(A.D. 1485-1536.)
|Katharine of Arragon was born when her native land was at the very
height of its prosperity. Her parents were Ferdinand and Isabella, the
powerful and popular sovereigns, who had conquered nearly the whole of
Spain.
Katharine's early infancy was passed in a camp where Queen Isabella
resided with her young family while her army besieged the town of
Granada. This siege lasted for several years, but the town was taken at
last; and when Katharine was four years old she accompanied her parents
in their grand triumphal entry into Granada, where she lived until she
went to England.
Her residence was in the Alhambra, that gorgeous palace, once the abode
of the Moorish kings, always an object of wonder and admiration, even to
this very day when it is almost in ruins. Part of her time was passed in
the cool, shady bowers of the Generalife, the fairy palace which stood
on a mountain high above the Alhambra, in the midst of luxuriant groves,
fruit, flowers, arbors and hedges, such as only a southern climate can
produce. It was from this home that Katharine took her device of the
pomegranate, which was used during her reign in England as a decoration.
This fruit was once a production of Granada, and was worked on the
coat-of-arms of the Moorish kings.
Queen Isabella was the most learned princess of her time in Europe, and
knew the importance of a good edu-
{343}
[Illustration: 0347]
cation {345}for her four daughters. Consequently she provided them with
the very best tutors she could find, and they early became excellent
Latin scholars. Katharine read the Scriptures in that tongue, and
throughout her whole life continued to study it.
When she was sixteen years old Henry VII. of England sent ambassadors
to Spain to demand her hand in marriage for his son, Prince Arthur. The
union was agreed upon, and Katharine sailed with four young ladies and
other attendants for Plymouth, where she was received by a crowd of
nobility and gentry, who entertained her all the time she was amongst
them with a variety of sports peculiar to their country. As soon as her
arrival was known the king sent Lord Brook, steward of the royal palace,
to provide everything for her comfort. The Duchess of Norfolk and the
Earl of Surrey went to meet her also, and the former remained as her
companion.
The following month the king himself set out for Plymouth, but the roads
were in such a wet, muddy condition that it was several days before he
reached East Hampstead, where he met Prince Arthur, who did not until
then know of the arrival of his bride. Next morning they continued their
journey, but had not gone far when they were met by a party of Spanish
cavaliers on horseback, who stopped them, and in a most solemn manner
informed them that they could not proceed further, because their Moorish
customs forbade the royal bridegroom or his father to look upon the face
of the bride until she stood at the altar.
King Henry was amazed. He was quite willing to observe all reasonable
forms and ceremonies, but to his English ideas this seemed thoroughly
absurd, and he was not willing to turn back.
He had come to a dead halt in the drenching rain on that cold November
morning, and felt rather cross at having {346}his progress thus
interrupted. After a few moments consideration he called his councillors
about him, and asked what he should do. A long discussion ensued, and
the conclusion was, "that the Spanish infanta, being now in the heart
of this realm of which King Henry was master, he might look at her if he
liked." This suited the king precisely, and, leaving his son behind, he
rode rapidly forward to the next town, where Katharine had arrived only
a couple of hours before. Her retinue were thrown into a terrible
state of perplexity when Henry made a request to see her, and presented
himself for that purpose at the very door of her apartments. An
archbishop, a bishop, and a count stood guard, and informed the king
"that the lady infanta had retired to her chamber." But the more
opposition he met with the more his curiosity was aroused, and the more
determined was he to see the bride. He declared that "if she were even
in bed he meant to see and speak with her, for that was his mind and the
whole intent of his coming."
There was nothing more to be said, and further opposition might have
given serious offence to the monarch, therefore the infanta dressed
herself and admitted him. The interview must have been rather
unsatisfactory, because neither could speak the language of the other;
however somebody must have interpreted what was said, for King Henry
seemed much pleased.
He withdrew, to change his damp garments, and within half an hour
presented himself again at Katharine's door, this time with the prince,
who had followed him. In the presence of several bishops and nobles the
young people went through the ceremony of betrothal, which was done
in Latin, and therefore understood by both. After supper the king and
Prince Arthur returned to the infanta's apartments, where the evening
was passed in music and dancing, {347}
[Illustration: 0351]
interspersed with singing by the minstrels. Prince Arthur could not join
in the Spanish dances, but he knew the English ones, and went through
the figures with one of the ladies of his own country.
Katharine continued her journey next day, and on her arrival at Kingston
was met by the Duke of Buckingham on horseback, the Earl of Kent, Lord
Henry Stafford, the Abbot of Bury, and four hundred dukes and gentlemen,
in the Stafford livery of scarlet and black, who came to welcome her
into the realm. She rested at that place all night, and was escorted
to Kensington Palace next day by Buckingham and his train. There she
stopped until the Spanish retinue, as well as all the nobility of
England, could make the necessary preparations for her grand entry to
London.
