t of people.

There is no doubt that Katharine and Derham were secretly engaged to be
married, and, apart from the immoral features of the engagement, no very
great objection could have been taken to it. She was a member of a very
large family, an orphan with no dower or prospects, and her marriage with
Derham, who was a sort of relative, would have been not a glaringly
unequal one. With lover-like alacrity he provided her with the feminine
treasures which she coveted, but which her lack of means prevented her
from buying. Artificial flowers, articles of dress, or materials for them,
trinkets and adornments, not to speak of the delicacies which he brought
to furnish forth the tables during the nightly orgy. He had made no great
secret of his engagement to, and intention of marrying Katharine, and had
shown various little tokens of her troth that she had given him. On one
of his piratical raids, moreover, he had handed to her the whole of his
money, as to his affianced wife, and told her she might keep it if he came
not back, whilst on other occasions he had exercised his authority, as her
betrothed, to chide her for her attentions to others. When at last the old
Duchess learnt fully of the immoral proceedings that had been going on,
Katharine got another severe beating, and Derham fled from the vengeance
of the Howards. After the matter had blown over, and Katharine was living
usually at Lambeth, Derham found his way back, and attempted clandestinely
to renew the connection. But Katharine by this time was older and more
experienced, as beseemed a lady at Court. It was said that she was
affianced to her cousin, Thomas Culpeper; but in any case she indignantly
refused to have anything to do with Derham, and hotly resented his claim
to interfere in her affairs.

So far the disclosures referred solely to misconduct previous to
Katharine's marriage with the King, and, however reprehensible this may
have been, it only constructively became treason _post facto_, by reason
of the concealment from the King of his wife's previous immoral life;
whereby the royal blood was "tainted," and he himself injured. Cranmer was
therefore sent to visit Katharine with orders to set before her the
iniquity of her conduct and the penalty prescribed by the law; and then to
promise her the King's mercy on certain conditions. The poor girl was
frantic with grief and fear when the Primate entered; and he in compassion
spared her the first parts of