN. 
 
 233 
 
 which consumed me inwardly. Oh, 
 don't be alarmed ! I would not have ac- 
 cused you, Geraldine nay, I would even 
 have denied this love which you have so 
 often avowed in words that filled me 
 with rapture. I would have done so, in 
 order to discover if my Geraldine could 
 eventually gain the strength arid courage 
 to confess her love freely and openly if 
 her heart had the power of bursting 
 asunder those iron shackles which the 
 deceitful laws of the world had imposed 
 upon it if she would still cleave to her 
 lover when he might be condemned to 
 die for her sake. Yes, Geraldine, I in- 
 tended to do this, in order that I might 
 know at length whether you were 
 swayed most by love or by pride, and 
 whether you could even then preserve 
 the mask of indifference, when death 
 should flap his wings around your lover's 
 head. Oh, Geraldine, I would have 
 thought it a far more enviable fate to die 
 united with thee than to be compelled 
 any longer to bear this life of constraint 
 and hateful etiquette." 
 
 "No, no," she replied, trembling. 
 " We will not die ! Life is filled with 
 loveliness when you are beside me, and 
 who knows if a happy and blissful future 
 does not yet await us ? " 
 
 "But were we to die we should be 
 certain of this blissful future, my Geral- 
 dine ! In the realms beyond the skies 
 we shall no longer be separated or held 
 apart ; for there you will be mine, and 
 the blood-stained form of your hus- 
 band will no longer stand between 
 us! " 
 
 " Nay, even here upon earth it shall 
 
 no longer stand between us," whispered 
 Geraldine. "Come, my Henry, let us 
 fly, far, far hence, where we shall be 
 unknown, and where we can fling aside 
 all this wretched splendor, in order 
 to live for ourselves, and for love 
 alone ! " 
 
 She threw her arms around her lover, 
 and in the extasy of her passion she quite 
 forgot that she could never dare to fly 
 with him, and that he was hers only so 
 long as he did not see her. 
 
 An inexplicable anxiety overpowered 
 her heart, and this emotion had made 
 her forget all even the queen, and the 
 vengeance which she had promised her- 
 self. 
 
 She now remembered the words of 
 her father, and she trembled for the fate 
 of her lover. 
 
 If her father had not told her the 
 truth if rather, in order to ruin the 
 queen, he had sacrificed Henry Howard ! 
 If she were not in a position to save him, 
 and that he, through her fault, should 
 fall a victim on the scaffold ! 
 
 But the fleeting moments were still 
 her own, and she would fain enjoy them 
 ere they sped. 
 
 She clung round her lover's neck, and 
 clasped him with irresistible force to her 
 heart, which now no longer trembled 
 with love, but with emotions of unspeak- 
 able anxiety. 
 
 " Let us fly, let us fly ! " she repeated 
 breathless. " The present hour is still 
 our own, let us avail ourselves of it, 
 for who knows if the next will belong 
 to us?" 
 
 " No, it will not belong to you! " cried 
 
234 
 
 HENRY YIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 the king, springing forward from his 
 chair like an enraged lion. " Your hours 
 are already numbered, and the next be- 
 longs to the headsman ! " 
 
 A piercing shriek burst from Geral- 
 dine's lips, and then a dull sound was 
 heard as of one who had fallen to the 
 ground. 
 
 " She has swooned," murmured Doug- 
 las. 
 
 " Geraldine ! Geraldine ! my beloved," 
 cried Henry Howard. " Gracious hea- 
 vens, she is dying, ye have killed her ! 
 Woe betide ye I " 
 
 " Woe betide thyself! " said the king, 
 with grave solemnity. "Forward with 
 lights, here, my men ! " 
 
 The door of the anteroom opened, 
 and four men bearing torches immedi- 
 ately appeared. 
 
 " Give us lights here, and guard the 
 door ! " said the king, whose dazzled 
 eyes were yet unable to bear the bright 
 glare which now suddenly tilled the sa- 
 loon. 
 
 The soldiers obeyed his commands. 
 A pause ensued. The king placed his 
 hand before his eyes and struggled for 
 breath and composure. 
 
 When at length he withdrew his 
 hand, his features had assumed a perfect- 
 ly placid and almost cheerful expression. 
 With a sudden glance he scanned the 
 whole scene. He saw the queen in her 
 gold-giistening attire; he saw how she 
 lay upon the floor, stretched at full 
 length with her face toward the ground, 
 stiff and motionless. 
 
 He saw Henry Howard, who knelt 
 beside his beloved one, and who with 
 
 all the anxious pangs of a lover was 
 bending over her. He saw how he 
 pressed her hand to his lips, and how 
 he laid his hand upon her head to raise 
 it from the ground. 
 
 The king was speechless with rage; 
 he could only raise his arm in order to 
 beckon to the soldiers to approach, and 
 to point to Henry Howard, who had 
 not yet succeeded in lifting the queen 
 from her prostrate position. 
 
 " Seize him ! " cried Lord Douglas, 
 lending utterance to the silent nod of 
 the king. " Seize him in the king's 
 name, and conduct him to the Tower [ " 
 
 " Yes, seize him ! " said tlie king, and 
 advancing with youthful alacrity tow- 
 ard Henry Howard, and laying his hand 
 heavily on the shoulders of the young 
 earl, he continued with awful calmness : 
 u Henry Howard, your wishes shall be 
 fulfilled, you shall mount the scaffold 
 for which you have such an ardent long- 
 ing." 
 
 The noble countenance of the earl re- 
 mained placid and unmoved : his clear, 
 beaming eye, fearless and unflinching, 
 met the king's anger-darting glance. 
 
 " Sire," he replied, " my life is in 
 your hands, and I know you will not 
 spare it ! I do not therefore beg for it. 
 Only spare this noble and beautiful lady, 
 whose only crime is that she followed 
 the dictates of her heart ! I alone, sire, 
 am culpable. Punish me, therefore 
 even with the rack, if it so please you 
 but be merciful to her ! " 
 
 The king burst into a fit of loud 
 laughter. " Ah, he intercedes for her." 
 said he. "This little Earl of Surrey 
 
THE QUEEN. 
 
 235 
 
 of ours, has the assurance to think that 
 his sentimental woes can influence the 
 heart of his judge! No, no, Henry 
 Howard, you know me better! You 
 said just now I was a cruel man, and 
 that ray crown was stained with blood. 
 Be it so : it pleases us to set a fresh 
 blood-ruby in our crown, and if it be 
 our will to take it from Geraldine's 
 heart your poetic effusions won't hinder 
 us, my good little earl. That is my an- 
 swer for you, and I believe this will be 
 the last time that we shall meet again 
 in this world ! " 
 
 "Then we shall again meet in the 
 world to come, King Henry of Eng- 
 land ! " said the Earl of Surrey, solemn- 
 ly. " Before a higher tribunal, Henry 
 the Eighth will no longer be a judge, 
 but a condemned criminal, and his 
 bloodthirsty and accursed deeds will 
 testify against him." 
 
 The king laughed. "You are now 
 taking advantage of your position," he 
 replied. " As you have nothing more to 
 lose, and that the scaffold is your certain 
 doom, you incur no risk in filling up the 
 measure of your sins by blaspheming 
 the king, whom God has sent to rule 
 over you. But you should reflect, my 
 lord, that before the scaffold comes the 
 rack, and that it is very possible some 
 crucial questions may be addressed to 
 the noble Earl of Surrey, in answering 
 which, his tortures may offer some im- 
 pediment. And now away ! We have 
 nothing more to say to each other upon 
 earth." 
 
 Upon a signal from the king, the 
 soldiers approached the earl. When 
 
 they stretched out their hands to seize 
 him, he glanced at them with such a 
 lofty and commanding air that they in- 
 voluntarily drew back. 
 
 "Follow me!" said Henry Howard, 
 calmly, and, without deigning to cast 
 another look at the king, he strode with 
 proudly raised head toward the door. 
 
 Geraldine still lay on the floor with 
 her face toward the ground. She con- 
 tinued motionless, and seemed to have 
 fallen into a deep swoon. Except that 
 when the door closed with a heavy crash 
 behind the Earl of Surrey, a faint moan- 
 ing was heard, like the sigh which bursts 
 from the dying in their final agony. 
 
 The king heeded it not. He still con- 
 tinued to look with a morose and angry 
 scowl toward the door through which 
 the Earl of Surrey had passed. 
 
 " He is inflexible," he murmured ; 
 u even the rack has no terrors for him ; 
 and in his haughty and blasphemous 
 pride, he went forth into the midst of 
 the soldiers, not like a prisoner, but 
 like a commander. Oh, these Howards 
 have been predestined for my martyr- 
 dom, and even their death will scarcely 
 afford me full satisfaction ! " 
 
 " Sire," said Lord Douglas, who had 
 watched the king with a keen, penetrat- 
 ing eye, and who know that the mon- 
 arch had now reached that climax of 
 his anger when he recoiled from no 
 deed of violence or cruelty, " Sire, you 
 have sent the Earl of Surrey to the 
 Tower. But what is to be done with 
 the queen, who lies there on the floor 
 fainting ? " 
 
 The king recovered from his moody 
 
236 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 reflections, and turned his blood-shot 
 eyes toward the motionless form of Ger- 
 aldine, with such a fierce look of hatred 
 and rage that Lord Douglas said to him- 
 self exultingly : 
 
 " The queen is lost 1 He will he inex- 
 orahle " 
 
 u Ah. the queen?" exclaimed Henry, 
 with a grim laugh. " Why, truly, I for- 
 got the queen ! This charming Geraldine 
 had escaped my thoughts. But you are 
 right, Douglas, we must think of her, 
 and just consider for a moment what is 
 to be done. Did you not say that a 
 second coach was in readiness? Very 
 well, then, we will not hinder Geraldine 
 from following her lover. Where he is 
 she should be. In the Tower and upon 
 the scaffold ! We will therefore rouse 
 up this sentimental lady, and show her 
 a final act of courtesy by conducting 
 her to her coach ! " 
 
 He was about to approach the pros- 
 trate form of the queen, when Lord 
 Douglas restrained him. 
 
 "Sire," he said, "it is my duty as 
 your faithful subject, who loves you, and 
 trembles for your welfare. it is my 
 duty to beseech you to spare yourself, 
 and to preserve your precious and wor- 
 shipful person from the envenomed 
 stings of care and anger. I entreat you, 
 therefore, not to bestow upon this wo- 
 man, who has so deeply offended you, 
 another look ; command me as to what 
 shall be done with her, and permit me, 
 first of all, to accompany you to your 
 chamber! " 
 
 "You are right," said the king ; " she 
 is not worthy that my eye should again 
 
 rest upon her ; she is even unworthy of 
 my anger. We will, therefore call the 
 soldiers, and let them conduct this arch- 
 traitress and adulteress to the Tower, as 
 they have conducted her paramour." 
 
 " One formality is still wanting for 
 that purpose, sire; the queen will not 
 be admitted into the Tower without a 
 written order signed and sealed by the 
 king." 
 
 " Then I shall prepare such order." 
 
 " Sire, if it please your majesty, the 
 necessary writing-materials will be found 
 in this cabinet close at hand." 
 
 The king leaned in silence upon the 
 arm of Lord Douglas, and suffered him- 
 self to be led once more into the cabi- 
 net. 
 
 The earl made all preparations with 
 eager speed. He rolled forward the 
 writing - table toward the king. He 
 laid the large sheet of paper straight, 
 and thrust the pen into the king's hand. 
 
 "What shall I write?" asked the 
 king, who was already becoming ex- 
 hausted from the efforts he had made in 
 his nocturnal excursion, and from anger 
 and vexation. 
 
 "An order for the imprisonment of 
 the queen, sire." 
 
 The king wrote. Lord Douglas stood 
 behind him with strained attention, and 
 in breathless expectation, his looks 
 firmly fixed on the paper over which 
 glided rapidly the white, plump hand of 
 the king, glistening with costly rings. 
 
 At length he had reached the goal. If 
 once he should hold in his hand the paper 
 which the king was then writing, if he 
 afterward should have induced Henry to 
 
THE QUEEX. 
 
 237 
 
 return to his chamber before the seizure 
 of the queen had ensued, then the vic- 
 tory was his own. It would not be the 
 woman who lay there prostrate whom 
 he would imprison ; but with the order 
 for committal in his hand, he would go 
 to the real queen, and conduct her to 
 the Tower. 
 
 Once in the Tower, the queen could 
 no longer justify herself; for the king 
 would see her no more, and though she 
 should protest her innocence before her 
 judges with the most sacred oaths, yet 
 the testimony of the king would convict 
 her, for he himself had surprised her 
 with her paramour. 
 
 No ; there remained no further escape 
 for the queen. She had once succeeded 
 in clearing herself from an accusation, 
 and proving her innocence by a well-es- 
 tablished alibi; but on this occasion she 
 was hopelessly lost, and no further alibi 
 could set her free. 
 
 The king had finished his work, and 
 stood up, while Douglas, at his com- 
 mand, was busily occupied in setting 
 the royal seal to the fateful warrant. 
 
 A faint sound was now heard in the 
 direction of the saloon, as if some one 
 were moving about cautiously there. 
 
 Lord Douglas paid no attention to it ; 
 he was just in the act of applying the 
 seal to the molten wax. 
 
 The king, however, heard it, and 
 suspected it might be Geraldine who 
 had recovered from her swoon, and 
 who was endeavoring to rise from the 
 ground. 
 
 He stepped forward to the door of the 
 cabinet, and looked toward the spot 
 
 where she lay ; but no she had not yet 
 moved from her prostrate position. 
 
 "She has recovered, but she still 
 feigns insensibility," thought the king, 
 and he turned toward Douglas. 
 
 "Our work is finished," said he; 
 "the warrant is ready, and sentence 
 has already been pronounced upon the 
 faithless queen. We renounce her 
 from this time forth, and never more 
 shall she behold our face, or hear the 
 sound of our voice. Her sentence and 
 her doom are already pronounced, and 
 the royal favor has no further concern 
 with such a sinner. A curse upon the 
 adulteress a curse upon the shameless 
 woman, who deceived her husband, and 
 who gave herself up to a traitorous 
 paramour! "Woe betide her, and may 
 infamy and disgrace ever attend her 
 name, which " 
 
 The king suddenly broke off and lis- 
 tened. The sound which he had pre- 
 viously heard now became louder and 
 more distinct : it came nearer and 
 nearer. 
 
 And now the door opened, and a fe- 
 male form entered a form which made 
 the king grow pale with wonder and 
 astonishment. She approached nearer 
 and nearer, radiant with youthful 
 charms. A robe of gold brocade en- 
 wrapped her figure, a diadem of bril- 
 liants gleamed upon her brow, and 
 brighter than the jewels which she wore 
 beamed her eyes. 
 
 No, the king was not deceived. It 
 was the queen. She stood before him ; 
 and yet there she lay, motionless, and 
 stiff as ever, upon the floor beyond. 
 
238 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 The king uttered an exclamation, and 
 recoiled with terror and amazement. 
 
 " The queen ! " cried Lord Douglas, 
 and he trembled so violently that the 
 paper he held in his hand shook and 
 waved as if his hand were palsied. 
 
 " Yes, the queen ! " said Katharine, 
 with a proud, triumphant smile. " It is 
 the queen, who comes to chide her 
 husband for being awake at so late an 
 hour of the night, contrary to the ad- 
 vice of his physician." 
 
 u And the fool," said John Hey wood, 
 presenting himself with a look of comic 
 pathos behind the queen "the fool, 
 who comes in order to ask Lord Douglas 
 how he dares attempt to depose John 
 Heywood from his office, by usurping 
 the place of court fool to King Henry, 
 and playing all sorts of stupid antics and 
 masquerading pranks before his most 
 gracious majesty ? " 
 
 " "Who, then," cried the king, darting 
 at Lord Douglas a furious and scathing 
 glance, while his voice trembled with 
 rage " who, then, is that woman lying 
 upon the floor? Who has dared to 
 impose upon the king with this ac- 
 cursed mummery, and to calumniate the 
 queen ? " 
 
 " Sire," said Lord Douglas, who well 
 knew that upon the present moment de- 
 pended his own and his daughter's fu- 
 ture destiny, and to whom this conscious- 
 ness speedily restored his composure and 
 presence of mind "sire, I entreat your 
 majesty for a moment's private con- 
 versation, and I shall completely succeed 
 in explaining matters to your satisfac- 
 tion." 
 
 "Do not grant his request, brother 
 Henry," said John Heywood "he is a 
 dangerous juggler, and who knows but 
 that in this private colloquy he might 
 attempt to convince you that he is the 
 king, and that you are nothing but his 
 cringing, fawning and hypocritical ser- 
 vant, Lord Archibald Douglas? " 
 
 " My lord and husband, I beg of you 
 to hear the justification of the earl," 
 said Katharine, with a bewitching smile. 
 " It would be cruel to condemn him un- 
 heard." 
 
 " I will hear him, but it shall be in 
 your presence, Kate, and you shall your- 
 self decide if his justification be satis- 
 factory." 
 
 "No, 'prythee, husband," said Katha- 
 rine, "Let me remain quite a stranger 
 to the intrigues of this night, so that I 
 may feel no animosity or anger, and 
 may not be deprived of that serenity 
 and confidence which I so greatly need, 
 to enable me to live happily in the 
 midst of my enemies, and to fulfil 
 my duties as a wife, smiling by your 
 side." 
 
 " You are right, Kate," said the king, 
 thoughtfully. " You have many enemies 
 at our court, and we must take blame to 
 ourself that we have not always succeed- 
 ed in stopping our ear to their knavish 
 whispers, and in keeping ourself un- 
 tainted by the poisonous breath of their 
 slander. Our heart is always too un- 
 suspecting, and we can never fully com- 
 prehend what loathsome and contempti- 
 ble reptiles the majority of mankind are 
 creatures that should be trodden 
 under foot, but never admitted to one's 
 
THE QUEEN. 
 
 239 
 
 bosom. Come, Lord Douglas, I will 
 hear you ; but woe betide you if 
 you should not be able to justify your- 
 self! " 
 
 He retired some distance to tbe deep 
 embrasure of a window. Lord Douglas 
 followed bim, and drew tbe beavy velvet 
 hangings behind bim. 
 
 " Sire," said he, boldly and resolutely, 
 " The question now to be determined is, 
 which of two heads you prefer handing 
 over to the executioner mine or the 
 Earl of Surrey's. You have the choice 
 between both ! If you think that I have 
 dared for a moment to deceive you, why 
 send me at once to the Tower, and par- 
 don the noble Henry Howard that he 
 may still continue to disturb your sleep 
 and to poison the springs of your happi- 
 ness; that he may court popular favor, 
 and perhaps one day rob your son of the 
 throne. Here is my head, sire ; it is for- 
 feit to the headsman's axe, and the Earl 
 of Surrey is free! " 
 
 "No, he is not free, nor ever shall 
 be ! " said the king, gnashing his 
 teeth. 
 
 " Then, my liege, I am justified, and 
 instead of blaming you will thank me! 
 It is true I played a hazardous game, but 
 I did so in the interest of my king I 
 did so because I loved him, and because 
 I had real upon his lofty but clouded 
 brow the thoughts which obscured the 
 mind of rny sovereign and robbed his 
 nights of sleep. You wished to have 
 Henry Howard in your power, and this 
 crafty and dissembling earl knew how 
 to hide his guilt securely under the mask 
 of virtue and noble bearing. But I knew 
 
 him, and perceived behind the mask his 
 countenance dimmed by crime and pas- 
 sion. I resolved to unmask him, but for 
 that purpose it was necessary that I 
 should first deceive him, and even de- 
 ceive yourself for the moment. I knew 
 that he cherished a criminal love for the 
 queen, and I wished to take advantage 
 of this infatuated passion, in order to 
 lead him on securely and inevitably to 
 the punishment which he so well de- 
 served. But I was unwilling to involve 
 the chaste and noble person of the 
 queen in the toils which we had spread 
 to ensnare the Earl of Surrey. I was 
 therefore compelled to seek a substitute 
 for her, and I did so. There is at your 
 court a lady whose whole heart belongs, 
 next to God, to her king, and who wor- 
 ships him so devotedly, that she would 
 be ready at any hour to sacrifice for him 
 her heart's blood her whole existence 
 nay, her honor itself, if necessary ; a 
 lady, sire, who lives by your smile, who 
 looks up to you as to her Saviour and 
 Redeemer, a lady whom at your will 
 you might make either a saint or a 
 courtesan, and who in order to gain 
 your favor would become an unblush- 
 ing Phryne or a chaste and spotless 
 vestal." 
 
 " Tell me her name, Douglas, tell me 
 her name," said the king! "It is a 
 precious and a rare happiness to be loved 
 so devotedly, and it would be a 
 shame not to wish to enjoy such good 
 fortune ! " 
 
 "Sire, I shall tell you her name, when 
 you declare you have pardoned me," 
 said Douglas, whose heart bounded with 
 
 
24:0 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 joy, and who understood quite well that 
 the king's anger was already mitigated, 
 and the danger almost overcome. " To 
 this lady I said : 'You must render the 
 king a great service you must free him 
 from his most powerful and most dan- 
 gerous enemy ! You must deliver him 
 from Henry Howard ! ' ' Tell me what 
 I must do ! ' she cried, with looks beam- 
 ing with delight. ' Henry Howard loves 
 the queen. You must take the queen's 
 place for him! You must receive his 
 letters, and reply to them in the name of 
 the queen ; you must afford him noc- 
 turnal interviews, and, favored by the 
 darkness of the night, make him believe 
 that it is the queen, whom he holds in 
 his arms. You must convince him that 
 the queen returns his passion, so that in 
 thought and in deed he must be placed 
 before the king as a traitor and a delin- 
 quent whose head is forfeit to the exe- 
 cutioner's axe. Some day we shall let 
 the king be a witness of one of the in- 
 terviews which Henry Howard believes 
 he is holding with the queen, and it will 
 then be in his power to punish his ene- 
 my for his criminal and death-worthy 
 passion ! ' And when I had thus ad- 
 dressed the lady, sire, she said with a 
 sad smile : * The task which you impose 
 upon me is an infamous and a disgraceful 
 one, but I accept it, since you tell me I 
 shall thereby render the king a service. 
 I shall dishonor myself for him, but 
 perhaps for doing so he will deign 
 to bestow a smile upon me, and then 
 I shall feel that I am richly reward- 
 ed! '" 
 
 " Why, this woman is an angel ! " 
 
 cried the king, with ardor " an angel 
 before whom we should kneel down 
 and worship. Tell me her name, Doug- 
 las ! " 
 
 "As soon as you have pardoned me, 
 sire ! You know at present the full ex- 
 tent of my guilt, the entire measure of 
 my culpability. For as I enjoined that 
 noble woman so it came to pass, and 
 Henry Howard has gone to the Tower 
 in the firm belief that it was the queen 
 whom he had just held in his arms." 
 
 " But why did you also suffer me to 
 remain in this belief, Douglas? Why 
 did you also fill me with anger against 
 the noble and virtuous queen ? " 
 
 " Sire, I dared not reveal to you this 
 deception until you should have con- 
 demned Surrey, for your noble and gen- 
 erous mind would have recoiled against 
 punishing him for an offence which he 
 had not committed, and in your first an- 
 ger you would have blamed this devoted 
 woman who sacrificed herself for her 
 king. 1 ' 
 
 " It is true," said the king, " I should 
 not have known this noble woman, and 
 instead of thanking, I would have crush- 
 ed her." 
 
 " For that reason, my liege, I allowed 
 matters to proceed quietly, even until 
 you had drawn up the warrant against 
 the queen. But remember, sire, that I 
 begged you to return to your chamber 
 before the queen should be seized. 
 Well, I should then have revealed to 
 you the entire secret, which I could not 
 disclose in the presence of that woman. 
 For she would have died with shame if 
 she suspected that you were aware of 
 
THE QUEEN. 
 
 her love ; so pure and self-devoting, so 
 silent and heroic for the king." 
 
 "She shall never learn it, Douglas. 
 But satisfy at length my desire tell me 
 her name ! " 
 
 " Then, sire, you have pardoned me ? 
 You are no longer angry with me for 
 having ventured to deceive you ? " 
 
 "I am. no longer angry with you, 
 Douglas, for you have done right ; it 
 was a wily and a daring scheme which 
 you hit upon, and which you carried out 
 with such a happy result." 
 
 "I thank you, sire, and I will now 
 tell you her name. The lady, sire, who 
 at my request presented herself as a 
 sacrifice before this guilty earl, who 
 tolerated his amatory protestations and 
 his embraces, in order to render a ser- 
 vice to her king, that lady, sire, was 
 my daughter, Lady Jane Douglas ! " 
 
 " Lady Jane ! " cried the king. " No, 
 no! this is a new deception. What, 
 this proud, chaste, and unapproachable 
 Lady Jane this cold and beautiful mar- 
 ble statue, had really a heart in her 
 bosom, and this heart belonged to 
 me? This Lady Jane, the modest and 
 bashful maiden, to have made for my 
 sake the immense sacrifice of taking the 
 odious Surrey for her paramour, in order 
 like a second Delilah to deliver him into 
 my hand* ? No, Douglas you are deceiv- 
 ing me. Lady Jane has not done this ! " 
 
 " May it please your majesty to satisfy 
 yourself by seeing the woman who now 
 lies in a swoon beyond, and who per- 
 sonated the queen for Henry Howard." 
 