In the meantime King Henry went to meet his wife at Richmond, and to
tell her what he thought of their new daughter-in-law. The royal couple
then came down the Thames, in a barge, with a party of ladies to welcome
the stranger.
Three days later the infanta entered the city by London Bridge, riding
on a large mule, according to the Spanish custom. The Duke of York rode
on her right and the pope's ambassador on her left. She had on a broad,
round hat, the shape of those worn by cardinals, tied down at the sides
with a scarf of gold lace. Under this hat was a closely-fitting red cap,
and her long dark hair streamed over her shoulders. Her four Spanish
damsels followed on mules, each led by an English lady, dressed in cloth
of gold and riding on a small horse. After these came the whole grand
procession, and all advanced to Bishop's Palace.
[[A.D. 1501.]] Four days later the marriage ceremony was performed at
St. Paul's Cathedral, on a platform six feet high and large enough to
hold eight persons. The were present at the ceremony. The king and queen
sat in a box that had been built for their use near the platform. After
the ceremony the bride and bridegroom followed the churchmen to the high
altar, where mass was celebrated. Standing in the great doorway of
the cathedral, Prince Arthur endowed his bride with one-third of his
property. The princess was then led by her brother-in-law, young Henry,
to the Bishop's Palace of St. Paul's, where a banquet was spread. The
newly-wedded couple were served {350}bride, who never entirely gave up
her Spanish style of dress, wore a closely-fitting cap of white silk,
from which hung the Spanish mantilla, embroidered with gold, pearls and
precious stones, that almost concealed her figure. Her body and sleeves
were made very full, and she wore a large hoop under her skirts.
[Illustration: 0354]
Prince Arthur was dressed in white satin. The Archbishop of Canterbury
and nineteen bishops and abbots {351}on gold plate, ornamented with
pearls and precious stones, valued at twenty thousand pounds.
The following week a grand tournament was held in the open space in
front of Westminster Hall. There was a stage erected for the royal
party. On the right entered the king and his lords; on the left, the
queen, the bride, and their ladies, and took their seats on richly
embroidered cushions, under a canopy draped with cloth of gold. The
places, that were arranged one above another, in rows like those in a
circus, to form an enormous circle, were so packed with people that
only their heads could be seen. Presently loud blasts from the trumpets
announced the arrival of the knights, who were borne into the arena
under fanciful canopies. The Earl of Essex sat in a pavilion among
trees, flowers, and rocks, with curious-looking animals climbing up the
sides. A handsome young lady, fantastically dressed, stood on a green
hill above the earl. The Marquis of Dorset appeared in a pavilion all
draped in gold, wearing a complete suit of armor. Lord William Courtenay
rode an enormous red dragon, led by a giant carrying a tree in his
hands. There were twenty or thirty in all of these curiously-adorned
knights, who marched around the arena to the delight of the audience,
and then engaged in a tilt that caused many a bruise and scratch, but no
serious damage to anybody.
When evening came on the royal company withdrew to Westminster Hall. At
the upper end was a dais with elevated seats for the king, queen, the
bride and groom, and the king's mother. All the ladies sat on the left
side and the gentlemen on the right, and the nobility, who were not
engaged in the performance or ballets that followed, took their places
on the king's side of the hall according to their rank. When a couple
desired to dance between the entrances of the regular performers, the
gentleman would {352}advance to the front of the dais from his side,
the lady would do the same from hers, and after a few minutes' dancing
return to their respective places. The first pageant was a full-rigged
ship drawn in on wheels. The mariners performed their duties as though
they were really at sea, and used only seafaring terms. Next came a
castle all lighted up inside, eight young women appearing at the windows
handsomely attired in the newest styles. At the top window of the castle
sat a lady in Spanish costume representing Katharine of Arragon. The
princess must have been amused when she saw her double, who sat up quite
haughtily, while two gentlemen courted her and sought in every possible
way to gain her favor. For a while she treated their attentions with
disdain, but at last, as in all ballets, matters took a favorable turn;
the ladies came out of the castle, were joined by the sailors from
the ship, and the whole party danced a grand set of exceedingly pretty
figures, and then disappeared into the castle again. This structure was
drawn by marvellous gold and silver lions harnessed with massive gold
chains. But we must explain what these beasts really were. In each one
were two men, one in the fore and the other in the hind quarters, so
completely hidden that nothing appeared of them but their legs, which
were made to look like those of the real lions. Then Prince Arthur
danced with his aunt, the Princess Cicely, Henry, Duke of York, with his
sister Margaret, and Katharine with one of her Spanish ladies. There was
considerable difference in the two styles of dancing, for the English
movements were quick and lively, while those of the Spanish were slow
and stately, resembling a minuet. The king and queen were much pleased
with these performances of their children, and watched them with a great
deal of pride.
