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22 - Henry VIIIs Wives Their Impact on History by Martin A. S. Hume · Henry VIIIs Wives Their Impact on History

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Speaker 1: Section twenty one of the Wives of Henry the Eighth
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Speaker 1: and the parts they played in History by Martin Hume.
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Speaker 1: This LibriVox recording is in the public domain fifteen thirty
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Speaker 1: six through fifteen forty plot and counterplot Jane Seymour and
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Speaker 1: Anne of Cleaves, Part three. Whilst these intrigues for Protestants
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Speaker 1: support on the continent were being carried on, and the
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Speaker 1: defenses of England on all sides were being strengthened, Henry,
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Speaker 1: apparently for the purpose of disarming the Catholic elements and
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Speaker 1: proving that apart from the papal submission, he was as
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Speaker 1: good a Catholic as any, forced through Parliament May fifteen
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Speaker 1: thirty nine the extraordinary statute called the Six Articles or
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Speaker 1: the Bloody Statute, which through all English Protestants into a panic.
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Speaker 1: The act was drafted on Henry's instructions by Bishop Gardiner,
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Speaker 1: and was called a quote act to abolish diversity of
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Speaker 1: opinions end quote. The Articles of faith, dictated by the
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Speaker 1: King to his subjects under ferocious penalties, included the main
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Speaker 1: Catholic doctrine, the real presence in the sacrament in its
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Speaker 1: fullest sense, the celibacy of the clergy, that the administration
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Speaker 1: of the sacrament in two kinds is not necessary, that
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Speaker 1: auricular confession is compulsory, that private masses may be said,
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Speaker 1: and that vows of chastity must be kept forever. Cranmer,
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Speaker 1: who was married and had children, dared to argue against
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Speaker 1: the bill when the Duke of Norfolk introduced it in
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Speaker 1: the House of Lords, and others of the new bishops
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Speaker 1: timidly did likewise, But they were overborne by the old
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Speaker 1: bishops and the great majority of the lay peers, influenced
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Speaker 1: by their traditions and by the peremptory arguments of the
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Speaker 1: King himself. Even more important was an act passed in
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Speaker 1: the same servile parliament, giving to the King's proclamations the
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Speaker 1: force of law, and an act of attainder against everyone
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Speaker 1: living or dead in England or abroad who had opposed
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Speaker 1: the King. Completed the terror under which thenceforward the country.
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Speaker 1: Lay Henry was now indeed master of the bodies and
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Speaker 1: souls of his subjects, and had reduced them, all Protestants
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Speaker 1: and Catholics alike, to a condition of abject subjection to
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Speaker 1: his mere will. The passage of these acts, especially the
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Speaker 1: six Articles, marks a temper rarely successful attempt of the
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Speaker 1: Conservative party, represented by the old Bishops and the nobles
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Speaker 1: under Norfolk, to overcome the influence of Cromwell, who was
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Speaker 1: forwarding the Protestant League. But to Henry the policy must
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Speaker 1: in any case have seemed a good one, as it
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Speaker 1: tended to increase his personal power and prestige, and to
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Speaker 1: keep both parties dependent upon him. Before the summer of
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Speaker 1: fifteen thirty nine had passed, it was evident to Henry
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Speaker 1: that the new combination against him would not stand the
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Speaker 1: strain of a joint attack upon England. Charles was full
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Speaker 1: of cares of his own. The Lutherans were increasingly threatening.
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Speaker 1: Even his own city of Ghent had revolted, and it
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Speaker 1: was plain from his reception of poll at Toledo that
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Speaker 1: he could not proceed to extremes against Henry. Certainly was
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Speaker 1: not the intention of Francis to do so, and the
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Speaker 1: panic in England never fully justified, passed away. The French
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Speaker 1: ambassador came back, and once more Henry's intrigues to so
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Speaker 1: dissension between the Catholic powers went ceaselessly on. In the circumstances,
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Speaker 1: it was natural that after the passage of the Six
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Speaker 1: Articles and the resumption of diplomatic relations with France. The
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Speaker 1: negotiations with the German Protestants slackened, but the proposed marriage
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Speaker 1: of Henry with the Princess of Cleaves offered too good
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Speaker 1: an opportunity, as Cromwell pointed out to him, of troubling
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Speaker 1: the Emperor when he liked to be dropped. Even though
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Speaker 1: no general political league was effected with the German Lutherans,
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Speaker 1: her brother in law, Hans Frederick of Saxony, was cool
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Speaker 1: about it. He said that that some sort of engagement
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Speaker 1: had been made by her father and the Duke of
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Speaker 1: Lorraine to marry her to the heir of the latter.
