in the months of April, May, June, and July. Now I will set you out the manner and order of the same court: First, there was a court platted in tables and benches in manner of a consistory, one seat raised higher for the judges to sit on than the other were. Then as it were in the midst of the said judges aloft above them three degrees high, was a cloth of estate hanged, with a chair royal under the same, wherein sate the king, and besides him, some distance from him sate the queen; and under the judges sate the scribes and other necessary officers for the execution of the process, and other things pertaining to such a court.

"The chief scribe was doctor Stevens, after bishop of Winchester, and the apparitor, who was caller of the court, was one Cooke (most commonly called Cooke of Winchester). Then before the king and the judges within the court sate the archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Warham, and all the other bishops. Then stood at both ends within, the councellors learned in the laws as well the king's as the queen's.

"The doctors of law for the king, were Dr. Simpson, that was after bishop of Chichester, and Dr. Bell, that was after bishop of Worcester, with divers others; and proctors in the same law on the same side were, Dr. Peter, Dr. Tregonel, and others.

"On the other side for the queen were Dr. Fisher, bishop of Rochester, Dr. Standish, and Dr. Ridley, a very small man of stature, but surely a great and excellent clerk in divinity. Thus was the court furnished.

"The judges commanded the crier to proclaim silence whilst their commission was read, both to the court, and the people assembled. That done, the scribes commanded the crier to call the king by the name of " king Henry of England, come into court," &c. With that the king answered and said, "Here.” Then called he the queen, by the name of " Katherine queen of England, come into court," &c. Who made no answer, but rose incontinent out of her chair, and, because she could not come to the king directly, for the distance secured between them, she went about by the court, and came to the king, kneeling down at his feet in the sight of all the court and people, to whom she said in effect these words, as followeth : Sir,' (quoth she) I desire you to do me justice and right, and take some pity upon me, for I am a poor woman, and a stranger, born out of your dominion, having here so indifferent counsel, and less assurance of friendship: alas, Sir, what have I offended you, or what occasion of displeasure have I shewed

I shewed you, intending thus to put me from you after this sort? I take God to my judge, I have been to you a true and an humble wife, ever conformable to your will and pleasure, that never contraried or gainsayd any thing thereof, and being always contented with all things wherein you had any delight or dahance, whether little or much, without grudge or countenance of discontentation or displeasure: I loved for your sake all them whom you loved, whether I had cause or no cause, whether they were my friends or enemies. I have been your wife these twenty years or mo, and you have had by me divers children, and when ye had me at the first, I take God to be my judge, that I was a very maid, and whether it be true or not, I put it to your conscience. If there be any just cause that you can alledge against me, either of dishonesty, or matter lawful to put me from you, I am content to depart to my shame and rebuke: and if there be none, then I pray you to let me have justice at your hand. The king your father was in his time of such an excellent wit, that he was accounted among all men for wisdom to be a second Solomon, and the king of Spain, my father, Ferdinando, was reckoned one of the wisest princes that reigned in Spain many years before it is not therefore to be doubted, but that they had gathered as wise counsellors unto them of every realm, as to their wisdoms they thought meet, and as to me seemeth, there were in those days as wise and well learned in both the realms, as be now at this day, who thought the marriage between you and me good and lawful: therefore it is a wonder to me to hear, what new inventions are now invented against me that never intended but honesty: and. now to cause me to stand to the order and judgement of this. court, ye should (as seemeth me) do me much wrong; for ye may condemn me for lack of answer, having no counsel but such as yo have assigned me: ye must consider that they cannot but be indifferent on my part, when they be your own subjects, and such as ye have taken and chosen out of your own council, whereunto they be privy, and dare not disclose your will and intent. Therefore I humbly desire you in the way of charity to spare me, until I may know what counsel and advice my friends in Spain will advertize me to take, and if you will not, then your pleasure be fulfilled.'

"With that she rose up, making a low curtesy to the king, and departed from thence, supposing that she would have resorted again to her former place. But she took her way straight out of

the

the court, leaning upon the arm of one of her servants, who was her receiver-general, called Master Griffith. The king being advertized that she was ready to go out of the house, where the court was kept, commanded the crier to call her again, who called her by these words Katherine, queen of England,' &c. With that, quoth Master Griffith, Madam, ye be called again.' 'On, on,' quoth she, it maketh no matter, it is no indifferent court for me, therefore I will not tarry; go on your ways.' And thus she departed without any further answer at that time or any other, and never would appear after in any court." *