 The king did not reply, but drew the 
 hangings aside, and again entered the 
 16 
 
 Uim 
 
 cabinet in 
 with John 
 
 Henry paid her no attention; with 
 youthful eagerness he passed through 
 the cabinet and entered the saloon. He 
 now stood beside the form of Geraldine, 
 still prostrate on the floor. 
 
 She was no longer in a swoon; she 
 had already regained her consciousness, 
 but her heart was rent with pangs of 
 the bitterest anguish. Henry Howard 
 had become a victim to the headsman's 
 axe, and it was she who had betrayed 
 him. 
 
 But her father had sworn to her that 
 she should save the life of her lover. 
 
 It was not therefore permitted her to 
 die. She felt that she must live in order 
 to set Henry Howard free. 
 
 Her poor heart was aglow with the 
 consuming fire of remorse, but she 
 dared not think of her own agony. She 
 dared not think of herself, but of him 
 whom she was bound to set free and 
 deliver from death. 
 
 It was for him she was uttering a 
 fervent prayer to God for him her 
 heart was trembling with pain and an- 
 guish, when the king now approached 
 her, and bending down, scanned her 
 features with a smiling expression of a 
 peculiar and inquiring character. 
 
 " Lady Jane Douglas," said he, at 
 length, extending to her his hand, " rise 
 from the ground, and allow your king to 
 thank you for your noble and generous 
 self-sacrifice! Truly, the lot of a king 
 is a happy one, for we have at least the 
 power of punishing traitors and of re- 
 warding those who serve us. The one I 
 
[RY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 have already done, and the other I will 
 not neglect. Rise, therefore, Lady 
 Jane; it does not become you to lie on 
 your knees at my feet ! " 
 
 " Oh, let me kneel, my liege," she ex- 
 claimed in accents of passionate entreaty 
 "let me kneel and implore you for 
 mercy and pardon ! Have compassion, 
 King Henry have pity for the anguish 
 and torment which I suffer. It is impos- 
 sible that all this should he true that 
 this allusion should become such a terri- 
 ble reality. Tell me, King Henry, I be- 
 seech you by the agonies which I endure 
 for your sake tell me what you pur- 
 pose doing with Henry Howard ? Why 
 have you sent him to the Tower? " 
 
 " In order to punish the traitor as he 
 deserves," said the king, glancing with a 
 fierce and angry scowl at Douglas, who 
 had also approached his daughter, and 
 who now stood close beside her. 
 
 Lady Jane uttered a heart-rending 
 shriek, and sank once more exhausted to 
 the ground. 
 
 The king's brow became suddenly 
 clouded. " It is possible," said he, 
 "and I can well believe the fact, that I 
 have this night been deceived in many 
 ways that my simplicity has been 
 trifled with, in order to concoct for me a 
 very pretty fable. In the mean time I 
 have promised to forgive, and it shall 
 not be said that Henry the Eighth, who 
 calls himself the champion of God, has 
 ever broken his royal word, or has ever 
 punished those to whom he had promised 
 impunity. My Lord Douglas, I shall keep 
 my word ! I pardon you ! " 
 
 He presented his band to the earl, who 
 
 pressed it fervently to his lips. The 
 king drew closer to him. 
 
 "Douglas," he whispered, "you have 
 the wisdom of the serpent, but I now see 
 through the plot which you so artfully 
 concocted ! You wished to ruin Surrey, 
 but the queen was to sink with him into 
 the abyss. While I thank you on ac- 
 count of Surrey, I pardon you what you 
 have done against the queen. Beware 
 however, beware, ^ lest I should once 
 more catch you on the same path ; do 
 not dare by a word, a look, nay, even by 
 a smile, to raise suspicion against your 
 royal mistress. The slightest attempt 
 would cost you your life ; that I swear 
 to you by the Holy Mother of God, and 
 you know that I have never broken this 
 oath ! As regards Lady Jane, we will 
 forget that she has abused the name of 
 our illustrious and virtuous spouse, for 
 the purpose of drawing this lustful and 
 guilty earl into the snare which you have 
 laid for him. She has obeyed your com- 
 mand, Douglas, and we will not now 
 decide what further motives may have 
 urged her to this deed. That she must 
 determine before God and her con- 
 science : it does not become us to settle 
 the question." 
 
 " But perhaps, my lord and husband, 
 it becomes me to inquire by what right 
 Lady Jane Douglas has dared to appear 
 in this place in her present attire, and 
 in a certain manner to present a coun- 
 terfeit of her queen ? " said Katharine, in 
 a tone of firmness and decision. " I may 
 well be allowed to ask what has caused 
 my maid of honor, who left the ban- 
 quet-room from indisposition, to become 
 
THE QUEEN. 
 
 243 
 
 so well of a sudden, that she is able to 
 wander about the palace by night, and in 
 such array that it might readily be con- 
 founded with mine. I ask, sire, if per- 
 chance this disguise was a cunningly 
 contrived artifice for the purpose of ef- 
 fecting a supposed identity? You are 
 silent, my lord? Then it is true that 
 there was a terrible plot laid here against 
 me ; and without the aid of my honest 
 and faithful friend, John Hey wood, who 
 led me hither, I should, doubtless, at the 
 present moment have been condemned 
 and ruined, like the Earl of Surrey." 
 
 "Ah, John! then it was you who 
 threw a little light upon these dark 
 doings," said the king, with a good-hu- 
 mored laugh, as he laid his hand upon 
 Hey wood's shoulder. "Well, truly, 
 what the wise and prudent were unable 
 to discover, the fool has completely fath- 
 omed ! " 
 
 "King Henry of England," said John 
 Hey wood, with solemn gravity, " many 
 call themselves wise men, and yet are 
 fools, and many only assume the mask of 
 folly, because the fool alone is permitted 
 to be a wise man ! " 
 
 "Kate." said the king, "you are 
 right this was for you a. night of evil 
 omen ; But God and the fool have saved 
 both you and me. Let us both be thank- 
 ful for it ! But it is well if you do as you 
 first intended, and inquire no further 
 concerning the enigmas of this night. It 
 was brave of you to come hither, and we 
 shall not be unmindful of it. Come, my 
 little queen, give me your arm, and con- 
 duct me to my chamber. I tell you, 
 child, it gives me joy, to be able to lean 
 
 upon your arm, and to see your charm- 
 ing rosy face, which shows no trace of 
 the pallor produced by fear, or by an 
 evil conscience. Come, Kate, you alone 
 shall conduct me, and in you alone will 
 I confide ! " 
 
 "Sire, you are too heavy for the 
 queen," said the fool, while he placed 
 his neck under the other arm of the king, 
 " Let me share the burden of royalty 
 with her." 
 
 " But before we go," said Katharine. 
 "I have one favor to ask. Will yon 
 grant it ? " 
 
 "I will grant every thing you ask, 
 provided you don't request me to send 
 you to the Tower." 
 
 " Sire, I wish to dismiss my maid of 
 honor, Lady Jane Douglas, from her 
 service, that is all," said the queen, 
 while her glance was directed with a 
 mingled expression of pity and contempt 
 toward the form of her quondam friend, 
 still prostrate on the floor. 
 
 " She is dismissed ! " said the king. 
 "You shall choose another maid of 
 honor to-morrow. Come, Kate ! " 
 
 And the king, supported by his spouse 
 and by John Hey wood, quitted the 
 apartment with slow and unwieldy 
 
 Lord Douglas looked after them with 
 a sinister and vindictive scowl ; and 
 when the door closed behind them he 
 raised his arm with a threatening ges- 
 ture, and his trembling lips <aive utter- 
 ance to the wildest imprecations. 
 
 " Vanquished ! once more van 
 quished ! " he murmured, gnashing hie 
 teeth. "Humbled by this woman, 
 
244 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 whom I hate, and whom I will yet 
 hring to ruin. Yes, she has conquered 
 this time, hut we will renew the strug- 
 gle, and our poisoned arrows shall 
 eventually reach her heart ! " 
 
 Suddenly he felt a hand laid heavily 
 on his shoulder, while a pair of eyes, 
 glowing and flame-darting, were fixed 
 upon him. 
 
 "Father," said Lady Jane, and she 
 raised her right hand toward heaven 
 " father, so truly as there is a heaven 
 ahove us, I will accuse you as a traitor 
 before the king, and betray all your 
 execrable intrigues, if you do not aid 
 me in liberating Henry Howard ! " 
 
 "With an expression of countenance 
 almost sorrowful, her father scanned 
 her features, which were haggard and 
 painfully convulsed. 
 
 " I will help you," he replied. " I 
 shall do so if you will also help me, and 
 promote my plans." 
 
 " Oh, save Henry Howard, only save 
 him, and I will bind myself to Satan, 
 and seal the bond with my own life- 
 blood ! " said Lady Jane, with a ghastly 
 smile. " Save his life, or if you cannot 
 do that, at least procure me the happi- 
 ness of being able to die with him ! " 
 
 CHAPTEK VII. 
 
 THE ILLUSION DISPELLED. 
 
 PARLIAMENT, which already for a long 
 time had never dared to oppose the will 
 of the king, Parliament had pro- 
 
 nounced its sentence. It had accused 
 the Earl of Surrey of high-treason, and, 
 upon the sole testimony of his mother 
 and of his sister, he was found guilty 
 of treason and lese-majeste. A few casual 
 expressions of ill-humor for having been 
 superseded in his command a few re- 
 marks which he had made in deprecat- 
 ing the executions which saturated the 
 soil of England with blood was all that 
 the Duchess of Richmond had been able 
 to bring forward against him ; that he, 
 like his father, had borne the coat-of- 
 arms of the King of England, was the 
 only proof of high-treason to which his 
 mother, the Duchess of Norfolk, was 
 able to testify. 
 
 These charges were so insignificant, 
 that the Parliament well knew they 
 formed no grounds, but only a pretext 
 for his committal. 
 
 Only a pretext, by which the king 
 said to his pliant and trembling Parlia- 
 ment "This man is innocent; but I 
 wish you to condemn him, and therefore 
 you must consider the charges estab- 
 lished ! " 
 
 The Parliament had not had the cour- 
 age to resist the will of the sovereign. 
 Its members were little better than a 
 flock of sheep, which, trembling before 
 the sharp teeth of the dog, meekly fol- 
 low the path which he has indicated to 
 them. 
 
 The king wished that they should 
 condemn the Earl of Surrey, and they 
 condemned him accordingly. 
 
 They summoned him before their tri- 
 bunal, and it was in vain that he proved 
 to them his innocence in glowing words, 
 
THE ILLUSION DISPELLED. 
 
 245 
 
 which seemed inspired ; these guardians 
 of the public weal would not perceive 
 that he was innocent. 
 
 There were, indeed, a few who felt 
 ashamed to bow their heads so uncondi- 
 tionally beneath the royal sceptre, which 
 trickled with blood like an executioner's 
 axe. There were a few to whom the 
 evidence appeared insufficient, but they 
 were out-voted; and in order to give 
 his Parliament a warning example, the 
 king caused these recalcitrant members 
 to be committed to prison the same day, 
 and to be accused of some crime which 
 his fancy suggested. For the nation 
 was at this time so enslaved by the fierce 
 and savage barbarity of the king the 
 people so degenerate and so degraded in 
 their self-consciousness, that public men 
 could readily be found, who, in order to 
 show their complaisance to the king, 
 and their subservience to his bloodthirs- 
 ty and hypocritical piety, lowered them- 
 selves to the grade of spies and inform- 
 ers, and accused of crimes those whom 
 the angry frown of the king had indi- 
 cated as offenders. 
 
 Accordingly the Parliament had con- 
 demned to death the Earl of Surrey, 
 and the king had signed the death-war- 
 rant. 
 
 The execution was to take place early 
 the next morning, and in the court-yard 
 of the Tower the workmen WCTV a] 
 busy erecting the scaffold, on which the 
 head of the noble Surrey was soon to 
 fall. 
 
 Henry Howard was alone in his pris- 
 on. He had closed with life and with 
 earthly things. He had set his house in 
 
 order, and had made his will; he had 
 written to his mother and to his sister, 
 and had pardoned them their treachery 
 and their accusations ; he had written a 
 letter to his father, in which, with noble 
 and touching words, he exhorted him to 
 be calm and firm, and not to weep for 
 him for that death was his wish, and 
 the grave the only refuge which he 
 sought. 
 
 He had, accordingly, as we have said, 
 closed with life, and earthly things gave 
 him no more concern. He was troubled 
 by no fears and no regrets life had le$ 
 him nothing further to wish for, and he 
 almost thanked the king for having de- 
 termined to rid him so speedily of this 
 burden of existence. 
 
 The future had nothing more to offer 
 him why, therefore, should he yearn 
 for it ? Why covet a life which for him 
 could only be a gloomy and a solitary 
 wilderness ? For Geraldine was lost to 
 him. He knew not her fate, and no in- 
 formation about her had penetrated the 
 dreary walls of his dungeon. Was the 
 queen still alive? or had the king in his 
 fury struck her dead on that night when 
 Henry was conducted to the Tower, and 
 when he saw his beloved for the last 
 time swooning, numb, and prostrate, at 
 the feet of her husband ? 
 
 What had become of the queen of 
 Henry Howard's beloved Geraldine? 
 He knew nothing about her. In vain 
 had he hoped for some sign, for some in- 
 telligence, but he had not dared to ask 
 anybody as to her fate. Perchance the 
 king had abstained from punishing her. 
 Perad venture his lust for blood was ap- 
 
246 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 peased by slaying Henry Howard, and 
 that Katharine had escaped the block. 
 It might, therefore, have been ruinous 
 to her, had he, the condemned, made in- 
 quiry respecting her. Or, if she had 
 gone before him, he was sure of meeting 
 her once more in a higher sphere, and 
 of being eternally united with her in 
 realms beyond the skies. 
 
 He believed in this future existence, 
 and love added strength to his belief. 
 Death had no terrors for him, for be- 
 yond the grave he should see her his 
 Geraldine who was either already await- 
 ing him in their eternal home, or would 
 soon follow him thither. 
 
 Life had nothing more to offer him 
 death united him with his beloved. He 
 greeted Death as his friend and deliverer 
 as the priest who should unite him for- 
 ever with his Geraldine. 
 
 He heard the large clock of the prison- 
 tower, as it announced the hours with a 
 monotonous stroke, and he greeted each 
 expiring hour with a throb of joyful ex- 
 ultation the evening came, and night 
 followed ; the last night which was yet 
 allotted him the last night which 
 separated him from Geraldine. 
 
 The jailer opened the door, in order 
 to bring the earl a light and to attend to 
 his commands. Heretofore the king had 
 given special directions that he should 
 not be allowed light in his dungeon ; 
 and he had therefore passed six long and 
 dreary nights in his prison. This night, 
 however, they had resolved to furnish 
 him with light, and to grant him what- 
 ever he might still desire. Life, which 
 v in a few hours he would have to relin- 
 
 quish, should once more provide him 
 with all the pleasures and all the enjoy- 
 ments which he might wish to demand. 
 Henry Howard had only to express a 
 wish, and the prison-keeper was ready 
 to grant his request. 
 
 But Henry Howard wished for noth- 
 ing; he asked for nothing, but that he 
 should be left alone that light, which 
 dazzled his sight and which opposed a 
 stern reality to his rapturous visions, 
 should be removed from his dun- 
 geon. 
 
 The king, who had determined to sub- 
 ject him to a special punishment in con- 
 demning him to darkness the king had 
 thus become his benefactor against his 
 will. For with the darkness came vis- 
 ions and illusions with the darkness 
 came Geraldine. 
 
 When silence and night had enwrap- 
 ped him then all became light within, and 
 softly-murmured whispers and a sweet, 
 seductive voice fell soothingly upon his 
 ear. The doors of his prison flew open, 
 and upon the wings of imagination Hen- 
 ry Howard took flight from his dark and 
 lonely prison cell. Upon the wings of 
 imagination he sought and found his 
 Geraldine. 
 
 She was still beside him in the large 
 silent saloon. Night once more fell 
 around them both, and discreetly en- 
 wrapped them like a sweet veil of en- 
 chantment, concealing their embraces 
 and mutual endearments. Solitude ena- 
 bled him again to catch the rapturous 
 music of her voice which sang for him 
 such melodious strains of love and ecs- 
 tasy. 
 
THE ILLUSION DISPELLED. 
 
 247 
 
 It was necessary for Henry Howard 
 to be alone, in order that he might be 
 able to hear the voice of his Geraldine ; 
 it was necessary that deep darkness 
 should surround him, in order that Ger- 
 aldine should come to his skle. 
 
 For the last night of his life, accord- 
 ingly, he demanded nothing more than 
 that he should be left alone and without 
 light. The jailer extinguished the 
 light, and left the cell, but he neither 
 fixed the large heavy bolts of the door, 
 nor did he turn the key in the great 
 lock: he merely drew the door slightly 
 to, and did not even fasten the latch. 
 
 To this, however, Henry Howard paid 
 no heed. What did it concern him if 
 the doors were no longer fastened him, 
 who had no longer a wish for liberty or 
 for life? 
 
 Accordingly he reclined upon his seat 
 and dreamt with open eyes. Yonder, in 
 the court-yard, was being erected the 
 scaffold, which Henry Howard should 
 ascend at early dawn. The dull sounds 
 of the hammer reached his ear, and ever 
 and anon the torches which gave light 
 to the workmen at their dreary task, 
 caused a faint flicker to light up the dun- 
 geon, on the walls of which spectral 
 forms seemed to dance. 
 
 "These," thought Henry Howard, 
 "are the spirits of those whom King 
 Henry has put to death ; they gather 
 round me like will-o'-the-wisps they 
 are dancing with me the dance of death, 
 and in a few hours I shall be one of their 
 own forever !. " 
 
 The dull strokes of the hammer and of 
 tho axe still resounded on, and Henry 
 
 Howard became plunged more deeply in 
 contemplation and silent musing. 
 
 His thoughts, his feelings, and his will 
 were occupied alone with Geraldine. 
 His whole soul was filled with this single 
 idea. He felt as though he could com- 
 mand his inind to see her as though he 
 could direct his senses to perceive her. 
 Yes, she was there present ; he felt her, 
 he knew her. He lay once more at her 
 feet, and leaned his head on her lap, and 
 listened once more to those enchanting 
 revelations of her love. 
 
 Wholly absorbed and carried away, he 
 felt, he saw, naught else but her. The 
 mystery of love was accomplished, and, 
 under the veil of night, Geraldine had 
 soared hither on airy wings to meet 
 him. 
 
 A radiant smile played around his 
 lips, which murmured forth words of 
 rapturous greeting. Seized with a sin- 
 gular hallucination, he saw his beloved 
 approach ; he held out his arms to em- 
 brace her, and he did not awake from 
 his reverie, even when instead of her he 
 grasped the empty air. 
 
 " Wherefore dost thou flee from, me, 
 Geraldine?" he asked, softly. "Why 
 dost thou withdraw thyself from the 
 arms of thy lover, to whirl about with 
 the will-o'-the-wisps in the danco of 
 death? Come, Geraldine, come, my 
 soul yearns for thee with ardent longing 
 my heart calls to thee with its last 
 waning throb. Come, Geraldine, oh 
 come! " 
 
 What was that? It seemed as if the 
 door had opened softly, and then that 
 the latch had faintly clicked. It seemed 
 
248 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 as if feet were floating gently along the 
 floor as if some human form obscured 
 for a moment the flickering glimmer 
 which danced along the walls. 
 
 Henry Howard did not perceive it. 
 He saw nothing but his Geraldine, for 
 whose presence he yearned with such 
 ardent longing. He once more held out 
 his arms he called her by name with 
 all the glowing enthusiasm of a lover. 
 
 And now he uttered a cry of rapture. 
 His prayer of love was granted. The 
 dream had become a reality. His arms 
 no more embraced the empty air they 
 folded the woman whom he loved, and 
 for whom he was about to die. to his 
 heart. 
 
 He pressed his lips to hers, and re- 
 turned her kisses with fervent tender- 
 ness; he threw his arms around her 
 form, while she held him firmly to her 
 bosom. 
 
 Was this reality ? or was it delirium 
 that had seized upon his brain and de- 
 luded him with such enthralling fan- 
 tasies ? 
 
 Henry Howard shuddered at the 
 thought, and falling upon his knees, he 
 exclaimed in a voice tremulous with 
 anxiety and love : " Geraldine, have 
 pity upon me ! Assure me that this is 
 no dream that I am not raving. Tell 
 me that thou art my own Geraldine 
 whose knees I now embrace. Speak, 
 oh, speak my Geraldine ! " 
 
 "I am ! " she whispered, softly. " I 
 am Geraldine, I am the woman whom 
 thou lovest, and to whom thou hast 
 sworn eternal love and eternal fidelity ! 
 Henry Howard, my own beloved, let me 
 
 now remind thee of thy vows ! Thy 
 life belongs to me that thou hast 
 promised and I now come to demand 
 possession of my treasure ! " 
 
 "Yes, my life belongs to thee, Ger- 
 aldine ! but it is a poor, miserable pos- 
 session, which thou canst call thine but 
 for a few short hours." 
 
 She flung her arms wildly around his 
 neck, she raised him up to her heart and 
 kissed his lips and his brow with pas- 
 sionate rapture. He felt her scalding 
 tears streaming down his face, he heard 
 her sighs, which burst from her bosom 
 like the throes of death. 
 
 " Thou shalt not die ! " she murmured 
 sobbing. " No, Henry, thou must live, 
 in order that I, too, may be able to live 
 that I may not be driven frantic with 
 grief and pain for thee oh, dost thou 
 not feel how I love thee dost thou not 
 know that thy life is my life, and thy 
 death my death ? " 
 
 He leaned his head on her shoulder, 
 and, intoxicated with happiness, he 
 scarce heard what she said. She was 
 once more beside him. "What cared he 
 for aught else. 
 
 " Geraldine," he whispered, softly, 
 " dost thou remember that night when 
 we first met ? How our hearts beat to- 
 gether in unison with what rapturous 
 emotion our lips .... Geraldine, my 
 bride, my beloved, we then swore that 
 nothing should divide us, that our love 
 should endure beyond the grave ! Dost 
 thou still remember that, Geraldine? " 
 
 "Yes, I remember it, my Henry. 
 But thou shalt not yet die, and not in 
 death but in life shall thy love put mine 
 
THE ILLUSION DISPELLED. 
 
 249 
 
 to the test. Yes, we will live live on ! 
 And thy life shall be ray life, and where 
 thou art, there will I also be. Henry, 
 dost thou remember that thou hast 
 promised me this with a solemn and 
 sacred vow ? " 
 
 "I remember it, but I cannot keep 
 my word with thee, Geraldine ! Hear- 
 est thou the hammer at work below in 
 the court-yard? Dost thou know what 
 that means, dearest one? " 
 
 " Yes, Henry, I know it is the scaffold 
 which they are erecting for thee the 
 scaffold for thee and for me, for I too 
 will die, Henry, if you do not live, and 
 the axe which fulls upon thy neck shall 
 also reach mine if thou wilt not that 
 we both should live." 
 
 " I am quite willing, dearest one, but 
 we cannot do so." 
 
 " We can, Henry, we can ! All is 
 ready for flight! All is arranged all 
 prepared. The king's signet-ring has 
 opened for me the gates of the Tower, 
 and tlie might of gold has gained me 
 the keeper of your dungeon. He will, 
 therefore, not perceive it, if instead of 
 one person, two should leave this cell ; 
 without let or hinderanco, we shall both 
 leave the Tower by a way which is 
 known but to him, through secret corri- 
 dors and passages, until we reach a boat 
 which is lying in the Thames waiting 
 for us, and which will convey us to a 
 ship lower down the river, ready to sail 
 the moment we have got on board, to 
 transport us to the friendly Shores of 
 a foreign land. Come, Henry, come, 
 lay thine arm in mine, and let us leave 
 this prison ! " 
 
 She flung her arms round his neck, 
 and drew him forward. He pressed her 
 closely to his heart and whispered : 
 "Yes, come, come, my beloved! Let 
 us fly ! To thee belongs my life, to thee 
 alone ! " 
 
 He lifted her up in his arms, and hur- 
 ried with her to the door. He opened 
 it with his foot, and hastened along the 
 corridor. But he had only reached the 
 first turning when he staggered back 
 with affright. 
 
 Before the door stood several soldiers 
 with shouldered arms ; there stood also 
 the lieutenant of the Tower, and beside 
 him were two attendants with lighted 
 torches. 
 
 Geraldine shrieked, and, with eager 
 speed, replaced the thick veil which she 
 wore, and which had slipped from her 
 face for the moment. 
 
 Henry Howard, too, uttered a cry, 
 but not because of the soldiers and the 
 frustration of his hopes. He stared 
 with astonishment at the form now so 
 closely veiled by his side. It seemed to 
 him as if a strange countenance like 
 that of a spectre had started up beside 
 him as though it were not the beloved 
 head of the queen which was resting on 
 his shoulder. He looked at this counte- 
 nance as if it were a vision, or some 
 strange apparition, but this he well knew 
 that it was not the face of his Geral- 
 dine. 
 
 The lieutenant of the Tower beckoned 
 to his attendants, and they proceeded 
 with their lighted torches toward the 
 dungeon of the earl. 
 
 He then gave his hand to Henry How- 
 
250 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 ard, and conducted him back in silence 
 to his prison. 
 
