these advantages, his vices were not sufficiently developed to excite alarm; and by his marriage with Katherine, he gave to the nation a Queen, lovely in person and mind, of exemplary prudence and virtue, and truly gentle and feminine in her manners. Her unaffected piety and benevolence had already endeared Katherine to the people; and as, like Henry, who was passionately devoted to Thomas Aquinas, she possessed considerable learning, she cordially co

However, as Joanna laboured under a derangement of intellect, which, although at first deemed transient, proved to be permanent, her marriage with the En-operated in his liberal patronage of liglish monarch fell through.

and lastly stood the Mayor with the Aldermen. The goldsmiths' stalls, unto the end of the Old Change, being replenished with virgins in white, with branches of white wax; the priests and clerks in rich copes, with crosses and censers of silver, censing his Grace and the Queen also as they passed.

retinue appears to have been equally magnificent, and far more attractive. "In a litter, richly ornamented, sat Katherine, borne by two white palfreys, trapped in cloth of gold, her person apparelled in white satin embroidered, her long black hair hanging down her face, beautiful and goodly to behold, and on her head a coronal, set with many rich orient stones. Her ladies followed in chariots, a sort of car containing six persons, and the quality of each was designated by the' gold and silver tissue habiliments, and with much joy and honour they came to Westminster, where was high preparation made as well for the coronation as for the solemn feasts and jousts to be had and done."

On the morrow, being Sunday, the King and Queen were crowned at Westminster Abbey, in most solemn manner, by the Archbishop of Canterbury, assisted by others. The ceremony concluded, the noble company retired to Westminster Hall, where they partook of a sumptuous banquet. At this feast the King's estate was seated on the right, and the Queen's on the left, of the cupboard of nine stages, which was filled with the richest gold and silver plate. "Their noble personages being seated, at the bringing in of the first course the trumpet sounded, and in came the Duke of Buckingham, mounted on a courser, richly trapped and embroidered, and the Lord Steward, likewise on a horse trapped, came in cloth of gold, riding before the service, which was sumptuous, with many subtleties, strange devices, with several poesies, and many dainty dishes."

"The features of his body, his goodly personage, his amiable visage, princely countenance, with the noble qualities of his royal estate, to every man known, needeth no rehearsal, considering that, for lack of cunning, I cannot express the gifts of grace and of nature that God hath endowed him withal. Yet, partly to describe his apparel, it is to be noted his Grace wore in his uppermost apparel a robe of crimson velvet, furred with ermine; his jacket or coat of raised gold, the placard embroidered with diamonds, rubies, emeralds, great pearls, and other rich stones; a great collar about his neck, of great rubies. The trapper of his horse damask gold, with a deep border of ermine; his knights and esquires of his body in crimson velvet, and all the gentlemen, with other of his chapel, and all his officers and household servants, were apparelled in scarlet. The barons of the five ports bore the canopy and cloth of estate. For to recite to you the great estates by name, the order of their going, the number of the lords spiritual and temporal, knights, esquires, and gentlemen, of their costly and rich apparel, of several devices and fashions, who took up his horse best, or who was richest beseen, it would ask long time, and yet I should omit many things, and fail of the number, for they Jousts and masques succeeded, and in were very many, wherefore, I pass on; these the populace had their full share but this I dare well say, there was no of enjoyment. It may perhaps be lack or scarcity of cloth of gold, cloth of doubted whether the rare and excellent silver, embroidery, or goldsmiths' work." device of the castle, invested by a silvery The chronicler then mentions the pro- fountain, and embellished with a flowing cession of the nine children of honour, vine, imparted half the delight inspired each mounted on a steed, decorated with by rivulets of claret and malmsey spouted the name and arms of a province of the from the hideous lips of some sphinxKing's dominions, in ostentatious dis-like monster. The supreme object of play, derived from the brilliant era of Edward the Third; since, in addition to Cornwall and Wales, it assumed the fictitious sovereignty of Normandy, Gascony, Guienne and Anjou. The Queen's

attraction appears to have been a mountainous castle dragged slowly along, in which sat a lady, who, under the imposing name of Pallas, displayed a crystal shield, and, with many grimaces, pre

sented six of her scholars to the King, as challengers in the combat. To this redoubtable personage was opposed one equally sublime—the goddess Diana-in whose behoof appeared a troop of foresters, who, breathing from their horns a sylvan strain, ushered in the appropriate pageant of a park, within whose pales of green were living deer; but these poor victims to pleasure were no sooner allowed to escape from their enclosure, than they were chased by hounds, and attacked and killed before the eyes of the Queen. Such was the refinement-such the humanity of our forefathers.

The death of the King's grandmother, Margaret, Countess of Richmond, on the twenty-ninth of June, brought these festivities to an abrupt termination; and the outburst of an alarming pestilence drove the court to Richmond, where the King and Queen kept Christmas with pomp and splendour.

called the Marching Watch of the City of London. This marching watch was in addition to the standing watchers. The men were all dressed "in bright harness," and traversed the principal streets to the extent of "three thousand two hundred taylors' yards." "On Midsummer eve,” says Stowe, "King Henry the Eighth, disguised in the livery of a yeoman of the guard, went into West Cheap, and there beheld the watch, unknown to all save his attendants, who were also disguised; but, on the following night, being that of St. Peter's, he and the Queen came royally riding to the said place, and there, with their nobles, beheld the marching watch of the city set out with its accustomed goodly shows, and did not return again till after the sun was up the next morning."