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Speaker 1: But finally in August Wotton reported from Durhan that Hans
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Speaker 1: Frederick would send envoys to Cleaves to propose the match,
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Speaker 1: and they would then proceed to England to close the matter.
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Speaker 1: Wotton had been somewhat distrustful about the previous engagement of
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Speaker 1: Anne with the Duke of Lorraine's son, but was assured
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Speaker 1: by the Counsel of Cleaves that it was not binding
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Speaker 1: upon the princess quote, who was free to marry as
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Speaker 1: she pleased end quote. She has been brought up he
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Speaker 1: writes quote with the Lady Duchess her mother, and in
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Speaker 1: a manner never from her elbow. The Lady Duchess being
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Speaker 1: a wise lady, and one that very straightly looketh to
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Speaker 1: her children, all report her Anne to be of very
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Speaker 1: lowly and gentle conditions, by the which she hath so
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Speaker 1: much want her mother's favor, that she is loath to
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Speaker 1: suffer her to depart from her. She occupieth her time
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Speaker 1: mostly with her needle, wherewithal she can read and write Dutch,
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Speaker 1: but as to French, Latin, or any other language, she
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Speaker 1: hath none. Nor yet she cannot sing nor play any instrument,
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Speaker 1: for they take it here in Germany for a rebuke
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Speaker 1: and an occasion of lightness, that great ladies should be
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Speaker 1: learned or have any knowledge of music. Her wit is good,
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Speaker 1: and she will no doubt learn English soon when she
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Speaker 1: puts her mind to it. I could never hear that
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Speaker 1: she is inclined to the good cheer of this country
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Speaker 1: and marvel it, or if she should, seeing that her
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Speaker 1: brother doth so well, abstain from it. Your grace is,
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Speaker 1: Sir Hans Hobein hath taken the effigies of my lady Anne,
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Speaker 1: and the lady Amelia and Hath expressed their images very
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Speaker 1: lively enote. Holbine was not usually a flattering painter to
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Speaker 1: his sitters, and the portraits he sent of Anne was
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Speaker 1: that of a somewhat masculine and large featured, but handsome
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Speaker 1: and intellectual young woman, with fine, soft, contemplative brown eyes,
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Speaker 1: thick lashes, and strong eyebrows. The general appearance is dignified,
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Speaker 1: though handicapped by the very unbecoming Dutch stress of the period.
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Speaker 1: And though there is nothing of the petite, sprightliness and
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Speaker 1: soft rotundity that would be likely to attract a man
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Speaker 1: of Henry's characteristics, the princess cannot have been ill favored. Cromwell,
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Speaker 1: some months earlier, had reported to Henry that Mont informed
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Speaker 1: him that quote everybody praises the lady's beauty, both of
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Speaker 1: face and body. One said she excelled the Duchess of
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Speaker 1: Milan as the golden sun did the silver moon. End quote.
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Speaker 1: If the latter statement be near the truth, and in
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Speaker 1: her own way must have been quite good looking, there
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Speaker 1: was no delay or difficulty in carrying through the arrangements
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Speaker 1: for the marriage. The envoys from Cleaves and Saxony arrived
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Speaker 1: in London in September, and saw Henry at Windsor. They
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Speaker 1: could offer no great dowry, for Cleaves was poor, but
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Speaker 1: they would not be exacting about the appenage to be
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Speaker 1: settled upon the Queen by her husband, to whom they
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Speaker 1: left the decision of the sum and the other covenants
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Speaker 1: as to the eventual succession to her brother's duchy in
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Speaker 1: case of his death without heirs were to be the
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Speaker 1: same as those under which her her elder sister married
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Speaker 1: Hans Frederick. This was the sort of spirit that pleased
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Speaker 1: Henry and negotiators, and with such he was always disposed
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Speaker 1: to be liberal. He practically waived the dowry, and only
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Speaker 1: urged that the lady should come at once before the
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Speaker 1: winter was too far advanced. When he suggested that she
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Speaker 1: should come from her home down the Rhine, through Holland,
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Speaker 1: and thence by sea to England, the envoys prayed that
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Speaker 1: she might go through Germany and Flanders by land to
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Speaker 1: Calais and so across, For said they, by sea there
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Speaker 1: will be great peril of capture and insult by some
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Speaker 1: two zealous subjects of the Emperor. Quote Besides, they fear
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Speaker 1: lest the time of year being now cold and tempestuous,
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Speaker 1: she might there, though she never were so well ordered
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Speaker 1: take such cold or other disease, considering she never was
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Speaker 1: before upon the seas, as should be to her great peril.