 Henry Howard made no resistance; 
 he followed him, but his hand grasped 
 the arm of Geraldine, and he drew her 
 along with him ; his eye rested upon 
 her with a penetrating expression, and 
 seemed to threaten her. 
 
 They were now once more in the 
 chamber which they had recently quitted 
 with such blissful hopes. 
 
 The lieutenant of the Tower made a 
 sign to the attendants to leave the 
 apartment, and then turned with sol- 
 emn gravity to the Earl of Surrey. 
 
 "My lord," he said, "it is by the 
 king's command that I bring you these 
 lights. His majesty knew all that has 
 happened here this evening. He knew 
 that a plan had been contrived for set- 
 ting you free, and while the authors of 
 this scheme thought to deceive the king, 
 they have themselves been foiled. The 
 king was induced under a variety of art- 
 ful pretexts to lend his signet-ring to 
 one of his courtiers. But his majesty 
 had already been warned, and in fact he 
 was already aware, that it was not a 
 man, as had been pretended, but a lady, 
 who came, not in order to take leave, 
 but in order to liberate you from your 
 prison. Madam, the jailer whom you 
 intended to bribe was a faithful servant 
 of the king; he betrayed to-ine your 
 plan, and it was I who ordered him to 
 let you imagine that he favored your 
 scheme. You will not be able to set the 
 Earl of Surrey free, but, if you desire it, 
 I will myself get you escorted to the 
 ship which is waiting for you in the 
 
 river, ready to sail. No one, madam, will 
 hinder you from going on board. Only 
 you must proceed alone. The Earl of 
 Surrey cannot accompany you! My 
 lord, the night is already far advanced, 
 and you know that it is to be your last. 
 The king has commanded me to offer 
 no impediment in case this lady should 
 wish to spend the night with you in 
 your chamber, but she is only at liberty 
 to do so on condition that lights be 
 left burning in the room. That is the 
 express will of the king, and these are 
 his own words : * Tell the Earl of Sur- 
 rey that I permit him to love his Geral- 
 dine, but that his eyes must be open, in 
 order to see. In order that he may be able 
 to see, you must give him lights, and I 
 command him not to extinguish them so 
 long as Geraldine shall continue with 
 him. He might otherwise confound 
 her with another lady ; for in the dark 
 one cannot distinguish even a counter- 
 feit from a queen!' You have there- 
 fore to determine, ray lord, if this lady 
 is to remain with you, or if she is to go, 
 and the light is to be put out! " 
 
 "She shall remain with me, and I 
 shall certainly require the light as 
 well ! " said the Earl of Surrey, and 
 his penetrating glance continued fixed 
 upon the veiled form which trembled 
 at his words as if seized with an ague-fit. 
 
 " Have you no other wish to express, 
 my lord?" 
 
 " None, but that I may be left alone 
 with this person ! " 
 
 The lieutenant bowed, and left the 
 room. 
 
 They were now once more alone, and 
 
THE ILLUSION DISPELLED. 
 
 251 
 
 stood face to face in silence. The violent 
 throbbings of their hearts were audible 
 while sighs, laden with anguish, burst 
 from the lips of Geraldine. 
 
 A fearful a terrible pause ensued. 
 Geraldine would have gladly given her 
 life, could she have extinguished this 
 light, and have wrapped herself in im- 
 penetrable darkness. 
 
 But the Earl of Surrey resolved to see. 
 He approached her with a haughty and 
 angry glance, and as he raised his arm in 
 a commanding attitude, Geraldine shud- 
 dered and shrank back, while she bent 
 her head in utter prostration. 
 
 "Unveil your face!" he exclaimed, 
 with an imperious tone. 
 
 She remained motionless. She mut- 
 tered a prayer, and then she raised her 
 clasped hands toward Henry Howard, 
 and sighed faintly 
 
 "Pardon! pardon!" 
 
 He stretched forth his hand and 
 seized the veil. 
 
 " Pardon ! " she repeated, in tones of 
 deeper anguish and entreaty. 
 
 But he was inexorable. He tore the 
 veil from her face, and stared eagerly at 
 her for a moment ; and then with a wild 
 cry he staggered back and stood aghast, 
 while he covered hid face with his 
 hands. 
 
 Jane Douglas, meanwhile, dared not 
 breathe or stir. She was pale as mar- 
 ble; her large, ardent eyes, with an un- 
 utterable look of entreaty, were directed 
 toward her beloved, who, overwhelmed 
 with pain, and with his face hidden by 
 his hands, stood at some distance away 
 from her. She loved him more than her 
 
 life more than her hopes of eternal 
 bliss, and yet it was she herself who had 
 brought upon him this hour of bitter 
 anguish. 
 
 At length the Earl of Surrey withdrew 
 his hands from before his face, and with 
 wild emotion dashed away the tears 
 from his eyee. 
 
 As he looked at her, Jane Douglas 
 sank quite involuntarily upon her knees, 
 and raised her hands beseechingly. 
 
 " Henry Howard," she murmured, 
 faintly, "I am I am your own Geral- 
 dine ! It was I whom you loved, it was 
 my letters that you read with rapture, 
 and often have you vowed to me that 
 you loved my mind still more than my 
 person, and often has it filled my heart 
 with delight, when you told me you 
 would love me, however much my face 
 might change with time, however much 
 years or sickness might alter my fea- 
 tures. Do you remember, Henry, how 
 I once asked you whether you would 
 cease to love me, if God were suddenly 
 to place a mask over my face, so that 
 my features could no longer be recog- 
 nized? You answered me, 'I would 
 nevertheless love and worship you, for it 
 is not your fair form or your beauty 
 which causes me such rapture, but it is 
 yourself your own sweet self your 
 innate excellence your essential being, 
 your mind and your heart, which never 
 can change, which, bright and beaming, 
 lie disclosed before me, like the pages of 
 a sacred book ! ' That was your answer 
 to me then, while you swore to love me 
 forever. Henry Howard, I now remind 
 you of your plighted vows ! I am thy 
 
252 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 
 Geraldine it is the same mind, the same 
 heart, only that God has placed a mask 
 upon my features I " 
 
 The Earl of Surrey had listened to her 
 with strained attention, and with grow- 
 ing amazement. 
 
 " It is she ! Is it possible ? " he ex- 
 claimed, when she had now ceased. " It 
 is Geraldine ! " 
 
 And completely overwhelmed and 
 speechless with pain, he sank back upon 
 a chair. 
 
 Geraldine flew to his side she 
 crouched down at his feet she seized 
 his hand, which hung down listlessly, 
 and covered it with kisses; and with 
 streaming tears, oft interrupted by sighs 
 and sobs, she related to him the sad and 
 dismal story of her love, and revealed to 
 him the whole tissue of falsehood, cun- 
 ning, and deceit which her father had 
 thrown around them both. She dis- 
 closed to him the entire secrets of her 
 heart. She spoke to him of her love, of 
 her suffering, of her ambition, and of her 
 remorse of conscience. She accused 
 herself, but pleaded the excuse of her 
 love, and, clasping his knees, she be- 
 sought him with streaming eyes for 
 mercy and forgiveness. 
 
 He thrust her aside impetuously, and 
 stood up, while he recoiled from her 
 touch. His noble countenance glowed 
 with anger, his eyes flashed scornfully, 
 his long, flowing hair shaded his lofty 
 brow and his features as with a dark 
 veil. He looked majestic in his anger, 
 majestic as the archangel Michael 
 crushing the dragon beneath his feet. 
 And thus he bent his head forward near 
 
 her, and scanned her with looks of con- 
 tempt and withering scorn. 
 
 " I pardon you ? " he exclaimed 
 "never! What!. I pardon you you 
 who have made my whole life a ridicu- 
 lous lie, and converted the tragic drama 
 of my love into a wretched and pitiful 
 farce? Oh, Geraldine, how great my 
 love for you has been, and yet you have 
 now become for me a loathsome spectre, 
 at which my soul shudders, and which 
 I must execrate! You have crushed 
 my life, and even my death you have 
 robbed of its consecrated character for 
 now it is no longer the martyrdom of my 
 love, but the wild mockery of ray too 
 credulous heart. Oh, Geraldine, how 
 glorious it would have been to die for 
 thee; to bid farewell to life with thy 
 name still lingering on my lips; tc 
 bless thee, to thank thee for my happi- 
 ness while the axe was already raised 
 over my head ! How delightful the 
 thought that death did not divide us 
 that it was only the way that led to our 
 eternal union that we should only be 
 separated here for a brief moment, in 
 order to meet once more above, where 
 our bliss would endure without change, 
 without end! " 
 
 Geraldine crouched at his feet, like a 
 bruised worm, and her groans of lamen- 
 tation and her stifled sobs were the 
 heart-rending accompaniment of his 
 melancholy words. 
 
 " But that is now all over ! " exclaim- 
 ed Henry Howard, and his countenance, 
 which before was convulsed with pain 
 and grief, now glowed once more with 
 anger. "You have poisoned my life 
 
THE ILLUSION DISPELLED. 
 
 253 
 
 and my dying hour, and for this I shall 
 curse you, and my last word will be an 
 imprecation upon the head of Geral- 
 dine the counterfeit the juggler ! " 
 
 " Oh ! have mercy ! " she groaned. 
 u Kill me, Henry, crush my head under 
 your feet, only let this torment cease ! " 
 
 " No no mercy ! " he cried, wildly, 
 "no mercy for an impostor, who has 
 cheated me of my heart, and slunk into 
 my love like a thief. Rise, and quit this 
 chamber ! Thy presence gives me hor- 
 ror, and when I see thee I feel*that I 
 must curse thee. Yes, Geraldine, may 
 infamy and disgrace attend thee ! Ac- 
 cursed be the kisses which I imprinted 
 on thy lips the tears of rapture which 
 I shed upon thy bosom ! When I mount 
 the scaffold I shall curse thee, and my 
 last word shall be : ' May woe attend 
 the footsteps of Geraldine, for she is my 
 murderess ! ' ' 
 
 He stood before her with high uplifted 
 arm, erect and haughty in his anger. 
 She felt the scathing fire of his glance, 
 though she dared not look up at him, 
 but lay moaning convulsively at his feet, 
 with her face hidden by her veil, as if 
 she shuddered at her own image. 
 
 " And let this be my last word to 
 
 ee, Geraldine," said Henry Howard, 
 with grave emphasis : " go hence under 
 the burden of my imprecations, and live, 
 if thou canst ! " 
 
 She unveiled her head, and raised her 
 face toward him. A derisive smile 
 played around her deadly pale lips. 
 "Live?" she exclaimed. "Have we 
 not sworn to die together? Your im- 
 precations do not absolve me from my 
 
 oath, and when you descend into you r 
 grave, Jane Douglas will stand upon the 
 brink of it, with tears and entreaties, 
 until you have made for her a little space 
 beside you until she has softened your 
 heart, and you take her to your bosom 
 once more in the grave as your own Ger- 
 aldine. Oh, Henry, in the grave I shall 
 no longer wear the face of Jane Douglas 
 this hateful face which I could tear to 
 pieces with my nails ! In the grave I 
 shall again be Geraldine. Then I shall 
 once more nestle near your heart, and 
 you will again say to me, ' It is not thy 
 face or thy outward form that I love! 
 I love thyself, thy heart, thy mind, 
 for these can never change nor al- 
 ter ! ' " 
 
 " Enough ! " he exclaimed, hoarsely. 
 "Be silent, if you do not wish to make 
 me frantic ! Fling not my own words 
 in my face ; they pollute me, for false- 
 hood has desecrated and befouled them 
 with its slime. No, I will not make 
 room for you in my grave, I will not 
 again call you Geraldine. You are mere- 
 ly Jane Douglas, whom I abhor, and I 
 invoke anathemas upon your guilty 
 head ! Once for all" 
 
 He ceased suddenly, and a slight shud- 
 der ran through his frame. 
 
 Jane - Douglas uttered a piercing 
 scream, and rose up from her kneeling 
 posture. 
 
 Day had dawned, and from the belfry 
 of the prison tower resounded the grave 
 and dismal tones of the death-bell. 
 
 " Hearest thou, Jane Douglas?" said 
 Surrey ; " this knell summons me to 
 death, and it is thou who hast poisoned 
 
254 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 
 this, my final hour. I was happy when 
 I loved thee ; I die in despair, for I hate 
 and despise thee ! " 
 
 " No, no, you dare not die ! " she ex- 
 claimed, clinging to him with passionate 
 anguish. " You dare not descend into the 
 grave with these wild imprecations on 
 your lips I I cannot be your murderess. 
 Oh ! it is impossible that they should 
 want to kill the noble, the brave, and 
 virtuous Earl of Surrey. Gracious 
 Heaven ! what have you done to rouse 
 their anger? You are innocent, and 
 they know it they cannot put you to 
 death, for it would be murder. You 
 have done nothing that they could con- 
 demn you for ; for it is no crime to love 
 Jane Douglas, and me me alone you 
 have loved ! " 
 
 " No, not you," he returned, haughti- 
 ly, "I have nothing to do with Lady 
 Jane Douglas. I loved the queen, and I 
 believed she loved me in return. That 
 is my crime ! " 
 
 The door opened, and the lieutenant 
 of the Tower entered in solemn silence, 
 followed by a priest, with a few attend- 
 ant choristers. At the door appeared 
 the headsman, who, in his red, flaming 
 attire, and with cairn, unsympathizing 
 visage, stood at the threshold. 
 
 " It is time ! " said the governor, 
 solemnly. 
 
 The priest muttered his prayers, and 
 the choristers swung their censers. The 
 death-bell still pealed forth its mourn- 
 ful dirge, and from the court-yard was 
 heard the murmur of the populace, who, 
 curious and bloodthirsty as ever, had 
 thronged hither with boisterous mirth, 
 
 to see this man, who was yesterday their 
 darling, bleed on the scaffold. 
 
 The Earl of Surrey stood for a mo- 
 ment in silence. His features worked 
 convulsively, and a deadly pallor over- 
 spread his countenance. 
 
 It was not the thought of death but 
 that of dying, which made him tremble. 
 It seemed to him as if he already felt on 
 his neck the cold, keen axe which that 
 terrible man held in his hand. Oh, to 
 die upon the battle-field, what happiness 
 would that have been! To end one's 
 day's upon the scaffold, what ignominy 
 was this ! 
 
 "Henry Howard, my son, art thon 
 prepared to die?" asked the priest. 
 " Hast thou made thy peace with thy 
 God ? Dost thou repent thy sins, and 
 dost thou acknowledge that death is thy 
 just atonement and penalty ? Dost thon 
 pardon thy enemies, and dost thou de- 
 part hence in peace with all men ? " 
 
 "lam ready to die," replied Henry 
 Howard, with a haughty smile. " The 
 other questions, father, I shall answer 
 before the throne of the Almighty ! " 
 
 " Dost thou admit that thou hast been 
 a wicked traitor, and dost thou beg for 
 pardon of thy noble, wise, and just king, 
 for the blasphemous offences which 
 thou hast committed against his most 
 sacred majesty?" 
 
 The Earl of Surrey looked at him for 
 a moment with a steadfast gaze. "Do 
 you know of what crime am I accused ? " 
 
 The priest cast down his eyes, and 
 muttered a few unintelligible words. 
 
 Henry Howard turned aside from the 
 priest with a haughty movement of his 
 
THE ILLUSION DISPELLED. 
 
 255 
 
 head, and addressed himself to the gov- 
 ernor of the Tower : 
 
 "Do you, sir, know what my crime 
 is?" he asked. 
 
 But the lieutenant also averted his 
 eyes, and remained silent. 
 
 Henry Howard smiled. " Well, then, 
 I will tell you. I have home, as hecame 
 the son of my father, the arms of our 
 house on my shield, and over the portal 
 of my mansion ; and it has happened 
 that the king bears the same coat-of- 
 arms that we do. That is my crime, 
 and the treason of which I am accused. 
 I have also said that the king is deceived 
 in many of his servants, and often sum- 
 mons his favorites to high honors, which 
 they do not deserve. That is my of- 
 fence of Use-majeste ; and that is the 
 reason why I am now about to lay my 
 head upon the block. Be not uneasy, 
 however, I will myself increase my 
 crimes, by adding still one more to the 
 number, so that they may become heavy 
 enough, in order to lighten the con- 
 science of our just and magnanimous 
 king. I abandoned my heart to a 
 wretched and criminal love, and the 
 Geraldine whose praises I sang in many 
 an ode, and whom I even celebrated in 
 presence of the king, was nothing more 
 than a miserable and unchaste coquette." 
 
 Jane Douglas uttered a loud cry, and 
 sank to the ground as if struck by 
 lightning. 
 
 "Dost thou repent these sins, my 
 son ? " asked the priest. u Dost thou 
 turn aside thy heart from this sinful 
 love, in order to devote it to God ? " 
 "I not only repent this love, but I 
 
 loathe it! And now, good father, let 
 us proceed, for yon perceive his worship, 
 the governor, is becoming impatient. 
 He is reflecting that the king will find 
 no rest, until these Howards have also 
 gone to their long rest. Ah, King 
 Henry ! King Henry ! Thou callest 
 thyself the mighty king of the world, 
 and yet thou tremblest before the coat- 
 of-arms of thy subjects. Master gov- 
 ernor, should you this day go to the 
 king, greet him on the part of Henry 
 Howard, and tell him I wish his bed 
 may be as easy for him as the grave 
 will be for me. And now, gentlemen, 
 it is time ; let us proceed ! " 
 
 With a calm and dignified air, and 
 with a firm step, he turned toward the 
 door. At this moment Jane Douglas 
 sprang suddenly from the floor, and 
 flinging herself upon his neck, clung to 
 him with all the force of passion and 
 desperate grief. 
 
 " I wDl not leave you ! " she cried, 
 breathless and deadly pale. " You must 
 not repulse me, for you have sworn that 
 we would live and die together." 
 
 He flung her aside with a burst of 
 wild anger, and drew himself up in a 
 menacing attitude. 
 
 " I forbid you to follow me! " he ex- 
 claimed, with an imperious tone. 
 
 She tottered back against the wall, 
 and looked at him, trembling and breath- 
 less. 
 
 He still held the mastery over her 
 soul. She was still subject to him in 
 love and obedience. She did not, there- 
 fore, feel within her the courage to 
 brave his command. 
 
 
256 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 She saw how he left the chamber, and 
 how he proceeded along the corridor 
 with his awful retinue ; she heard how 
 the sound of their footsteps gradually 
 died away, and then how the dull rum- 
 ble of the drums suddenly resounded in 
 the court-yard below. 
 
 Jane Douglas fell upon her knees to 
 pray, but her lips trembled so violently 
 that she could find no words, for her 
 prayers. 
 
 At length the rumbling of the drums 
 ceased, and only the death-bell still con- 
 tinued its mournful knell. She heard a 
 voice which spoke in firm, and forcible 
 accents. 
 
 It was his voice it was Henry How- 
 ard who spoke. And now once more 
 came the dull roll of the drums to drown 
 the voice. 
 
 " He is dying he is dying, and I am 
 not beside him ! " she shrieked, with 
 wild emotion ; and springing up she 
 rushed out of the room and flew along 
 the corridor and down the steps with 
 the speed of lightning. 
 
 She gained the court-yard. There, 
 in the midst of an immense crowd of 
 spectators, stood the scaffold dark, aw- 
 ful, and hideous. Another moment, and 
 Henry Howard knelt down. She saw 
 the axe in the hand of the executioner. 
 She saw him raise it to give the fatal 
 blow. 
 
 She was no longer a woman, but a 
 tigress. The blood forsook her cheeks. 
 Her nostrils expanded, and her eyes 
 darted flames. 
 
 She drew forth the dagger which she 
 had concealed in her bosom, and cleared 
 
 a path for herself through the terrified 
 and timidly-yielding throng. 
 
 With a bound she sprang up the steps 
 of the scaffold. And now she stood be- 
 side him close beside the kneeling 
 form. 
 
 A gleam flashed through the air. 
 She heard a peculiar whizzing sound, 
 and then a dull, heavy blow. A reek- 
 ing stream of blood foamed aloft, and 
 bathed Jane Douglas in its crimson tide. 
 
 " I come* Henry, I come ! " she ex- 
 claimed, with a wild cry of exultation. 
 " In death I shall be thine ! " 
 
 And again gleamed through the air 
 the flashing steel. It was the dagger 
 which Jane Douglas bad buried in her 
 own heart. 
 
 The blow was well aimed! Not a 
 sound not a groan escaped her lips. 
 With a triumphant smile she sank down 
 beside the mutilated corpse of her be- 
 loved ; and as her life-blood ebbed apace 
 and mingled with that of the murdered 
 earl, she addressed the amazed and ter- 
 rified headsman, and said with her wan- 
 ing breath: "Let me share his grave! 
 Henry Howard, in death, as in life, I 
 am thine to the last ! " 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 NEW INTRIGUES. 
 
 HENRY HOWARD was dead. And now 
 one would have supposed that the king 
 might rest contented, and that sleep 
 would no longer forsake his eyelids, but 
 


NEW INTRIGUES. 
 
 257 
 
 Henry Howard, his great rival, had 
 closed his eyes forever ; Henry Howard 
 was no longer in the way to rob him 
 of his crown to fill the world with the 
 renown of his achievements, and with 
 his poetical fame to obscure the genius 
 of the king. 
 
 But the king was still, as ever, discon- 
 tented still, as ever, sleep forsook his 
 couch. 
 
 This meant, that his work as yet was 
 but half accomplished : Henry Howard's 
 father the Duke of Norfolk was still 
 alive ; this meant that the king was 
 evermore constrained to think of his 
 powerful rival, and these thoughts chased 
 sleep away from his pillow ; his soul 
 was troubled because of the Howards : 
 thus it was that his bodily pains were so 
 grievous and terrible. 
 
 When the Duke of Norfolk should 
 have closed his eyes in death, then 
 would the king be able once more to 
 close his eyes in refreshing sleep. But the 
 tribunal of the House of Lords which 
 was the only one before which the duke 
 could be tried was so slow and so cir- 
 cumspect in its mode of procedure : it 
 was by no means so prompt and so com- 
 plnisant as the lower House of Parlia- 
 ment, which had so speedily condemned 
 Henry Howard. Why did the old How- 
 ard possess such a privilege ? why, in- 
 stead of being a duke and a peer of the 
 realm, was he not a simple earl, like his 
 son, in order that the obedient Commons 
 might pass their sentence upon him 
 without delay ? 
 
 This was the gnawing pain the can- 
 ker-worm of the king, which made him 
 17 
 
 frantic with rage, which irritated his 
 temper, inflamed his bloocl, and thereby 
 increased his bodily sufferings. 
 
 He raved and stormed with impa- 
 tience ; his wild objurgations resounded 
 through the halls and corridors of the 
 palace, and made everybody tremble; 
 for no one was certain that it might not 
 be himself who should be the next vic- 
 tim of the monarch's rage, no one 
 could feel assured that the ever-increas- 
 ing thirst for blood of the king would 
 not condemn himself at any moment. 
 
 From the seclusion of his sick-chamber 
 the king watched, with the most jealous 
 scrutiny, over his royal dignity, and the 
 slightest violation thereof was sufficient 
 to arouse his anger and his sanguinary 
 instincts. Woe betide those who now 
 dared to maintain that the pope was the 
 head of the Church ? Woe to those also 
 who were bold enough to assert that 
 God alone was the head and ruler of 
 the Church, and who refused to honor 
 the king as the Church's supreme and 
 sovereign lord ! Both parties alike were 
 traitors and malefactors ; and according- 
 ly he sent Catholics as well as Protest- 
 ants to the stake or to the block, how- 
 ever near they stood to his own person, 
 and however cordially he was otherwise 
 attached to them. 
 
 Whoever, therefore, could avoid it, 
 kept far away from the dreaded person 
 of the king, and whoever was condemn- 
 ed by his duties to approach the royal 
 presence trembled for his life, and com- 
 mended his soul to God. 
 
 There were still but four persons who 
 did not fear the king, and who appeared 
 
258 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 to be secure from his crushing anger. 
 These were the queen, who attended 
 him with constant diligence ; John Hey- 
 wood, who, with unwearied zeal, sup- 
 ported Katharine in her onerous task, 
 and who sometimes succeeded in winning 
 ' a smile from the king; besides whom 
 were Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester, 
 and Lord Douglas. 
 
 Lady Jane Douglas was dead; the 
 king had therefore pardoned her father, 
 and had once more shown himself gra- 
 cious and friendly toward the deeply-af- 
 flicted earl. Besides this, it was a source 
 of gratification and relief to the suffering 
 monarch to have some one near him 
 whose troubles were still greater than 
 his own ; it consoled him to think that 
 there could be still more terrible pains 
 than those bodily pains of which he was 
 himself the victim. These pains Lord 
 Douglas was condemned to endure, and 
 the king perceived, with a sort of mali- 
 cious joy, how his hair was daily getting 
 gray, and his features becoming more 
 attenuated and care-worn. Douglas 
 was a younger man than the king, and 
 yet how old and grizzled he looked be- 
 side his blooming and rubicund master ! 
 
 Could the king have glanced into the 
 secret recesses of his heart, he would 
 have had less compassion for the cares 
 and anxieties of Lord Douglas. 
 