At a grand dinner given in Parliament Chamber on the {353}
[Illustration: 0357]
following Sunday, Katharine distributed the prizes won in the tilt. To
the Duke of Buckingham she gave a valuable diamond; to the Marquis
of Dorset, a superb ruby, and to the others, rings set with precious
stones.
[Illustration: 0359]
A week later the court went to Richmond, where, after mass on the first
Sunday, they all assembled in the gardens and played games of chess,
backgammon, cards, and dice, while some Spaniards entertained them with
tumbling and dancing. In the evening a huge rock was drawn by three
sea-horses into the grand hall, where the ladies and gentlemen were
assembled. On either side of the rock were mermaids made of shells, and
inside of the figures were the {356}sweet-voiced children who sang in
the king's chapel. These could not be seen, but their harmony filled the
air as the rock was drawn slowly through the whole length of the hall.
When it reached the platform on which sat the royal family, a large
number of white doves flew out, and live rabbits ran about the
hall, causing great shouting and merriment. King Henry closed the
entertainment by making rich gifts of plate to the lords and ladies from
Spain, who then took leave of their princess, as they were going back
home.
Katharine looked very sad after they had left her, and the king
observing this sent word for her and her ladies to join him in his
library. There he showed them all the pretty English and Latin books
that he thought would please them, laughed and chatted in a kind
friendly manner with his daughter-in-law, and then asked her to select
some jewels from a lot that he had ordered for her. After she had
made her choice, he distributed the rest among her ladies, and so won
Katharine's heart by his warm, affectionate treatment that she ceased to
feel depressed in her English home.
A few months later the princess went with her husband to Wales, where
they were to have a little court of their own similar to the one at
Westminster. Katharine performed the journey on horseback, and when she
felt fatigued she rested on a litter, borne between two horses. This was
the only mode of travelling before turnpike roads were made.
The Prince and Princess of Wales made themselves very popular in
their new home, but they did not stay there long, for Arthur was taken
suddenly ill, and died of the plague the following April, 1502, just six
months after his marriage.
[[A.D. 1502.]] The queen was sorely grieved at the sudden death of her
eldest child, but she did not forget to sympathize with the young widow
left alone in a strange land, the language of which had hardly become
familiar to {357}her ear. She sent for her immediately, and had her
brought to London in a litter covered with black velvet and black cloth
that must have looked very like a hearse, and settled her in a palace
called Arragon House, where she spent part of her widowhood. Her
marriage portion consisted of two hundred thousand crowns. Half the sum
had been paid, and her parents being unwilling to pay the other half,
requested that their daughter should be returned to them. But Henry VII.
wanted to get hold of the other half of his daughter-in-law's portion,
he therefore proposed a marriage between her and his younger son Henry.
This was accepted by the sovereigns of Spain, providing a dispensation
from the pope could be obtained. This was necessary on account of the
relationship.
Katharine seems to have been very unhappy at this time, and wrote her
father that she had no desire to marry again, adding, "that she did not
wish him to consider her tastes or wishes, but to act in all things as
suited him best."
Such dutiful conduct excites our surprise when we consider that she was
the principal person concerned. It seems quite natural that at the age
of eighteen she should have objected to a union with a boy five years
younger, even though he had not been so nearly related to her.
Notwithstanding her objections, two such diplomatists as King Ferdinand
and Henry VII. were pretty sure to arrange matters to suit themselves,
and about a year after Katharine became a widow, she was betrothed to
the young prince. Six years elapsed before the marriage was celebrated,
during which period Henry VII. died, and his son Henry ascended the
throne. Immediately after this event he assured the Spanish ambassador
of his attachment to Katharine, saying that he loved her better than any
other woman in the world.
There was a great deal of discussion among the church{358]men on
account of the relationship existing between Henry and Katharine, but
at last all difficulties were overcome and they were married. A few days
later the coronation took place at Westminster.
[[A.D. 1510.]] On this occasion the streets of London were as usual all
decorated, and part of the way to the abbey was lined with young maidens
dressed in pure white, bearing palms of white wax in their hands. They
were attended by priests swinging silver censers as the king and queen
passed by. Katharine was attired as a bride in white embroidered satin-,
her dark hair fell in rich profusion down her back, and on her head she
wore a crown set with rich jewels. She was seated in a litter covered
with white cloth of gold, borne by two white horses, and was followed by
all the noble ladies of England in little chariots. After the coronation
a grand banquet was spread in Westminster Hall. The king and queen
were served on an elevated platform at the upper end of the hall,
while several ladies of high rank sat at Katharine's feet holding her
pocket-handkerchief, table-napkin, fan and purse. At the end of a week
the festivities came suddenly to an end on account of the death of the
king's grandmother. Then a pestilence broke out in London, and the
court removed to Richmond Place, where Henry planned all sorts of
performances, parties and masquerades, in which he enjoyed taking part.
