She de clares her CH. 11. declared herself innocent; the details of what A.D. 1536. passed are unknown; only she told Sir William Kingston that she was cruelly handled at Greeninnocence. wich with the king's council; and that the Duke of Norfolk, in answer to her defence, had said, 'Tut, tut, tut,' shaking his head three or four times.' "* The other prisoners were then examined; not Brereton, it would seem, but Smeton, who must have been brought down from the Smeton, Tower, and Sir Henry Norris, and Sir Francis Weston, two young courtiers, who had both of them been the trusted friends of the king. Each day the shadow was stretching further. The worst was yet to come. Norris, Weston, and examined. Smeton On being first questioned, these three made general admissions, but denied resolutely that any actual offence had been committed. On being pressed further and cross-examined, Smeton conconfesses, fessed to actual adultery.† Norris hesitated : being pressed, however, by Sir William FitzNorris, who william to speak the truth, he also made a similar however, acknowledgment, although he afterwards withdrew from what he had said.‡ Weston persisted And afterwards, State Papers, vol. i. p. 721. * Kingston to Cromwell: SINGER'S CAVENDISH, p. 456 et seq., in STRYPE's Memorials, vol. i. done by two of my nieces against | same.'-Norfolk to Henry VIII.: Sir Edward Baynton to the Lord Treasurer, from Greenwich: SINGER'S CAVENDISH, p. 458. See LINGARD, vol. v. p. 33. It is not certain whether the examination of these prisoners was at Greenwich or at the in declaring himself innocent. The result was CH. 11. A.D. 1536. Tuesday. "Only withdraws confess from what he has said. unsatisfactory, and it was thought that it would 'much touch the king's honour' if the guilt of the May 2. accused was not proved more clearly. Mark,' Sir Edward Baynton said, would ' of any actual thing;'* although he had no doubt 'the other two' were 'as fully culpable as ever was he.' They were, however, for the present recommitted to the Tower; whither also in the afternoon the council conducted the queen, and left her in the custody of Sir William Kingston. in the the Tower. She was brought up the river; the same river The queen, along which she sailed in splendour only three afternoon, short years before. She landed at the same Tower is taken to Stairs; and, as if to complete the bitter misery of the change, she was taken 'to her own lodgings in which she lay at her coronation.' She had feared that she was to go to a dungeon. When Kingston told her that these rooms had been prepared for her, 'It is too good for me,' she said, 'Jesu have mercy on me;' 'and kneeled down, weeping a great space; and in the same sorrow fell into a great laughing.'t She then begged She prothat she might have the sacrament in the closet innocence, Tower. Baynton's letter is dated from Greenwich, but that is not conclusive. CONSTANTYNE says (Archæologia, vol. xxiii. p. 63) that the king took Norris with him to London, and, as he heard say, urged him all the way to confess, with promises of pardon if he would be honest with him. Norris persisted in his denial, however, tests her and begs to have the sacrament and was committed to the Tower. in her *Letter to the Lord Treasurer. for mercy, CH. 11. by her chamber, that she might pray A.D. 1536. declaring that she was free from the company of man as for sin,' and was 'the king's true wedded wife.' She was aware that the other prisoners were in the Tower, or, at least, that Smeton, Weston, and Norris were there. Whether she knew at that time of the further dreadful accusation which was hanging over her, does not appear; but she asked anxiously for her brother; and, if she had suspected anything, her fears must have been confirmed by Kingston's evasive replies. It is so painful to dwell upon the words and actions of a poor woman in her moments of misery, that Kingston may de scribe his conversation with her in his own words. Lord Rochford had returned to London at liberty; he seems to have been arrested the same Tuesday afternoon. 'I pray you,' she said, 'to tell me where my Lord Rochford is?' 'I told her,' Kingston wrote, that 'I saw him afore dinner, in the court.' 'Oh, where is my sweet brother?' she went on. 'I said I left him at York-place; and so I did. 'I hear say,' said she, 'that I should be accused with three men; and I can say no more but nay, without I should open my body,'-and therewith she opened her gown, saying, 'Oh, Norris, hast thou accused me? Thou art in the Tower with me, and thou and I shall die together. And, Mark, thou art here too. Oh, my mother, thou wilt die for sorrow.' And much she lamented my Lady of Worcester, for because her child did not stir in her body. And my wife said, 'What should be the cause?' She said, 'For the sorrow she took for me.' And then she said, 'Mr. Kingston, shall I die without justice?' CH. 11. And I said, 'The poorest subject the king hath, had justice;' and therewith she laughed.' 米 A.D. 1536. Boleyn and ladies sent upon her. Lady Boleyn, her aunt, had been sent for, with Lady a Mrs. Cousins, and two other ladies, selected by three other the king. They were ordered to attend upon the to attend queen, but to observe a strict silence; and to hold no communication with her, except in the presence of Lady Kingston. This regulation, it was found, could not be insisted on. Lady Boleyn and Mrs. Cousins slept in the queen's room, and conversation could not be prevented. Mrs. Cousins undertook, on her part, to inform Kingston if anything was said which it was meet that he should know.' day, May 3. conversa queen with In compliance with this promise, she told Wednes him, the next morning, that the queen had been Reported speaking to her about Norris. On the preceding tion of the Sunday, she said that Norris had offered to Norris, 'swear for the queen, that she was a good woman.' 'But how,' asked Mrs. Cousins, very naturally, 'how came any such things to be spoken of at all?' 'Marry,' the queen said, 'I bade him do so: for I asked him why he went not through with his marriage; and he made answer, that he would tarry a time. Then, I said, you look for dead men's shoes; for if aught came to the king but good, you would look to have me. And he * Kingston to Cromwell: SINGER'S CAVENDISH, p. 451. she said, 'which I favour most.' Ibid. p. 453. + She said, 'I think it much unkindness in the king to put such about me as I never loved.' § The disorder of which the I shewed her that the king took king ultimately died-ulceration them to be honest and good in the legs-had already begun women. 'But I would have to show itself. had of mine own privy chamber,' A.D. 1536. Sir Francis Weston. CH. 11. said, if he should have any such thought, he would his head were off. And then she said she could undo him, if she would. And therewith And with they fell out.' 'But she said she more feared Weston; for on Whitsun Tuesday last, Weston told her that Norris came more unto her chamber for her than for Mage."* Afterwards, 'The queen spake of Weston, that she had spoken to him, because he did love her kinswoman, Mrs. Skelton, and that she said he loved not his wife; and he made answer to her again, that he loved one in her house better than them both. She asked him who is that? to which he answered, that it is yourself. 'And then,' she said, 'she defied him.''† So passed Wednesday at the Tower. Let us feel our very utmost commiseration for this unhappy woman; if she was guilty, it is the more reason that we should pity her; but I am obliged *The lady, perhaps, to whom † Kingston to Cromwell: in my chamber but at Winches- |