 He looked upon him only as an affec- 
 tionate father who mourned the death 
 of his only child. He little suspected 
 that it was less the father who was pain- 
 fully smitten for the fate of his daughter, 
 than the ambitious man, the fanatical 
 papist, the zealous disciple of Loyola 
 
 who saw with dismay the failure of all his 
 scheme?, and saw, too, the moment ap- 
 proaching when he should be stripped 
 of all the power and authority which he 
 enjoyed in the secret league of the So- 
 ciety of Jesus. 
 
 For him, therefore, it was less the 
 daughter than he lamented, than the 
 seventh wife of the Icing ; and that it 
 was Katharine, and not his daughter, 
 Jane Douglas, who wore the crown, was 
 the unpardonable offence for which he 
 could never forgive the queen. 
 
 Upon the queen accordingly he wished 
 to avenge his daughter's death ; he 
 wished to punish Katharine for his frus- 
 trated hopes, and for his plans, which 
 she had foiled. 
 
 But Lord Douglas dared not himself 
 renew the attempt to prejudice the mind 
 of the king against his wife. Henry had 
 forbidden him to do so under penalty of 
 his anger; he had warned him in threat- 
 ening words against such an enterprise, 
 and Lord Douglas knew perfectly well 
 that Henry was inflexible in his resolves 
 when the question at issue was that 
 of fulfilling a threatened punishment. 
 
 Still, what Douglas himself dared not 
 attempt, might be attempted by Gardiner 
 Gardiner, who, thanks to the humors 
 and caprices induced by the king's ail- 
 ments, had again, for some days past, so 
 unconditionally enjoyed the favor of the 
 king, that the worthy Archbishop Cran- 
 mer had been ordered to quit the court, 
 and to withdraw to his episcopal palace 
 at Lambeth. 
 
 Katharine had seen him depart with 
 anxious foreboding, for Cranmer had al- 
 
NEW INTRIGUES. 
 
 259 
 
 ways been her firm supporter and friend. ' 
 ID the midst of this storm-lashed and 
 passion-swayed court-life, his mild, se- 
 rene countenance had ever appeared to 
 Her like a star of peace, and his gentle 
 words and elevated sentiments had ever 
 been like a soothing balsam to her poor, 
 trembling heart. 
 
 She felt that by his departure she lost 
 her most generous advocate her most 
 powerful succor ; and that those by 
 whom she was now surrounded were 
 enemies and opponents. 
 
 True, she still had John Hey wood, the 
 faithful friend, the indefatigable servant; 
 but since Gardiner had begun to exer- 
 cise his sinister influence over the king's 
 mind, John Heywood scarcely dared to 
 approach Henry's presence. True, she 
 still had her beloved Thomas Seymour ; 
 but she felt and knew that she was sur- 
 rounded on all sides by lurking spies, and 
 that now nothing more wus wanting 
 than an audience with Thomas Seymour 
 a few words of friendly greeting nay, 
 a look of mutual understanding and love, 
 in order to send both him and herself to 
 the scaffold. 
 
 She trembled not for herself but 
 fc r her lover ; this made her prudent 
 and thoughtful ; it gave her the courage 
 always to maintain a grave and seri- 
 ous demeanor toward Thomas Seymour, 
 never to meet him elsewhere than in the 
 circle of her courtiers never to smile 
 upon him never to extend to him her 
 hand. 
 
 Still she was certain of her future. 
 She knew that a day would come when 
 the death of the king would liberate her 
 
 from her wearisome splendor, and from 
 the oppressiveness of her royal diadem : 
 when she should be free free to bestow 
 her hand upon the man whom alone 
 upon earth she loved, and to become his 
 wife. 
 
 She yearned for this day, as the cap- 
 tive yearns for the hour of his liberation ; 
 but like him, too, she knew that a pre- 
 mature attempt to escape from her dun- 
 geon would only bring with it destruc- 
 tion and death, and not freedom. 
 
 She must, therefore, be patient, and 
 wait; she must renounce all personal 
 intercourse with her beloved ; and even 
 his letters she could only obtain rarely, 
 through John Heywood, who was forced 
 to observe the greatest caution. Often, 
 indeed, had the faithful Heywood im- 
 plored his mistress to give up this corre- 
 spondence ; often had he besought her, 
 with tears in his eyes, to renounce this 
 love, which might one day be her ruin 
 and her death. Kathar. e laughed at 
 his gloomy forebodings, to \\ liich she op- 
 posed the daring enthusiasm of her love, 
 and the calm courage which springs from 
 certainty of the future. 
 
 She did not wish to die for love 
 and happiness awaited her ; this happi- 
 ness and this love she was unwilling to 
 renounce why, otherwise, should she 
 have been compelled to endure this life 
 of danger, of self-denial, of enmity, and 
 of hatred ? 
 
 On the contrary, she wished to live, 
 in order one day to be happy. This 
 thought made her brave and resolute; 
 it gave her the courage to confront her 
 enemies with a serene and smiling 
 
230 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 countenance ; it enabled her to sit with 
 sparkling eyes and rosy cLeeks at the 
 side of her severe and capricious hns- 
 band, and, with lively wit and inex- 
 haustible gayety, to chase away rancor 
 from his spirit and moroseness from 
 his brow. 
 
 But, just because she was able to do 
 this, she was a dangerous opponent for 
 Douglas and for Gardiner, exactly for 
 this reason it must be their chief en- 
 deavor to ruin this young and beauti- 
 ful woman, who dared to defy them, 
 and to weaken their influence with the 
 ting. 
 
 It was only when they should have 
 succeeded in effectually darkening the 
 king's mind, when they should once 
 more have completely filled him with 
 fanatical zeal then only could they 
 hope to attain their end, which end was, 
 to lead the king back, as a contrite 
 and penitent son, to the only true and 
 sanctifying Mother Church, and once 
 more to make of this vain, haughty, and 
 ambitious prince, a submissive and obe- 
 dient son of the pope! 
 
 The king must therefore be brought to 
 renounce this vain and blasphemous ar- 
 rogance that of wishing to be himself 
 the head of his own Church ; he must 
 be induced to turn aside from the spirit 
 of innovation and heresy, and to become 
 once more a believing and devout Catho- 
 lic. 
 
 But in order that this object may be 
 attained, Katharine must needs be re- 
 moved from him ; he must no longer 
 look upon her smiling and beautiful 
 countenance, and no longer suffer him- 
 
 self to be entertained by her acute intel- 
 lect and her lively conversation. 
 
 "We shall not be able to accomplish 
 the queen's downfall," said Lord Doug- 
 las to Gardiner, as they both happened 
 to be tete-a-tete in the king's anteroom, 
 while the lively chatter of Katharine 
 and the cheerful laughter of the king 
 reached them from the adjoining room 
 in which the royal pair were sitting. 
 " No, no, Gardiner, she is too powerful 
 and too cunning. The king loves her 
 very much, and she affords him such an 
 agreeable and refreshing delassement ! " 
 
 " Tt is just for that reason that we 
 must withdraw her from him," said 
 Gardiner, with a sullen frown. "His 
 heart must be diverted from this earthly 
 love, and it will only be when we have 
 destroyed this passion in his breast 7 
 that this fierce and haughty man will re- 
 turn contrite and humble to us and to 
 God." 
 
 u But we shall not be able to destroy 
 it, my friend ; it is such an ardent, and 
 withal such a selfish, love ! " 
 
 u So much greater will be the triumph, 
 if our pious admonitions should succeed 
 in touching his heart, Douglas, It is 
 true he will suffer a good deal, if com- 
 pelled to give up this woman. But suf- 
 fering is just what he needs, in order to 
 become contrite and penitent. His mind 
 must be darkened first of all, in order 
 that we may be able to illumine it with 
 the ]ight of faith ; he must first be ren- 
 dered isolated and helpless, in order to 
 lead him back to holy communion 
 with the Church, and in order to make 
 him once more accessible to the consola- 
 
NEW INTRIGUES. 
 
 261 
 
 tions which the one fold of the trne 
 faith has to offer." 
 
 u Alas! " sighed Douglas, " I fear this 
 will he a fruitless effort. The king is so 
 vain of his self-grounded high - priest- 
 hood ! " 
 
 u But he is such a weak mortal such 
 a great sinner, too," said Gardiner, with 
 a sarcastic smile. u The prospect of 
 death and of the judgment to come 
 makes him tremble; and the Holy 
 Church can give him absolution for his 
 sins, and comfort his dying hour with 
 her holy sacraments. He is a very 
 wicked sinner, and sometimes feels re- 
 morse of conscience. It is this which 
 will bring him back again into the bosom 
 of the Catholic Church." 
 
 " Ay, but when will that happen? The 
 king is ailing, and any day may end his 
 career. Woe betide us, should he die 
 before he has placed the power in our 
 hands, and made us the executors of his 
 will! Woe betide us should the queen 
 be appointed regent, and the king have 
 chosen the Seymours to be her ministers! 
 Oh, my wise and pious father, the work 
 which you propose must be done speedi- 
 ly, or it will have to remain forever un- 
 accomplished ! " 
 
 " It shall be done this very day," said 
 Gardiner, solemnly; and bending for- 
 ward more closely to the earl's ear, he 
 continued: " we have lulled the queen 
 into confidence and self-reliance, and 
 upon that rock she shall founder this 
 very day. She relies so firmly upon her 
 power over the king's mind, that she 
 often finds the courage even to contra- 
 dict him, and to oppose her own will 
 
 to his. That shall, this very day, be 
 her destruction! For, mark you well, 
 Douglas, the king is now once more like 
 a tiger that has fasted for a long time. 
 He thirsts for btood ! The queen has an 
 aversion to human blood, and is horri- 
 fied when she hears of executions. We 
 must therefore take care that these op- 
 posing tendencies shall come in contact 
 and clash." 
 
 " Oh, I understand now," whispered 
 Douglas, "and I bow with reverence 
 before your lordship's wisdom. They are 
 both in a condition to let themselves be 
 conquered with their own weapons." 
 
 ** I will present a welcome prey to his 
 blood-craving appetite, and will give her 
 silly compassion an opportunity of strug- 
 gling with the king for his booty. Don't 
 you think, my dear lord, it will be a 
 most amusing and delightful comedy to 
 see the tiger and the dove engaged in 
 single combat? And I assure you the 
 tiger thirsts terribly for blood. Blood is 
 the only balsam which he applies to his 
 aching limbs, and by which alone he 
 imagines that he can restore peace to his 
 troubled conscience, and gain courage to 
 face the terrors of death. Why, have we 
 not often told him that by every fresh 
 execution of a heretic, one of his great 
 sins would be blotted out, and that the 
 blood of the Calvinists would serve to 
 \\-ji-h away some of the evil deeds entered 
 against him on the register of guilt ? lie 
 is most anxious to be able to present 
 himself pure and spotless before the 
 judgment-seat of God, and therefore he 
 stands in need of much heretical blood. 
 Hut hark ! there strikes the hour which 
 
262 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 summons me to the royal closet. The 
 queen lias now had enough of laughter 
 and silly prate. We will now endeavor 
 to banish smiles from her lips for all fu- 
 ture time to come. She is a heretic and 
 it will he a pious work, well-pleasing to 
 the Almighty, if we hurl her headlong 
 to destruction." 
 
 " May God he with your lordship, and 
 in His mercy assist you to accomplish 
 this noble work 1 " 
 
 " God will be with us, my son, for it 
 is for Him that we are laboring; it is* 
 for His honor and glory that we are 
 sending these misguided heretics to the 
 stake, and that we cause the air to 
 resound with the cries of agony of these 
 racked and tortured recreants ! That is a 
 music which is well-pleasing to God, and 
 the angels in heaven will triumph and 
 rejoice if also this heretical and unbe- 
 lieving Queen Katharine should be com- 
 pelled to chant the music of these dam- 
 nable apostates. I now go forth to this 
 work of love and divine vengeance. 
 Pray for me, my son, that it may suc- 
 ceed. Remain here in the anteroom, and 
 watch for my summons: perhaps we 
 may require you. Pray for us and with 
 us. Yes, we owe this heretical queen 
 retaliation for Maria Askew. To-day we 
 shall discharge the debt. She accused us 
 then ; to-day we shall accuse her, and on 
 our side is God, and the host of His 
 saints and angels ! " 
 
 And the pious and Heaven-favored 
 priest crossed himself devoutly, and 
 with his head meekly bent, and with a 
 gentle smile upon his thin, bloodless lips, 
 he left the anteroom with measured step, 
 
 in order to present himself in the king's 
 apartment. 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 THE KING AND THE PEIEST. 
 
 " GOD bless and preserve your majes- 
 ty!" said Gardiner, as he approached 
 the king, who at this moment was en- 
 gaged with the queen at a game of 
 chess, and with knitted brows and com- 
 pressed lips sat contemplating the state 
 of the game, which was not favorable 
 to himself, and threatened him with a 
 speedy check-mate. 
 
 It was unwise of the queen not to 
 allow the king to win, for his supersti- 
 tious and jealous disposition saw in a 
 chess-match gained against him a direct 
 attack upon his own person ; and who- 
 ever ventured to beat him at chess, al- 
 ways appeared to Henry to be a species 
 of traitor, who threatened the kingdom, 
 and was even daring enough to stretch 
 forth his hand to seize the crown. 
 
 The queen knew this full well, but 
 Gardiner was right she was over-con- 
 fident. She believed somewhat in her 
 power over the king; she imagined he 
 would make an exception in her favor. 
 And then it was so tedious always to 
 be obliged to be the conquered party in 
 this game, to let the king always ap- 
 pear as the triumphant victor, and to 
 lavish upon his skill praises which he 
 did not merit! Katharine wished for 
 once to reserve to herself the triumph 
 
THE KING AND THE PRIEST. 
 
 263 
 
 of having vanquished her husband. She 
 disputed with him piece by piece, she 
 roused Mm by constantly renewed at- 
 tacks, and exasperated him with the 
 prospect of approaching danger. 
 
 The king, who at the outset had been 
 cheerful, and had laughed when Katha- 
 rine took away one of his principal 
 pieces, now laughed no longer. It was 
 no longer a mere game it was a serious 
 contest, and the king struggled with 
 passionate zeal for the victory over his 
 spouse. 
 
 Katharine did not once perceive the 
 clouds which were gathering thickly 
 upon the king's brow. Her looks were 
 fixed upon the chess-board exclusively, 
 and breathless with expectation, and 
 glowing with ardor, she was considering 
 the move which she was about to make. 
 
 But Gardiner had clearly perceived 
 the secret anger of the king, and he saw 
 that the conjuncture was favorable to 
 himself. 
 
 With a light, stealthy pace he drew 
 near to the king's chair, and, standing 
 behind it, overlooked the game. 
 
 " In four moves more you are check- 
 mated and conquered, my husband," 
 said the queen, with a cheerful laugh, as 
 she made her move. 
 
 The king's knitted brows now as- 
 sumed a darker scowl, and h'e pressed 
 his lips violently together. 
 
 " It is quite true, your majesty," said 
 Gardiner, "you must soon succumb! 
 Danger threatens you from the queen ! " 
 
 Henry, with a convulsed movement, 
 turned his face round toward Gardiner 
 with an inquiring expression. In his 
 
 irritated humor against the queen, this 
 ambiguous expression of the crafty 
 priest came home to him with double 
 force. 
 
 Gardiner was a skilful hunter ; already 
 the first arrow which he had aimed had 
 hit the mark. But even Katharine had 
 heard the hissing of the dart. The slow, 
 equivocal words of Gardiner had roused 
 her up from her oblivious mood, and as 
 she now looked at the flushed and ex- 
 asperated countenance of the king, she 
 perceived at once her imprudence. 
 
 But it was too late to make amends. 
 The check-mate of the king was inevi- 
 table, and Henry had already observed 
 it himself 
 
 44 It is well!" he said, with pettish 
 vehemence. " You have won, Katha- 
 rine, and, by the Holy Mother of God, 
 you may boast of the rare luck of hav- 
 ing conquered King Henry of England ! " 
 
 " Oh ! I shall not boast of it, my 
 dear husband," she rejoined with a smile. 
 u You have only played with me as the 
 lion plays with a little dog, which he 
 will not trample under foot, only because 
 he has compassion for him, and would 
 bo sorry to hurt the poor little animal. 
 Lion, I thank thee! Thou hast been 
 very magnanimous to-day! Thou hast 
 suffered me to win ! " 
 
 The king's features became somewhat 
 more serene. Gardiner perceived it, 
 and resolved to hinder Katharine from 
 following up her advantage any further. 
 
 " Magnanimity is a sublime, but a 
 very dangerous virtue," said the bishop, 
 gravely, "and kings especially should 
 not practise it; for magnanimity pardons 
 
264 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 crime, and kings exist not to pardon, 
 but to punish." 
 
 " How so, my lord ? " said Katharine. 
 " Surely the noblest prerogative of royal- 
 ty consists in the power to pardon, and 
 as kings are the representatives of God 
 upon earth, they are bound to exercise 
 pardon and mercy like God Himself." 
 
 Again the king's brow became cloud- 
 ed, and he fixed his eyes with a sinister 
 expression on the chess-board. 
 
 Gardiner chuckled inwardly, but made 
 no reply. He drew forth a roll of paper 
 from his cassock and handed it to the 
 king. 
 
 " Sire," he said, " I hope you do not 
 share the views of the queen ! Other- 
 wise it would fare badly with the peace 
 and welfare of the realm. Mankind can- 
 not be governed by mercy they must 
 be ruled by fear. Your majesty holds 
 the sword of justice in your hands, and 
 if you are slow to let it fall upon the 
 heads of evil-doers, they will soon wrest 
 it from your grasp, and then you will be 
 powerless." 
 
 " Those are very cruel words, my 
 lord ! " exclaimed Katharine, who suf- 
 fered herself to be hurried away by her 
 generous disposition, and suspected that 
 Gardiner had come in order to urge 
 the king to some severe and sanguinary 
 decree. 
 
 She wished to obviate his designs 
 she wished to move the king to clemen- 
 cy. But the moment was unfavorable 
 to her. 
 
 The king, whom she had only just now 
 irritated by her victory over him, felt 
 liis ire increase by the contradiction 
 
 which she had offered the prelate for 
 this contradiction was equally directed 
 against himself. The king was by no 
 means disposed to exercise mercy, and it 
 was therefore a very malicious thought 
 of the queen to praise mercy as the high- 
 est privilege of princes. 
 
 With a silent nod he took the papers 
 from the hands of Gardiner, and opened 
 them. "Ah," he exclaimed, turning 
 over the pages, " you are quite right, my 
 lord bishop ; mankind do not deserve to 
 have mercy shown them for they are 
 always ready to abuse it. It seems that 
 because for some weeks past we have 
 caused no scaffolds to be erected and no 
 fires kindled, they imagine we are 
 asleep, and they begin their profane and 
 traitorous designs with redoubled vio- 
 lence, and raise their sinful hands in 
 mockery against us. I see here a charge 
 against an individual who has dared to 
 say there is no king by the grace of God, 
 and that the king is a miserable, sinful 
 man, like the meanest beggar. Well, we 
 will show this person justice ; we will 
 not be to him a king by the grace of 
 God but a king by God's anger ! We 
 will let him see that we are not yet quite 
 like the lowest beggar, for we possess 
 at least wood enough to make a fire for 
 his use ! " 
 
 And when the king had indulged in 
 this pleasantry, he burst into a loud fit 
 of laughter, in which Gardiner willingly 
 joined. 
 
 " I see also a charge against two 
 others who deny the king's supremacy," 
 continued Henry, still glancing through 
 the papers in his hand. ''They accuse 
 
THE KING AND THE PRIEST. 
 
 265 
 
 me of blasphemy, for daring to call my- 
 self the representative of God the visi- 
 ble head of the holy Church ; they say 
 that God alone is head of the Church, 
 and that Luther and Calvin are more 
 worthy representatives of the Almighty 
 than the king is. Verily, we should 
 hold our kingdom and the dignity which 
 God has bestowed upon us in slight es- 
 teem, did we not punish these trans- 
 gressors, who, in our own sacred per- 
 son, dare to blaspheme God Himself ! " 
 
 The king had resumed the examina- 
 tion of the papers, when suddenly his 
 countenance became overspread with a 
 dark-crimson hue, and a fierce impreca- 
 tion burst from his lips. 
 
 He flung the papers on the table and 
 struck them with his clinched fist. 
 ' k What ! " he exclaimed, with vehe- 
 mence, " have all the devils in hell been 
 let loose, or has the spirit of rebellion 
 reached such a point in our kingdom 
 that we are no longer able to suppress 
 it ? Some fanatical heretic has warned 
 my subjects in the public streets against 
 reading the holy book, which, like a 
 well-meaning and careful father and 
 teacher, I have myself written for my 
 people, and have given them in order 
 that they may derive edification and 
 wisdom therefrom. And the same male- 
 factor has shown this book to the people 
 jmd said to them: 'Ye call this the 
 king's book, and ye are right, for it is a 
 vile and mischievous book the work of 
 hell and the devil himself has been 
 sponsor to the king ! ' Ah, I see we 
 must once more show this traitorous 
 and pitiful rabble our serious and angry 
 
 countenance, in order that they may re- 
 cover faith in their sovereign. The peo- 
 ple are nothing but a contemptible and 
 scurvy mob ! They are humble and 
 dutiful only when made to tremble and 
 feel the lash. It is only when we tram- 
 ple them in the dust that they recognize 
 us as their master ; and when we send 
 them to the rack and to the stake, then 
 only do they respect our majesty and 
 power. The kingdom must, therefore, 
 be burnt into their bodies, that they 
 may feel it as a truth. And by the God 
 that made us, we will do so ! Here, 
 give me a pen at once, that I may sign 
 and confirm these decrees ; and let it be 
 well dipped in the ink, my lord bishop, 
 for there are eight sentences, and I 
 must write my name eight times. Ah ! 
 'tis a hard and wearisome business to be 
 a king, and not a day passes without la- 
 bor and trouble." 
 
 " Our Lord God will reward your 
 majesty for this labor ! " said Gardiner, 
 solemnly, as he handed the pen to the 
 king. 
 
 Henry was preparing to write, when 
 Katharine laid her hand upon his, and 
 restrained him. 
 
 "Oh, do not sign," she exclaimed, 
 with tearful accents. "I entreat you, 
 by all that you hold sacred, not to suffer 
 yourself to be hurried away by momen- 
 tary anger let not your outraged feel- 
 ings gain the sway over your princely 
 character. Let the sun go down and 
 rise again before you give way to ven- 
 geance, and do not decide against these 
 unhappy persons until you are quite 
 calm and composed. For, consider it 
 
266 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 
 well, my lord and husband, there are here 
 eight death-warrants to be signed, and 
 with a few strokes of the pen you would 
 snatch eight human beings from life, 
 from their families, and from the world. 
 You would take the son from the 
 mother, the husband from the wife, 
 and the father from his infant children. 
 Consider it well, Henry ; the responsi- 
 bility which God has placed in your 
 hands is a heavy one, and it is presump- 
 tuous in man not to approach this duty 
 with grave and sacred composure, and 
 with unruffled equanimity ! " 
 
 " Well, by God's Mother ! " cried the 
 king, striking the table violently, "I 
 believe you would dare to defend these 
 traitors and blasphemers against their 
 king. You cannot, therefore, have 
 heard who the accused are ? " 
 
 "I have heard it," replied Katharine, 
 with increased ardor. "I have heard 
 it, and I still repeat, do not sign these 
 death-warrants, my noble husband. It 
 is true, these poor people have com- 
 mitted grave faults, but they erred 
 humanly. It is not wise, my good lord, 
 to wish to revenge so severely a slight 
 offence against your majesty. A king 
 should be far superior to calumny and 
 slander; like the sun he should give 
 light to the just and the unjus, none 
 of whom have power to dim its rays or 
 to obscure its splendor. Punish crim- 
 inals and evil-doers, as they deserve, but 
 be generous and magnanimous toward 
 those who have offended against your 
 person ! " 
 
 " The king is not a person whom one 
 may offend I " cried Gardiner. " The 
 
 king is a sublime idea a mighty, world- 
 embracing thought. Whoever offends 
 the king has not offended a person, but 
 the kingdom established by God, the 
 universal conception which holds the 
 whole world together." 
 
 "Whoever offends the king, offends 
 God! " exclaimed the king, "and who- 
 ever attacks our throne or slanders our- 
 self, shall suffer the fate of the atheist 
 and the parricide his hand shall be cut 
 off and his tongue be torn out from the 
 roots ! " 
 
 "Well, be it so: cut off their hands, 
 and deprive them of the power of 
 speech, but do not put them to death ! " 
 cried Katharine, with impassioned ear- 
 nestness. "At least examine if their 
 crime be as great as people wish to make 
 you believe. Oh, it is now such an easy 
 matter to be accused as a traitor or 
 an atheist ; merely an incautious word 
 a doubt not as to God, but as to His 
 priests, or as to this Church which your 
 majesty has set up, whose proud and 
 peculiar edifice is so new and so strange 
 to many, that they ask themselves, 
 doubtingly, if this be a church of God, 
 or only a royal palace, and that they 
 wander and lose themselves in its intri- 
 cate windings, without ever being able 
 to find the outlet ! " 
 
 "If they only held the faith," said 
 Gardiner, gravely, "they would not lose 
 themselves; and if God were on their 
 side, the outlet would not be blocked up 
 against them." 
 
 " Oh, I am well aware of that but 
 you are always inexorable," cried Kath- 
 arine, angrily. " But permit me to say 
 
THE KING AND THE PRIEST. 
 