Katharine did not care so much for that kind of diversion, for she was
naturally quiet and studious, and felt more interested in practical
employment.
At one of the Christmas festivals the king slyly left her side during
the progress of a tournament, and returned in the disguise of a knight,
astonishing all the company with the grace and skill of his tilting. The
applause he received induced him to take part often in these exercises,
and when he would present himself before his wife in different
{359}disguises she good-humoredly pretended to be very much mystified.
Once he entered her room with several nobles dressed as Robin Hood and
his men, and another time when the foreign ambassadors were invited
to dine at court Henry conducted his wife to her throne, then suddenly
disappeared, and in a few minutes returned with the Earl of Essex, both
disguised as Turks, while other nobles followed him in Russian, Persian
and Moorish costumes, the last having their faces blacked. The king's
beautiful sister, Mary, with several of the court ladies, danced a
ballet in mask, which amused Katharine very much, particularly as the
princess was attired like an Ethiopian queen. In all the decorations
used on these occasions the pomegranate was mingled with the roses
of York and Lancaster, and the Tudor device of the hawthorn with its
scarlet berries.
[Illustration: 0363]
At the close of the year 1510 the queen had a little boy, {360}and he
was named Henry. The king was so much pleased at this event that a grand
tournament was given to celebrate it. In the evening a nobleman came
to inform the queen that there was a gold arbor full of ladies who
had prepared something for her entertainment. Katharine answered very
graciously "that both she and her ladies would be happy to behold them
and their pastimes." Then a large curtain was drawn aside, and an arbor
moved forward. It had posts and pillars covered with gold and twined
with branches of hawthorn, roses and eglantine, all made of satin
and silk, the colors of the different flowers. In the arbor were six
beautiful young girls in white and green satin dresses, covered with the
letters H. and K. knit together with gold lacing. Near the bower stood
the king himself, with five lords dressed in purple satin, likewise
covered with the gold letters H. and K. Then they all danced before
Katharine, and while they were thus engaged a very different scene was
going on at the other end of the hall. The golden arbor that the ladies
left for the dance had been rolled back close to where a large crowd of
Londoners had gathered to see the grand doings at court, as they always
did in those days. They began to finger the ornaments, and finally to
pluck them off until they had entirely stripped the bower. The chief
steward tried to prevent this destruction, but not wishing to disturb
the ballet by using violence he failed entirely. Meanwhile the king
finished his performance, and feeling in an excellent humor at its
success he called to the women in the crowd to come and help themselves
to the golden letters from his dress and that of his company. Little did
he imagine what would be the result of this order, for scarcely was it
given than the whole assembly rushed forward like a mob, and seized not
only on him but all his guests, helping themselves to every glittering
ornament that was in sight {361}They even went so far as to take
the jewels of the ladies, and to strip the king of most of his fine
clothing. One of the gentlemen was left with nothing on but his
flannels. It was amazing what a clean sweep was made in a few minutes
of all the finery. At last the guards succeeded in clearing the hall
without bloodshed, and the king laughing heartily handed his wife to the
banquet in his own chamber, where the court sat down in their tattered
condition, treating the whole scramble as a frolic. No doubt the young
king had received a lesson by which he profited later. A few weeks after
his birth the young prince died, much lamented by everybody at court.
The following year Henry invaded France in person, leaving the queen
not only with the reins of government in her own hands, but making her
besides captain of all his forces, with the assistance of five nobles.
During the king's absence the Scots invaded his kingdom, but were
repulsed. It is remarkable that two of the greatest victories gained
over that nation were those of Neville's Cross and Flodden Field, both
fought under the management of queens in the absence of their husbands.
After the battle at Neville's Cross Katharine went on a pilgrimage to
Walsingham shrine, and returned just in time to welcome her husband, who
took her by surprise at Richmond, where there was a most loving
meeting between the royal couple. He had travelled through his realm in
disguise, therefore the queen had not been informed that he was coming
so soon.
[[A.D. 1514.]] Henry had been victorious in France, and the war ended
there by the marriage of his beautiful young sister Mary and Louis
XII. Anne Boleyn, who was then a young girl, went with the bride as her
attendant.
Mary was in love with the Duke of Suffolk when she was forced into this
marriage with the King of France. In less {362}than three months the
young husband died, and then the duke, who was sent to France to take
care of the widow and her property, married her. Henry VIII. was
very angry at first at the sly way in which this love-affair had been
managed, but Katharine made peace between the brother and sister, and
invited the young couple to Greenwich Palace, where she entertained them
with a grand festival.
