acats (purchases) exceeding the old rate. 3dly, We earnestly require our said executors to be good lords and masters to all our poor servants, to whom we give and bequeath every one of them, being in our check-roll, as well to our officers as others, taking wages either from the queen's highness or from us, from the current month of July, one whole year's wages, also as much black cloth, at 138. 4d. per yard, as will make them each a gown and hood, and to every one of our gentlemen waiters and gentlewomen accordingly. And to our yeomen, grooms, and children of our household, two yards each of black cloth, at 9s. the yard. Also to every one of the gentlewomen of our privy chamber, for their great pains taken with us, to Mrs. Wingfield, 1001.; 20l. to Susan Broughton towards her marriage; to Dorothy Curzon, towards her marriage, 100l.; to Mrs. Haymond, 201. (To twelve other ladies, who seem in the like degree, she bequeaths various sums, from 10l. to 16l. each.) To our laundress, Elizabeth Eliot, 107., and to mother Lovell (this was the nurse of her sick room), for her attendance upon us in this time of this our sickness, 101. 'Item, we give and bequeath to every one of our gentlemen daily attendant on us, over and beside our former bequests (viz. wages and black cloth) 10l., that is to say, to Thomas Blackgrove, 10l., to John Wymbushe, 10l. (eight gentlemen are enumerated); likewise to our yeomen and grooms, 11s. a-piece, and to all the children of our house 10s a-piece. And we give to the duke of Cleves, our brother, a ring of gold with a fair diamond, and to our sister, the duchess of Cleves, his wife, a ring, having therein a great rock of ruby, the ring being black enamelled. Also we give to our sister, the lady Emely, a ring of gold, having thereon a fair pointed diamond. And to the lady Katharine, duchess of Suffolk,' a ring of gold, having a fair table diamond, somewhat long, and to the countess of Arundel a ring of gold, having a fair table diamond, with an H. and I. of gold set under the stone. Moreover, we give and bequeath to the lord Paget, lord privy seal, a ring of gold, having therein a three-cornered diamond, and to our cousin, the lord Waldeck, a ring of gold, having therein a fair great hollow ruby. Moreover, our mind and will is, that our plate, jewels, and robes, be sold with other of our goods and chattels, towards the payment of our debts, funerals, and legacies. And we do further bequeath to Dr. Symonds, our phisicon, towards his great pains, labours, and travails, taken oft-times with us, 201.; and to Alarde, our surgeon and servant, 4l.; and to our servant John Guligh, over and above his wages, 10l.; and to every one of our alms-children, towards their education, 107. a-piece, to be delivered according to the discretion of our execuAlso we will and bequeath to the poor of Richmond, Bletchingly, Hever, and Dartford, 41. to each parish, to be paid to the churchwardens at the present, and to be laid out by the advice of our servants thereabouts dwelling. And to our chaplains, sir Otho Rampello, and to sir Denis Thoms, either of them to pray for us, l. and a black gown. And to our poor servant James Powell, 107., and to Elya Turpin, our old laundress, to pray for us, 4l., and to our late servant, Otho Willicke, 201.; and our will and pleasure is, that our servants, sir Otho Rampello, Arnold Ringlebury, John Guligh, John Solenbrough, Derrick Pasman, Arnold Holgins, and George Hagalas being our countrymen, and minding to depart out of this realm of England, shall have, towards their expenses, every one 101. And we bequeath to Thomas Perce, our cofferer, to Thomas Hawe, our clerk-comptroller, and to Michael Apsley, clerk of our kitchen, for their pains with us taken sundry ways, over and beside their formal wages, 101. each. And our will and pleasure is, that our said cofferer, who hath disbursed much for us, for the maintenance of our estate and household, should be truly paid by our executors, likewise all other of our servauts that hath disbursed any money for us at any time, if they have not been paid. The residue of all our goods, plate jewels, robes, cattle, and debts, not given or bequeathed, after our funeral debts and legacies, we give and bequeath to the right honourable Nicholas Heathe, tors. The heiress of Willoughby, fourth wife and widow to Charles Brandon, duke of Suffolk. The count of Waldeck. rchbishop of York, and lord chancellor of England, Henry earl of Arundel, sir Edmund Peckman, and sir Richard Preston, knights, whom we ordain and make executors of this our last will and testament. And our most dearest and entirely beloved sovereign lady, queen Mary, we earnestly desire to be our overseer of our said last will, with most humble request to see the same performed as shall to her highness seem best for the health of our soul: and in token of the special trust and affiance which we have in her grace, we do give and bequeath to her most excellent majesty, for a remembrance, our best jewel, beseeching her highness that our poor servants may enjoy such small gifts and grants as we have made unto them, in consideration of their long service done unto us, being appointed to wait on us at the first erection of our household by her majesty's late father, of most famous memory, king Henry VIII., for that his said majesty said then unto us, that he would account our servants his own, and their service done to us as if done to himself.' Therefore we beseech the queen's majesty so to accept them in this time of their extreme need. Moreover, we give and bequeath to the lady Elizabeth's grace [afterwards queen Elizabeth] my second best jewel, with our hearty request to accept and take into her service one of our poor maids, named Dorothy Curzon. And we do likewise give and bequeath unto every one of our executors before named, towards their pains, viz. to the lord chancellor's grace, a fair bowl of gold with a cover; to the earl of Arundel, a maudlin standing cup of gold with a cover; to sir Edmund Peckham, a jug of gold with a cover, or else a crystal glass garnished with gold and set with stones; to sir Richard Preston, our best gilt bowl with a cover, or else that piece of gold plate which sir Edmund leaveth (if it be his pleasure), most heartily beseeching them to pray for us, and to see our body buried according to the queen's will and pleasure; and that we may have the suffrages of the holy church according to the catholic faith, wherein we end our life in this transitory world. "These being witnesses, Thomas Perce, our cofferer, Thomas Hawe, our comptroller, John Symonds, doctor in physic, &c.; also Dorothy Wingfield, widow, Susan Boughton, Dorothy Curzon, jantlewomen of our privy-chamber (bedchamber), with many others; and by me, Dionysius Thomow,' chaplain and confessor to the same most noble lady Anna of Cleves." Two days after the dictation of this will, the repudiated queen of England expired peacefully at the palace of Chelsea. Her beneficent spirit was wholly occupied in deeds of mercy, caring for the happiness of her maidens and alms-children, and forgetting not any faithful servant however lowly in degree. She was on amicable terms both with the catholic Mary and the protestant Elizabeth, and left both tokens of her kindness. Although she was a Lutheran when she came to this country, it is very evident from her will that she died a catholic. Queen Mary appointed her place of burial in Westminster Abbey, where her funeral was performed with some magnificence. A hearse was prepared at Westminster," with seven grand palls," "as goodly a hearse as ever seen." "The 3d of August my lady Anne of Cleves' (some time wife of Henry VIII.) came from Chelsea to burial unto Westminster, with all the children of Westminster (of the choir), with many priests, and clerks, and the gray amice of Paul's, and three crosses, and the monks of Westminster. My lord Bishop of London 1 Thomas or Tomeo had been comptroller of Katharine of Arragon's household at Bugden, and was transferred to that of the princess Elizabeth; he had perhaps since taken orders. 'Cottonian, Vitellus, F. 7. Sir F. Madden has carefully restored from a halfburnt fragment this quaint detail of her burial. VOL. IV.-24 (Bonner), and my lord abbot of Westminster (Feckenham), rode together next the monks. Then rode the two executors, sir Edmund Peckham and sir Richard Preston, and then my lord admiral and my lord Darcy, followed by many knights and gentlemen. After her banner of arms came her gentlemen of the household and her head officers, and the bier-chariot, with eight banners of arms and four banners of white taffata, wrought with fine gold. Thus they passed St. James and on to Charing Cross, where was met a hundred torches, her servants bearing them, and the twelve bedesmen of Westminster had new black gowns, and they had twelve burning torches and four white branches, then her ladies and gentlewomen, all in black, on their horses; and about the herse sat eight heralds bearing white banners of arms.” These white ensigns were to signify that Anne of Cleves had lived a maiden life. "At the abbey-door all did alight, and the bishop of London and my lord abbot in their mitres and copes received the good lady, censing her, and their men did bear her under a canopy of black velvet, with four black staves, and so brought her under the herse, and there tarried dirge, and all the night with lights burning. The next day requiem was sung for my lady Anne daughter of Cleves, and then my lord of Westminster (abbot Feckenham) preached as goodly a sermon as ever was made, and the bishop of London sang mass in his mitre. And after mass, the lord bishop and the lord abbot did cense the corpse, and afterwards she was carried to her tomb, where she lies with a herse and cloth of gold over her. Then all her head officers brake their staves, and all her ushers brake their rods and cast them into her tomb. And all the gentlemen and ladies offered at mass, my lady of Winchester was chief mourner, and my lord admiral and lord Darcy went on each side of her, and thus they went in order to a great dinner, given by my lord of Winchester to all the mourners." Anne of Cleves is buried near the high altar of Westminster Abbey, in a place of great honour, at the feet of king Sebert the original founder. Her tomb is seldom recognised. In fact it looks like a long bench placed against the wall on the right hand, as the examiner stands facing the altar, near the oil portraits of Henry III. and king Sebert. On closer inspection, her initials A. and C., interwoven in a monogram, will be observed on parts of the structure, which is rather a memorial than a monument, for it was never finished. "Not one of Henry's wives, excepting Anne of Cleves, had a monument," observes Fuller, "and hers was but half a one." It is evident that reports were spread throughout the courts of Germany, that the residence of Anne of Cleves in England was a detention full of cruelty and restraint. These ideas gave credence to an impostor, who presented herself, in a state of distress, at the palace of John Frederic II., prince of Coburg, and pretended to be the princess of Cleves repudiated by Henry VIII. She was a long time entertained by the hospitable prince as his kinswoman, but was finally proved to be a maniac, and died in confinement.3 'Stow, vol. ii. p. 603. Ibid. 