 267 
 
 that it is not you that I am begging for 
 mercy, but the king ; and I must also tell 
 you, my lord bishop, that it would be 
 better for you, and more worthy of a 
 minister of Christian love, were you to 
 join your entreaties to mine, than to 
 attempt to urge the noble heart of the 
 king to severity. You are a priest, and 
 you must have discovered from your own 
 experience that there are many ways 
 that lead us to God, and that we are one 
 and all liable to error in seeking for the 
 right path." 
 
 " How so ? " exclaimed the king, rising 
 from his seat, and looking at Katharine 
 with a searching and angry glance. 
 " Do you mean that heretics, too, may 
 possibly find the way that leads to 
 God?" 
 
 "I mean," she replied, with fervent 
 earnestness, " that Jesus Christ Himself 
 was called a blasphemer, and was put to 
 death. I mean that Stephen was stoned 
 to death by Paul, and that, nevertheless, 
 the Christian world at large now honors 
 them both as saints, and prays to both 
 alike. I mean that it is not because Soc- 
 rates lived before Christ, and could not, 
 therefore, be one of His followers, that he 
 will be condemned ; and that Horace and 
 Julius Ca>sar, Phidias and Plato, must be 
 considered noble spirits, although they 
 were only pagans. Nay, my lord and 
 husband, I mean that lenity must be 
 used in matters of religion, and that be- 
 lief should not be forcibly thrust upon 
 mankind as a burden, but should be grant- 
 ed as a favor by means of conviction." 
 
 " Then you do not consider that these 
 eight malefactors are worthy of death ? " 
 
 asked Henry, with affected calmness and 
 labored composure. 
 
 " No, my husband ; I regard them as 
 poor, erring mortals, who are seeking the 
 right path, who would willingly walk in 
 it, and who, therefore, inquire doubting- 
 ly on all sides, ' Is this the right way ? ' " 
 
 " Enough ! " said the king, as he 
 beckoned Gardiner toward him, and, 
 leaning upon his arm, advanced a few 
 paces toward the door. " Let us speak 
 no more of these things; they are too 
 serious to be decided in the presence of 
 our young and lively queen. The hearts 
 of women are always inclined to len- 
 ity and forgiveness. You should have 
 thought of this, Gardiner, and not have 
 mentioned such matters before the 
 queen." 
 
 "Sire, it was the hour which your 
 majesty had fixed for determining these 
 questions." 
 
 "Oh, it was?" cried the king, with 
 vivacity. " Then we did wrong in de- 
 voting the time to other concerns than 
 to our serious friends ; and you will ex- 
 cuse me, madam, if I request you to 
 leave me alone with the bishop. Affairs 
 of state cannot be postponed." 
 
 He presented his hand to Katharine, 
 and conducted her with evident labor, 
 but still with a smiling countenance, to 
 the door. As she still continued stand- 
 ing, and looked at him with an inquiring 
 and smiling gaze, while she seemed on 
 the point of again addressing him, he 
 waved his hand impatiently, and knit 
 his brows. 
 
 "It is late," he said, hastily; "and 
 we have state matters to attend to." 
 
268 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 Katharine dared not reply she bowed 
 silently, and left the room. The king 
 looked after her with an air of deep 
 resentment and displeasure, and then 
 turned round to Gardiner. 
 
 " Well," he inquired, " what do you 
 think of the queen now ? " 
 
 " I think," said Gardiner, slowly, and 
 with such deliberate emphasis, that 
 every word had time to penetrate like 
 a dagger into the heart of the king 
 "I think she does not regard as crim- 
 inals those who call the holy book which 
 you have written a work of hell ; and 
 that she has a great deal of sympathy 
 for these heretics who refuse to ac- 
 knowledge your supremacy." 
 
 " Nay, by God's Mother, I believe she 
 would hold the same language herself, 
 and join my enemies, if she were not my 
 wife ! " cried the king, whose anger was 
 fermenting inwardly, and ready to burst 
 forth like lava from the volcano's 
 mouth. 
 
 " She does so already, although she is 
 your wife, sire ! She imagines that her 
 high position gives her impunity and 
 shelter against your just anger, and 
 therefore she does what no one else 
 would dare to do, and says what in the 
 mouth of another would be the blackest 
 treason ! " 
 
 " What does she do, and what does 
 she say?" exclaimed the king. "Do 
 not hesitate, my lord, to tell me. It is 
 but right that I should know the acts 
 and sentiments of my queen." 
 
 " Sire, she is not only the secret pro- 
 tectress of heretics and reformers, but 
 is an adherent of their creed. She 
 
 hearkens to their false doctrines with 
 eager zeal, and suffers the damnable 
 teachers of these sectaries to enter her 
 apartments, in order that she may listen 
 to their fanatical discourses and their 
 hellish inspirations. She speaks of these 
 heretics as of true believers and Chris- 
 tians, and calls Luther the light which 
 God has sent into the world, to enlight- 
 en the darkness and error of the Church 
 with the rays of truth and love the 
 same Luther, sire, who dared to address 
 to you such scandalous and defamato- 
 ry letters, and to deride your princely 
 wisdom with scoffing contumely." 
 
 " In a word, she is a heretic ! " cried 
 the king. 
 
 The volcano was ripe for an eruption, 
 and the boiling lava must needs at length 
 find an outlet. 
 
 "Yes, she is a heretic 1 " repeated the 
 king, " and we have solemnly sworn to 
 root out these unbelievers from our 
 kingdom." 
 
 " She knows very well that she is safe 
 from your anger," said Gardiner, with 
 a sly shrug. " She presumes on the 
 ground that she is the queen, and that 
 in the heart of her noble husband love 
 is more powerful than faith." 
 
 *" No one shall imagine that he is safe 
 from my anger, and no one shall pre- 
 sume upon the safety which my love may 
 assure him. She is a proud, insolent, 
 and daring woman ! " cried the king, 
 whose looks were again directed toward 
 the chess-board, and whose animosity 
 was heightened by the remembrance of 
 the lost game. " She is bold enough to 
 defy us, and to have a will of her own, 
 
THE KING AND THE PRIEST. 
 
 269 
 
 contrary to ours. Yes, I will show the 
 whole world that Henry of England is 
 ever the undaunted and incorruptible 
 ruler. I will give heretics a proof that 
 I in reality am the protector and de- 
 fender of the faith and religion of my 
 realm, and that no one stands on such a 
 pinnacle that, my anger may not reach 
 him, and that the sword of justice may 
 not fall upon his neck. She is a here- 
 tic, and we have sworn to destroy the 
 whole brood with fire and sword. We 
 shall keep our vow." 
 
 "And the Lord will bless you with 
 His blessing ; He will place a crown of 
 glory on your brow ! and the Church 
 will sing your praises, as her most glo- 
 rious shepherd her most illustrious 
 chief." 
 
 "So be it ! " said the king, as with 
 youthful activity he strode across the 
 room, and, proceeding to his escritoire, 
 wrote a few lines with a rapid and 
 nimble hand. 
 
 Gardiner continued standing in the 
 middle of the room, with folded hands, 
 and his lips murmured a half-audible 
 prayer, while his large, naming eyes 
 were fixed upon the king with a curious 
 and searching glance. 
 
 "Here, my lord," said the king, 
 "take this paper, and make the neces- 
 sary arrangements. It is a warrant of 
 committal, and before night sets in the 
 queen shall be in the Tower ! " 
 
 " Of a truth the Lord works mightily 
 within you ! " exclaimed Gardiner, as 
 he took the paper ; " the sacred hosts of 
 heaven are singing hallelujahs, while 
 they look down with rapture upon the 
 
 hero who conquered his own heart in 
 order to serve God and the Church ! " 
 
 "Take it, and make haste! " returned 
 the king, impatiently. " Within a few 
 hours all must be done. Give this paper 
 to my Lord Douglas, and let him go with 
 it to the lieutenant of the Tower, in order 
 that he may himself proceed hither, at 
 once, with his satellites. For still this 
 lady is a queen and as a queen she shall 
 be treated, though a culprit. The lieu- 
 tenant himself must therefore conduct 
 her to the Tower. Hasten, then, I say ! 
 But, hark ! keep all this matter a secret, 
 and let no one be aware of it until the 
 decisive moment has arrived. Other- 
 wise, her friends might assail me to en- 
 treat pardon for this frail, sinful woman, 
 and I abhor all whining and whimpering. 
 Keep silence, therefore, for I am tired, 
 and require some rest and sleep! I 
 have, as you say, just accomplished a 
 work which is well-pleasing to God, and 
 perhaps, as a reward, the Almighty will 
 send me the refreshing and reviving 
 slumbers for which I have so long 
 sought in vain." 
 
 And the king drew aside the curtains 
 of his couch, and, assisted by Gardiner, 
 laid himself back on the luxurious pil- 
 lows. 
 
 Gardiner closed the curtains again, 
 and thrust the fateful paper into his 
 pocket. Even in his hands it did not 
 seem to him to be safe enough. But 
 why ? Might not some inquisitive eye 
 rest upon it and guess its contents? 
 Might not some daring and unabashed 
 friend of the queen snatch this paper 
 from him, and take it to her and give 
 
270 
 
 DENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 her warning? No, it was not safe 
 enough in his hands, he must perforce 
 hide it in the 'pocket of his gown. 
 There no one could find it nobody dis- 
 cover its purport. 
 
 There accordingly he concealed it. 
 Within the folds of his robe it was se- 
 cure ; and after he had thus hidden the 
 precious document, he left the chamber 
 with rapid steps, in order to announce 
 to Lord Douglas the grand result of his 
 labors. 
 
 Not once did he look behind hirn. 
 Had he done so, he would have sprung 
 back upon his prey, like a tiger, into 
 the room ; as hawk upon the dove, he 
 would have pounced upon that shred of 
 paper which lay upon the floor, just on 
 the spot where Gardiner stood when he 
 thrust the warrant which the king had 
 given him into his pocket. 
 
 Alas ! even the robe of a priest is not 
 always thick enough to veil a dangerous 
 secret, and even the pocket of a bishop 
 may sometimes have a hole in it. 
 
 Gardiner went away with the proud 
 consciousness of having a warrant of 
 committal in his pocket, while the fatal 
 scroll lay upon the floor in the middle 
 of the royal chamber. 
 
 Who, then, will come to pick it up ? 
 Who is to be the sharer of this dan- 
 gerous secret to whom will this mute 
 document announce the fearful intelli- 
 gence that the queen has fallen into 
 disgrace, and that she is to be hurried 
 * away as a prisoner to the Tower this 
 very day ? 
 
 All is still and lonely in the royal 
 chamber. Nothing moves not even 
 
 the heavy damask hangings around the 
 royal couch. 
 
 The king sleeps. Even excitement 
 and anger sometimes act like a soothing 
 lullaby ! They have so wearied and fa- 
 tigued the king, that he has positively 
 fallen asleep from sheer exhaustion. 
 
 Indeed, the king should have been 
 grateful to his spouse; for chagrin at 
 the lost chess-match, and anger at Katha- 
 rine's heretical sentiments, have so worn 
 him out, that he has fallen into a pro- 
 found slumber. 
 
 Still the warrant lies upon the floor. 
 And now the door opens gently and 
 cautiously. Who is it that dares be so 
 bold as to enter the king's chamber un- 
 summoned and unannounced ? 
 
 There are only three persons who 
 might hazard such a step : the queen, 
 the Princess Elizabeth, and John Hey- 
 wood, the court fool. But which of 
 these three is it ? 
 
 It is the Princess Elizabeth, who 
 comes to salute her royal father. Every 
 forenoon about this hour she had found 
 the king in his chamber. Where, then, 
 was he to-day ? As she glanced round 
 the room with surprised and inquiring 
 looks, her eye was at length arrested by 
 the paper which lay upon the floor. She 
 took it up, and began to examine it with 
 girlish curiosity. What could it con- 
 tain? Certainly no secret, otherwise it 
 would not be left lying at random on 
 the floor. 
 
 She opened and read it. Her beauti- 
 ful features assumed an expression oi 
 astonishment and horror, and a slight 
 exclamation burst from her lips. But 
 
THE KING AND THE PRIEST. 
 
 271 
 
 Elizabeth had a firm and resolute spirit, 
 and this unlooked-for surprise did not 
 dim her bright glance nor obscure 
 her penetrating mind. The queen was 
 in danger. The queen was about to be 
 imprisoned. This was what the terrible 
 document shouted into her ear ; but she 
 durst not suffer herself to be unnerved 
 by the intelligence she must act she 
 must warn the queen. 
 
 She hid the paper in her bosom, and 
 vanished from the chamber with the 
 fleetness of lightning. 
 
 "With flashing eyes and her cheeks 
 aglow from exerted speed, Elizabeth at 
 length reached the queen. With pas- 
 sionate impetuosity she clasped her in 
 her arms and kissed her tenderly. 
 
 "Katharine, my queen and my 
 mother," she exclaimed, "we have 
 sworn to stand by and protect one 
 another if danger should threaten us. 
 Fate has been favorable to me, for 
 it has already placed in my hands the 
 means of fulfilling my vow this very 
 day. Take this paper and read it! It 
 is a warrant for your committal, drawn 
 up by the king's own hand. When you 
 have read it, let us consider what is 
 to be done in order to avert the dan- 
 ger from you." 
 
 " A warrant of committal ! " cried the 
 queen, shuddering as she perused it. "A 
 warrant that means a sentence of death ! 
 For to have once crossed the fatal thresh- 
 old of the Tower means to abandon all 
 hope of ever leaving it again ; and when 
 a queen is imprisoned and accused, she is 
 already condemned. Gracious Heaven, 
 princess, do you understand that to be 
 
 obliged to die, while the life-blood still 
 glows with youthful ardor in our veins ? 
 To be compelled to walk forth to our 
 doom, while the future still attracts us 
 with a thousand hopes and wishes? 
 My God, to be thus hurried away into a 
 loathsome dungeon, and thence perforce 
 to descend into the dark grave, while 
 the world greets us with its alluring 
 voices, and while the spring of life has 
 scarcely wakened in our heart ! " 
 
 Streams of tears burst from her eyes, 
 and she hid her face in her trembling 
 hands. 
 
 "Pray do not weep, my queen," said 
 Elizabeth herself trembling, and deathly 
 pale. " Do not weep, but consider what 
 is to be done ! Each moment the dan- 
 ger increases each moment brings the 
 evil still nearer! " 
 
 " True," said Katharine, as she raised 
 her head and dashed away the tears 
 from her eyes. " Yes, very true this is 
 not a time for weeping and wailing. 
 Death is stealing hither upon me while 
 I, on my part, am unwilling to die. As 
 yet I have life, and while a breath re- 
 mains, I will struggle against death. 
 God will succor me God will be my 
 helper, and will enable me to overcome 
 this danger also, as I have already done 
 on many former occasions." 
 
 "But what do you propose to do? 
 How will you set about it? You don't 
 know who your accusers are, nor what 
 the charge is which they lay against 
 you." 
 
 "But I suspect it," said the queen, 
 thoughtfully. "When I call to mind 
 the angry countenance of the king, and 
 
272 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 the knavish smile of that malicious 
 priest, I believe I know what the accusa- 
 tions are. Yes, all is quite clear to me 
 now. Ah, it is the heretic whom they 
 would condemn to death. Very well, 
 my lord bishop, I am still alive, and we 
 will see which of us both will gain the 
 victory ! " 
 
 With a resolute step and with glowing 
 cheeks she hastened to the door. Eliza- 
 beth held her back. " Where are you 
 going to ? " she inquired, astonished. 
 
 "To the king! " she replied, with a 
 proud smile. "He has heard the 
 bishop, and he shall also hear me. The 
 king's mind is fickle and easily changed 
 about. We will now see which cunning 
 is the stronger that of the priest, or 
 that of the woman ! Elizabeth, pray for 
 me ; I am going to the king, and you will 
 see me either free and happy, or you will 
 never again behold me." 
 
 She imprinted an affectionate kiss 
 upon the lips of Elizabeth, and left the 
 room with hurried steps. 
 
 OHAPTEK X. 
 
 THE GAME OF CHESS. 
 
 FOE many days the king had not been 
 so well for a long time he had not en- 
 joyed such a refreshing sleep as on this 
 day that he had signed the warrant of 
 committal against the queen This, how- 
 ever, did not engage his thoughts ; sleep 
 had obliterated all remembrance of it 
 from his memory. Like some trivial 
 
 anecdote, heard for the moment with a 
 passing smile, the whole occurrence had 
 vanished from his mind. A transient 
 interlude nothing more. 
 
 The king had slept well, and nothing 
 further troubled him. He extended and 
 stretched himself upon his couch, and 
 thought with delight how pleasant it 
 would be if he could every day enjoy 
 such sweet and refreshing repose, and if 
 no evil dreams and no fears would scare 
 away slumber from his eyes. He felt 
 himself quite cheerful and composed, and 
 to any one who had now come to beg 
 a favor of the king he would have 
 granted it, in the first raptures which 
 this reviving sleep had caused him. But 
 he was alone no one was with him, 
 and he must therefore suppress his gra- 
 cious desires. But, no ; seemed it not as 
 if something moved and breathed be- 
 hind the curtain ? 
 
 The king drew aside the hangings, and 
 a serene smile came over his features, 
 for beside his couch sat the queen. She 
 sat there, with her flushed cheeks c^nd 
 glowing eyes, and greeted him with a 
 smile of good-humored banter and droll- 
 ery. 
 
 "Ah, Kate, you there!" cried the 
 king. " Now I understand how I came 
 to have such a sound and refreshing 
 sleep. You stood beside me, like my 
 good angel, and banished away all pains 
 and evil dreams from iny pillow." 
 
 And so saying, he stretched forth his 
 band, and tenderly caressed her velvet 
 cheek never thinking for a moment 
 that he had already, in a certain manner, 
 devoted this lovely head to the scaffold, 
 
THE GAME OF CHESS. 
 
 273 
 
 and that within a few hours more those 
 dazzling eyes should dwell upon nothing 
 but the darkness of the dungeon. Sleep, 
 as before said, had lulled all remem- 
 brance of this matter, and as yet his 
 malicious instincts had not again been 
 excited. To sign a warrant of commit- 
 tal, or a death-warrant, was such an 
 ordinary and e very-day occurrence with 
 the king, that it marked no epoch in his 
 life, and neither burdened him with re- 
 morse of conscience, nor made his heart 
 .shudder or tremble. 
 
 But Katharine thought of all this, 
 and as the king's hand caressed her 
 cheek, she felt as if death were touch- 
 ing her, as though it already claimed her 
 for its own. Meanwhile she overcame 
 this momentary horror, and had the 
 courage to preserve her presence of 
 mind, and her cheerful and composed 
 mien. 
 
 " You call me your good angel, my 
 lord and husband," she replied, smiling ; 
 44 but I am nothing more than your little 
 household sprite, that flits and buzzes 
 around you, and that makes you laugh 
 sometimes with his harmless banter." 
 
 " And i'faith, a lively little sprite you 
 are, Kate," cried the king, who con- 
 tinued with real pleasure to contemplate 
 the fresh and animated countenance of 
 his spouse. 
 
 " Then I will remain with you to-day 
 as your sprite, and give you no more 
 rest upon your couch," said Katharine, 
 as she playfully attempted to lift him 
 up. " Do you know, my husband, what 
 I came hither for? A butterfly came 
 fluttering to my window ; only think, a 
 18 
 
 butterfly in winter that signifies, that 
 on this occasion winter is spring, and 
 that the clerk of the weather has con- 
 verted January into March. The but- 
 terfly has summoned us forth, my king ; 
 and just look there, the sun beckons to 
 us through the window, and tells us we 
 should come out, as it has already dried 
 up the walks below in the garden, and 
 made a little grass to spring up by the 
 wayside. Your wheeled arm-chair, too, 
 is already at hand, and your little sprite, 
 as you see, has already decked and 
 garnished herself with furs against 
 the winter, which, indeed, seems passed 
 by." 
 
 " Well, then, come and help me, my 
 dearest little sprite, that I may get up 
 and obey the commands of the butter- 
 fly, of the sun, and of ray lovely and 
 charming wife! " cried the king, as he 
 put his arm round Katharine's neck, and 
 raised himself up from his couch. 
 
 She displayed the utmost activity and 
 sport in attending to the king's wants ; 
 she laid her arm affectionately on his 
 shoulder, and supported him; she ad- 
 justed the gold chain which had become 
 displaced, over his doublet ; and play- 
 fully folded and arranged the lace ruffles 
 which he wore round his neck. 
 
 "Do you wish your attendants to 
 come, my husband? The master of 
 the ceremonies, who is doubtless wait- 
 ing your commands in the anteroom, or 
 my lord the bishop, who looked so 
 scowlingly at me this morning? But, 
 how now, my good lord, does your 
 countenance too wear a gloomy look? 
 or has your little sprite perchance again 
 
274 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 said something discordant to your 
 mind ? " 
 
 " By no means," said the king, gloom- 
 ily ; but he avoided encountering her 
 smiling glance, and averted his gaze 
 from her radiant and charming counte- 
 nance. 
 
 The king's evil thoughts were once 
 more awakened within him, and he now 
 remembered the warrant which he had 
 given to Gardiner. He remembered and 
 repented it. For his youthful Queen 
 was so amiable and beautiful; she so 
 well understood how to chase away 
 sorrow from his brow, and sadness from 
 his heart, by her playful humor and 
 lively wit ! She was such an agreeable 
 and entertaining companion, such a 
 ready means of banishing weariness and 
 ennui. 
 
 It was not for her sake, but for his 
 own, that he regretted what he had 
 done ; it was his selfishness alone which 
 made him repent having issued this 
 warrant for the queen's incarceration. 
 Katharine observed him, and her glance, 
 rendered more penetrating by her in- 
 ward fears, read the thoughts upon his 
 brow, and fully understood the sigh 
 which involuntarily escaped him. She 
 again took courage, she might yet suc- 
 ceed in smiling away the sword sus- 
 pended over her head. 
 
 " Come, my lord and husband," she 
 said, in a cheerful tone, " come, the sun 
 is nodding at us, and the trees are shak- 
 ing their heads with displeasure at our 
 long delay." 
 
 " Yes, come, Kate," said the king, re- 
 covering himself with an effort from his 
 
 thoughtful mood ; u come, we will go out 
 into the free air of Heaven. Perhaps 
 we shall then be nearer to our Maker, 
 who may inspire us with good thoughts 
 and salutary resolutions. Come, along, 
 Kate ! " 
 
 The queen presented her arm, and 
 supported by it, the king advanced a 
 few steps. Suddenly, however, Katha- 
 rine stood still, and as the king looked 
 at her inquiringly, she blushed and 
 averted her gaze. 
 
 " Well ? " asked the king, " why do 
 you linger ? " 
 
 " Sire, I was just reflecting upon your 
 words, and upon what you have said of 
 the sun and of salutary resolutions; it 
 has touched my heart and troubled my 
 conscience. You are right, my hus- 
 band, God is then abroad, and I dare 
 not venture to look at the sun, which is 
 the eye of God, until I have confessed 
 and received absolution. Sire, I am a 
 great sinner, and my conscience gives 
 me no rest. Will you be my father-con- 
 fessor and listen to me ? " 
 
 The king sighed. Alas ! thought he, 
 she is herself rushing to destruction, 
 and by her own avowal of her guilt, she 
 will render it impossible for me to hold 
 her innocent ! 
 
 " Speak ! " he replied, in a loud tone. 
 
 " In the first place," she whispered, 
 with downcast looks, " in the first place, 
 I must acknowledge that I have this 
 day deceived you, my lord and king; 
 vanity and sinful arrogance tempted me 
 to do so, and childish petulance made 
 me accomplish what vanity had sug- 
 gested. But I repent, my king, I repent 
 
THE GAME OF CHESS. 
 
 it from my inmost soul, and I protest to 
 you, my husband, nay, I affirm by all 
 that I hold sacred, that this is the first 
 and only time that I ever deceived you ; 
 and never will I again attempt, to do so, 
 for it is a fearful and dismal feeling to 
 stand before you with a conscience sen- 
 sible of guilt," 
 
 "And wherein did you deceive us, 
 Kate ? " asked the king, and his voice 
 trembled. 
 
 Katharine drew forth from her dress 
 a small role of paper, and bending with 
 humility, handed it to the king. "Take 
 it and see for yourself, my husband," 
 she replied. 
 
 The king hastily opened the paper, 
 and then looked with complete astonish- 
 ment, first at the contents, and then at 
 the blushing countenance of the queen. 
 
 "How now?" he exclaimed. "A 
 pawn from the chess-board? What 
 does this mean ? " 
 
 " It means," she replied, in the most 
 contrite accents, " It means that I stole 
 this piece from you this morning, and 
 by such deceit, I was enabled to gain 
 the victory. Oh, pardon me, my hus- 
 band, but I could no longer bear the 
 thought of always losing, and I was 
 afraid you would not again grant me the 
 favor of playing with you, if you thought 
 what a feeble and contemptible oppo- 
 nent I was. This little pawn was my 
 enemy ; he stood beside my queen, and 
 threatened to take her, while the king 
 was held in check by your bishop. You 
 were just about to make this move with 
 the pawn, which must have been my 
 destruction, when my lord, the Bishop 
 
 of Winchester entered. You turned 
 your eyes toward him for a moment, 
 and saluted him, leaving the game un- 
 observed. Oh, my lord and husband, 
 the temptation was too alluring, too se- 
 ductive, and I yielded to it. I took the 
 pawn softly from the board, and let it 
 glide into my pocket. When you turned 
 round and resumed the game, you 
 seemed at first astonished, but your 
 noble and magnanimous mind did not 
 discover my wicked fraud ; and so you 
 played on unsuspectingly, and thus I won 
 the game. Oh, my king, will you for- 
 give, and not be angry with me ? " 
 
 The king burst into a loud fit of 
 laughter, and looked with an expression 
 of tenderness and affection at Katharine, 
 who with downcast eyes stood blushing 
 and abashed before him. This spectacle 
 only redoubled his mirthfulness, and re- 
 newed his immoderate laughter. 
 