On the first of May the king gave a party, which was conducted in this
way: Katharine, with the young bride and all the court ladies, rode from
the palace to Shooter's Hill, where the king, with the archers of his
body-guard, met them, dressed like Robin Hood and his outlaws, and
begged that the royal party "would enter the good greenwood and see how
outlaws lived."
Katharine graciously consented, and was led to a rustic bower, covered
with hawthorn boughs and spring flowers, where a fine breakfast of
venison and other good things was laid out. This lodge in the wilderness
delighted all the ladies, and a couple of hours were very pleasantly
passed in eating and chatting. On their return to Greenwich they were
met by a car, all decorated with natural flowers and ribbons, and drawn
by five horses. Each horse was ridden by a fair damsel, dressed in gay
colors, and in the car, amidst garlands of flowers, stood lady May,
attended by the goddess Flora. As soon as the queen appeared at the foot
of the hill these young girls began a hymn about the return of spring,
and preceded the royal party all the way home, singing as they moved
along.
[[A.D. 1520.]] Queen Katharine had two royal visitors at her palace. One
was Queen Margaret, widow of James IV. of Scotland, who took refuge
with Henry VIII. from the troubles in her own country; the other was her
nephew, who afterwards became so illustrious as the Emperor {363}
[Illustration: 0367]
{365}Charles V. The latter spent several days with his aunt, who
entertained him royally, then proceeded with the English Court to that
congress with the King and Queen of France known on account of its
splendor as the Field of the Cloth of Gold. At that meeting the carpet
beneath Katharine's throne was all embroidered in pearls, and the
decorations of the camp were of corresponding magnificence.
At that time Katharine formed a warm friendship for Queen Claude of
France, surnamed the Good, a lady of superior intellect and taste. Henry
and King Francis also became very much attached to each other, though
that did not prevent their fighting when an opportunity offered.
When Charles V. parted from his Aunt Katharine she presented him with
a beautiful English horse, and a saddlecloth, of gold tissue, bordered
with precious stones. On his return home, he often spoke of Katharine's
happiness in having married so grand a prince as Henry VIII.
While Queen Katharine was in power several improvements were made in
England, particularly in the cultivation of fruit and flowers. During
the wars some of the finest trees had disappeared entirely, but
Katharine had them replanted, as well as salad, cabbage and carrots,
which she imported for that purpose from the Holland.
An old rhyme says:--
"Hops and turkeys, carps and beer,
Came to England all in one year."
We cannot help wondering why hops were cultivated, because Henry VIII.,
who interfered in all the most trifling concerns of his subjects,
forbade them to put hops in their ale. The turkeys were brought from
North America by a lieutenant in Sebastian Cabot's voyage of discovery.
Before giving an account of Katharine's wrongs and {366}sufferings,
which began after she had been married about ten years, let us see how
both she and King Henry VIII. are described by people who lived in their
time.
Sebastiano Giustiniani, an Italian who lived in England, says, writing
in 1519:--
"His majesty is about twenty-nine years of age, as handsome as nature
could form him,--handsomer by far than the King of France. He is
exceedingly fair, and as well-proportioned as possible. When he heard
that the King of France wore a beard he allowed his to grow also,
which, being somewhat red, has the appearance of being of gold. He is an
excellent musician and composer, an admirable horseman and wrestler. He
possesses a good knowledge of the French, Latin, and Spanish languages,
and is very devout. On the days when he goes hunting he hears mass three
times, but on other days as often as five times. He has vesper service
every day in the queen's chamber. He is uncommonly fond of the chase,
and every time he attends one he tires out eight or ten horses,
stationed at different places where he proposes to stop. When one is
fatigued he mounts another, and by the time he returns home they are all
used up. He takes great delight in bowling, and it is the pleasantest
sight in the world to see him engaged in this exercise with his fair
skin covered with a beautifully fine shirt. Affable and benign, he
offends none, and has often said to his ambassadors that he wished every
one were as content with his condition as he was."
Katharine was then about thirty-four, but looked no older than her
husband, because he was a robust, burly man, while she had a slender,
stately figure. Her face was oval, features regular, with a sweet, calm
look, though rather heavy. Her forehead was unusually high, and she had
large, dark eyes, and a bright brunette complexion. She usually wore a
five-cornered cap, bordered with rich gems, that stood up {367}around
her head like a crown, and came down the sides of her face, covering
the ears. From this cap hung the black Spanish mantilla, and around her
throat, waist and wrists were clusters of rubies, linked together with
strings of pearls, pendants of the same from the belt, reaching almost
to her feet. In one of her portraits she is represented in a robe of
dark-blue velvet, with a long train, bordered with sable fur, straight
sleeves, with ruffles around the hand, loose hanging sleeves over them,
and a petticoat of gold-colored satin, that shows beneath the velvet
dress, raised on one side.
