his invitation to
York awaited Henry on his return from the North. Rumours of Catherine
Howard's past indiscretions had at length reached the ears of the
Privy Council. On All Saints' Day, 1541, Henry directed his confessor,
the Bishop of Lincoln, to give thanks to God with him for the good
life he was leading and hoped to lead with his present Queen,[1116]
"after sundry troubles of mind which had happened to him by
marriages".[1117] At last he thought he had reached the haven of
domestic peace, whence no roving fancy should tempt him to stray.
Twenty-four hours later Cranmer put in his hand proofs of the Queen's
misconduct. Henry refused to believe in this rude awakening from his
dreams; he ordered a strict investigation into the charges. Its
results left no room for doubt. Dereham confessed his intercourse;
Mannock admitted that he had taken liberties; and, presently, the
Queen herself acknowledged her guilt. The King was overwhelmed with
shame and vexation; he shed bitter tears, a thing, said the Council,
"strange in his courage". He "has wonderfully felt the case of the
Queen," wrote Chapuys;[1118] "he took such grief," added Marillac,
"that of late it was thought he had gone mad".[1119] He seems to have
promised his wife a pardon, and she might have escaped with nothing
worse than a divorce, had not proofs come to light of her misconduct
with Culpepper after her marriage with Henry, and even during their
recent progress in the North. This offence was high treason, and (p. 404)
could not be covered by the King's pardon for Catherine's pre-nuptial
immorality. Henry, however, was not at ease until Parliament, in
January, 1542, considerately relieved him of all responsibility. The
faithful Lords and Commons begged him not to take the matter too
heavily, but to permit them freely to proceed with an Act of Attainder,
and to give his assent thereto by commission under the great seal
without any words or ceremony, which might cause him pain. Thus
originated the practice of giving the royal assent to Acts of
Parliament by commission.[1120] Another innovation was introduced into
the Act of Attainder, whereby it was declared treason for any woman to
marry the King if her previous life had been unchaste; "few, if any,
ladies now at Court," commented the cynical Chapuys, "would henceforth
aspire to such an honour".[1121] The bill received the royal assent on
the 11th of February, Catherine having declined Henry's permission to