The Project Gutenberg EBook of Henry VIII And His Court, by Louise Muhlbach

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Title: Henry VIII And His Court

Author: Louise Muhlbach

Translator: H. N. Pierce

Posting Date: February 1, 2009 [EBook #3476]
Release Date: October, 2002

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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HENRY VIII AND HIS COURT

A HISTORICAL NOVEL

By Louise Muhlbach

Translated From German, by H. N. Pierce

CHAPTER I. CHOOSING A CONFESSOR.

It was in the year 1543. King Henry the Eighth of England that day
once more pronounced himself the happiest and most enviable man in his
kingdom, for to-day he was once more a bridegroom, and Catharine Parr,
the youthful widow of Baron Latimer, had the perilous happiness of being
selected as the king's sixth consort.

Merrily chimed the bells of all the steeples of London, announcing to
the people the commencement of that holy ceremony which sacredly bound
Catharine Parr to the king as his sixth wife. The people, ever fond of
novelty and show, crowded through the streets toward the royal palace to
catch a sight of Catharine, when she appeared at her husband's side upon
the balcony, to show herself to the English people as their queen, and
to receive their homage in return.

Surely it was a proud and lofty success for the widow of a petty baron
to become the lawful wife of the King of England, and to wear upon her
brow a royal crown! But yet Catharine Parr's heart was moved with a
strange fear, her cheeks were pale and cold, and before the altar her
closely compressed lips scarcely had the power to part, and pronounce
the binding "I will."

At last the sacred ceremony was completed. The two spiritual
dignitaries, Gardiner, bishop of Winchester, and Cranmer, archbishop
of Canterbury, then, in accordance with court etiquette, led the young
bride into her apartments, in order to bless them, and once more to pray
with her, before the worldly festivities should begin.

Catharine, however, pale and agitated, had yet sustained her part in the
various