Katharine was very pious, self-denying, and almost a nun in her
performance of religious duties. She would rise at different times of
the night for prayers, and always dressed for the day at five o'clock in
the morning. She wore the habit of the St. Francis order of nuns beneath
her royal robes, and unlike the ladies of the present day, she was often
heard to say that she considered no part of her time so much wasted as
that passed in dressing and adorning herself.
She fasted on Fridays and Saturdays and on all the saints' days,
confessed every week, and received the Eucharist every Sunday. For two
hours after dinner one of her attendants read books on religion to her.
Notwithstanding this devotion Katharine enjoyed lively conversation, and
often invited Sir Thomas More, whose society gave her great pleasure, to
her private suppers with the king. She was fond of needle-work also,
and left some rich specimens of her skill, that were for a long time
preserved in the Tower.
Although she took great interest in all English customs, and tried to
make her subjects forget that she was a foreigner, she never could fancy
field-sports, though Henry expressed great displeasure because she would
not mount.
[Illustration: 0372]
Cardinal Wolsey occupied a prominent position in England at this time,
and he was a very good friend to Katharine until she felt compelled to
express her opinion of a certain bad action of his, which was brought
about in this way: One day the Duke of Buckingham was holding the basin
for the king to wash his hands when the cardinal poked his in also. The
duke became very indignant at such presumption, for he considered
it beneath his dignity to perform such an office for anybody but his
sovereign; he therefore flung the water all over the cardinal's feet,
whereupon that worthy prelate scowled revengefully, and angrily {368}a
horse and hunt as Englishwomen did. For his sake she pretended to like
games, though she really had little taste in that direction. Even after
her misfortunes began, the great Erasmus said to Henry: "Your noble wife
spends the time reading the sacred volume which other princesses occupy
with cards and dice." That renowned scholar always held her up as an
example to her sex, and dedicated a very important work to her, called
"Christian Matrimony." {369}threatened punishment. He carried it into
effect, and succeeded in causing the execution of the duke on a charge
of treasonable sorcery.
Buckingham had been one of Katharine's earliest friends in England, and
she could not help remonstrating against the injustice of his sentence.
She even pleaded for him with the king, but failed. Wolsey's opposition
was too strong, so Katharine revenged herself by openly censuring his
cruel conduct, for which he never forgave her.
The next year Charles V. visited his aunt again at Greenwich Palace.
He came really for the purpose of urging the king to make war against
France, though he pretended that it was to engage himself to his little
cousin, Princess Mary, then only six years old.
Queen Katharine met him at the hall-door, with her daughter by her side,
and blessed him as he kneeled down before her. He stayed in England six
weeks, and the result of his visit was more fighting in France.
Then Anne Boleyn returned home, and was appointed maid of honor to
Queen Katharine. She was a great beauty, and such a belle at court that
unhappily Henry fell in love with her. But he did not make his feelings
known just then because the queen's health was very bad, and no doubt
he flattered himself that she might accommodate him by dying, and thus
spare him the trouble of a divorce. However she grew better, and then,
with Wolsey's assistance, Henry began to make plans for ridding himself
of her. His first step was to complain to his confessor that his
conscience troubled him for having married his brother's widow, but
it seems strange that that inward monitor had been silent for so many
years. He set spies to watch Katharine's actions, hoping, no doubt,
that something might be discovered to help his cause; but he was
disappointed, and the queen was secretly informed of his intentions.
{370}Naturally she was very indignant, and wanted to consult her nephew,
Charles V., as to what she ought to do. For that purpose she sent a
faithful servant, but he was stopped on the way by one of Wolsey's
agents.
She then expressed her intention of going to law about the matter, and
consulted her confessor, hoping that it would be laid before the church.
The poor, friendless woman might have known that she could scarcely look
for justice in a land not her own against a popular sovereign and his
all-powerful adviser. She had an interview with her husband, but he put
her off with deceitful excuses and fair promises, and she was forced to
await patiently whatever his pleasure might prompt.
In the meantime a pestilence broke out in London, and several of
the royal household died of it. This so alarmed Henry that he made
thirty-nine wills, confessed his sins every day, and passed most of his
time in penitence and prayer, his only recreation being the mixing of
medicines and the compounding of plasters and ointments. He even sent
Anne Boleyn home to her relations. But no sooner did the pestilence
disappear than his jovial spirits returned, and he began to write daily
love-letters to his favorite. Wolsey, to aid the king's divorce, had
made the pope believe that Katharine wished to retire from the world and
lead a religious life, and it is possible that he thought she might be
persuaded to do so.
[[A.D. 1528.]] She did not know of this deception until Campeggio, the
pope's legate, arrived in England in 1528. Then, in order to disprove
it, she adopted a different course of conduct, became gay and lively,
and encouraged all sorts of diversions among her court ladies. She tried
to make herself popular with her subjects too, by being more gracious
than before, and appearing oftener in public. This behavior was turned
against her by the king's council, t {371}who were told that the queen
was only gay because her husband was sad, and that she was conspiring
for his death and that of his cardinal. Thereupon they advised Henry to
separate himself from her entirely, and to remove the Princess Mary from
her guardianship. This piece of malice was a sting bitterer than death.