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Speaker 1: She is moreover young and beautiful, and if she should
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Speaker 1: be transported by sea, they fear much how it might
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Speaker 1: alter her complexion end quote. No sooner was the marriage
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Speaker 1: treaty signed than splendid preparations were made for the reception
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Speaker 1: of the king's coming bride. The Lord Admiral Fitzwilliam was
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Speaker 1: ordered to prepare a fleet of ten vessels to escort
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Speaker 1: her from Calais. Repairs and redecorations of the royal residences
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Speaker 1: went on apace, and especially in the Queen's apartments, where
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Speaker 1: again the initials of poor Jane had to be altered
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Speaker 1: to those of her successor. And the quote principal lords
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Speaker 1: have bought much cloth of gold and silk, a thing
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Speaker 1: unusual for them, except for some great solemnity end quote.
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Speaker 1: The conclusion of the treaty was a triumph for Cromwell
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Speaker 1: and the Protestant party in Henry's Council, and the commissioners
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Speaker 1: who signed it reflect the fact Cranmer Cromwell the Duke
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Speaker 1: of Suffolk, Lord Chancellor Audley, and Lord Admiral Fitzwilliam were
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Speaker 1: all of them inclined to the reforming side, whilst Bishop Tunstall,
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Speaker 1: though on the Catholic side, was a personal friend of
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Speaker 1: the King and the new Man. Hertford Jane, Seymour's brother,
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Speaker 1: though not one of the commissioners, gave emphatic approval of
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Speaker 1: the match. Quote. I am as glad, he wrote to Cromwell,
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Speaker 1: of the good resolution of the marriage. As ever, I
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Speaker 1: was of a thing since the birth of the Prince,
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Speaker 1: For I think the King's Highness could not in Christendom
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Speaker 1: marry in any place meet for his Grace's honor that
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Speaker 1: should be less prejudicial to His Majesty's succession end quote.
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Speaker 1: Henry himself was in his usual vaunting mood about the
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Speaker 1: alliance he had long desired. He said, to cement a
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Speaker 1: union with the German Confederation, and could now disregard both
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Speaker 1: France and the Emperor. Besides, his influence would suffice to
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Speaker 1: prevent the Lutherans from going too far in their religious innovations.
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Speaker 1: As for the lady, he had only one male child,
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Speaker 1: and he was convinced that his desire for more issue
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Speaker 1: could not be better fulfilled quote than with the said lady,
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Speaker 1: who is of convenient age, healthy temperament, elegant stature, and
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Speaker 1: endowed with other graces end quote. The news of the
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Speaker 1: engagement was ill received by Francis and Charles. They became
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Speaker 1: more ostentatiously friendly than ever, and their ambassadors in London
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Speaker 1: were inseparable. When Merrilock and the Emperor's temporary envoy went
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Speaker 1: together to tell Cromwell that the Emperor was so confident
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Speaker 1: of the friendship of Francis that he was writing through
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Speaker 1: France from Spain to Flanders. The English minister quite lost
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Speaker 1: his composure. He was informed. He told the ambassadors that
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Speaker 1: this meeting of the monarchs was quote merely with a
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Speaker 1: view to making war on this poor King Henry, who
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Speaker 1: aimed at nothing but peace and friendship end quote. Ominous
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Speaker 1: mutterings came too from Flanders at the scant courtesy Henry
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Speaker 1: had shown in throwing over the match with the Duchess
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Speaker 1: of Milan in the midst of the negotiation. Cromwell was
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Speaker 1: therefore full of anxiety. Whilst the elaborate preparations were being
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Speaker 1: made in Calais and in England for the new queen's reception.
