nd respected by all of them; and Princess Mary, who was nearly
her own age, continued her constant companion and friend.[236]

As she began so she remained; amiable, tactful, and clever. Throughout her
life with Henry her influence was exerted wherever possible in favour of
concord, and I have not met with a single disparaging remark with regard
to her, even from those who in the last days of the King's life became her
political opponents. Her character must have been an exceedingly lovable
one, and she evidently knew to perfection how to manage men by humouring
their weak points. She could be firm, too, on occasions where an injustice
had to be remedied. A story is told of her in connection with her brother
Parr, Earl of Essex, in the _Chronicle of Henry VIII._, which, so far as I
know, has not been related by any other historian of the reign.

Parr fell in love with Lord Cobham's daughter, a very beautiful girl,
who, as told in our text, was mentioned as one of the King's flames after
Katharine Howard's fall. Parr had married the great Bourchier heiress, but
had grown tired of her, and by suborned evidence charged her with
adultery, and she was found guilty and sentenced to death. "The good
Queen, his sister, threw herself at the feet of the King and would not
rise until he had promised to grant her the boon she craved, which was the
life of the Countess (of Essex). When the King heard what it was, he said,
But, Madam, you know that the law enacts that a woman of rank who so
forgets herself shall die unless her husband pardon her. To this the Queen
answered, Your Majesty is above the law, and I will try to get my brother
to pardon. Well, said the King, if your brother be content I will pardon
her." The Queen then sends for her brother and upbraids him for bringing
perjured witnesses against his wife, which he denies and says he has only
acted in accordance with the legal evidence. "I can promise you, brother,
that it shall not be as you expect: I will have the witnesses put to the
torture, and then by God's help we shall know the truth." Before this
could be done Parr sent his witnesses to Cornwall, out of the way: and
again Katharine insisted upon the Countess' pardon, by virtue of the
promise that the King had given her. This somewhat alarmed Parr, and
Katharine managed to effect a mutual renunciation, after which Parr
married Lord Cobham's daughter.[237]

Gardiner had been not only the prelate who performed the cer