Katharine knew that Wolsey was her chief persecutor, and did not
hesitate to charge him with all her troubles as well as with being an
enemy to her nephew, Charles V.
That emperor was very much distressed when he heard of the turn affairs
had taken, and declared that if the pope decided against his aunt he
would not complain, but if not, he would support her and her daughter as
far as possible.
In May, 1529, there was a solemn court held in the great hall of the
palace at Blackfriars, Wolsey and Campeggio presiding. Each of the
prelates was seated in a large chair, covered with rich tapestry, near a
long table. On the right was a canopy with a massive chair for the king,
and on the left a similar one for the queen. Henry did not appear at
first, but Katharine entered the hall, attended by four bishops and a
train of court ladies, to say that she would only accept the decision of
the pope, because the cardinals who were present were too prejudiced to
be just. She then left.
After several weeks of discussion the king and queen were both summoned
to appear in court. When the crier called: "Henry, King of England, come
into court," he answered distinctly, and standing up beneath his canopy,
spoke of the virtues of his wife and of his unwillingness to part from
her, excepting to soothe the pangs of his conscience. Then Katharine was
called. She was already present, seated in her chair, and merely rose
to explain that the action of the court was illegal, stating reasons
why such was the case. {372}Her name was called again. Then she rose a
second time, and walked around the table the whole length of the court,
until she came to where the king sat. Kneeling down before him, she
made a most touching appeal, begging him to take compassion on her, a
stranger in his land, and let her have some justice. She also requested
him to suspend the trial until she could hear from her family in Spain
and get their advice.
After she had finished her long address to the king, she made a low bow,
and with a dignified air slowly marched out of court. As she moved away,
her name was called several times, whereupon the person on whose arm she
leaned said: "Madam, you are called back."
"I hear it well enough," she replied; "but on--on--go you on, for this
is no court wherein I can have justice."
Her appeal to the king had made such an impression on all present that
he made a long speech, lamenting "that his conscience should urge
the divorce of such a queen who had ever been a devoted wife, full of
gentleness and virtue." The members of his council knew well that he
was not speaking the truth, but they did not dare to tell him so. As
Cardinal Wolsey was still a favorite, the king closed his harangue by an
assurance that he was in no way to blame for the desired divorce.
A week later Katharine was summoned to court again, but refused to obey,
and with her own hand wrote an appeal to the pope. The cardinals had
done all they could think of to get the queen to consent to a divorce,
and being at a loss how to proceed, they took a vacation of three
months. At the expiration of that term the two cardinals went to
Bridewell, and requested a private interview with Katharine. She
received them courteously, impressed upon them her forlorn situation
in a foreign land, deprived of counsel, and told them that she would
be {373}grateful if they would advise her how to act. She then withdrew
with them to a private room, where they remained for nearly an hour in
earnest conversation. She must have argued her case well, for both the
cardinals were won over to her side, and would never say another word
against her. This was the only cause for offence that King Henry ever
had against Wolsey, who ceased, from that moment, to be his favorite.
[Illustration: 0377]
When the court met again, the king was very angry to hear that the
question of his divorce must be referred to the pope. He wanted
it settled in his way and in England. Shortly after, Wolsey had an
interview with the king, which proved his last.
The king and queen passed Christmas together at Greenwich with the
usual festivities, and seemed to be on very good terms, he treating the
Princess Mary very tenderly, and showing Katharine the respect due the
Queen of England.
Henry had an object in this; he wanted his wife to withdraw her appeal
from Rome, and let the matter be decided {374}in England, but she
refused. Then he got angry, put a sudden stop to the court diversions,
and retired to the palace at Whitehall that he had just taken from
Wolsey.
Later, he sent a message to the queen entreating her to "quiet his
conscience." She replied: "God grant my husband a quiet conscience; but
I mean to abide by no decision excepting that of Rome."
This answer put the king in a perfect fury. After the festival of
Trinity he accompanied the queen to Windsor, but left in a few days,
and sent her word to be out of the castle before his return. "Go where I
may," was the reply of the forsaken queen, "I am his wife, and for him I
will pray!" She immediately left Windsor Castle, and never again beheld
her husband or child. She went to reside at Ampthill, whence she wrote
her daughter letters full of most excellent advice, always praying her
to submit to her father's will. Her reason for this was that she wished
the child to keep in the king's good graces, knowing that he would
some time or other acknowledge her rights. Once, on hearing of Mary's
illness, Katharine wrote to Cromwell for permission to see her, but was
cruelly refused.