 "And that is your only crime, 
 Kate?" he asked at length, drying his 
 eyes with his handkerchief. " You have 
 stolen a pawn from me ; that is your 
 first and only act of deceit? " 
 
 " Is it not already great enough, sire ? 
 Did I not purloin it because I was so ar- 
 rogant as to wish to win a game of chess 
 from you? Does not the entire court 
 now know my supreme good luck, and 
 that I have this day gained the victory, 
 while in reality I did not deserve it, 
 because I had so shamefully deceived 
 you?" 
 
 "Well, truly" said the king with 
 solemn gravity, "happy are the hus- 
 bands who are no worse deceived by 
 their wives, than in what you have done 
 
276 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 to-day, Kate, and well for the ladies 
 whose confession has been as pure and 
 guiltless as yours has been. Come, 
 raise your eyes once more, my Kate ; the 
 sin is forgiven, and it will only be attrib- 
 uted to you as a virtue by God and by 
 your king." 
 
 He laid his hand upon her head, as if 
 to bless her, and looked at her for some 
 time in silence. And then he resumed 
 with a laugh : 
 
 "Then according to this, Kate, I 
 should have been the conqueror to-day 
 and not have lost the game at chess ? " 
 
 "Yes," she replied sadly, "I must 
 have lost it had I not stolen this pawn." 
 
 Once more the king laughed. 
 
 "Believe me," continued Katharine 
 earnestly " belieYe me, my lord, that 
 Bishop Gardiner and he alone should 
 bear the blame for this unhappy occur- 
 rence. As he was present I was unwill- 
 ing to lose. It roused ray pride to 
 think that this haughty and insolent 
 priest should be a witness of my defeat. 
 I perceived by anticipation the cold and 
 contemptuous smile with which he 
 would look down upon me the van- 
 quished ; and my spirit revolted at the 
 thought of being humbled in his pres- 
 ence. And this brings me to the second 
 part of my guilt, which I will also now 
 confess to you. Sire, I must also admit 
 another great fault. I have this day 
 gravely offended you, by contradicting 
 and opposing your wise and pious 
 words. Oh ! my noble husband, it was 
 not in order to defy you that I did so, 
 but in ordor to annoy and mortify the 
 proud priest. For I must acknowledge 
 
 to you, my good lord, that I hate this 
 Bishop of Winchester nay more, I fear 
 him ! for my boding heart tells me that he 
 is my enemy ;' that he watches like a spy 
 over my every look, every word, in order 
 to convert it into a snare for my destruc- 
 tion. He is the evil genius who follows 
 me stealthily about, and who would one 
 day certainly crush me, if I were not 
 protected by your cherishing hand and 
 your all-powerful arm. Oh, when I see 
 him, I should always like to take refuge 
 in your heart, and say to you, ' Protect 
 me, my king, and have compassion upon 
 me. Have confidence in me and love 
 me, for otherwise I am lost I The 
 wicked enemy is at hand to destroy 
 me!'" 
 
 And while she thus spoke she nestled 
 closely by the king's side, and with her 
 head resting on his breast, she looked up 
 to him with an expression of tender en- 
 treaty and touching resignation. 
 
 The king bent down and kissed her 
 fair upturned brow. 
 
 "Oh, sancta simplicitas ! " he mur- 
 mured to himself, " she knows not how 
 near the truth she is, and how abso- 
 lutely justified her evil bodings have 
 been." He then asked alot*d: "Then 
 you believe, Kate, that Gardiner hates 
 you?" 
 
 " I not only believe it, but I know it ! 
 she replied. " He stabs me to the quick 
 whenever he can ; and if his wounds are 
 but those of pins, it is only because he 
 fears you would discover it if he were to 
 use a dagger; whereas you will not 
 perceive the pins with which he secretly 
 stabs me. Indeed, what else was his 
 
THE GAME OF CHESS. 
 
 277 
 
 visit of this morning than a new attack 
 upon me ? He well knows, and I have 
 never made any secret of the matter, 
 that I am an enemy to that Catholic 
 religion whose pope has dared to hnrl 
 his anathemas against' my lord and hus- 
 band, and that with lively sympathy I 
 seek to be informed as to the religious 
 doctrines of those who are called re- 
 formers." 
 
 " They say you are a heretic," said the 
 king, gravely. 
 
 " Yes, Gardiner says so. But if I am 
 one, tli en you also are one, for your 
 creed is mine. If I am a heretic, so is 
 Cranmer too, for he is my spiritual 
 guide and counsellor. But Gardiner has 
 resolved that I am a heretic, and he 
 wishes, moreover, that I should seem one 
 to you. Be assured, my husband, it was 
 on that account that he laid before you 
 those eight death-warrants. Those were 
 eight heretics whom you were to con- 
 demn, not a single papist was among 
 them; and yet I know that the prisons 
 are full of papists, who, in the fanati- 
 cism of their persecuted belief, have 
 uttered words no less deserving of pun- 
 ishment than those used by the unhappy 
 beings whom you were this day about to 
 banish from life to death, by a stroke of 
 the pen. Sire, I would have besought 
 you with no less warmth, with no less 
 entreaty, had these persons been pa- 
 pists, whom you were going to con- 
 demn to death; but Gardiner wished 
 for a proof of my heretical sentiments, 
 and so he chose eight heretics, for 
 whose sakes he desired that I should 
 oppose myself to your severe decree." 
 
 "It is true," said the king, "not a 
 single papist was among them. But tell 
 me truly, Kate, are you a heretic, and 
 the opponent of your king ? " 
 
 With a sweet smile she looked ear- 
 nestly into his eyes, and crossed her 
 arms with humility over her beautiful 
 bosom. 
 
 "Your opponent!" she whispered; 
 " are you not my lord and husband? Is 
 not the woman made to be subject to the 
 man? Man is created after the image of 
 God, and woman after the image of man. 
 Therefore, the woman is only the man's 
 second self, and he must mingle com- 
 passion with his love, and bestow upon 
 her of the fulness of his own mind, and 
 cause her to drink from the fountains of 
 his understanding. Your duty, there- 
 fore, is to instruct me, my husband, and 
 mine is to learn of you : and to none, of all 
 women in the world, is this duty ren- 
 dered so easy as to myself; for God has 
 been gracious toward me, and has given 
 me for my husband a king, whose prn- 
 dence, wisdom, and learning, are the 
 theme and admiration of the whole 
 world." 
 
 " What a sweet little flatterer you are, 
 Kate," said the king, smiling ; " and 
 with what a bewitching voice you wish 
 to conceal the truth from us. The truth 
 is, that you yourself are a very learned 
 little person, who does not at all require 
 to be taught by others, but who would 
 be quite competent to teach them." 
 
 " Oh, if that be so," exclaimed Katha- 
 rine. " then I should like to teach the 
 whole world to love my king as I do 
 myself, and to bo as submissive to him, 
 
2Y8 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 in all humility, obedience, and fidelity, as 
 I am." 
 
 And so saying she flung her arms 
 round the king's neck, and leaned her 
 head, with a languishing expression, 
 upon his breast. 
 
 The king kissed her, and clasped her 
 tenderly to his heart. He no longer re- 
 membered that danger was still hover- 
 ing above Katharine's head; he only 
 knew that he loved her, and that with- 
 out her, life would be a very wretched 
 and dreary wilderness. 
 
 " And now, my husband," said Kath- 
 arine, releasing herself gently from his 
 embrace, "now that I have made my 
 confession to you, and received absolu- 
 tion, let us go down into the garden, 
 that God's bright sun may shine fresh 
 and joyful into our hearts. Come, hus- 
 band, your rolling chair is at hand, and 
 the bees and butterflies have already 
 learned a hymn with which they are 
 ready to greet you." 
 
 . She led him along, laughing and jest- 
 ing the while, into the adjoining room, 
 where the court attendants and the 
 rolling chair were in readiness; and the 
 king ascended his triumphal chariot, and 
 suffered himself to be rolled along over 
 the carpet-laid corridors, and down the 
 sloping passage, into which the broad 
 marble steps had been converted, until he 
 reached the garden. 
 
 The air, though sharp and wintry, had 
 still somewhat of the genial warmth of 
 spring. The grass had already begun, 
 like an industrious weaver, to weave a 
 carpet over the dark surface of the 
 squares, and already here and there a 
 
 modest but curious little flower began to 
 peep forth, and seemed to smile with as- 
 tonishment at the sight of its own pre- 
 mature existence. The sun appeared so 
 warm and bright the sky was so blue 
 and beside the king, Katharine moved 
 along with such rosy cheeks and such 
 brightly beaming eyes. These eyes 
 were continually fixed upon her hus- 
 band, and her lively chatter seemed to 
 the king like the sweet melody of birds, 
 and made his heart bound with pleasure 
 and delight. 
 
 But hark ! what was that loud bustle, 
 which suddenly drowned the queen's mer- 
 ry chatter? what was it that gleamed 
 up at the end of the great alley in which 
 the royal couple and their retinue hap- 
 pened to be promenading just at that 
 moment ? 
 
 It was the clatter of soldiery moving 
 forward, and glittering helmets and 
 coats of mail gleamed in the sunshine. 
 
 A troop of soldiery took up their posi- 
 tion at the end of the alley another 
 troop advanced in close ranks ; at their 
 head were Gardiner and Lord Douglas > 
 striding forward, with the lieutenant of 
 the Tower at their side. 
 
 The king's countenance assumed a sul- 
 len and angry expression, and his cheeks 
 became purple and scarlet. He raised 
 himself with youthful agility from his 
 chair-carriage, and standing erect, looked 
 with flashing eyes at the advancing pro- 
 cession. 
 
 The queen seized his hand and pressed 
 it to her breast. u Ah," she whispered, 
 gently, u protect me, my husband, for 
 already fear overpowers me once more. 
 
THE GAME OF CHESS. 
 
 279 
 
 It is my enemy it is Gardiner that is 
 coming, and I tremble." 
 
 " You shall tremble no longer before 
 him, Kate," said the king. "Woe be- 
 tide those who dare to make the wife of 
 King Henry tremble! I must speak 
 with Gardiner." 
 
 And the king, violently excited and 
 angry, pushed along somewhat abruptly 
 by the side of the queen, and paid no 
 heed to the pains in his foot, while he 
 strode forward with rapid steps toward 
 the advancing procession. 
 
 He made a signal to halt, and called 
 Douglas and Gardiner aside. ""What 
 do you want here, and what means all 
 this strange parade ? " he inquired, in a 
 harsh voice. 
 
 The two courtiers stared at him with 
 terrified looks, and dared make no 
 reply. 
 
 "Well?" asked the king, his anger 
 continually rising, "will ye tell me by 
 what right ye have dared to intrude thus 
 into our garden with an armed host, at 
 the very moment that we happen to be 
 enjoying a promenade with our royal 
 spouse? Verily, there is no excuse for 
 such a gross violation of the reverence 
 and awe which ye owe to your sovereign, 
 and I greatly marvel, my lord master of 
 the ceremonies, that you did not attempt 
 to obviate th is impropriety ! " 
 
 Lord Douglas muttered a few words of 
 exculpation, which the king did not, or 
 would not, understand. 
 
 " The duty of a chief master of the 
 ceremonies is to protect his king against 
 every injury and intrusion, whereas, you, 
 my Lord Douglas, bring insult yourself 
 
 home to my very face. Perhaps you 
 thus wish to prove to me that you are 
 weary of the office. Very well, my 
 lord, I release you from such duties ; and 
 in order that your presence may not 
 again remind me of the disagreeable in- 
 cidents of this morning, you shall quit 
 the court and leave London at once! 
 Farewell, my lord." 
 
 Lord Douglas, pale and trembling, re- 
 treated a few steps, and looked at the 
 king with blank astonishment and dis- 
 may. He wished to speak, but the king 
 waved his hand imperiously, and com- 
 manded him to be silent. 
 
 " And now, to you, my lord bishop ! " 
 said the king, and his eyes turned upon 
 Gardiner with such an expression of an- 
 ger and contempt, that the latter grew 
 pale and cast his looks to the ground. 
 " What means this strange retinue with 
 which the priest of God this day ap- 
 proaches his royal master, and from 
 what motive of Christian love do you 
 purpose to-day holding a wild-beast 
 hunt in the garden of your king ? " 
 
 "Sire," said Gardiner, beside himself 
 " your majesty well knows what I come 
 for; it is by your majesty's command 
 that I have come, together with Lord 
 Douglas and the lieutenant of the 
 Tower, in order " 
 
 " Silence ! not another word ! " cried 
 the king, who felt enraged that Gardiner 
 did not understand him, and would not 
 perceive the king's altered disposition. 
 "How dare you parade my commands, 
 when full of just astonishment I ask you 
 the cause of your appearance ? This 
 means, sir, that you wish to give your 
 
280 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 lord and king the lie you wish to ex- 
 cuse yourself, by accusing me. Ah ! my 
 worthy lord bishop, you have made 
 shipwreck of your schemes this time, and 
 I disown both you and your foolish en- 
 terprise. No, there is no one here 
 whom you wish to arrest, and by God's 
 mother if your eyes were not blind you 
 would have seen that here, where the 
 king is enjoying the air with his queen, 
 no one could abide whom these myr- 
 midons had to seek ! The vicinity of 
 royal majesty is like the vicinity of God 
 himself; it sheds peace and happiness 
 around it, and whoever comes within the 
 precincts of its halo, receives thereby 
 sacredness and pardon." 
 
 " But, your majesty," cried Gardiner, 
 whom anger and disappointed hopes had 
 caused to forget all discretion and re- 
 serve, " you wished that the queen 
 should be arrested. You gave me the 
 command to do so yourself, and now, 
 when I come to execute your wishes, 
 you now disown me 1 " 
 
 The king uttered an exclamation of 
 rage, and with uplifted arm advanced a 
 few paces toward Gardiner. 
 
 But suddenly he felt his arm re- 
 strained. It was Katharine, who had 
 hastened forward to the king. " Oh, 
 my husband," she whispered, gently, 
 " whatever he may have done, spare 
 him ! He is still a priest of the Lord, 
 and so let his sacred garb protect him, 
 even though, perhaps, his deeds should 
 condemn him." 
 
 " Ah, you intercede for him ? " cried 
 the king. " Verily, my poor wife, you 
 do not suspect what little ground you 
 
 have to pity him, and to beg me to par- 
 don him. But you are right, we will 
 respect his priestly robe, and no longer 
 reflect what an arrogant and intriguing 
 man that robe covers. But beware, 
 priest, beware of again reminding me 
 of this ; for my anger would inevitably 
 fall upon you, and I would show you as 
 little mercy as you say I am bound to 
 exhibit toward other evil-doers. And 
 as you are a priest, suffer yourself to be 
 impressed with the gravity becoming your 
 office, and the sacredness of your call- 
 ing. Your episcopal seat is at Winches- 
 ter, and I believe your duties summon 
 you thither. "We require your services 
 here no longer, for the wise and discreet 
 Archbishop of Canterbury returns back 
 to us, and will have to fulfil the duties 
 of his office beside the queen. Fare- 
 well ! " 
 
 He turned his back upon Gardiner, 
 and leaning upon Katharine's arm re- 
 turned to his carriage chair. 
 
 "Kate," he said, "just now there 
 was a dark cloud hanging over your sky, 
 but thanks to your smile and to your in- 
 nocent countenance, it has passed away 
 without harm. It would seem to us 
 that we are specially bound to thank 
 you for this matter, and it would afford 
 us a great pleasure to be able to testify 
 this to you by some token of love. Is 
 there nothing, Kate, that would give 
 you special satisfaction ? " 
 
 " Oh, certainly," she replied, with de- 
 light. u There are two great wishes 
 which I ardently cherish." 
 
 " Then name them, Kate, and by 
 God : s mother, if it be in the power of a 
 
THE GAME OF CHESS. 
 
 281 
 
 king to accomplish them, it shall be 
 done!" 
 
 Katharine siezed his hand and pressed 
 it to her heart. " Sire," said she, u you 
 were this day requested to sign eight 
 death-warrants. Oh, my good lord, 
 make these eight culprits, eight happy 
 and grateful subjects, teach them to love 
 their king whom they have calumniated 
 teach their children, their wives and 
 mothers to pray for you, by restoring 
 freedom to their sons, husbands and fa- 
 thers, and by granting them pardon with 
 that greatness and clemency most like 
 the divine attributes." 
 
 " It shall be done ! " cried the king, 
 cheerfully. " Our hand shall this day 
 have no other labor than to rest in yours, 
 and we will spare it the trouble of these 
 eight signatures. As for the eight male- 
 factors they are pardoned, and they 
 shall be free this very day ! " 
 
 With an outburst of delight, Katha- 
 rine pressed Henry's hand to her lips, 
 and her countenance became radiant 
 with pure joy. 
 
 " And your second wish ? " inquired 
 the king. 
 
 "My second wish," she replied, smil- 
 ing, "also begs for freedom for a poor 
 prisoner for freedom for a human heart, 
 sire ! " 
 
 The king laughed. " A human heart ? 
 What ! does it then run about the streets 
 in such a way, that it can be caught and 
 made a prisoner of ? " 
 
 " Sire, you sought it out and impris- 
 oned it in the bosom of your daughter. 
 You wish to keep Elizabeth's heart in 
 fetters, and by an unnatural law you want 
 
 to compel her to renounce the freedom 
 of her own choice. Oh, sire, it is not the 
 princess, but myself, whom this law has 
 painfully touched. Only imagine : to 
 attempt to command a woman's heart, 
 to inquire first after pedigrees and coats- 
 of-arms, before any regard should be had 
 to the individual who might be the ob- 
 ject of her choice ! " 
 
 " Oh, women, women, what foolish 
 children ye are ! " exclaimed the king, 
 laughing. "A throne is at stake, and 
 you are thinking of your hearts. But 
 come, Kate, you shall explain that mat- 
 ter to me at a greater length, and we 
 will not recall our word, for we have 
 pledged it to you from a free and a joy- 
 ful heart." 
 
 He took the queen's arm, and leaning 
 upon it, walked with her slowly along 
 the avenue. In silence and at a respect- 
 ful distance, followed the ladies and gen- 
 tlemen of the court, and no one sus- 
 pected that the royal lady who moved 
 along before them with such a proud 
 and stately air, had but just then es- 
 caped from a deadly danger which 
 threatened her or that this man, who 
 with such yielding tenderness now hung 
 upon her arm, had but a few brief hour's 
 before, doomed her to destruction. 
 
 And while they both thus wandered 
 along the walks and alleys in confiden- 
 tial discourse, two other individuals 
 with bowed heads and pallid features, 
 quitted the royal palace, which hence- 
 forth should be for them a lost paradise. 
 Their hearts were filled with gloomy 
 rancor and fierce hatred, but they were 
 compelled to bear it in silence; they 
 
282 
 
 HENKY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 must smile and look happy, in order 
 that they might not prepare a malicious 
 joy for the court. They felt the spite- 
 ful glances of all these courtiers; al- 
 though they passed them by with down- 
 cast looks ; they though they heard their 
 jeering whispers, and their mocking 
 laughter, and it pierced them to the 
 heart like a dagger. 
 
 At length they had passed this ordeal 
 at length the palace lay behind them, 
 and they were now at least free to give 
 utterance in words to the torment which 
 consumed them free to break forth into 
 bitter complaints and curses and impre- 
 cations, at their recent discomfiture. 
 
 41 Lost ! all is lost ! " said Lord Doug- 
 las, in accents of dull despair. " I have 
 made shipwreck of all my plans. I have 
 sacrificed to the Church my life, my 
 property nay my own daughter and 
 all to no purpose ! I am now left alone 
 and comfortless like a beggar in the 
 streets; and the Holy Mother Church 
 will no longer regard the son who loved 
 her, and who sacrificed himself for her 
 sake, for he was unsuccessful, and his 
 sacrifice has been unfruitful." 
 
 "Do not despond," said Gardiner, 
 with a solemn air. " The clouds are 
 now gathering overhead, but they will 
 again become scattered ; for after the 
 storm comes the sunshine. " Our day 
 will corne, my friend. We are now 
 going hence, our hearts bowed down 
 and our heads bestrewed with ashes; 
 but, believe me, a time will corne when 
 we shall return with radiant counte- 
 nance and exultant hearts; and the 
 flaming sword of divine vengeance 
 
 will gleam in our hands, and we shall 
 wear a purple robe dyed in the blood of 
 heretics, whom we will offer to the Lord 
 our God as a well-pleasing sacrifice. 
 The Almighty is reserving us for a bet- 
 ter time, and trust me, my friend, our 
 banishment is but a place of refuge 
 which the Lord has provided for us for 
 the evil times which are at hand." 
 
 " You speak of evil times, and yet you 
 hope, my lord ? " asked Douglas, gloom- 
 
 ay. 
 
 " And yet I hope! " replied Gardiner, 
 with a strange and ghastly smile, and 
 stooping forward toward Douglas, he 
 whispered: "The king has but a few 
 more days to live. He does not suspect 
 how near he is to death, arid no one has 
 the courage to tell him so, but his phy- 
 sician has told me the fact in confidence. 
 His vital powers are exhausted, and 
 death now stands at his door ready to 
 strangle him." 
 
 "And when he is gone," said Lord 
 Douglas, with a shrug, "his son Edward 
 will be king, and those heretical Sey- 
 mours will guide the helm of state ! 
 Does your lordship consider that a hope- 
 ful symptom ? " 
 
 " I do." 
 
 "Then you are not aware that Ed- 
 ward, albeit so young is a fanatical 
 adherent of the heretical doctrines, and 
 likewise a furious opponent of our Holy 
 Church ? " 
 
 " Yes, I am aware of all that, but I 
 am also aware that Edward is a delicate 
 boy ; and a holy prophesy is current in 
 our Church, which declares that his 
 reign will be of brief duration. God 
 
THE GAME OF CHESS. 
 
 283 
 
 only knows how his death will come 
 about, but the Church has already often 
 seen her enemies die suddenly ; and 
 death has often been the most powerful 
 ally of our Holy Mother. Believe, 
 therefore, my son, and hope ; for I tell 
 you Edward's reign will be a short one ! 
 And after him, she will ascend the throne 
 the noble and pious Mary, the strict 
 and fervent Catholic, who hates the 
 heretics as much as Edward loves them. 
 Oh, my friend, when Mary ascends the 
 throne, then shall we go forth from our 
 humiliation, and power will once more be 
 in our own hands. Then will all England 
 become one vast temple, and on its al- 
 tars will be kindled the fires in which 
 we shall consume the heretics, and their 
 moans and lamentations will be the 
 sacred hymns which shall be sung to the 
 honor of God and of His Holy Church. 
 Look forward with hope to this time, 
 for I tell you it will speedily arrive ! " 
 
 " If YOU say so, then it will come to 
 pass, my lord," said Douglas, significant- 
 ly. " I shall therefore hope and wait. 
 Anticipating the evil days I shall retire 
 to Scotland, and look forward to the 
 better days to come." 
 
 " And I shall withdraw, as this king 
 by God's anger has commanded, to my 
 episcopal seat. God's vengeance will 
 soon summon Henry from hence. May 
 his dying hour be one of torment, and 
 may the anathema of the holy father 
 cling to him, and be fulfilled in this life 
 and in the next! Farewell, we are de- 
 parting with the olive branch of peace 
 thrust upon us, but we shall return with 
 the flaming sword, and the blood of the 
 
 heretics shall trickle down from our 
 hands ! " 
 
 Once more they exchanged greetings 
 before parting, and ere sunset they had 
 both quitted London. 
 
 A short time after this eventful prom- 
 enade in the garden of Whitehall, the 
 queen entered the apartments of the 
 Princess Elizabeth, who with joyful im- 
 patience hastened forward to meet her, 
 and folded her impetuously in her arms. 
 
 " Saved ! " she whispered. u The dan- 
 ger is surmounted, and you are once 
 more the powerful queen the adored 
 wife ! " 
 
 " And it is you I thank for it all, prin- 
 cess. "Without this warrant of commit- 
 tal which you brought jne I must have 
 been lost. But oh, Elizabeth, what a try- 
 ing ordeal, what a martyrdom have I not 
 undergone ! To smile and jest while my 
 heart was trembling with anxiety and ter- 
 ror ; to seem easy and composed when I 
 felt as if I already saw the axe gleaming 
 in the air, ready to fall upon my neck. I 
 have suffered the torments and the agony 
 of a whole life in this one hour ; my soul 
 within me is worried to death, and my 
 strength is quite exhauste;!. I fain 
 would weep weep unceasingly over 
 this wretched and deceitful world, in 
 which it is not enough to wish what is 
 right and to do what is good in which 
 one must practice falsehood and flattery, 
 deceit and dissimulation, to avoid be- 
 coming a victim of unkindness and 
 malice. But ah, Elizabeth, even my 
 tears I dared only weep inwardly, for a 
 queen has not the right to be sad, she 
 must always be cheerful, always con- 
 
284 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 tented and happy, and only God and 
 the still silent night know her sighs and 
 tears." 
 