On New Year's day she gave birth to a Prince, who, from the moment of his birth, became an object of almost idolatrous love and homage. The royal babe was christened Henry, with great pomp; the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Earl of Surrey, and the Countess of Devonshire stood as sponsors, and, after the Queen's churching, tournaments and pageants were held, in honour to her, at Westminster.

In compliance with the custom established by the Countess of Richmond, the Queen, being in a situation which Henry greatly delighted in tilts, page-promised an heir to the throne, publicly ants, disguises, and other similar diver- withdrew to her chamber at Richmond, sions, then so popular throughout Eu- in December. rope. Not a festival occurred but was celebrated at court according to primitive usage; and nothing so delighted the frolic-loving King as stealing from the tilt or tournay, and astonishing the Queen and the company by suddenly returning in the garb of a friar, an outlaw, or a foreign knight. On one occasion, the King assumed the garb of Robin Hood, and in that character surprised Katherine and her ladies, who, for the moment, were struck with terror and confusion. Another time, when the foreign ambassadors were being entertained at Westminster, in the spring of 1510, he suddenly absented himself, and presently returned disguised as a Turkish pasha. Katherine, although of a serious, retiring disposition, took pleasure in humouring her husband's tastes for frolics, disguises, and public fetes and processions. Whenever he unexpectedly appeared before her in the guise of a stranger, she affected surprise and delight; and she always obeyed with cheerfulness the summons to witness his proficiency in the martial exercises.

It was in this year that the King took Katherine to behold the grand cavalcade

"On the morrow, after dinner," says the chronicler, "the company assembled in the Hall, when, at the sound of the trumpet, many a nobleman and gentleman vaulted on their steeds, after whom followed certain lords, mounted on palfreys, trapped in cloth of gold; many gentlemen on foot, clad in russet satin, and yeomen in russet damask, scarlet hose, and yellow caps; then issued the King from his pavilion of cloth of gold, his mettled courser loaded with the same gorgeous drapery, and on his gilded chafrons nodded a graceful plume, spangled with gold. Behind the King came his three aids, each armed cap-apie, and seated beneath a crimson pavilion. Presently entered from the oppo

loped in cloth of arras, was wheeled into the Hall, and, whilst curiosity became intense at the sight, a cavalier issued from the pageant, and represented to the Queen that, in a certain garden of

wherein were lords and ladies, much desirous to show pastime to the Queen and ladies, if they might be permitted to do so. Permission being granted, the cloth was removed, and discovered a beautiful garden, in which were trees of hawthorn, eglantine, and rosiers, vines and gilliflowers, all wrought of gold. In an arbour appeared six ladies, all dressed in silver and satin, on whose heads were bonnets, open at the four quarters, and outfrised with flat gold of damask. The veillets were of roses wreathed on Dutch crape, so that the gold showed through the crape. In this garden, also, was the King, robed in purple satin, embroidered with letters of gold, composing his as

site side of the field, on the part of the defenders, Sir Charles Brandon, habited as a poor hermit, who, unheralded by trumpet or minstrel, requested Katherine to permit him to tilt in her honour; the boon was no sooner granted, than, fling-pleasure, there was a golden bower, ing off his lowly weeds, he exposed to view a complete set of armour; and galloping to the tilt end of the field, was instantly surrounded by his supporters. During this interval, .Henry Guilford appeared, clad in gold and silver tissue, but completely enveloped in a pageant resembling a castle, its glittering walls chequered with mystic rhymes, invoking blessings on the royal pair; behind him came his men, all dressed in the same livery, of silver tissue, who, having made obeisance to the Queen, passed to the field. Then followed the Marquis of Dorset and his brother-in-law, Sir Thomas Boleyn, both habited as pilgrims from St. Jago's shrine, with a train of sable-suited at-sumed name of Cœur Loyal. With him tendants. The procession was closed by several lords in armour, mounted on steeds superbly ornamented." Amidst this martial pomp appeared pageants of most ludicrous and fantastic incongruity. Arrows were encased in crimson damask, and amongst other goodly shows was a silver greyhound bearing Katherine's device a tree of pomegranates. At length, the trumpets sounded to the charge, and in an instant the play of lances began. As usual, the royal party prevailed, and to the King was awarded the first prize.

The tournay ended, Henry and his consort, after attending vespers, repaired to Westminster, where the noble company partook of a sumptuous supper; and when the cloth was cleared, a spectacle was prepared, of which the lower orders were allowed to participate : first, an interlude was performed by the children of the royal chapel, then, after the King had conferred knighthood on the Irish chief, O'Neal, the minstrels played, and the lords and the King, observing how interested the spectators were, stole away to prepare for them a still higher gratification. Presently, attention was arrested by a flourish of trumpets; a ponderous machine, completely enve

were five nobles, also attired in purple satin, and with their assumed names embroidered all over their dresses, in golden letters. The gentlemen having joined the ladies, they danced together, whilst the pageant of gold was removed to the extremity of the Hall, for the purpose of receiving them when the ballet should be ended. But the rude people, as Hall calls them, ran to the pageant, and, either from curiosity or cupidity, stripped it of all its ornaments. Nor did the work of destruction end here, for as soon as the dance was concluded, the crowd rushed forward, and seizing the King and the other noble performers, tore the golden ornaments from their clothing, and robbed the ladies of their jewels. In the scramble, the King was stripped to his waistcoat and drawers, and Sir Thomas Knevet, who resisted the mob, was robbed of every article of clothing, and left naked and crest-fallen, to repent of his rashness. At last, the guards cleared the Hall, and the King, laughing heartily at the turn matters had taken, told his courtiers they must deem their losses as largess to the commonalty; and turning to the Queen, led her to her chamber.

At this spoliation, Hall assures us that