the Duke of Norfolk saying how that
"while Thomas Cromwell ruled, slanders and obloquies of England were
common," but that now all was changed. The brother of the Duke of Ferrara
had sent to him to say that he was going to visit the King of England, for
"the Emperor these years and days past often praised the King's gifts of
body and mind, which made him the very image of his Creator." This praise
had "engendered such love in the stomach" of Don Francesco d'Este that he
could no longer defer his wish to see such a paragon of excellence as
Henry, and he rejoices "that so many gentlemen belonging to the Emperor"
are doing likewise. This was even before the marriage with Anne was
declared invalid. (12th July, _Calendar Henry VIII._, vol. 15.) Chapuys,
the Emperor's ambassador, was again sent to England immediately, and
cordial relations were promptly resumed. (_Spanish Calendar_, vol. 6, part
1.)

[211] Richard Hilles, the Protestant merchant, writing to Bullinger in
Latin (Zurich Letters, Parker Society), says that for some weeks before
the divorce from Anne of Cleves, Henry was captivated by Katharine Howard,
whom he calls "a very little girl"; and that he frequently used to cross
the Thames from Westminster to Lambeth to visit, both by night and day,
the Bishop of Winchester (Gardiner) providing feasts for them in his
palace. But at that time Katharine was, Hilles tells us, looked upon
simply as Henry's mistress--as indeed she probably was--rather than his
future wife.

[212] Hilles to Bullinger (Parker Society, Zurich Letters) gives voice to
bitter complaints, and Melancthon wrote (17th August, etc.) praying that
God might destroy "this British Nero." (_Calendar Henry VIII._, vol. 15.)

[213] There is in the British Museum (Stowe MS. 559) a list of the jewels
and other things given by Henry to Katharine at the marriage and
subsequently. The inventory was made at the time of her attainder, when
she was deprived of everything. The jewels appear to have been very
numerous and rich: one square or stomacher, given on New Year's Day 1540,
containing 33 diamonds, 60 rubies, and a border of pearls. Another gift at
Christmas the same year was "two laces containing 26 fair table diamonds
and 158 fair pearls, with a rope of fair large pearls, 200 pearls."
Magnificent jewels of all sorts are to be counted by the dozen in this
list, comparing strangely with the meagre list of Katharine of Aragon's
treasures. One curious item in