Finding at last that the decision at Rome was likely to be against
him, the king induced Dr. Cranmer, who had just been made Archbishop
of Canterbury, to conclude the long agitated question of the divorce by
granting it. At the commencement of the following year he married Anne
Boleyn, and there were insurrections raised in many parts of the kingdom
on account of it.
Had Queen Katharine not been such a good woman she might have given
the king a great deal of trouble by heading a party against him,
particularly as the House of Commons had requested him to take her back.
At the end of several months Cranmer succeeded in getting the divorce
{375}settled; but the sorrow and anxiety that poor Katharine had
suffered had broken down her health, so that when Lord Montjoy went to
inform her that she was no longer Queen of England, but dowager Princess
of Wales, he found her very ill in bed. She declared that she had been
crowned and anointed queen, and would be called by that title as long
as she lived, and no bribes or threats would move her in the least. She
forbade her servants to take an oath to serve her as Princess of Wales,
and many of them were obliged to quit her service because they would
not disobey her. Those who remained were excused from taking the oath at
all.
Katharine always judged her rival in the most charitable light, and
seemed to think her an object of pity. Once when one of her women cursed
Anne Boleyn, because she saw how troubled her mistress was, Katharine
said: "Hold your peace! curse her not, but rather pray for her, for even
now is the time fast coming when you shall have reason to pity her and
lament her case."
Katharine had removed to Buckden, where she passed her time in praying
and deeds of charity, or embroidering for the churches. After a while
she regained her peace of mind, and made herself greatly beloved by the
country people, who visited her frequently, and showed her the deepest
respect. Other messengers were sent to her from Henry, requesting her
to call herself Prince Arthur's widow, and to resign the title of queen.
This made her very angry, and she declared that she was the king's wife,
not his subject, and would be called queen until she died. She was the
only person in the realm who dared to defy the king; she had lost his
love, but not his esteem. Anybody at court who was known to speak in
Katharine's favor was either locked up in the Tower or executed, and
a perfect reign of terror was the result. When she heard {376}how her
friends had suffered on her account her health grew worse, and as she
was anxious to live for the sake of her daughter she sent a request to
the king to appoint her a residence nearer London. He named Fotheringay
Castle, a place that was notoriously unhealthy. But Katharine absolutely
refused to go there, and after a great deal of opposition on the part of
the king's agents she was removed to Kimbolton Castle, deprived of many
comforts that her ill-health made necessary for her. One serious cause
of distress to Katharine was the imprisonment of her two confessors,
who, simply because they took sides with her, were subjected to the most
cruel torments.
[[A.D. 1536.]] By the end of the year the queen was on her death-bed.
When she knew her end was approaching she sent an entreaty to Henry that
she might be permitted to see her child and give her a blessing. It was
refused. A few days before she expired Katharine called one of her maids
to her bedside and, dictated a farewell letter to the king, in which she
pardons him for all the misery he has caused her, and prays that God may
also pardon him. She commends their daughter Mary to his care, and begs
him to be a good father to her. And in conclusion she requests marriage
portions for her three maids, and a year's extra pay for all her other
servants lest they should be unprovided for. Henry shed tears on reading
the letter, and sent Eustachio, the Spanish ambassador, to attend
Katharine's death-bed. He and Lady Willoughby, the friend and
countrywoman of the queen, who hastened to her at the last, were the
only persons present when she passed away. In her will she left a few
legacies, but her income had been so cut down during the last few years
of her existence that she had not much to dispose of. She mentions her
dresses that Henry kept when she was so brutally turned away from his
palace, and begs that they be used for church {377}ornaments. She was
buried at Peterborough Abbey, and for several years a canopy covered
with a black velvet cloth, on which was embroidered a large silver cross
and the Spanish coat-of-arms, stood over the grave.
Henry had a solemn service at Greenwich on the day of Katharine's
burial, at which he appeared with his attendants in deep mourning, and
commanded all his court to do the same. Anne Boleyn dressed herself and
all her ladies in yellow instead, and heartlessly laughed over the death
of the queen. "I am grieved," she said, "not because she is dead, but
for the vaunting of the good end she made." She had reason to speak so,
for nothing was talked of but the Christian death-bed of Katharine, and
many books and papers were written in her praise.
A short time after her burial some of her friends ventured to suggest to
the king that a monument ought to be erected to her memory. He answered:
"That he would have to her memory one of the goodliest monuments in
Christendom." This was the beautiful abbey church of Peterborough,
for when Henry VIII. caused the destruction of all the convents and
monasteries in England he spared that one because it contained Queen
Katharine's remains. Through all her bitter trials no enemy was
successful in tarnishing Katharine of Arragon's good name, but
Shakspeare is the only writer who has properly appreciated her moral
worth.
[Illustration: 0381]
{378}