A very singular circumstance occurred on this occasion, worth relating. After the queen had departed, Henry did her the justice to declare that she had been a faithful wife, and passed several high encomiums on her good qualities, and that it was only a motion of conscience that had urged this procedure; that he had consulted his ghostly confessors, &c. who being in doubt, they referred him from one to the other: "Whereupon," says he, "I moved you, my lord of Canterbury, first to have your licence, in as much as you were metropolitan, to put the matter in question; and so I did of all you my lords, to which you granted under your seals, and that I have here to be shewed." "That is true, if it please your grace," answered the archbishop: "I doubt not but my brethren here present will acknowledge the same." "No, Sir, not so, under your correction," said the bishop of Rochester (Fisher) "for you have not mine." "No! ah!" exclaimed Henry, "look here, is not this your hand and seal ?" and shewed him the instrument with seals. "No, forsooth," returned the bishop. Henry turning to the archbishop, asked, "How say you to that?" "Sir, it is his hand and scal," rejoined the archbishop." No, my lord," answered Fisher, "indeed you were in hand with me to have both my hand and seal, as other of my lords have done; but then I said again to you, that I never would consent to any such act, for it was very much against my conscience, and therefore my hand and seal should never be set to any such instrument, God willing, with much more matter touching the same communication between us. "You say truth," answered the archbishop, "such words you had unto me, but you were fully resolved at last, that I should subscribe your name, and put your seals myself, and you would allow the same." "All which,” concluded Rochester, "under your correction, my lord, is not true." "Well, well," said the king, "it maketh no great matter, we will not stand with you in argument, you are but one man." And then the king rose up, and the court was adjourned until another day. Poor bishop Fisher was not so fortunate, on account of his conscientious proceeding, as his sovereign; for Henry a few years after deprived him of his head, we may suppose, for conscience sake!

The

The Black Friars monastery was equally unfortunate for Cardinal Wolsey, as it had been for the oppressed and innocent queen. In the month of October, during the same year, commenced here the parliament which condemned him in a premunire.

And as though the spot had been doomed to misfortune, Henry dissolved the monastery in the thirtieth year of his reign, when its revenues were valued at 1047. 15s. 5d.

Edward VI. in the fourth year of his reign, granted to Sir Thomas Cawarden, knight, the whole house, site or circuit, compass, and precinct, of the yearly value of 197.; but the hall, and the site of the prior's lodgings, within the precinct, had been sold in the first year of this reign to Sir Francis Brian, at the yearly value of forty shillings.

On account of its spaciousness and conveniences, it was inhabited by noblemen and persons of quality to the time of queen Elizabeth, as will be further noticed.

This, like other religious houses, claimed privilege of sanctuary, but the nuisances occasioned to the peaceable inhabitants on that account becoming notorious, government interfered; and depriving them of felonious privileges, procured those that were more beneficial, by incorporating the district within the city of London; and it now forms part of the ward of Farringdon Within.

ST. ANNE, BLACKFRIARS

ON the dissolution by Henry VIII. the grand church of the priory, and other buildings, were demolished. The parishioners being thus deprived of a place of worship, made great complaint of it in the reign of queen Mary; and the above Sir Thomas being obliged to find a church for the inhabitants, he allowed them a lodging chamber for a place of worship, which fell down in the year 1597. After this the parishioners purchased an additional piece of ground to enlarge their church, which they rebuilt by subscription. This church was consecrated and dedicated to St. Anne on the 11th of December 1595, and it was ordained thenceforth to be called "the church or chapel of St. Anne, within the

precinct

precinct of Blackfriars." This precinct increased so much with inhabitants, that, in the year 1613, they found it necessary to enlarge their church, which they effected by purchasing a large piece of ground of Sir George Moore, on the south side.

This church being destroyed by the fire of London, and not rebuilt, the parish was annexed to St. Andrew Wardrobe; and the spot of ground on which St. Anne's stood is now used as a burial place for the inhabitants of the precinct of Blackfriars.

In the reign of Elizabeth, after this place had become the residence of persons of fashion, the queen honoured lord Herbert, son of William, earl of Worcester, with her presence in 1600, on occasion of his nuptials with the daughter and heiress of John, lord Russel, son of Francis, earl of Bedford. Her majesty was met at the waterside by the bride, and carried to her house in a litter by six knights; she dined there, and supped in the same neighbourhood with lord Cobham; when there was "a memorable maske of eight ladies, and a straúnge dawnce new invented. Their attire is this: each hath a skirt of cloth of silver, a rich wastcoat wrought with silkes, and gold and silver; a mantell of carnacion taffete, cast under the arme; and there haire loose about there shoulders, curiously knotted and interlaced. Mrs. Fitton leade; these eight ladys maskers choose eight ladies more to dawnce the measures. Mrs. Fitton went to the queen, and woed her dawnce: her majesty (the love of Essex rankling in her breast) asked what she was? Affection, she said: Affection! said the queen, Affection is false. Yet her majesty rose up and dawnced."*

Pennant remarks on this occasion, that "at this time the queen was sixty;" surely, as Mr. Walpole observed, it was at that period as natural for her to be in love! it must not be forgotten, that in her paffage from the bride's to lord Cobham's, she went through the house of Dr. Puddin, and was presented by the doctor with a fan. We often see her highness drawn with a feather fan."

Sydney's Papers, ii. 203.