KATHERINE HOWARD,

Fifth Queen of Bearg the Eighth.

CHAPTER I.

Katherine's descent-Parentage-Mother's death-Adoption by the Duchess of Norfolk-Education neglected-Evil associates-Illicit amours with Manox-Quarrel -Secret meeting by moonlight-Clandestinely courted by Derham-Permits him to play the husband to her-Caught romping with him by the Duchess-The discovery-Flight of Derham-The disgraceful truth hushed up—Punishment— Secret correspondence with Derham-He returns and accuses her of consenting to become Culpepper's wife—She denies it, and shakes him off-Is courted by Henry the Eighth-Reformed in conduct —The Duchess and Catholic party further the match-Married to the King in private-Publicly proclaimed Queen-Royal progress-Quarrels with Norfolk-Takes Manox and Jane Bulmer into her service-State of religious parties-Execution of the Countess of SalisburyProgress to the north-Admits Derham into her household-Suspicious meeting with Culpepper-The reformers plot her fall-Her early crimes detailed to the council in her absence.

HE fifth Queen of Henry the Eighth was a daughter of the illustrious Howards, a family who, as heroes, poets, politicians, courtiers, patrons of literature, and state-victims to tyranny and revenge, have constantly been before us for upwards of four centuries, and whose records present more strange, more thrilling and heart-stirring events than can anywhere be found in the less truthful pages of tragedy or romance. Katherine Howard, whose crime-fraught career it is our painful duty to detail

with a merciful but just pen, was tne fifth child of Edmund Howard and his wife, Joyce, daughter of Sir Richard Culpepper, of Holingbourn, in Kent. The date and place of her birth are involved in mystery. The events of her life would lead to a belief that she entered the world about the year 1516; but this is evidently wrong, for her father, when he attended Mary Tudor'to France in 1515, was a bachelor; and even supposing him to have married immediately after his return, 1521 is, then, the earliest date that can be given for her birth.

Katherine's misfortunes commenced in the spring-time of her girlhood.

Ere she could distinctly articulate her with Mistress Howard, told him the own name, her mother died. After a Duchess of Norfolk, if she knew it, reasonable lapse of time, her father would undo him; and that if he mar married again; and on the death of her | ried her, some of her kindred would take grandfather. Thomas, Duke of Norfolk, his life. Manox, in words too coarse in 1525, she was consigned to the care to be repeated, replied, that his purpose and the keeping of her grandmother, was not to marry, but to take a disthe Duchess Dowager of Norfolk, who honourable advantage of the young so completely neglected her morals and lady; and the liberties she already education, that before she had entered allowed him, induced him to believe her teens, she formed an improper that he would be able shortly to effect intimacy with a musician of mean birth, his purpose. This answer Lascelles told in the Duchess' household, named Henry to Katherine, which so aroused her inManox. At this period, Katherine was dignation against Manox, that after staying at her grandmother's mansion, declaring his insolence had deeply ofat Horsham, in Norfolk; her father, fended her, and she loved him not, compelled by his duties, was residing at she went with Lascelles to the house of Calais; and the Duchess, either from Lord Beaumont, where he then was, carelessness, or over-fondness, permitted and then passionately taxed him with her to associate with her female attend- his baseness. Manox excused himself ants and servants, and even to sleep by an assurance that his deep love for with them at night. One of them, a her so overcame him, that he list not base woman, named Isabella, took what he had spoken. Whether this pleasure in poisoning the mind of the weak apology satisfied Katherine is not high-born damsel: and in conveying in known; but, as she was afterwards seen sceret the tokens of love that passed walking with him alone at the back of between her and Manox. When this the Duchess' orchard, by moonlight, it Isabella married, and quitted the is probable that her affection for him, Duchess' service, Dorothy Parwike, a although damped, was not immediately female of equally abandoned character, extinguished. Such is the history of filled her office of confidant to Kath- the high-born, but neglected orphan's erine, whose illicit amours she encou- first step in the downward patli; and raged with all her energy and wit. if her conduct is to be blamed, how much Shortly afterwards, the careless, weak more so that of the unworthy woman, minded Duchess, who little suspected Lascelles, who, instead of informing that her women had so polluted the her employer of Manox's illegitimate pliant mind of her orphan charge, re- courtship and base purpose, actually moved with her whole establishment proceeded with Katherine on a stolen to her mansion at Lambeth, that she expedition to the servants' hall of a might, with more converience to herself, neighbouring mansion, in search of the attend the coronation of her grand- scoundrel.. daughter, Anne Boleyn,-an important part of that ceremony being assigned to her. Here it was the evil-minded Mary Lascelles entered the service of the Duchess, and became the fatal favourite of Katherine. Mary Lascelles, before she was aware of Katherine's intrigues, imparted in confidence to Dorothy Barwike, her own desire to obtain Manox for a husband; and when Barwike told her that he already loved Katherine Howard, and was troth-plight to her, she in a rage rushed into his presence, called him a fool for falling in love

Shortly after a quarrel with Manox, Katherine lent a willing ear to the suit of Francis Derham, one of the Duke of Norfolk's gentlemen pensioners. Derham, although a distant relation of the Howards, was of too mean birth, and far too poor, to match with Katherine. She, however, shortly after the clandestine courtship had commenced, admitted him to all the familiarities of a wedded lord; and as the Duchess neglected to provide her with money, trinkets, and nick-nacks, supplied nearly all her wants, even to silks and velvets