part 2, p. 125.

[400] Chapuys to Charles V., May 2, 1536.--_MSS. Vienna_; _Calendar, Foreign and Domestic_, vol. x. p. 330; _Spanish Calendar_, vol. v. part 2, p. 107.

[401] In transcribing the MS. twenty years ago at Vienna I mistook the name for Howard, which it much resembled in the handwriting of the time. I am reminded correctly that there was no Viscount Howard in the English Peerage.

[402] "Le Visconte Hannaert a escript au Sr de Granvelle que au mesme instant il avoit entendu de bon lieu que la concubine du dict Roy avoit este surprise couchee avec l'organiste du dict Roy."

[403] The Earl of Northumberland to Cromwell, May 13, 1536.--_Calendar, Foreign and Domestic_, vol. x. p. 356.

[404] Cromwell to Gardiner, July 5, 1536.--_Calendar, Foreign and Domestic_, vol. xi. p. 17.

[405] _History of England_, vol. ii. p. 470.

[406] Sir Henry Wyatt to Thomas Wyatt, May 7, 1536.--_Calendar, Foreign and Domestic_, vol. x. p. 345. "Him" refers to Cromwell.

[407] _History of England_, vol. ii. pp. 459-462.

[408] _Calendar, Foreign and Domestic_, vol. x. p. 430.

[409] _Calendar, Foreign and Domestic_, vol. x. p. 357.

[410] Autograph letter of Sir Francis Weston, May 3, 1536.--_Calendar, Foreign and Domestic_, vol. x. p. 358.

[411] Cromwell to Wallop and Gardiner, May 14, 1536.--_Calendar, Foreign and Domestic_, vol. x. p. 359.

[412] "Qu'elle avoit faict empoissoner la fene Royne et machyne de faire de mesme a la Princesse." Chapuys was not present, but was writing from report, and was not always trustworthy. No trace is found of these accusations in the Record, but they may have been mentioned in the pleadings.

[413] "Que le Roy n'estoit habille en cas de copuler avec femme, et qu'il n'avoit ni vertu ni puissance." Historians, to make their narrative coherent, assume an intimate acquaintance with the motives for each man's or woman's actions. Facts may be difficult to ascertain, but motives, which cannot be ascertained at all unless when acknowledged, they are able to discern by intuition. They have satisfied themselves that the charges against Anne Boleyn were invented because the King wished to marry Jane Seymour. I pretend to no intuition myself. I do not profess to be wise beyond what I find written. In this instance I hazard a conjecture--a conjecture merely--which occurred to me long ago as an explanation of some of the disasters of Henry's marriages, and which the words, alleged to have been used by Anne to Lady Rochford, tend, _pro tanto_, to confirm.

Henry was already showing signs of the disorder which eventually killed him. Infirmities in his constitution made it doubtful, both to others and to himself, whether healthy children, or any children at all, would in future be born to him. It is possible--I do not say more--that Anne, feeling that her own precarious position could only be made secure if she became the mother of a prince, had turned for assistance in despair at her disappointments to the gentlemen by whom she was surrounded. As an hypothesis, this is less intolerable than to suppose her another Messalina. In every instance of alleged offence the solicitation is said to have proceeded from herself, and to have been only yielded to after an interval of time.

[414] "Au grand despit de Cromwell et d'aucungs autres qui ne vouldroient en cest endroit s'engendroit suspicion qui pourroit prejudiquer a la lignee que le dict Roy pretend avoir."--_MSS. Vienna._

[415] Chapuys to Charles V., May 19, 1536.--_MSS. Vienna_; _Spanish Calendar_, vol. v. part 2, pp. 122 et seq. In one or two instances my translation will be found to differ slightly from that of S{r} Gayangas.

[416] Chapuys to Charles V., May 19.--_Spanish Calendar_, vol. v. part 2, p. 128.

[417] _History of England_, vol. ii. p. 483.

[418] _Wriothesley's Chronicle_ (Camden Society's Publications), vol. i. p. 39.

[419] Constantine's Memorial.--_Archaeologia_, vol. xxiii. pp. 63-66.

[420] _Calendar, Foreign and Domestic_, June 2, vol. x. p. 430.

[421] _Ibid._ p. 431.

[422] Kingston to Cromwell, May 16, 1536.--_Calendar, Foreign and Domestic_, vol. x. p. 371.

[423] 28 Hen. VIII. cap. 7.

[424] Chapuys to Granvelle, May 19, 1536.--_Calendar, Foreign and Domestic_, vol. x. p. 380.

