To Edward and Elizabeth she devoted her best energies, but lived not to see all the glorious fruits. It was thus, and at this time, that she earned for herself the undying reputation of THE FIRST PROTESTANT QUEEN OF ENGLAND; It was by her Prayers and Intercessions that thy devoted wealth, fair Granta! was not thrown with other Monasteries to the blood hounds that waited on her Master's passions. Men of Cambridge! if your creed and your conscience will permit you, pray for the soul of Kateryn Parr*. What were her secret thoughts, her power, the penance she underwent, and the danger she risked in the Reformation, will be best explained by the following passage from Hume's History of England:-"But tho' Henry's favor for Cranmer rendered fruitless all accusations against him, his pride and peevishness irritated by his declining state of health impelled him to punish with fresh severity all others who presumed to entertain a different opinion from himself, particularly in the Capital Point of the real presence. Anne Ascue, a young woman of merit as well as beauty, who had great connections with the chief ladies at Court, and with the Queen herself, was accused of dogmatizing on that delicate article; and Henry, instead of showing indulgence to the weakness of her sex and age, was but the more provoked that a woman should dare to oppose his theological

* See Strype's Eccl. Mem.

sentiments. She was prevailed on by Bonner's menaces to make a seeming recantation, but she qualified it with some reserves which did not satisfy that zealous prelate. She was thrown into prison, and she there employed herself in composing prayers and discourses by which she fortified her resolution to endure the utmost extremity rather than relinquish her religious principles. She even wrote to the King and told him, that as to the Lord's Supper, she believed as much as Christ himself had said of it, and as much of his divine doctrine as the Catholic Church had required, but while she could not be brought to acknowledge an assent to the King's explanations, this declaration availed her nothing, and was rather regarded as a fresh insult. The Chancellor Wriothesly, who had succeeded Audley, and who was much attached to the Catholic party, was sent to examine her with regard to her Patrons at Court and the great Ladies who were in correspondence with her. But she maintained a laudable fidelity to her friends, and would confess nothing. She was put to the torture in the most barbarous manner, and continued still resolute in preserving secrecy. Some authors add an extraordinary circumstance, that the Chancellor, who stood by, ordered the Lieutenant of the Tower to stretch the rack still further, but that officer refused compliance; the Chancellor menaced him, but met with a new refusal; upon which that Magistrate, who was otherwise a person of merit, but intoxicated

with religious zeal, put his own hand to the rack, and drew it so violently that he almost tore her body asunder. Her constancy still surpassed the barbarity of her persecutors, and they found all their efforts to be baffled. She was then condemned to be buried alive, and being so dislocated by the rack that she could not stand, she was carried to the stake in a chair. Together with her were conducted Nicholas Belenian, a priest, John Lassels of the King's household, and John Adams a Tailor, who had been condemned for the same crime to the same punishment. They were all tied to the stake, and in that dreadful situation the Chancellor sent to inform them, that their pardon was ready drawn and signed and should instantly be given them, if they would merit it by a recantation. They only regarded this offer as a new ornament to their crown of martyrdom, and they saw with tranquillity the executioner kindle the flames which consumed them. Wriothesly did not consider that this public and noted situation interested their honor the more to maintain to maintain a steady perseverance. Though the secrecy and fidelity of Anne Ascue saved the Queen from this peril, that Princess soon after fell into a new danger from which she narrowly escaped. An ulcer had broken out in the King's leg, which added to his extreme corpulency and his bad habit of body, began both to threaten his life and to render him even more than usually peevish and passionate. The Queen attended

him with the most tender and dutiful care, and endeavoured by every soothing art and compliance to allay those gusts of humour to which he was become so subject. His favorite topic of conversation was theology, and Catherine whose good sense enabled her to talk on any subject, was frequently engaged in the argument, and being secretly inclined to the principles of the Reformers, she unwarily betrayed too much of her mind on these occasions. Henry highly provoked that she should presume to differ from him, complained of her obstinacy to Gardiner, who gladly laid hold of the opportunity to inflame the quarrel. He praised the King's anxious care for preserving the orthodoxy of his subjects, and represented that the more elevated the person was who was chastised, and the more near to his person, the greater terror would the example strike into every one, and the more glorious would the sacrifice appear to posterity. The Chancellor being consulted, was engaged by religious zeal to second these topics, and Henry hurried on by his own impetuous temper, and encouraged by his Counsellors went so far as to order articles of impeachment to be drawn up against his Consort. Wriothesly executed his commands, and soon after brought the paper to him to be signed. For as it was High Treason to throw slander upon the Queen he might otherwise have been questioned for his temerity. By some means this important paper fell into the hands of

one of the Queen's friends, who immediately carried the intelligence to her. She was sensible of the extreme danger to which she was exposed, but did not despair of being able by her prudence and address still to elude the efforts of her enemies. She paid her usual visit to the King and found him. in a more serene disposition than she had reason to expect. He entered on the subject which was so familiar to him, and he seemed to challenge her to an argument in Divinity. She gently declined the conversation, and remarked that such profound speculations were ill suited to the natural imbecility of her sex. Women, she said, by their first creation were made subject to men: the male was created after the image of God, the female after the image of the male. It belonged to the husband to choose principles for his wife, the wife's duty was in all cases to adopt implicitly the sentiments of her husband. And as to herself it was doubly her duty, being blest with a husband who was qualified by his judgment and learning not only to chuse principles for his own family, but for the most wise and knowing of every nation. Not so! by St. Mary, replied the King, you are now become a doctor, Kate; and better fitted to give than receive instruction. She meekly replied that she was sensible how little she was entitled to these praises; that though she usually declined not any conversation however sublime when proposed by his Majesty, she well knew that her conceptions could serve to