part ii.

from the

repair unto the Queen's Grace, I found herein such Lett. CLXII. lamentation and heaviness, as I never saw no creature; so Original. that it would have pitied any man's heart in the world to have looked upon her; and in that vehement rage she continued, as they informed me which be about her, from my departure from her unto my return again; and then I found her, as I do suppose, far entered toward a frenzy, which I feared before my departure from her at my first being with her; and surely, if your Grace's comfort had not come in time, she could have continued no long time in that condition without a frenzy, which, nevertheless, I do yet much suspect to follow hereafter.

And as for my message from your Majesty unto her, I was purposed to enter communication in this wise; first, to exaggerate the grievousness of her demerits; then to declare unto her the justice of your Grace's laws, and what she ought to suffer by the same; and last of all to signify unto her your most gracious mercy: but when I saw in what condition she was, I was fain to turn my purpose, and to begin at the last part first, to comfort her by your Grace's benignity and mercy; for else the recital of your Grace's laws, with the aggravation of her offences, might, peradventure, have driven her unto some dangerous ecstasy, and else into a very frenzy; so that the words of comfort coming last might peradventure have come too late. And after I had declared your Grace's mercy extended unto her, she held up her hands and gave most humble thanks

[Catharine Howard. According to the official statement sent on the 14th of Nov. to the English Ambassador in France, the Queen "was spoken withal in it by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lord "Chancellor, the Duke of Norfolk, the Lord Great Chamberlain of "England, and the Bishop of Winchester; to whom at the first she constantly denied it; but the matter being so declared unto her, that "she perceived it to be wholly disclosed, the same night she disclosed "the whole to the Archbishop of Canterbury, who took the confession "of the same in writing, subscribed with her hand." Lord Herbert, Life of Hen. VIII. p. 534. The interview described in this Letter of Cranmer's seems to have been subsequent to her first confession, and was perhaps the saine at which she signed the paper printed by Burnet, Ref. vol. iii. App. B. iii. No. 72. Much new correspondence on this subject has lately been published in the State Papers, vol. i. p. 689, &c.]

unto your Majesty, who had showed unto her more grace and mercy", than she herself thought meet to sue for or could have hoped of; and then, for a time, she began to be more temperate and quiet, saving that she still sobbed and wept; but after a little pausing she suddenly fell into a new rage, much worse than she was before.

Now I do use her thus; when I do see her in any such extreme brayds, I do travail with her to know the cause, and then, as much as I can, I do labour to take away, or at the least to mitigate the cause; and so I did at that time. I told her there was some new fantasy come into her head, which I desired her to open unto me; and after a certain time, when she had recovered herself that she might speak, she cried and said, ‘Alas, my lord, that I am alive, the ‹ fear of death grieved me not so much before, as doth now 'the remembrance of the King's goodness; for when I re'member how gracious and loving a Prince I had, I can'not but sorrow; but this sudden mercy, and more than I 'could have looked for, showed unto me, so unworthy at 'this time, maketh mine offences to appear before mine ' eyes much more heinous than they did before: and the 'more I consider the greatness of his mercy, the more I 'do sorrow in my heart that I should so misorder myself against his Majesty.' And for any thing that I could say unto her, she continued in a great pang a long while, but after that she began something to remit her rage and come to herself, she was meetly well until night, and I had very good communication with her, and, as I thought, had brought her unto a great quietness.

Nevertheless, at night, about six of the clock, she fell into another like pang, but not so outrageous as the first was; and that was, as she showed me, for the remembrance of the time; for about that time, as she said, Master Hennage was wont to bring her knowledge of your Grace.

[This boasted" mercy," as is well known, was no obstacle to her execution. She was beheaded, together with Lady Rochford, on the 12th of February following. Derham and Culpeper were executed on the 10th of December 1541.]

And because I lack time to write all things unto your Majesty, I have referred other things to be opened by the mouth of this bearer, Sir John Dudlay; saving that I have sent herewith enclosed all that I can get of her concerning any communication of matrimony with Derame; which, although it be not so much as I thought, yet I suppose, surely, it is sufficient to prove a contract, with carnal copulation following; although she think it be no contract, as indeed the words alone be not, if carnal copulation had not followed thereof.

The cause that Master Baynton sent unto your Majesty, was partly for the declaration of her estate, and partly because, after my departure from her, she began to excuse and to temper those things which she had spoken unto me, and set her hand thereto; as at my coming unto your Majesty I shall more fully declare by mouth; for she saith, that all that Derame did unto her was of his importune forcement, and, in a manner, violence, rather than of her free consent and will. Thus Almighty God have your Majesty in his preservation and governance. [Nov. 1541.] From

Your Grace's most bounden
chaplain,

T. Cantuarien.

To the King's Majesty.

[It was the King's pleasure that Baynton "should attend on the "Queen, to have the rule and government of the whole house; and "with him the Almoner [Nicholas Hethe] to be also associate." Letter from the Council to Cranmer in State Papers, vol. i. p. 692.]