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Speaker 1: Not only was a fresh household to be appointed, the
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Speaker 1: nobility and gentry and their retinue summoned, fine clothes galore,
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Speaker 1: ordered or enjoined for others. The towns on the way
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Speaker 1: from Dover to be warned of the welcome expected from them,
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Speaker 1: and the hundred details dependent upon the arrival and installation
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Speaker 1: of the king's fourth wife. But Henry himself had to
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Speaker 1: be carefully handled to prevent the fears engendered by the
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Speaker 1: attitude of his rivals, causing him to turn to the
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Speaker 1: party opposed to Cromwell before the Protestant marriage was effected.
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Speaker 1: In the meanwhile, and with a great train of guards
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Speaker 1: and courtiers, three hundred horsemen strong rode from Dusseldorf towards Calais,
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Speaker 1: through cleves antwerp Rouge and Dunkirk. It was ordered that
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Speaker 1: Lord Lyell, Lord Deputy of Calais, should meet the Queen
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Speaker 1: on the English frontier near Gowlin, and that at Saint Pierre,
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Speaker 1: Lord Admiral Fitzwilliam, who had a fleet of fifty sail
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Speaker 1: in the harbor, should greet her in the name of
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Speaker 1: his King, gorgeously dressed in blue velvet smothered with gold
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Speaker 1: embroidery and faced with crimson satin, royal blue and crimson,
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Speaker 1: the King's colors in velvet, damask and silk, being the
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Speaker 1: universal ware even of the sailors and men at arms.
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Speaker 1: The aged Duke of Suffolk and the Lord Warden were
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Speaker 1: to receive her on her landing at Dover and at Canterbury,
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Speaker 1: she was to be welcomed and entertained by Archbishop Cranmer. Norfolk,
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Speaker 1: and a great company of armed nobles were to greet
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Speaker 1: the new Queen on the downs beyond Rochester, whilst the
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Speaker 1: Queen's household, with Lady Margaret Douglas, the King's niece, and
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Speaker 1: the Duchess of Richmond, his daughter in law, were to
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Speaker 1: join her at Deptford, and the whole vast and glittering
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Speaker 1: multitude were to convey her thence to where the King's
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Speaker 1: pavilions were erected for her reception at Blackheath in the
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Speaker 1: midwinter twilight of early morning on the eleventh December fifteen
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Speaker 1: thirty nine, Ann's cavalcade entered the English town of Calais,
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Speaker 1: and during the long time she remained weatherbound there, she
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Speaker 1: was entertained as sumptuously as the nobles and townsmen could
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Speaker 1: entertain her. The day she had passed through Dunkirk in
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Speaker 1: the Emperor's dominions, just before coming to Calais, a sermon
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Speaker 1: was preached against her, and all Luthertherans bought. With that exception,
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Speaker 1: no molestation was offered to her. The ship that was
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Speaker 1: to carry her over, dressed for and aft with silken flags,
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Speaker 1: streamers and banners, was exhibited to her admiration by Fitzwilliam.
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Speaker 1: Royal salutes thundered, welcome to her, bands of martial music
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Speaker 1: clashed in her honor, and banquets and jousts were held
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Speaker 1: to delight her. Good sense and modesty were shown by
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Speaker 1: her in many ways. At this somewhat trying time. Her
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Speaker 1: principal mentor, Chancellor Alcillagier, begged Fitzwilliam to advise her as
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Speaker 1: to her behavior, and she herself asked him to teach
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Speaker 1: her some game of cards that the King of England
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Speaker 1: usually played. He taught her a game which he calls Scent,
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Speaker 1: which she did learn with good grace and countenance, and
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Speaker 1: she then begged him to come to sup with her
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Speaker 1: and bring some noble folk with him to sit with her.
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Speaker 1: In the German way. He told her that this was
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Speaker 1: not the fashion in England, but he accepted her invitation.
