CATHARINE OF ARRAGON,

FIRST QUEEN OF HENRY THE EIGHTH,

WHEN Cardinal Campejus came over to England on the business of the divorce between Henry the Eighth and his Queen, he had an audience of this Princefs, when, according to Lord Herbert, he took occafion to acquaint her with the danger fhe was in respecting the annulling her marriage, and advised her to betake herself to a religious life; "for which many pretexts wanted not, as I find "in our records, the having been obferved fince "the Commiffion took place to allow dancing and paftimes more than before; and that her coun**tenance, not only in Court but to the people, was more cheerful than ordinary; whereas it "was alledged fhe might be more fad and penfive, confidering that the King's confcience was unfatisfied, and that he had refrained her bed, "and was not willing the Lady Princess her daughter fhould come into her company. The "offended Queen replied peremptorily, that the was refolved to ftand to that marriage which "the Romish Church had allowed, and, howfoever, not to admit fuch partial judges as

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they were to give sentence in her cause.”

In a Miffal which this pious Princefs prefented to her daughter Mary, afterwards Queen of England

England of that name, is written with her own hand,

"I think that the praiers of frinds be accept"able unto God, and because I take you for one "of my most affured, I praie you to remember " me in yours.

"KATHARINA."

This dignified fufferer is thus defcribed in a Letter of Gerard de Plaine to Margaret of Auftria: "C'est une dame recreative, humaine, & gra

cieuse, & de contraire complexion & maniere à "la Reyne de Caftille, fa fœur."

That acute and comprehensive critic, Dr. Johnfon, in his remarks upon Shakespeare's tragedy of Henry the Eighth, fays, "that the meek forrows "and virtuous diftrefs of Queen Catharine have "furnished some scenes which may be juftly num"bered amongst the greatest efforts of Tragedy. "But the genius of Shakespeare," adds he, "comes "in and goes out with Catharine." Our great Dramatic Poet has, in the fpeeches of Queen Catharine, very often copied them from Hall and Hollinfhed. It is the happy privilege of genius to know when to felect and when to invent. cording to Hall, when the Cardinals Wolfey and Campejus came to announce to her the appointment of the Tribunal at Black-Friars, to decide refpecting the validity of her marriage with Henry,

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fhe

"Alas, my Lords,

the thus addreffed them: "whether I bee the King's lawfull wife or no, I "have been married to him almost twenty years, "and in the meane feafon never question was "made before! Dyvers Prelates yet being alyve, " and Lordes alfoe, and Privie Counsellors with "the King at that tyme, then adjudged our marriage lawful and honeft; and now to say it is "deteftable and abominable, I thinke it great

marvel, and in especially when I confider "what a wife Prince the Kinge's father was, and "alfo the love and affection that Kyng Ferdi"nando my father bare unto me. I thinke in

myself, that neither of our fathers were fo uncircumfpect, fo unwife, and of so small imagi"nation, but they forfawe what might followe "of our marriage; and in efpecial the Kyng my "father fent to the Court of Rome, and there after

long suite, with great coste and charge, ob

teigned a license and difpenfation, that I being "the one brother's wyfe and paradventure car"nally knowen, might, without fcrupul of con"fcience, marry with the other lawfully, which

lycenfe under lead I have yet to shew; which thinges make me to fay, and furely believe, that "oure marriage was bothe lawful, good, and

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godlie. But of thys trouble I onley may thanke

you, my Lorde Cardinal of Yorke; for because "I have wondered at your hygh pryde and vain

glory, and abhorre your volupteous lyfe and " abominable lechery, and little regard your prefumpteous power and tyranny, therefore of ma"lice you have kindled thys fyre, and fet thys "matter abroche; and in efpecial for the great "malice that you bear to my nephew the Empe"rour, whom I know you hate worfe than a fcor«pion, because he would not fatisfie your ambi"tion, and make you Pope by force, and there" fore you have fayed more than once, that you "would trouble hym and hys frendes; and you "have kept him tru promyfe, for of al his warres "and vexacions he only may thanke you; and as

for me, hys poore aunte and kynfwoman, what "trouble you put me to by this new found doubt, "God knoweth, to whom I commyt my cause "according to the truth."

Hollinfhed thus defcribes her laft illnefs and

death.

1536. "The Princefs Dowager lieng at Kim"bolton fell into her laft fickneffe; whereof the King being advertised, appointed the Empe" rour's Ambaffadour that was Leger here with him, named Euftachius Capucius, to go to vifit her, and to doe his commendations to her, and "will her to be of good comforte. The Am"baffadour with all diligence did his duty therein, comforting her the beft he might; but thee "within fixe days after, perceiving herself to

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"waxe verie weake and feeble, and to feele death approaching at hande, caused one of her gen"tlewomen to write a letter to the King, com

mending to him her daughter and his, and be«feeching him to ftande goodfather unto her; " and farther defired him to have fome confidera"tion of her gentlewomen that had served her, "and to see them bestowed in marriage. Fur

ther, that it would please him to appoint that "her fervants might have their due wages and "a year's wages befides.

"This in effect was all fhe requested; and fo immediately hereupon the departed this life the "8th of Januarie, at Kimbolton aforefaid, and "was buried at Peterborrowe."

Lord Herbert, from Polydore Vergil, fays, that Queen Katharine, falling into her laft sickness at Kimbolton in Huntingdonshire, in the fiftieth year of her age, and finding her death, approaching, caufed a maid attending upon her to write to the King to this effect:

MY MOST DEAR LORD, KING, AND

HUSBAND,

"The hour of my death now approaching, I "cannot choose but, out of the love I beare you,

to advise you of your foule's health, which you

ought to prefer before all confiderations of the "world or flesh whatsoever; for which yet you "have caft me into many calamities, and your

"felf