[This is probably the document printed by Burnet, Ref. vol. iii. App. B. iii. No. 72. which is signed by Catharine Howard, and which relates chiefly to her contract of matrimony with Derham. Though this precontract was the point to which Cranmer's attention was chiefly directed, the Lord Chancellor was strictly charged, in declaring the Queen's misconduct to the Privy Council, to omit all mention of it. And it is also altogether passed over in the official account sent to the ambassadors. The object of the omission is admitted to have been, "to engreave the misdemeanour," by suppressing what "might serve "for her defence." Cranmer probably on the other hand wished to strengthen this defence, and to save her life by obtaining grounds for a divorce. See State Papers, vol. i. p. 692; Lord Herbert, Life of Henry VIII. p. 532.]

It

CCLXII. TO KING HENRY VIIIa.

part ii.

CLXXVII.

may please your Majesty to be advertised, that yester- State Paday the ambassador of Cleve came unto my house at Lam-pers, vol. i. hith, and delivered me bletters from Oslynger, Vice-Chan- Letter cellor unto the Duke of Cleve, which letters I have sent from the unto your Majesty herewith enclosed: the purport whereof, Original. after he hath set forth my lauds and commendations like an orator, when he cometh to the substance of the matter, is nothing else but to commend unto me the cause of the Lady Anne of Cleve. Which although he trusteth that I would do of myself, undesired, yet he saith that the occasion is such, that he will not omit to put spurs to the horse that runneth of his own courage. When I had read the letter, and considered that no cause was expressed specially, but

a [This Letter also is wholly in the Archbishop's handwriting.] b[Olisleger's Letter is subjoined, from State Papers, vol. i. p. 716. "Salus et pax a Deo patre, et Jesu Christo Domino ac Salvatore "nostro. Reverendissime Præsul ac Domine, multis modis venerande. "Quoniam singularis candor, plurimorumque officiorum tuorum præ"stationes multis bonis viris tam extra quam intra hoc florentissimum regnum Angliæ, cognita atque perspecta, de tua Celsitudine eam "opinionem statuerunt, eandemque Celsitudinem tuam ita suspicentur, "ut quod ad Omnipotentis Dei ac Benedicti Filii ejus gloriam illus"trandam imprimis, ac deinde ad reipublicæ Christianæ, præsertim "Anglicanæ, tranquillitatem ac commoditatem conservandam, augen"dam, promovendamque quovis modo pertinere videatur, id semper "singulari studio, opera, atque industria, Celsitudo tua fuerit prose"cuta; fieri non potest, quin in eadem spe firmiter consistamus, etiam nunc idipsum Čelsitudínem tuam pro sua virili curaturum. Itaque, "quantum plurimum possumus Celsitudinem tuam flagitamus, uti cau"sam illustrissimæ Dominæ Annæ, sororis Principis nostri pro rei com"moditate sibi quam commendatissimam habere non gravatim velit. "Et quamvis existimemus idipsum Celsitudinem tuam sine nostra in"terpellatione æque facturam, nolui tamen committere, quin, pro hujus "temporis occasione, hoc calcar equo sponte currenti admoverem. Et "oro Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum, ut gratiam suam alioqui plus "satis infusam in Celsitudinem tuam augere, ac diu incolumem servare "dignetur. Datum Duysseldorpii, pridie Calendas Decembris, 1541. "Ejusdem Celsitudinis tuæ addictissimus, "Henr. Olisl. Doct. "Vicecancellarius Clevensis.

66

"Reverendissimo Præsuli ac Domino, plu"rimisque dotibus insigni, Domino "Thomæ, per Dei gratiam, Archiepis"copo Cantuariensi, ac per regnum Anglia Primario Præsidi, Domino plurimum Venerabili."]

only in general that I should have commended the cause of the Lady Anne of Cleve, although I suspected the true cause of his coming, yet I would take upon me no knowledge of any special matter, but said thus unto him: Mas'ter Ambassador, I have perused Oslynger's letters, by the which he commendeth unto me the Lady Anne of 'Cleve's cause; but forasmuch as he declareth no certain cause, I trust you have some other instructions to inform me of some particular matter.' Whereunto he answered, that the cause was, the reconciliation of your Majesty unto the Lady Anne of Cleve. Whereunto I answered, that I thought not a little strange, that Oslynger should think it meet for me to move a reconciliation of that matrimony, of the which I, as much as any other person, knew most just causes of divorce. And here I moved him to consider your Grace's honour and the tranquillity of this realm, with the surety of your Grace's succession; and further, how this should agree with Oslynger's opinion of me, as he writeth in his letters, that I should study to the commodity and tranquillity of this realm, if I should move your Grace to receive her in matrimony, from whom your Majesty was, upon most just causes, divorced ; whereupon might grow most uncertitude of your Grace's succession, with such unquietness and trouble to this realm, as heretofore hath not been seen. And when he would have begun something, as appeared unto me, more largely to have reasoned the matter, and to grope my mind, I finished our communication in this sort: Master Ambassador, this is a matter of great importance, wherein you shall pardon me, for I will have no communication with you therein, unless it please the King's Majesty to command me. But I shall signify unto his Highness your request, and thereupon you shall have

6

с

[See the judgment of the Convocation for annulling the marriage, in Burnet, Ref. vol. i. App. B. iii. No. 19, or in State Papers, vol. i. part ii. No. cxxxviii. where the signatures of the members are given, and where also is added Hen. VIII's Declaration of the causes of the separation. However questionable the justice of these causes may be, it was certainly, as Cranmer stated, "not a little strange," that on the discovery of Catharine Howard's incontinence, a reconciliation should have been attempted.]