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Speaker 1: Thus Anne began betimes to prepare for what she hoped
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Speaker 1: greatly daring would be a happily married life in England,
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Speaker 1: whilst the wind and the waves thundering outside the harbor
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Speaker 1: forbade all attempt to convey the bride to her now
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Speaker 1: expectant bridegroom. Henry had intended to keep Christmas with unusual
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Speaker 1: state at Greenwich in the company of his new wife,
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Speaker 1: but week after week slipped by with the wind still contrary,
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Speaker 1: and it was the twenty seventh December before a happy
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Speaker 1: change of weather enabled Anne to set sail for her
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Speaker 1: new home. She had a stout heart, for the passage
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Speaker 1: was a rough, though rapid one. When she landed at
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Speaker 1: Deal and thence after a short rest, was conducted in
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Speaker 1: state to Dover Castle. The wind blew blusterously and the
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Speaker 1: hail in winter's sleet drove quote continually in her grace's
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Speaker 1: face end quote, but she would hear of no delay
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Speaker 1: in her journey forward quote. So desirous was her grace
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Speaker 1: of reaching the King's presence end quote. At Canterbury, the
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Speaker 1: citizens received her with a great torchlight procession and peals
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Speaker 1: of guns quote in her chamber, or forty or fifty
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Speaker 1: gentlewomen waiting to receive her in velvet bonnets, all of
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Speaker 1: which she took very joyously, and was so glad to
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Speaker 1: see the King's subjects resorting to her so lovingly that
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Speaker 1: she forgot all the foul weather, and was very merry
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Speaker 1: at supper end quote, and so, with an evident determination
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Speaker 1: to make the best of everything, Anne rode onward, accompanied
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Speaker 1: by an ever growing cavalcade of sumptuously bedizened folk, through
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Speaker 1: Sittingbourne and so to Rochester, where she was lodged at
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Speaker 1: the bishop's palace and passed New Year's Day fifteen forty.
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Speaker 1: News daily reached the King of his bride's approach, whilst
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Speaker 1: he remained consumed with impatience at Greenwich. At each successive
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Speaker 1: stage of her journey forward, supple courtiers had written to
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Speaker 1: Henry glowing accounts of the beauty and elegance of the bride.
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Speaker 1: Fitz William from Calais had been especially emphatic, and the
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Speaker 1: King's curiosity was piqued to see the paragon he was
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Speaker 1: to marry at length when he knew that Anne was
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Speaker 1: on the way from Sittingbourne to Rochester and would arrive
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Speaker 1: there on New Year's Eve. He told Cromwell that he himself,
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Speaker 1: with an escort of eight gentlemen clad and gray, would
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Speaker 1: ride to Rochester incognito to get early sight of his
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Speaker 1: bride quote whom he sorely desired to see. End quote
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Speaker 1: He went, he said, quote to nourish love. End quote,
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Speaker 1: and full of hopeful anticipation, Henry on a great courser,
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Speaker 1: ambered over Gad's Hill from Gravesend to Rochester soon after
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Speaker 1: dawn on New Year's Day fifteen forty, with Sir Anthony Brown,
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Speaker 1: his master of the horse, on one side, and Sir
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Speaker 1: John Russell on the other. It was in accordance with
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Speaker 1: the chivalrous tradition that this should be done, and that
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Speaker 1: the lady should pretend to be extremely surprised when she
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Speaker 1: was informed who her visitor was, so that Anne must
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Speaker 1: have made a fair guess as to what was coming.
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Speaker 1: When Sir Anthony Brown, riding a few hundred yards ahead
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Speaker 1: of his master, entered her presence and kneeling told her
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Speaker 1: that he had brought a New Year's gift for her.
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Speaker 1: When the courtier raised his eyes and looked critically upon
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Speaker 1: the lady before him, Experienced as he was in Henry's
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Speaker 1: tastes quote, he was never more dismayed in his life
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Speaker 1: to see her so far unlike that which was reported
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Speaker 1: end quote. Anne was about twenty four years of age,
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Speaker 1: but looked older, and her frame was large, bony and masculine,
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Speaker 1: which in the facial portraits that had been sent to
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Speaker 1: Henry was not indicated, and her large, low German features,
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Speaker 1: deeply pitted with the ravages of smallpox, were, as Brown knew,
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Speaker 1: the very opposite of the type of beauty which would
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Speaker 1: be likely to stimulate a gross, unwholesome voluptuary of nearly fifty.
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Speaker 1: So with a sinking heart he went back to his master,
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Speaker 1: not daring to prepare him for what was before him
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Speaker 1: by any hint of disparagement of the bride. As soon
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Speaker 1: as Henry entered with Russell and Brown and saw for himself,
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Speaker 1: his countenance fell, and he made a wry face, which
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Speaker 1: those who knew him understood too well, and they trembled
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Speaker 1: in their shoes at what was to come of it.
