Court and Society from Elizabeth to Anne Volume 1 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1864 Excerpt: ... gates on such a night? A lady of rank, a stranger in the land, a countrywoman of his mistress, she had come out of holy feminine love to that house of misery, to that sick bedside, mayhap bringing comfort to the dying queen. Could heart of man send such a woman Chap, from his door, to share the privations of a village ale_Ll---house or seek a shelter from the neighbouring monks? Stonely priory was a mile off from the castle. There was a stream to ford and a hill to climb. The night was dark and the road was bad. Sir Edmund, though he might lose his place for neglect of duty, could not send her away; so the gates were opened and Lady Willoughby was carried in. The outer works had thus been won, but there Sir Edmund meant to stop her. When the fire had softened her limbs, she begged permission to see her lady, adding, of her woman's wit, that she had papers to show, as soon as she could come to them, which would satisfy Sir Edmund of her right to speak with the Princess of Wales. On this assurance she was allowed to go in, and Bedingfield saw no more of her until the queen was dead. Next day, the 2nd of January, 1536, about four o'clock in the afternoon, the Cardinal Chappuis arrived at Kimbolton, hungry and fatigued. The man of God was in no such hurry as Lady Willoughby; he had got his papers in order; he had ambled down the waste roads leisurely, and he now called for his dinner and ate it in peace before asking to see the queen. About seven o'clock he went into the dying chamber, Bedingfield and Chamberlain now going in with him. He stayed only fifteen minutes; but he spoke with Catharine in Castilian, of which language neither of the two knights in attendance understood a word. Vaux was not present, so that the conversation which passed between the quee...