[425] _Wriothesley's Chronicle_, vol. i. pp. 40, 41.

[426] Chapuys's words are worth preserving. He was mistaken in his account of the Statute. It did not declare Mary legitimate, and it left Henry power to name his own successor should his marriage with Jane Seymour prove unfruitful. So great an error shows the looseness with which he welcomed any story which fell in with his wishes. He says: "Le statut declairant la Princesse legitime heretiere, la fille de la Concubine, a este revoque, et elle declaire bastarde, non point comme fille de M. Norris, comme se pouvoit plus honnestement dire, mais pour avoir este la marriage entre la dicte Concubine et le dict Roy illegitime a cause qu'il avoit cogneu charnellement la soeur de la dicte Concubine: pour laquelle cause l'Archevesque de Canterburi, ung ou deux jours avant que la dicte Concubine fut executee, donna et prefera la sentence de divorce, de quoy, comme scavez trop mieulx, n'estoit grand besoign, puisque l'epee et la mort les auroit prochainement et absolument divorces: et puisque aussy le vouloient faire, le pretext eust este plus honneste d'alleguer qu'elle avoit este mairee a aultre encores vivant. Mais Dieu a voulu descouvrir plus grande abomination, qui est plus que inexcusable actendu qu'il ne peut alleguer ignorance neque juris neque facti. Dieu veuille que telle soit la fin de toutes ses folies!" Chapuys a Granvelle, July 8, 1536.--_MS. Vienna._

[427] This was distinctly laid down in the case of Catherine Howard.

[428] _Wriothesley's Chronicle_, pp. 41, 42.

[429] "Le Roy respondit qu'il avoit trop experimente en la dicte Concubine, que c'estoit de la nourriture de France." Chapuys a l'Empereur, June 6.--_MS. Vienna._

[430] "Me dict qu'icelluy Baily de Troyes et l'autre Ambassadeur avoient propose le mariage de l'aisnee fille de France avec ce Roy, mais que c'estoit peine perdue. Car ce Roy ne se marieroit oncques hors de sou royaulme, et, luy demandant raison pourquoy, il m'en dit avec assez mine assurance que se venant a mesfaire de son corps une Reine estrangere qui fut de grand sang et parentage, l'on ne pourroit chastier et s'en faire quitte comme il avoit fait de la derniere," Chapuys a l'Empereur.--_MS. Vienna_, June 6.

[431] Charles V. to Chapuys, May 15, 1536.--_MS. Vienna_; _Calendar, Foreign and Domestic_, vol. x. p. 370.

[432] "Qui a la verite est une musique de hault genre et digne de rire."

[433] _MS. Vienna._

[434] Chapuys to Granvelle, May 19, 1536.--_Calendar, Foreign and Domestic_, vol. x. p. 380.

[435] "In causa matrimonii et in consistoriis et publice et privatim apud Clementem VII. se omnia quae potuit pro vestra Majestate egisse: et Bononiae Imperatori per horas quatuor accurate persuadere conatum fuisse, non esse Majestatem vestram per illam causam impugnandam." Sir Gregory Casalis to Henry VIII., May 27, 1536.--_Calendar, Foreign and Domestic_, vol. x. pp. 406 _et seq._

[436] Cromwell, writing to Gardiner to inform him of the marriage, said that "the nobles and Council upon their knees had moved him to it." If their entreaty had been no more than a farce, Cromwell would hardly have mentioned it so naturally in a private letter to a brother Privy Councillor.--_Calendar, Foreign and Domestic_, vol. xi. p. 16.

[437] Chapuys to Charles V., May 19, 1536.--_Calendar, Foreign and Domestic_, vol. x. p. 378.

[438] John Husee to Lord Lisle, May 19.--_Calendar, Foreign and Domestic_, vol. x. p. 385.

[439] The Princess Mary to Cromwell, May 26, 1536.--_Calendar, Foreign and Domestic._

[440] Chapuys to Charles V., June 6.--_Calendar, Foreign and Domestic_, vol. x. p. 440; _Spanish Calendar_, vol. v. pp. 137 et seq.

[441] Charles V. to Chapuys, June 30, 1536.--_Calendar, Foreign and Domestic_, vol. x. p. 511.

[442] _Calendar, Foreign and Domestic_, June 6, 1536, vol. x. p. 389.

[443] Chapuys to Charles V., June 6, 1536.--_Calendar, Foreign and Domestic_, vol. x. p. 441.

[444] Chapuys to Charles V., July 1, 1536.--_Spanish Calendar_, vol. v.