ry VIII., and who in his
best years greatly influenced his conduct by her wisdom and
accomplishments, was first acknowledged as queen here; and here also
Henry married another Catharine,--Catharine Parr, his sixth and last
wife. Bloody Mary kept Christmas here in 1557, when the great hall was
lighted with one thousand lamps.

Our visitors found Hampton Court open to the public,--a place of rare
freedom where people go out from London and enjoy the grounds much as
though it were their own. It is in fact a grand picture gallery and a
public garden.

[Illustration: WOLSEY'S PALACE.]

"Wolsey gave this palace to the king," said Master Lewis; "and the
king was sporting in the palace when he received the news of the death
of the Cardinal, who was stricken with a mortal sickness near
Leicester Abbey, soon after having been arrested for high treason. The
sad event did not seem to give the king the slightest pain. Such is
the value of the presents of a corrupt friendship.

"Charles I. resided here at times. Here he brought his young bride
when all London was reeking with the pestilence.

"Charles had three beautiful children, and was fond of their company.
Once, it is said, when he was with them at a window of Hampton Court
Palace, a gypsy appeared before him and asked for charity. He and the
children laughed at her grotesque appearance, which angered her, when
she took from her basket a glass and held it up to the king. He looked
into it and saw his head severed from his shoulders.

"The king gave her money.

"'A dog shall die in this room,' she said, 'and then the kingdom which
you will lose shall be restored to your family.'

[Illustration: DEATH OF CARDINAL WOLSEY.]

"Many years passed; and Oliver Cromwell, attended by his faithful dog,
came to Hampton Court Palace and slept in this room. When he awoke in
the morning, the dog was dead.

"'The kingdom has departed from me,' he said, recalling the gypsy's
prophecy; and so it proved.

"Of course the story of the gypsy's mirror is untrue, but the legend
is a part of the old romance of the palace; and such poetic incidents,
though false colored lights, serve to impress the facts of history
more vividly on the mind.

[Illustration: CHILDREN OF CHARLES I.]

"This legend of Charles I.," continued Master Lewis, "reminds me of a
more pleasant story, which I will tell you, now that you are at the
palace where the king brought his bride when life looked so fair and
pro