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Speaker 1: He nevertheless greeted the lady politely, raising her from the
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Speaker 1: kneeling position she had assumed and kissed her upon the cheek,
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Speaker 1: passing a few minutes in conversation with her about her
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Speaker 1: long journey. He had brought with him some rich presence
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Speaker 1: of sables and other furs, but he was quote so
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Speaker 1: marvelously astonished and abashed end quote, that he had not
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Speaker 1: the heart to give them to her, but sent them
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Speaker 1: the next morning with a cold message by Sir Anthony Brown.
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Speaker 1: In the night, the royal barge had been brought round
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Speaker 1: from Gravesend to Rochester, and the King returned to Greenwich
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Speaker 1: in the morning by water. He had hardly passed another
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Speaker 1: word with Anne since the first meeting, though they had
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Speaker 1: supped together, and it was with a sulky, frowning face
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Speaker 1: that he took his place in the shelter of his galley.
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Speaker 1: Turning to Russell, he asked, do you think this woman
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Speaker 1: so fair or of such beauty as report has made her? Russell,
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Speaker 1: Courtier like fenced with the question by feigning to misunderstand it.
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Speaker 1: I should hardly take her to be fair, he replied,
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Speaker 1: but of brown complexion alas continued the King, whom should
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Speaker 1: men trust? I promise you I see no such thing
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Speaker 1: in her as hath been showed unto me of her,
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Speaker 1: and am ashamed that men have so praised her as
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Speaker 1: they have done. I like her not to Brown, he
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Speaker 1: was quite as outspoken. I see nothing in this woman
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Speaker 1: as men report of her, he said angrily, And I
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Speaker 1: am surprised that wise men should make such reports as
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Speaker 1: they have done. Whereat Brown, who knew that his brother
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Speaker 1: in law Fitzwilliam was one of the wise men, referred
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Speaker 1: to sent in danger, and was silent. The English ladies, too,
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Speaker 1: who had accompanied Anne on the road, began to whisper
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Speaker 1: in confidence to their spouses that Anne's manners were coarse,
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Speaker 1: and that she would never suit the King's fastidious taste.
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Speaker 1: But he who had most to lose and most to
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Speaker 1: fear was Cromwell. It was he who had drawn and
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Speaker 1: driven his master into the Protestant friendship against the Emperor
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Speaker 1: and the Pope of which the marriage was to be
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Speaker 1: the pledge, and he had repeated eagerly for months the
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Speaker 1: inflated praises of Anne's beauty sent by his agents and
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Speaker 1: friends in order to pique Henry to the union. He
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Speaker 1: knew that vigilant enemies of himself and his policy were
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Speaker 1: around him, watching for their opportunity Norfolk, and the older nobles,
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Speaker 1: the Pope's bishops, and above all able ambitious Stephen Gardiner,
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Speaker 1: now sulking at Winchester, determined to supplant him if he could.
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Speaker 1: When on Friday the second January, Henry entered his working
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Speaker 1: closet at Greenwich after his water journey from Rochester, Cromwell
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Speaker 1: asked him quote how he liked the lady Anne end quote.
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Speaker 1: The King answered gloomily, nothing so well as she was
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Speaker 1: spoken of, adding that if he had known before as
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Speaker 1: much as he knew, then she should never have come
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Speaker 1: within his realm. In the grievous self pity usual with
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Speaker 1: him in his perplexity, he turned to Cromwell, the man
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Speaker 1: hitherto so fertile in expedients, and wailed, what is the remedy? Cromwell,
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Speaker 1: for once at a loss, could only express his grief
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Speaker 1: and say he knew of none. In very truth, it
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Speaker 1: was too late now to stop the state reception, for
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Speaker 1: preparations had been ordered for such a pageant, as had
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Speaker 1: rarely been seen in England. Cromwell had intended it for
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Speaker 1: his own triumph, and as marking the completeness of his
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Speaker 1: victory over his opponents. Once more, ambition overleaped itself, and
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Speaker 1: the day that was to establish Cromwell's supremacy sealed his doom.
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Speaker 1: End of Section twenty one