'Feyjoo's Praise of Woman, and Shoberl's History of the House of Saxony. KATHARINE HOWARD, FIFTH QUEEN TO HENRY VIII. CHAPTER I. The Howard family-Parents of Katharine-Her adoption by the duchess of Norfolk-Neglected education-Evil associates-Early imprudences-Sojourn at Lambeth-Clandestine proceedings-Connivance of Mary Lassells-Katharine courted by her relative, Francis Derham-His presents to her-Their secret engagement-Discovery of ill conduct-Wrath of the duchess of Norfolk-She beats Katharine-Derham absconds-His mournful parting with Katharine-Her secretary, and secret correspondence-Improvement of Katharine's conduct-Derham's return-She repels his addresses-His perseverance and extreme jealousy-Katharine is introduced at court-Henry VIII. falls in love with her-Their meetings at Gardiner's house-Katharine appointed maid of honour to Anne of Cleves-French ambassador's reports concerning her-Mrs. Bulmer's letter to her-The king marries KatharineShe appears publicly as queen-Prayed for as queen of England-Medallion in honour of her marriage-French ambassador's description of her-Ladies of her household-Perilous reports-Katharine's progress with the king to Grafton, &c.-Rumours of the restoration of Anne of Cleves-Affection of the king to queen Katharine-Residence at Windsor-Christmas spent at Hampton Court-Spring at Westminster and Greenwich-Katharine's dower-Her estrangement from her uncle Norfolk-Great northern progress of the king and queen-Queen admits Derham into her household-Imprudent interview with her cousin Culpepper-Depositions against her received by the privy council in her absence. THE fifth consort of Henry VIII. was a daughter of that illustrious house, of which a modern writer thus eloquently writes: "What family pervades our national annals with achievements of such intense and brilliant interest as the Howards? As heroes, poets, politicians, courtiers, patrons of literature, state victims to tyranny and revenge, they have been constantly before us for four centuries. In the drama of life they have exhibited every variety of character, good and bad; and the tale of their vices, as well as their virtues, is full of instruction. No story of romance or tragedy can exhibit more incidents to enchain attention or move the heart, than might be found in the records of this great historical family."' a The career of Katharine Howard affords a grand moral lesson lesson better calculated to illustrate the vanity of female ambition, and the fatal consequences of the first unguarded steps in guilt, than all the warning essays that have ever been written on those subjects. No female writer can venture to become the apologist of this unhappy queen; yet charity may be permitted to whisper, ere the dark page of her few and evil days is unrolled, "Full gently scan thy brother, man, Katharine Howard, while yet a child in age, being deprived of a mother's watchful care, and surrounded by unprincipled persons of maturer years, made shipwreck of all her hopes on earth ere she knew the crime-the madness into which she was betrayed. Let no one who has been more fortunately circumstanced boast. John Bradford, one of the most illustrious of our Protestant martyrs, who afforded, in his own practice, a perfect exemplification of Christian holiness, when he beheld a criminal handcuffed and carried ignominiously to execution, exclaimed, “But for the grace of God there goes John Bradford !" Al Katharine Howard was the cousin-german of a previous victim of Henry VIII's stormy love and murderous caprice, the beautiful and ill-fated Anne Boleyn: she was his fifth wife, and the third private gen tlewoman whom he elevated to the perilous dignity of his queen. though she was his subject, the lineage of this lady was, in some respects, not inferior to his own. Through her royal ancestress, queen Adelicia, Katharine Howard was the descendant of the imperial race of Charlemagne.' Margaret Brotherton, the grand-daughter of Edward I. and Margaret of France, transmitted the mingled blood of the Plantagenets and the kings of France to her descendants, by Thomas Mowbray, the heir of the Albinis, the Warrens, and the Bigods, and thus united, in a blended line, the posterity of Henry I. and his two queens, "Matilda the Good, and Adelicia the Fair." Margaret of Brotherton was created duchess of Norfolk, and claimed her father Thomas Plantagenet's office of earl marshal. Her claims were allowed, and she was called the mareschale, but her son, Thomas Mowbray, was invested by her with the marshal's rod, and acted as her deputy. His daughter, the lady Margaret Mowbray, by Elizabeth, daughter of the famous Richard Fitzalan, earl of Arundel, brought the honours and demesnes of all these noble houses to her son by sir Robert Howard; this was John, the first duke of Norfolk of the name of Howard. He was slain at Bosworth, and his dukedom was confiscated by Henry VII. Thomas, his eldest son, was the victorious Surrey of Flodden Field; and Edmund, the ninth son of Thomas, was the father of Katharine Howard. At that memorable battle, where the national glory of England was so signally advanced by the valour and military skill of Katharine's family, her father (at that time a beardless esquire) was the marshal of the English host, under the command 'See Memoir of queen Adelicia, vol. I. 2 Vol. II., Life of Margaret of France. 8 Howard Memorials, by Henry Howard, esq. of Corby. |