mself, is quaintly and
minutely confirmed by that of one of the Spanish merchants who accompanied
him, Antonio de Guaras, the author of the _Spanish Chronicle of Henry
VIII._

[124] See Chapuys' many letters on the subject.

[125] Letters of Stephen Vaughan, Henry's envoy to Germany. (_Calendar
Henry VIII._, vol. 7, etc.)

[126] Letters of Chapuys in the autumn of 1534. (_Spanish Calendar._)

[127] Chapuys to the Emperor, 2nd May 1536.

[128] Lady Shelton.

[129] The plans for Mary's flight from Eltham and her deportation to the
Continent were nearly successful at this time.

[130] Katharine had first met the saintly Friar Forest when she had gone
on the famous pilgrimage to Walsingham after the victory of Flodden
(October 1513), and on his first imprisonment she and her maid, Elizabeth
Hammon, wrote heart-broken letters to him urging him to escape. (_Calendar
Henry VIII._)

[131] A vivid picture of the general discontent in England at this time,
and the steadfast fidelity of the people to the cause of Katharine and
Mary, is given by the French envoy, the Bishop of Tarbes. (_Calendar Henry
VIII._, October 1535.)

[132] The suggestion had been tentatively put forward by the English
Minister in Flanders three months before.

[133] This is according to Bedingfield's statement, although from Chapuys'
letters, in which the chronology is a little confusing, it might possibly
be inferred that he arrived at Kimbolton on the 1st January and that Lady
Willoughby arrived soon after him. I am inclined to think that the day I
have mentioned, however, is the correct one.

[134] In the previous month of November she had written what she called
her final appeal to the Emperor through Chapuys. In the most solemn and
exalted manner she exhorted her nephew to strike and save her before she
and her daughter were done to death by the forthcoming Parliament. This
supreme heart-cry having been met as all similar appeals had been by
smooth evasions on the part of Charles, Katharine thenceforward lost hope,
and resigned herself to her fate.

[135] Before Chapuys left Kimbolton he asked De la Sa if he had any
suspicion that the Queen was being poisoned. The Spanish doctor replied
that he feared that such was the case, though some slow and cunningly
contrived poison must be that employed, as he could not see any signs or
appearance of a simple poison. The Queen, he said, had never been well
since she had partaken of some Welsh beer