The Divorce of Catherine of Aragon

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 à la lignée 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 Sr 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. —Archæologia, 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 esté revoqué, et elle declairé bastarde, non point comme fille de M. Norris, comme se pouvoit plus honnestement dire, mais pour avoir esté la marriage entre la dicte Concubine et le dict Roy illegitime à cause qu’il avoit cogneu charnellement la sœur de la dicte Concubine: pour laquelle cause l’Archevesque de Canterburi, ung ou deux jours avant que la dicte Concubine fut executée, donna et prefera la sentence de divorce, de quoy, comme sçavez trop mieulx, n’estoit grand besoign, puisque l’epée et la mort les auroit prochainement et absolument divorcés: et puisque aussy le vouloient faire, le pretext eust esté plus honneste d’alleguer qu’elle avoit este mairée à 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 à 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 experimenté en la dicte Concubine, que c’estoit de la nourriture de France.” Chapuys à l’Empereur, June 6. —MS. Vienna.

430

“Me dict qu’icelluy Baily de Troyes et l’autre Ambassadeur avoient proposé le mariage de l’aisnée 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 à 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 à 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 à la verité 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 causâ matrimonii et in consistoriis et publice et privatim apud Clementem VII. se omnia quæ potuit pro vestrâ Majestate egisse: et Bononiæ 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. part 2, pp. 184 et seq.

445

Chapuys to Charles V., July 8, 1536. —Spanish Calendar, vol. v. part 2, p. 221. In using the words, “Princess of Wales,” Chapuys adds a curious fact, if fact it be – “Nowhere that I know of,” he says, “is the title of Princess given to a King’s daughter as long as there is hope of male descent. It was the Cardinal of York who, for some whim or other of his own, broke through the rule and caused Henry’s daughter by Catherine to be called ‘Princess of Wales.’”

446

Cifuentes to Charles V., August 4, 1536. —Spanish Calendar, vol. v. part 2, p. 221.

447

Chapuys to Charles V., August 12, 1536.