as she was of age; rings had been exchanged and the marriage
contract already drawn up. Anne of Cleves, therefore, was virtually
already married, and Henry, with his tender conscience, could not
make one already married his wife. [Footnote: Burnet.] He made her,
therefore, his sister, and gave her the palace at Richmond for a
residence, in case she wished to remain in England. She accepted it;
her blood, which crept coldly and quietly through her veins, did not
rise at the thought of being despised and repudiated. She accepted
it, and remained in England.

"She was rejected because she was ugly; and now the king selected
Catharine Howard for his fifth consort, because she was pretty. Of
this marriage I know but little to tell you, for, at that time, I
had already gone to Dublin as minister, whither you soon followed
me. Catharine was very beautiful, and the king's heart, now growing
old, once more flamed high with youthful love. He loved her more
warmly than any other of his wives. He was so happy in her that,
kneeling down publicly in the church, with a loud voice he thanked
God for the happiness which his beautiful young queen afforded him.
But this did not last long. Even while the king was extolling it,
his happiness had reached its highest point, and the next day he was
dashed down into the abyss. I speak without poetical exaggeration,
my child. The day before, he thanked God for his happiness, and the
next morning Catharine Howard was already imprisoned and accused, as
an unfaithful wife, a shameless strumpet.[Footnote: Tytler, p. 432.]
More than seven lovers had preceded her royal spouse, and some of
them had accompanied her even on the progress through Yorkshire,
which she made with the king her husband. This time it was no
pretence, for he had not yet had time to fall in love with another
woman, and Catharine well knew how to enchain him and ever to kindle