 "And I, too, might be a witness of 
 them," said Elizabeth, earnestly, "for 
 you well know that you may trust me, 
 and depend upon me." 
 
 Katharine kissed her tenderly. 
 
 u You have this day done me a great 
 service, and I have not come merely to 
 thank you with sounding words, but 
 with deeds ; Elizabeth, your wish will be 
 granted. The king will revoke the de- 
 cree which would compel you to give 
 your hand only to a husband of equal 
 birth with yourself." 
 
 "Oh," cried Elizabeth, with radiant 
 looks, " then I shall perhaps one day 
 be able to make the man I love a king ! " 
 
 Katharine smiled. 
 
 "You have a proud and ambitious 
 heart," she said. " God has endowed you 
 with extraordinary abilities ; be careful of 
 them, and increase them, for my boding 
 heart tells me that you are destined one 
 day to become Queen of England. But 
 who knows if you will then still wish to 
 raise the man whom you now love to be 
 your husband. A queen such as you will 
 be, sees with other eyes than those of the 
 young and inexperienced maiden. Per- 
 haps I have not done right in urging the 
 king to make this alteration in the law, 
 for I don't know the man whom you 
 love, and who knows if he be worthy 
 that you should bestow upon him your 
 pure and. guileless heart." 
 
 Elizabeth twined her arms with ca- 
 ressing tenderness round Katharine's 
 neck. 
 
 " Oh," she exclaimed, " he would even 
 be worthy of your own love, Katharine, 
 for he is the handsomest and noblest 
 cavalier in the whole world ; and though 
 he is no king, yet he is a king's brother- 
 in-law, and will one day be the uncle of 
 a king." 
 
 Katharine felt as if her heart was 
 convulsed, and a slight shudder ran 
 through her whole frame. 
 
 " And am I to know his name? " she 
 inquired. 
 
 "Yes, you shall know it now, for 
 there is no longer any danger in know- 
 ing it. The man whom I love, queen, is 
 Thomas Seymour! " 
 
 Katharine uttered a loud cry, and 
 thrust Elizabeth violently away from 
 her. 
 
 " Thomas Seymour ! ?' she exclaimed, 
 in threatening tones ! " what ! you dare 
 to love Thomas Seymour ? " 
 
 " And why should I not dare to do 
 so! " asked the young maiden, aston- 
 ished. "Why should I not give him my 
 heart, since, thanks to yonr intervention 
 on my behalf, I am no longer constrained 
 to choose a husband of royal birth ? Is 
 not Thomas Seymour one of the first 
 noblemen in this kingdom ? Does not 
 all England look upon him with pride 
 and affection ? does not every woman 
 feel honored by his mere notice ? and 
 does not the king himself smile and 
 look pleased when Thomas Seymour, 
 the gay, the brave and courageous war- 
 rior, stands by his side ? " 
 
 " You are right," said Katharine, to 
 whose heart every one of these words of 
 ecstasy penetrated like a dagger. " Yes, 
 
THE DENOUEMENT. 
 
 285 
 
 you are right, he is worthy of being 
 loved by you, and you could hit upon 
 no better choice. It was merely mo- 
 mentary surprise which caused me to 
 see matters in a different light. Thomas 
 Seymour is the brother of a king, and 
 why, therefore, should he not be the hus- 
 band of a royal princess ? " 
 
 Elizabeth, with a modest blush, hid 
 her face on Katharine's bosom. She did 
 not perceive with what an expression of 
 agony and horror the queen regarded 
 her how her lips were pressed together 
 convulsively, and how her cheeks as- 
 sumed a death-like paleness. 
 
 " And he ? " she asked softly. " Does 
 Thomas Seymour love you ? " 
 
 Elizabeth raised her head and looked 
 at her interrogator with surprise. 
 
 "What! is it then possible that one 
 could love without being loved in re- 
 turn?" 
 
 "You are right," sighed Katharine, 
 "one must be very weak and lowly- 
 minded to do so." 
 
 " Good heavens, how pale you are, 
 queen ! " exclaimed Elizabeth, who now 
 for the first time observed the pallid 
 countenance of Katharine. " Your fea- 
 tures are quite altered, and your lips 
 tremble. Tell me, I entreat you, what 
 does this mean ? " 
 
 "Oh, it is nothing," replied Katha- 
 rine, with a painful smile. " The 
 excitement and terror of this day have 
 exhausted my strength. That is all. 
 Besides this, a new suffering threatens 
 us, of which you are at present quite 
 unaware. The king is dangerously ill. 
 He was seized with a sudden gid- and distressing grief, Katharine had at 
 
 diness, which caused him to sink down 
 almost lifeless beside me. I came to 
 you to bring you the king's message, 
 and now my duty recalls me to the sick 
 chamber of my husband. Good bye, 
 Elizabeth ! " 
 
 She waved her hand in farewell greet- 
 ing, and left the room with hurried 
 steps. She summoned up courage and 
 resolution to repress her feelings, and to 
 hide the anguish of her heart, in order 
 that she might be able to maintain her 
 proud and lofty bearing, while passing 
 through the saloons ; for to the courtiers 
 who bowed before her, she wished to 
 preserve the composure befitting a 
 queen, lest any one should suspect the 
 agony which she endured, and which 
 preyed upon her inwardly like a con- 
 suming fire. 
 
 But at length, having reached her 
 boudoir, and being secure from observa- 
 tion, she was no longer a queen, but 
 only a sensitive woman, overwhelmed 
 with acute pain and suffering. 
 
 She fell upon her knees, and exclaim- 
 ed in accents of heart-rending agony, 
 "Oh, God, my God, suffer me to be- 
 come delirious, that I may no longer be 
 conscious that he has forsaken me I " 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 THB DENOUEMENT. 
 
 AFTEE days of secret anguish and hid- 
 den tears, after nights of painful sobbing 
 
286 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 length found relief; she had at fength 
 formed a firm and decisive resolution. 
 
 The king was ill beyond recovery, and 
 however much she had suffered and en- 
 dured through his means, yet he was 
 still her husband, and she was unwilling 
 to stand beside his dying bed as a 
 forsworn deceiver. She was unwilling 
 to, be obliged to cast her eyes to the 
 ground before the waning glance of the 
 dying king. She wished to renounce her 
 love this love which had been as pure 
 and chaste as the prayer of a virgin, 
 which had stood above her as unap- 
 proachably distant, and yet as great and 
 all-illuming as the morning sun, and 
 which had shed upon the dark path of 
 her life the rays of a heavenly light. 
 
 She wished to make a sacrifice the 
 most difficult to relinquish her lover in 
 favor of another woman. Elizabeth 
 loved him. Katharine sought not to 
 fathom or discover if Thomas Seymour 
 loved her in return, or if the vows which 
 he had plighted to herself the queen, 
 had been in reality nothing more than 
 a phantasy a falsehood. No. She did 
 not believe it. She would not believe 
 that Thomas Seymour was capable of 
 treachery and double-dealing. But 
 Elizabeth loved him, and she was young 
 and beautiful, and a splendid future lay 
 before her. Katharine loved Thomas 
 Seymour sufficiently to be unwilling to 
 withdraw him from this future, but to 
 offer herself joyfully as a sacrifice to the 
 happiness of her beloved. "What was 
 she a woman matured by pain and 
 sorrow, compared with the youthful 
 Elizabeth in the bloom of early life? 
 
 
 What had she to offer to her beloved 
 beyond a life of retirement, of love, and 
 of secluded happiness ? "When once the 
 king was dead, and she herself set free, 
 Edward the Sixth would ascend the 
 throne, and then Katharine would be 
 nothing more than the displaced and for- 
 gotten widow of a king ; while Elizabeth * 
 a king's sister, would perhaps be able 
 to bring the man she loved, a crown, as 
 her dowry and offering. 
 
 Thomas Seymour was ambitious, and 
 this Katharine well knew. A day 
 might come when he would repent hav- 
 ing chosen the widow of a king, rather 
 than the heiress of a throne. 
 
 Katharine wished to anticipate this 
 day ; she resolved to relinquish her lover 
 of her own free will, to the princess 
 Elizabeth. She had violently struggled 
 with her heart to achieve this sacrifice. 
 She had repressed its groans, and 
 smothered its cries of lamentation. 
 
 She went to Elizabeth, and said to 
 her with a smile: " To-day, princess, 
 I shall bring your beloved to see you. 
 The king has fulfilled his promise; he 
 has, this day, with his last fainting 
 strength, signed the decree which gives 
 you the liberty not only of choosing 
 your husband from amongst the ranks 
 of princes, but of following in your 
 choice the dictates of your own heart. 
 This act I shall convey to your beloved, 
 and shall assure him of my own aid and 
 cooperation. The king is to-day in a 
 most critical state, and his consciousness 
 is fast fading. Be assured, however, that 
 if he should be in a condition to hear 
 me, I shall exert all my powers of 
 
THE DENOUEM 
 
 persuasion to incline him to your wishes, 
 and to induce him to give his consent 
 to your marriage with Lord Sudley. I 
 am now going to receive the earl. 
 Wait, therefore, in your chamber, prin- 
 cess, for Seymour will soon come to 
 bring you the decree." 
 
 While she thus spoke, she felt as if 
 her heart were being pierced with red- 
 hot daggers as if a two-edged sword 
 were penetrating her breast. But 
 Katharine had a firm and resolute spirit, 
 and she had made a vow to bear all this 
 agony to the end, and she bore it. Not 
 a quiver of her lip not a sigh not an 
 exclamation betrayed the pain which 
 she suffered; and even though her 
 cheeks were colorless, and her eyes 
 dim, it was because she had spent 
 .long and dreary nights of wakefulness 
 and watching beside her husband's sick- 
 bed, and because she mourned for the 
 dying king. 
 
 She had the heroism to embrace affec- 
 tionately this young maiden, to whom 
 she was about to yield up her love as a 
 sacrifice, and to listen with a smile to 
 the earnest words of gratitude, of rap- 
 ture, and of expectant happiness, which 
 Elizabeth addressed to her. 
 
 With tearless eyes, and with a firm 
 step, she returned to her apartments, 
 and her voice trembled not, as she com- 
 manded the gentlemen-in-wating to 
 summon to her the master of the horse 
 the Earl of Sudley. Only, she had a 
 feeling as if her heart were broken and 
 crushed, and she murmured gently and 
 with complete resignation : u I shall die 
 when he is gone! But while he is 
 
 present I will live, and he shall never 
 suspect what I suffer ! " 
 
 And while Katharine suffered thus 
 fearfully, Elizabeth was exulting with 
 rapture and delight, for now at length 
 she had reached the goal of her wishes, 
 and this very day would see her the affi- 
 anced bride of her beloved. Oh, how 
 slowly and tediously the minutes crept 
 along! What ages she had still to 
 wait until he should come her lover 
 and soon to be her husband ! 
 
 Was he still with the queen ? Should 
 she yet wait for him? She stood 
 at the window like an exile, and look- 
 ed across toward the court-yard. 
 Through yonder great gateway he must 
 come through yonder door he must 
 pass, in order to reach the apartments 
 of the queen. 
 
 She uttered an exclamation, and a 
 lively glow suffused her countenance 
 there, there he was ! There his carriage 
 had stopped, and his gold-laced footman 
 opened the door, and he alighted. 
 How handsome he was, and how noble 
 his bearing ! How proud and lofty his 
 form how regular his features how 
 blooming his youthful countenance ! 
 How fearless was his haughty smile, and 
 how his eyes flashed and blazed with 
 excess of youthful wantonness and 
 ardor! For a moment his looks were 
 directed toward Elizabeth's window. 
 He saluted her, and then entered the 
 door which led to the wing of the palace 
 in which the queen's apartments were 
 situated. Elizabeth's heart throbbed so 
 violently that she felt as if deprived of 
 breath. He must by this time have 
 
HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 reached the grand staircase now he 
 had gained the top now he had en- 
 tered the queen's apartments he had 
 passed through the first, second, . and 
 third saloons. In the fourth, Katharine 
 was awaiting him. 
 
 Alas ! Elizabeth would willingly have 
 given a year of her life to hear what 
 Katharine would say to him, and what 
 he would reply on learning this surpris- 
 ing intelligence a year of her life to 
 he able to witness his delight, his as- 
 tonishment, and his joy. 
 
 He was so handsome when he smiled 
 so captivating when his eyes flashed 
 with love and pleasure. 
 
 Elizabeth was a young, impetuous 
 child. She felt as if she must choke 
 with the agony of delay ; her heart was 
 on her lips, and she could scarcely 
 breathe. She was so impatient to be 
 happy ! 
 
 " Ob, if he does not come soon, I 
 shall die," she murmured. " If I could 
 only see him, or at least hear him " 
 She suddenly ceased, her eyes glistened, 
 and a smile of inward satisfaction played 
 upon her features. "Yes," she con- 
 tinued, " I will see him and hear him too. 
 I can and will do so ! I have the key 
 which the queen gave me, and which 
 opens the door that divides my room 
 from hers. With this key I shall reach 
 her bedchamber, and adjoining the bed- 
 chamber is her boudoir, in which she 
 will doubtless receive the earl. I shall 
 enter quite softly, and concealing myself 
 behind the portiere which separates the 
 bedroom from the boudoir, I shah 1 be 
 v, able to see him and to hear all he says." 
 
 She laughed aloud with the merriment 
 of a child, and rushed across the room 
 for the key, which lay upon her writing- 
 table. She seized it, and swinging it 
 above her head like a trophy, she ex- 
 claimed,," I shall see him ! " 
 
 And then with a light step, and with 
 a joyful and beaming countenance, she 
 left the room. 
 
 She had judged rightly. Katharine 
 received the earl in her boudoir. She 
 was seated on an ottoman facing the 
 door which led into the great reception- 
 saloon. This door stood open, and 
 Katharine could therefore command a 
 view of the whole of this large room. 
 She could see the earl as he passed 
 through. She could, once more, with 
 painfully sweet emotion, delight herself 
 in contemplating his noble and lofty 
 bearing, and suffer her looks to dwell 
 upon him with love and worship. 
 
 At length, however, he had entered 
 the boudoir ; and now her happiness and 
 her sweet visions were over her rap- 
 ture and her hopes were at, an end. 
 
 She was now nothing more than the 
 queen the wife of a dying king. No 
 longer the beloved of the Earl of Sud- 
 ] e y no longer his future bride his 
 happiness. 
 
 She summoned resolution to greet 
 him with a smile, and her voice betrayed 
 no emotion as she commanded him to 
 shut the door leading into the saloon, 
 and to let the hangings fall. 
 
 He did so, while he looked at her in 
 utter astonishment. He did not under- 
 stand how she could venture to grant 
 him this interview; for the king wa? 
 
THE DENOUEMENT. 
 
 289 
 
 still alive, and even with his faltering 
 tongue he could yet crush them both. 
 
 Why did she not wait till the next 
 morning ? By that time the king might 
 be dead, and then they could see each 
 other without constraint and without 
 danger. Then she would be his own, 
 and nothing could any longer intervene 
 between them and happiness. Now, 
 when the king was at the point of death, 
 he loved her only he loved Katharine 
 alone. His ambition had decided against 
 his inclinations, and death had become 
 the umpire between Seymour's waning 
 love, and his divided affections ; and 
 with Henry's death faded also the star 
 of the Princess Elizabeth. 
 
 Katharine was the widow of a king, 
 and doubtless this affectionate husband 
 had appointed his young and cherished 
 wife as regent during the minority of 
 the Prince of Wales. Katharine would 
 accordingly enjoy five years of rule, au- 
 thority, and power. Were Katharine his 
 wife, then he, Thomas Seymour, would 
 share this power with her, and the pur- 
 ple robes of royalty which rested upon 
 her shoulders would also cover him, 
 and he would help her to bear this 
 crown, which doubtless would press 
 heavy on her brow from time to time. 
 He would be regent in reality, and 
 Katharine would be so in name only 
 she the Queen of England, and he the 
 king of this queen. What a proud, in- 
 toxicating thought was this, and what 
 plans, what hopes were associated there- 
 with 1 Five years of uncontrolled sway 
 was not this period long enough to 
 undermine the throne of this royal youth, 
 19 
 
 and to subvert his authority ? Who 
 could guess whether the people, once 
 accustomed to the regency of the queen, 
 would not prefer remaining under her 
 sceptre, rather than confide themselves 
 to a feeble boy ? The people must be 
 induced so to think, and to make of 
 Katharine, the wife of Thomas Sey- 
 mour, their ruler and queen. 
 
 The king was at the point of death, 
 and beyond doubt Katharine was regent 
 perhaps one day would become the 
 reigning sovereign: 
 
 The Princess Elizabeth was only a 
 poor princesy, virtually excluded from 
 all prospect of the throne, for before 
 her came Katharine and Edward, and 
 finally Mary, Elizabeth's elder sister. 
 Elizabeth had therefore no hope of the 
 crown, while Katharine, who stood next 
 to it, had the best hopes conceivable. 
 
 These considerations occupied the 
 mind of Thomas Seymour as he pro- 
 ceeded through the apartments of the 
 queen, and when he entered her boudoir 
 he had quite convinced himself that he 
 loved the queen alone, and that it was 
 she alone whom he had always loved. 
 
 Elizabeth was forgotten and despised. 
 She had no prospect of the throne. 
 Why, therefore, should he love her ? 
 
 The queen, as already - stated, com- 
 manded him to shut the door of the 
 boudoir which led into the reception- 
 room, and to draw the hangings. At 
 the same moment that he did so, the 
 portUre which conducted from the bou- 
 doir into the queen's bedroom, also 
 moved perhaps it was caused by the 
 current of air from the door just closed. 
 
290 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 
 Neither the queen nor Thomas Seymour, 
 however, paid any attention to the inci- 
 dent. They were hotli too much occu- 
 pied with themselves ; they did not per- 
 ceive how the curtain waved and moved 
 gently again and again; they did not 
 notice that a slight opening was cau- 
 tiously made in the middle ; neither did 
 they ohserve the flashing eyes that 
 glanced forth suddenly through the 
 opening in the curtain, nor suspect that 
 it wafe the Princess Elizabeth who had 
 concealed herself behind the portiere, 
 the better that she might be able to see 
 and hear what took place in the bou- 
 doir. 
 
 The queen had risen from her seat 
 and advanced a few steps toward the 
 earl. As she now stood confronting 
 him, and as their eyes met, she felt her 
 courage sink, and her heart ready to 
 break. 
 
 She cast her looks on the ground, in 
 order that he might not perceive the 
 tears which involuntarily rose to her 
 eyes. With a subdued greeting she pre- 
 sented her hand to him. Thomas Sey- 
 mour pressed it violently to his lips, and 
 fixed his eyes upon her countenance 
 with a glance of impassioned tender- 
 ness. She was obliged to collect all her 
 strength, in order that her heart might 
 not betray itself. With a sudden move- 
 ment she withdrew her hand from his, 
 and took from a table the roll of parch- 
 ment which contained the new act of 
 succession lately signed by the king. 
 
 "My lord," she said, "I have sum- 
 
 v, moned you hither that I may have the 
 
 pleasure of conveying to you a certain 
 
 commission. I beg of you, therefore, 
 to be good enough to take this parch- 
 ment and carry it to the Princess Eliza- 
 beth. But before you do so, I will make 
 you acquainted with its contents. This 
 document contains a new act, sanctioned 
 by the king, regarding the succession. 
 By virtue of this law, the royal 
 princesses are no longer compelled to 
 ally themselves to a sovereign prince as 
 their husband, if they wish to preserve 
 undiminished their hereditary claims to 
 the throne. The king grants the prin- 
 cesses the right of following their own 
 inclinations, and their claims to the 
 crown are in no wise to suffer, even 
 though the husband whom they may 
 choose should neither be a prince nor a 
 king. That, my lord, is the purport of 
 this document, which you are to convey 
 to the princess, and doubtless you will 
 thank me for having selected you as the 
 herald of this grateful intelligence.' 1 
 
 " And why ? " he asked, with aston- 
 ishment. u Why does your majesty be- 
 lieve that this intelligence should afford 
 me special satisfaction ? " 
 
 She collected all her energies she 
 besought her own heart for firmness and 
 self-control. 
 
 "Because the princess has made me 
 the confidante of her love, and because 
 I therefore know the tender bond which 
 binds you to her ! " she replied, gently, 
 and she felt that the blood had fled from 
 her cheeks. 
 
 The earl looked at her for a moment 
 with mute astonishment, and then 
 glanced round the room with an inquir- 
 ing and scrutinizing gaze. 
 
THE DENOUEMENT. 
 
 291 
 
 " Then we are watched ? " he asked, 
 softly. " We are not alone ? " 
 
 "We are alone !" replied Katharine, 
 aloud. " No one can hear us, and God 
 alone is the witness of our conversation." 
 
 Elizabeth, who stood behind the cur- 
 tain, felt her cheeks burning with shame, 
 and she began to repent what she had 
 done. It was certainly mean and un- 
 worthy of a princess to listen, but she 
 was at this moment but a young maiden 
 who loved, and who merely wished to 
 observe her lover. She remained ac- 
 cordingly. She laid her hand upon her 
 anxiously-throbbing heart, and mur- 
 mured to herself: "What will he say? 
 What means this anxiety which has 
 come upon me ? " 
 
 " Well, then," said Thomas Seymour, 
 in quite an altered tone, "if we are 
 alone, I may let fall the mask which 
 hides my features, and let the coat-of- 
 mail which confines my heart be rent 
 asunder. And now, Katharine, ray day- 
 star, my hope, receive my greetings! 
 No one, you say, hears us but God 
 alone, and God knows our love, and He 
 knows with what ardent longing, and 
 with what rapture, I have looked for- 
 ward to the present hour. Oh, Katha- 
 rine! it seems an eternity since I saw 
 you ; my heart is athirst for you like 
 one that is famished. But blessings at- 
 tend thee, my beloved Katharine, that 
 thou hast at length summoned me 
 hither ! " 
 
 He held out his arms to embrace her, 
 but she recoiled, and repelled his ad- 
 vances with energy. 
 
 "You mistake the name, my lord," 
 
 she replied, sarcastically, " you say Kath- 
 arine, and you mean Elizabeth! It is 
 the princess whom you love. Elizabeth 
 is the idol of your affections, and she 
 has consecrated her heart to you. Oh, 
 my lord ! I shall be quite prepared to 
 favor this love, and be assured I shall 
 not cease my prayers and entreaties 
 until I have inclined the king to your 
 wishes, and obtained his consent to your 
 marriage with the Princess Elizabeth. 51 
 
 Thomas Seymour laughed. 
 
 " Come, Katharine, this is really a 
 masquerade, and you still continue to 
 wear a mask over that beautiful and 
 charming face of yours. Away with 
 this mask, then ! I wish to see you as 
 you are. I wish once more to see your 
 own amiable self. I wish to see the 
 woman who belongs to me, who has 
 sworn to be mine, and who has vowed 
 with a thousand sacred promises to love 
 me, to be constant to me, and devote her 
 life to me as her lord and husband ! Or, 
 how, Katharine, could you have forgot- 
 ten your vows could you have be- 
 come unfaithful to your own heart ? Do 
 you wish to cast me off, and like a play- 
 thing of which you have yourself be- 
 come weary, to fling me aside to 
 another ? " 
 
 " For my part," she replied, quite un- 
 consciously, " for my part, I can never 
 forget and never become faithless! " 
 
 "Well, then, my Katharine, thou 
 bride and wife of my future days, why 
 do you speak to me of Elizabeth of 
 this little princess, who yearns for love 
 as the rosebud yearns for the sun, and 
 who mistakes the first person she 
 
292 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 meets on her way, for the sun itself, for 
 which she sighs? Why trouble our- 
 selves with Elizabeth, my Katharine, and 
 what have we to do with this child at this 
 longed- wished-for hour of meeting? " 
 
 " Oh, he calls me a child ! " mur- 
 mured Elizabeth. " I am nothing but a 
 child to him ! " and she pressed her 
 hands firmly on her lips, in order to 
 check the cry of pain and anger which 
 struggled for utterance. 
 
 Thomas Seymour folded Katharine in 
 his arms with irresistible force. " "With- 
 draw thyself from me no longer," he 
 cried, with tender entreaty ; " the hour 
 has at length arrived which must decide 
 upon our whole existence. The king is 
 dying, and my Katharine will at length 
 be free free to follow the impulse of 
 her heart. Call to mind at this hour 
 the vows which thou hast plighted ! 
 Dost thou still remember that day on 
 which thou didst indicate to me this 
 present hour when thou didst engage 
 to be my wife, and didst accept me for 
 thy future lord? Oh, my belove^, the 
 crown which then weighed so heavily 
 on thy brow is, at length, about to be 
 removed. I now once more stand be- 
 fore thee as thy subject, but in a few 
 hours it will be thy lord and husband 
 who will stand before thee, and he will 
 ask thee: 'Katharine, my bride, hast 
 thou been constant and faithful to me, 
 as thou hast sworn to be ? Hast thou 
 been true to thy vows and to thy love ? 
 Hast thou preserved from every stain 
 my honor, which is also thy own honor, 
 and canst thou look me in the face with 
 the eyes of innocence ? ' " 
 
 For a moment he gazed at her with 
 haughty and flashing eyes, and before 
 his commanding glance her strength and 
 her pride melted away like ice before the 
 noontide sun. He was once more the 
 master of her heart, and she once more 
 the meek and submissive woman, whose 
 sweetest happiness it is to yield and 
 bend to the will of her beloved. 
 
