CHAPTER VII. Catharine. 1534. 1. THE King was glad to have the girl beside him. Mary was fond of him, in spite of all. He rallied her on her fantasy and obstinacy in standing out. "Well," he said to her, "I promise that before the Feast of St. Michael you shall have a chance of sporting the royal name and dignity." Mary replied, in words which Chapuys put into her mouth, "God has not so blinded me by error and ambition that I would confess for all this world that the King my father and the Queen my mother have lived in adultery, that they have sinned against our mother Holy Church, and that I was born a bastarde." Chapuys told her the King was kind in order to deceive her, and even to poison her. Mary believed his lies, but she was ready for the worst, she said, having confidence in God and knowing she would go to heaven. Her sole regret in dying was that her mother would be left behind. 2. That mother was an obstacle to every onePope, Emperor, King, and Parliament. No man liked to force her, yet every man wished her out of his way. Coming with a message from Charles to Henry, Chapuys called on Norfolk, who received him with an air of mystery. "For God's sake," urged the Duke, "be careful what you say! You will have need of prudence, if you would not ruin all. Moderate your proposals; say nothing to irritate the King. For God's sake, mind what you are doing!" Chapuys answered that he was in Norfolk's hands, knowing how much he loved the Emperor, and how thoroughly the Emperor trusted him. Norfolk was pleased. He then explained to Chapuys that they must work through Henry, not against him. "What I say," he added, "is my own opinion, not that of the council." Norfolk was uncertain of his colleagues. Wiltshire was stronger than ever; and Cromwell, though he aimed like Wolsey at making himself necessary to all parties, was inclined by nature to the popular side. "There is no reason to despair; God will provide a remedy," said Norfolk; "but we must not vex the King by either using bitter words or seeming to oppose his will." Nothing, he declared to Chapuys, could be done while Catharine lived. "When she is gone, there is good hope that the former state of things may be restored:"-an Anglo-Spanish league against the French. 3. From Woburn Abbey Catharine moved to Buckden, a forest lodge standing on the Great North Road, four miles from Huntingdon-a spacious edifice of brick, with gardens, ponds, and orchards, nestling in the shadow of an ancient church. Suffolk went down to Buckden, with instructions from the King to modify her household, to dismiss Atequa, her Spanish confessor, and to carry her to Somersham, a manor of the Bishop of Ely, near St. Ives. With towering passion she repulsed her visitor. She was the Queen, and she would neither go to Somersham nor drop her regal name. Montjoy was called. This faithful councillor entreated her to yield, for who could stand against the law? Her servants were compelled to take the oaths, A few, resisting, were arrested by the Duke. Abell, her English confessor, was put in ward. 4. Next after Fisher and Vives, Abell had been the boldest champion of her cause. Fisher was gone. Vives, having written a second work in her behalf, had found himself regarded as an enemy by the English people, and had gone to Flanders, where he sought repose in studies of less perilous sort. Abell was now her only English partizan of note, and his Invicta Veritas was making no light stir in college halls. At length his tongue was silenced, and his pen was stayed. 5. After Suffolk left her, Catharine kept her room in a mysterious way, as though she feared some bodily harm. A gallery led into the chapel, and she never left her room, except to sit in this gallery during mass. She ate, and even cooked her meals, by the bedroom fire. She seemed to be afraid of every one; but while she lay in hiding, two of the Greenwich friars, Father Rich and Father Risby, came to Buckden in disguise. Great changes had occurred at Greenwich, as elsewhere. Peto and Elstow were abroad, carrying on a war against the King, for which Peto was in time to be rewarded with a cardinal's cap. Forest had been playing fast and loose, not liking to offend his prince, yet fearing to offend his General. He took the oaths of supremacy himself, while he was known to be advising his penitents to reject these oaths as mortal sin. In carrying out Quiñones' orders, Forest was as harsh with his brethren as he was yielding towards his sovereign. Lyst complained of him to Cromwell. Ravenscroft was found dead in his cell; and cries of murder having reached Quiñones, a superior French friar was sent to Greenwich with instructions to inquire and judge. To this French agent of his General, Lyst presented a pastil against Forest, who was sentenced to be deposed from power, expelled his convent, and confined to a small friary in the north. Fancying this worthless friar a sufferer in her cause, Catharine appointed him one of her confessors, just as her mother had appointed Pedro the Inquisitor one of her confessors. 5. Rich and Risby brought good news. The Maid of Kent was busy on her side; supporting her by letters from the Holy Magdalen. Gertrude, Marchioness of Exeter, had sent for the nun, and heard her prophecies. On every hand they saw Catharine's legions moving into line. The King of Scots was coming to demand her daughter and defend her rights. Dacres and Darcy were preparing to receive the Scots as allies. Desmond was in arms. When the friars quitted Buckden, they left her full of hope; but Catharine had unhappily overdone her part. Her secrecy provoked suspicion, and the friars were followed to their secret haunts. Risby and Rich were crafty men, who turned and doubled many times; but Cromwell's officers never lost the History of two Queens. VI, 5 trail; and when the evidence against them was complete, the friars were whisked into the Tower, in which they found the Maid of Kent. 6. Though Catharine would not go to Somersham, she wished to have a better house than Buckden. Henry offered her a choice of houses; Fotheringay Castle in Northants, Somersham Manor near St. Ives, and Kimbolton Castle near St. Neots. The King expected her to choose Fotheringay-her own house-which she had much improved in former years. But that which Henry thought a merit, was in Catharine's eyes a fault. Fotheringay was hers as Arthur's wife, and even in the face of Chapuys' doubts she still affirmed that she had not been Arthur's wife. In going to Fotheringay, she might appear to be accepting her position as a Dowager Princess of Wales. She told Vaux, her gentleman in waiting, that if they wanted her at Fotheringay, they must drag her all the way with ropes. bolton suited her much better than Somersham. strong and lonely castle, lying in a valley, in the midst of woods, and near a great priory, Kimbolton had many charms for Catharine, not the least of which was the fact of its having belonged to Buckingham, the friend of Spain. Kim- 7. Her household was reduced in number and changed in officers. Montjoy, unable to evade the statutes, left her service. Bryan had already gone into his monastery. Bedyngfeld and Chamberlain were appointed to replace Montjoy and Bryan. Catharine knew but little English, and the servants near her person had to speak her native tongue. |