 " I can freely meet your gaze," she 
 murmured, " and no guilt oppresses my 
 conscience. I have loved but thee 
 alone, and besides thee none reigned in 
 my heart but God." 
 
 In an ecstasy of happiness, and quite 
 overpowered with emotion, she leaned 
 her head on his shoulder, and, as he 
 folded her in his arms, and covered her 
 no longer resisting lips with kisses, 
 then, indeed, she felt how unspeakably 
 she loved him ; and that her future 
 happiness was indissolubly bound up 
 with his. 
 
 It was a sweet dream a moment of 
 blissful rapture. But it was only a mo- 
 ment. A hand was laid impetuously 
 upon her shoulder ; a hoarse and angry 
 voice called her by name ; and as Kath- 
 arine looked up, she encountered the 
 fierce looks of Elizabeth, who, with 
 cheeks of deadly paleness, with trem- 
 bling lips, and with distended nostrils, 
 stood before her, and from whose eyes 
 skot forth flames of animosity and rage. 
 
 " This then is the service of affection 
 which you promised to render me ? " she 
 exclaimed, gnashing her teeth. "You 
 creep stealthily into my confidence, and 
 witji mocking laughter upon your lips 
 you spy out the secrets of my heart, and 
 
THE DENOUEMENT. 
 
 293 
 
 then go away to betray them to your 
 paramour, and in his arms to heap ridi- 
 cule upon a hapless maiden, who iii an 
 unguarded moment suffered her heart 
 to betray her, and mistook a guilty 
 malefactor for an honorable man. Woe, 
 woe betide you, Katharine, for I tell you 
 I shall have no pity for an adulteress who 
 lias mocked me, and deceived the king, 
 my father ! " 
 
 She raved she was beside herself 
 with rage ; she dashed away the hand 
 which Katharine laid upon her shoulder, 
 and, like an infuriated tigress, she re- 
 coiled from the touch of her adversary. 
 
 The blood of her father boiled and 
 foamed in her veins, and, like a true 
 daughter of Henry the Eighth, she har- 
 bored in her breast naught but blood- 
 thirsty and revengeful thoughts. 
 
 She cast at Thomas Seymour a look of 
 direful anger, and a smile of contempt 
 played around her lips. 
 
 "My lord," she said, "you called me 
 a cbild, who suffers herself to be easily 
 deceived because she so ardently longs 
 for the sun and for happiness. You are 
 right; I was a child, for! was foolish 
 enough to take a pitiful liar for a no- 
 bleman, whom I deemed worthy of the 
 proud fortune of being loved by the 
 daughter of a king! Yes, you are 
 right, that was a childish dream. Thanks 
 to you, T have now woke up from this 
 wretched delusion, and you have ma- 
 tured the child into the woman, who 
 laughs at her youthful folly, and to-day 
 despises what she yesterday wor- 
 shipped. With you, however, I have 
 nothing more to do ; you are too mean 
 
 and contemptible for my anger. But 
 I tell you that you have played a 
 dangerous game, and that you will lose 
 it. You wooed a queen and a princess 
 at the same time, but you will not 
 secure them both, the latter, because 
 she despises you, and the former, be- 
 cause she will speedily mount the scaf- 
 fold!" 
 
 With a wild burst of laughter she 
 rushed toward the door, but Katharine 
 restrained her with a firm hand, and 
 compelled her to remain. 
 
 "What are you going to do? "she 
 asked, quite cairn and composed. 
 
 " What am I going to do ? " echoed 
 Elizabeth, and her eyes flashed with 
 wild rage. "You ask me what I am 
 going to do. I am going to my father, 
 the king, to tell him what I have here 
 witnessed ! He will listen to me, and 
 his tongue will have strength enough 
 left to pronounce for you a sentence of 
 death ! Ah ! my mother died upon the 
 scaffold, and yet she was innocent. We 
 shall now see if you will escape the same 
 fate you who are guilty! " 
 
 "Be it so go to your father," said 
 Katharine ; "go and accuse me. But be- 
 fore you do so you shall hear me. I was 
 willing to renounce this man, whom I 
 loved, in order to give him to you. By 
 the avowal of your love you had de- 
 stroyed my happiness and my future 
 hopes; but I was not angry with you ; I 
 understood your affection, for Thomas 
 Seymour is worthy of being loved. But 
 you are right for the wife of a king it 
 was sinful to cherish this love, however 
 innocent and pure it might be. I was 
 
294: 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 therefore willing to renounce it in your 
 favor, and I resolved, upon your first 
 avowal, to sacrifice myself in silence. 
 You have now rendered that impossible. 
 Go, therefore, and accuse us to your 
 father, and do not fear that I shall dis- 
 own my affection. Now that the deci- 
 sive moment has come, it shall find me 
 prepared, and even upon the scaffold I 
 shall still rejoice, for Thomas Seymour 
 loves me ! " 
 
 "Yes, he loves you! Katharine," 
 he exclaimed, quite overpowered and 
 enraptured by her noble and majestic 
 demeanor. " He loves you so fervently 
 and devotedly, that death with you 
 seems to him an enviable fate, which he 
 would exchange for no crown no 
 throne upon earth." 
 
 And while he thus spoke he put 
 his arms round Katharine's neck, and 
 pressed her ardently to his heart. 
 
 Elizabeth uttered a wild shriek, and 
 sprang toward the door. But what 
 sound of uproar was that which was 
 suddenly heard approaching, and which 
 moved along like a tumultuous wave, 
 and filled the anteroom and the saloons ? 
 What meant those screams and shouts 
 of terror-stricken voices, calling for the 
 queen, the physician, and the priest ? 
 
 Elizabeth stopped in her course, and 
 listened. Thomas Seymour and Kath- 
 arine, locked in each other's arms, stood 
 beside her; they scarcely heard what 
 was going on ; they gazed at each other, 
 and smiled and dreamed of love and 
 death, and of the eternity of their happi- 
 v. ness. 
 
 The door flew open; there was the 
 
 pale face of John Hey wood, there were 
 the ladies of honor, and the court offi- 
 cials, all shouting and lamenting : 
 
 " The king is dying ; he has had a 
 sudden attack ! The king is expiring ! " 
 
 " The king calls you 1 the king wishes 
 to die in the arms of his wife ! " said 
 John Hey wood, and while he pushed 
 Elizabeth, who was pressing forward 
 eagerly aside from the door, he added, 
 " the king will see no one else but his 
 wife and the priest, and he has com- 
 manded me to call the queen. 1 ' 
 
 He opened the door, and through the 
 ranks of the weeping and lamenting 
 courtiers and servants Katharine rushed 
 along to the dying bed of her royal hus- 
 band. 
 
 CHAPTEE XII. 
 
 LE EOI EST MOET, VIVE LA EEINE. 
 
 KING HENEY was expiring. This life 
 of sin, of bloodshed and crime, of 
 treachery and deceit, of hypocrisy and 
 cruelty, of fanaticism and ferocity, was 
 at length drawing to a close ; the hand 
 which had signed so many death-war- 
 rants, was now clinched in the throes of 
 death benumbed at the very moment 
 that the king was about to sign the 
 death-warrant of the Duke of Norfolk. 
 And the king died with the gnawing 
 consciousness that he was unable to de- 
 stroy this enemy, whom he hated ; the 
 once mighty king was now but. a feeble 
 and dying old man, who was no longer 
 able to hold the pen to sign this decree 
 
LE ROI EST MORT, VIVE LA REINE. 
 
 295 
 
 his last, his most cherished wish. God, 
 in His wisdom, had imposed upon him 
 the severest and the most terrible punish- 
 ment he had paralyzed not his mind, but 
 his body ; and this rigid, unwieldy, and 
 torpid mass, which lay there upon the pur- 
 ple-and-gold-bedecked couch, was the 
 king a king whom remorse of conscience 
 would not suffer to die, and who now 
 trembled and shuddered at death, to 
 which he had dispatched so many of his 
 subjects with such relentless cruelty. 
 
 Katharine and the Archbishop of 
 Canterbury, the noble Cranmer, stood 
 by his bedside; and while he held 
 Katharine's hand with a grasp of con- 
 vulsive agony, he listened to the devout 
 supplications which Cranmer pronounced 
 in his behalf. 
 
 Once he asked with faltering tongue: 
 "What manner of world is this, my 
 lord, where those who sentence others 
 to death are themselves condemned to 
 die?" And when the pious Cranmer 
 touched by the agony, and by the re- 
 morse which he read in the king's looks, 
 and filled with compassion for the dyi^g 
 tyrant, sought to comfort him, and spoke 
 to him of the mercies of God the king 
 replied with a groan: <; No, no! there 
 is no mercy for him who himself showed 
 no mercy." 
 
 At length this fearful struggle of 
 loath with life was over, and death had 
 gained the victory. The king had 
 closed his eyes upon earth, in order to 
 open them once more, as a guilt-laden 
 sinner before the throne of the Eternal. 
 
 For three days Ms death was kept se- 
 cret, in order that every thing might be 
 
 arranged, and that the gap which his 
 death had caused might first be filled up. 
 These measures were adopted with a 
 view that when the people should be 
 informed of the death of the deceased 
 monarch, they might at the same time 
 took upon the living king ; and as it was 
 well known that the people would not 
 weep for the dead, so they might at 
 least hail the living sovereign with joy- 
 ful acclamations. Though no psalms of 
 lamentation would be chanted, yet 
 hymns of rejoicing might be sung. 
 
 On the third day the gates of White- 
 hall were opened, and a gloomy mourn- 
 ing-procession moved along through the 
 streets of London. Silent and sullen 
 stood the populace to gaze upon the 
 coffin of the king as it passed by ; that 
 king before whom they had once trem- 
 bled, but for whom no word of sorrow 
 or regret now escaped them; not a 
 tear did they shed for the dead mon- 
 arch who for thirty-seven years had 
 been their king. 
 
 The coffin was conducted to We-t- 
 minster Abbey to be laid in the costly 
 tomb which Wolsey had caused to bo 
 erected there for bis royal master. But 
 the way was long, and the mourning- 
 clad horses attached to the hearse wero 
 forced from time to time to rest on their 
 journey to fetch breath. And, suddenly, 
 as the vehicle pulled up in one of the 
 public thoroughfares, blood was seen to 
 from the coffin of the king. It 
 flowed forth in purple rills, and trickled 
 down upon the stones in the streets. 
 The spectators crowding around shud- 
 dered as they saw the Wood of the king 
 
296 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 streaming forth; and they remarked 
 how nmch blood he had caused to be 
 shed on the same spot for the coffin 
 stopped at the very place formerly set 
 apart for executions, and where fires 
 had been kindled, and scaffolds had 
 been erected, for hundreds of hapless 
 victims. 
 
 As the people stood and beheld the 
 blood that flowed from the coffin of the 
 king, two dogs sprang forth from among 
 the crowd, and with panting tongues 
 licked the blood of King Henry the 
 Eighth. The spectators, however, hor- 
 ror-stricken and dismayed, turned from 
 the revolting spectacle, and recounted to 
 each other the fate of the unhappy 
 priest who only a few weeks before was 
 executed upon this very spot, for having 
 refused to acknowledge the king as the 
 head of his Church, and the vicegerent 
 of the Almighty ; they related how this 
 ill-fated man cursed the king, and said 
 upon the scaffold : " May the dogs one 
 day lap the blood of this king who has 
 shed so much innocent blood himself! " 
 and now the curse of the dying man 
 was fulfilled, and the dogs had licked 
 the blood of the king. 
 
 When the gloomy mourning train 
 had left the palace of Whitehall, and as 
 the dead body of the king no longer in- 
 fested the saloons with the pestiferous 
 odors of corruption, and the. court was 
 preparing to do homage to the boy Ed- 
 ward, as the new king, Thomas Sey- 
 mour, Earl of Sudley, entered the 
 apartment of the royal and youthful 
 widow ; he came in solemn mourning 
 attire, and his elder brother, Edward 
 
 
 Seymour, and Oranmer, the Archbishop 
 of Canterbury, accompanied him. 
 
 Katharine, blushing, greeted them 
 with a sweet smile. 
 
 " I come, this day, your majesty," 
 said Thomas Seymour, solemnly, " to re- 
 mind you of your vows! Do not, I 
 pray you, blush nor cast down your 
 eyes for shame. The worthy arch- 
 bishop knows your heart, and he knows 
 that it is as pure as the heart of a virgin, 
 and that no unchaste thought has ever 
 stained your soul ; and, moreover, my 
 brother would not be here if he had 
 not entire faith in and respect for a 
 love, which through storm and danger 
 has been so intrepidly preserved. I 
 have chosen these two noble friends to 
 be the witnesses of my espousal, and in 
 their presence I will ask you Queen 
 Katharine, the king is dead, and no fet- 
 ters any longer bind your heart; will 
 you now bestow it upon me to be mine ? 
 Will you accept me as your husband, and 
 sacrifice to me your royal title and your 
 elevated rank ? " 
 
 With a bewitching smile she presented 
 to him her hand. "You know well," 
 she whispered, " that I sacrifice nothing 
 to you, but that I receive every thing 
 that I hope for of love and happiness." 
 
 " Then in the presence of both these 
 friends you will accept me as your future 
 husband, and pledge to me the vows of 
 your faithfulness and love ? " 
 
 Katharine trembled and cast her eyes 
 to the ground with the bashfulness of a 
 young maiden. " Alas ! " she sighed, 
 "do I not still wear the weeds of mourn- 
 ing? Is it, then, becoming in me to 
 
LE ROI EST MORT, VIVE LA REINE. 
 
 297 
 
 think of happiness when the funeral 
 bells have scarcely ceased to toll ? " 
 
 " Queen Katharine," said Archbishop 
 Cranmer, " let the dead bury their dead ! 
 Life, too, has its rights, and man should 
 not give up his claim to happiness, for 
 it is a sacred possession. You have 
 borne and suffered much, queen, but 
 your heart remained pure and blame- 
 less, and for this reason you should 
 greet happiness at the present moment 
 with a serene conscience. Linger not, 
 therefore. In the name of God, I am 
 come to bless your love and to conse- 
 crate your happiness." 
 
 "And I," said Edward Seymour, 
 "have requested my brother that I 
 might have the honor to accompany 
 him, in order to assure your majesty that 
 I am fully sensitive of the high honor 
 which you manifest toward our family, 
 and that as your brother-in-law I shall 
 always be mindful that you were once 
 my honored queen, and I your devoted 
 subject." 
 
 " And I, for my part," cried Thomas 
 Seymour, " would not delay coming to 
 you. in order to testify to you that love 
 alone conducted me, and that no other 
 consideration had any. influence in guid- 
 ing my decision. As yet the king's last 
 will has not been opened, and I am in- 
 nocent of its contents. But in what 
 way soever its provisions may affect us 
 all, it will neither be able to increase nor 
 diminish my happiness in the possession 
 of so great a treasure. Whatever may 
 bo your position, you shall always be 
 for me an adored wife a fondly-loved 
 spouse ; and it is only to confirm to you 
 
 the assurance of this, that I have already 
 presented myself this day." 
 
 With a smile of winning sweetness 
 Katharine presented her hand. " I 
 have never doubted you, my Seymour,'' 
 she whispered, "and never did I love 
 you more than at the moment when I 
 was about to renounce you." 
 
 She bent her head on the shoulder of 
 her lover, and tears of pure joy bedewed 
 her cheeks. The Archbishop of Canter- 
 bury united their hands together and 
 confirmed their betrothal; and the 
 elder Seymour, the Earl of Hertford, 
 greeted them as an affianced pair. 
 
 On the same day the will of the king 
 was opened ; in the large gilded saloon, 
 in which had so often resounded the 
 mirthful laughter and the thundering 
 voice of King Henry, were now read 
 his last commands. The whole court 
 was here assembled as in former times, 
 amidst gay banquets and festive scenes, 
 and Katharine sat once more upon the 
 royal throne ; but no longer by her side 
 was the dreaded tyrant, the bloodthirsty 
 King Henry the Eighth, but only the 
 poor, pale boy Edward, who had inher- 
 ited neither his father's mind nor his 
 energy, but only his sanguinary propen- 
 sities and his arts of pietistic dissimula- 
 tion. Near him stood his sisters, the 
 Princesses Mary and Elizabeth both 
 with pale and sorrowful countenance: 
 but it was not their father whom they 
 lamented. 
 
 Mary, the bigoted Catholic, saw with 
 terror and bitter pain the day of afflic- 
 tion dawning upon her religion; for 
 Edward was a fanatical adversary of the 
 
298 
 
 HENKY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 old faith, and she knew that he would 
 shed the hlood of the papists with unre- 
 lenting cruelty : for this it was that she 
 mourned. 
 
 But as for Elizabeth the youthful 
 maiden with the glowing heart she 
 thought neither of her father, nor of the 
 calamities which threatened the Church ; 
 she thought only of her love; she 
 only felt that she had been robbed of a 
 hope of an illusion ; that she had been 
 roused from a sweet and delightful 
 dream to vain but stern realities. She had 
 given up her first love, but her heart 
 bled, and the wound still pained her. 
 
 The will was read. Elizabeth looked 
 across at Thomas Seymour during this 
 solemn and significant recital. She 
 wished to read upon his brow the im- 
 pression which those grave and mo- 
 mentous words made upon him; she 
 wished to penetrate into the depths of 
 his soul, and to probe the secret thoughts 
 of his heart. She saw how he grew 
 pale, when, not Katharine, but his own 
 brother, the Earl of Hertford, was 
 named regent during Edward's minority. 
 She saw the gloomy and almost angry 
 look which he cast at the queen, and 
 with a malicious smile she murmured: 
 "I am revenged! He loves her no 
 longer ! " 
 
 John Heywood, too, who stood near 
 the queen's throne, had perceived this 
 look of Thomas Seymour, not as Eliza- 
 beth had, with an exultant, but with a 
 grieving heart, and he hung his head 
 and murmured : " Poor Katharine ! He 
 will hate her, and she will be very un- 
 happy." 
 
 But as yet she was happy. Her eyes 
 beamed with delight when she learned 
 that her beloved, by virtue of the royal 
 will, was appointed High-Admiral of 
 England, and guardian of the young 
 king. She thought not of herself but 
 of her beloved, and it filled her with the 
 proudest satisfaction to see him invested 
 with such high honors and dignities. 
 
 Hapless Katharine! Her" eye per- 
 ceived not the murky cloud which hung 
 over the brow of her beloved. She was 
 so happy, so unsuspecting, and so unam- 
 bitious! For her there was but one 
 happiness that of being the wife of 
 Thomas Seymour. 
 
 And this happiness was to be hers. 
 Thirty days after the death of the king, 
 she became the wife of Thomas Sey- 
 mour, Earl of Sudley, the High-Admiral 
 of England. Archbishop Cranmer 
 blessed their nuptials in the chapel of 
 Whitehall, and the lord protector, now 
 Duke of Somerset, brother of Thomas 
 Seymour, and formerly Earl of Hert- 
 ford, was the witness of their union, 
 which was still treated as a secret, and 
 of which there were no other witnesses. 
 Meanwhile, as the party entered the 
 chapel, the Princess Elizabeth advanced 
 toward the queen and offered her hand. 
 
 It was the first time that they had 
 met since that fearful day on which they 
 stood opposed to each other as rivals 
 and enemies ; it was the first time that 
 they had seen each other face to face. 
 
 Elizabeth had struggled with her 
 heart for this sacrifice ; her proud spirit 
 revolted at the thought that Thomas 
 Seymour might suppose she still re- 
 
LE ROI EST MORT, VIVE LA REINE. 
 
 299 
 
 gretted him that she still loved him. 
 She wished to show him that her heart 
 had quite recovered from this first dream 
 of her youth, and that she no longer 
 felt pain or regret. 
 
 She greeted him with a cold and 
 haughty smile, and presented her hand 
 to Katharine. 
 
 " Queen," she said, " you have so long 
 been to me a faithful and kind mother, 
 that I may once more venture to claim 
 the right of being your daughter. Al- 
 low me, therefore, as your daughter, to 
 be present at the solemn ceremony 
 which is about to take place, and permit 
 me to stand at your side and to pray 
 for you, while the archbishop performs 
 the sacred ceremony which shall make 
 the queen a Countess of Sudley. May 
 God bless you, Katharine, and bestow 
 upon you all the happiness that you de- 
 serve ! " 
 
 And the Princess Elizabeth knelt at 
 Katharine's side as the archbishop con- 
 secrated her marriage vows ; and while 
 she prayed, her eye glauced across to 
 Thomas Seymour, who stood beyond, at 
 the side of his young wife. Katharine's 
 countenance beamed with beauty and 
 happiness, but upon Thomas Seymour's 
 brow still rested the cloud which had 
 settled upon it on the day on whicli the 
 king'.s will was read this will which, 
 contrary to his expectations, did not 
 make Katharine regent, and thereby de- 
 stroyed the proud and ambitious designs 
 of Thomas Seymour. 
 
 And this cloud still hung over his 
 brow. It descended still lower and 
 lower; it soon overshadowed Katha- 
 
 rine's wedded life, and woke her from 
 her brief dream of bliss. 
 
 What she suffered what secret an- 
 guish and silent woe she endured, who 
 can tell who can discover? Katha- 
 rine had a proud and reserved spirit ; 
 she veiled her pains and her sorrows 
 modestly from the world, as she had 
 once concealed her love. Nobody sus- 
 pected what she suffered, or how she 
 struggled with her crushed affections. 
 
 She never complained. She saw the 
 blossoms of her life wither and decay 
 she saw the smile vanish from the lips of 
 her husband she heard his once tender 
 and affectionate voice growing harsh by 
 degrees she felt his heart growing 
 colder and colder, and his love changing 
 to indifference, perhaps into positive dis- 
 like. 
 
 To her love she had devoted her 
 whole heart, but she felt, day by day 
 and hour by hour, that the heart of her 
 husband grew colder. She felt it with 
 terrible, with heart-rending certainty. 
 She was his with all her love ; but he 
 was no longer hers. 
 
 And she tormented her heart in order 
 to discover why he no longer loved her ; 
 wherein she had offended, that he had 
 turned aside from her. Seymour had 
 not the delicacy nor the magnanimity to 
 disclose to her his mind ; and at length 
 she understood why he had turned 
 away. 
 
 He had hoped that Katharine would 
 be the Regent of England, and that he 
 would accordingly be the husband of the 
 regent. Because she had not become so, 
 his love had vanished. 
 
300 
 
 HENRY VIII. AND HIS COURT. 
 
 Katharine felt this, and it caused her 
 death. 
 
 But not suddenly death did not at 
 once release her from her pains and her 
 anguish. For six months she suffered 
 and endured her woes. At the end of 
 six months she died. 
 
 Dismal rumors were spread about re- 
 specting her death, and never did John 
 Heywood pass by Lord Sudley without 
 looking at him with a stern, angry 
 glance, and saying : 
 
 "You have murdered the beautiful 
 queen 1 Deny it if you can." 
 
 Thomas Seymour laughed, and did 
 not consider it worth the trouble to de- 
 fend himself against the accusations of 
 the court fool. He laughed, although he 
 had not laid aside his mourning attire 
 for Katharine. 
 
 And still in this garb he had the 
 hardihood to present himself before the 
 Princess Elizabeth, and to make to her 
 protestations of ardent love, and sue for 
 her hand. 
 
 But Elizabeth rejected him- with proud 
 contempt and cold disdain, and, like 
 John Heywood, the stern princess re- 
 plied : 
 
 "You have murdered Katharine; I 
 will not be the wife of a murderer ! " 
 
 And soon the justice of God punished 
 the murderer of the noble and innocent 
 Katharine, for scarce three months after 
 
 the death of his wife, the high-admiral 
 was compelled to mount the scaffold, 
 and was executed as a traitor. 
 
 By Katharine's wish, her books am: 
 papers were given to her faithful friend. 
 John Heywood, who applied himself with 
 the most devoted diligence to the exam- 
 ination of them. Among those papers 
 he found many pages written with her 
 own hand many verses and poems, 
 which breathed the weariness and the 
 sadness of her spirit. With her own 
 hand Katharine had collected these fugi- 
 tive pieces, and with her own hand she 
 had written upon this book the title, 
 44 The Sighings of a Sinner" 
 
 Katharine had wept much while pen- 
 ning these 4 ' Sighings," for in many 
 places the manuscript was illegible her 
 tears had effaced the characters. 
 
 John Heywood kissed those spots 
 where the traces of her tears had 
 remained, and murmured : 
 
 44 The sinner by her sorrows has pro- 
 claimed herself a saint, and these poems 
 are the cross and memento which she 
 herself prepared for her own grave. 
 I will set up this cross, that the good 
 may derive consolation, and that the 
 wicked may flee when they see it." 
 
 And he did so. He caused the 
 44 Sighings of a Sinner " to be printed, 
 and this book was Katharine's worthiest 
 memento. * v6 
 
 THE END. 
 
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