lt DAItLINGt, " I heartily recommend me to you, ascertaining- you, that I am a little perplexed with such things as your brother shall, on my part, declare unto you, to whom, I pray, you will give full credit, for it were too long to write. In my last letters I writ- to you that I trusted shortly to see you, which is better known at London than any that is about me ; wherefore I not a little marvel, but lack of discreet handling must needs be the cause thereof. No more to you at this time, but that I trust, shortly our meeting shall not depend upon other men's light handling, but upon your own. Writ by the hand of him that longs to be yours." CHAPTER IV. Anne comes to London—Keeps Christmas at Greenwich—Writes to Gardiner— Cramp rings—Fall of Wolsey—The netv cabinet—Anne's strength of character—• Booh of prophecies—Cromwell's bold expedient—Anne created Marchioness of Pembroke—The French Ambassador's account of Henry and Anne—Wyalt's verses to Anne—-She goes with the King to France—The entertainment—The return. Ν December, 1528, Anne came to Lon don, and took up her abode in Suf folk House ; where, surrounded by her nearest relations, she daily hold levées, dispensed patronage, assumed all the pomp of royalty, and was honoured by the King's ministers and courtiers, and even by the foreign ambassadors, as the future Queen of England. During the Christmas festivity, Henry rejoined his Queen at Greenwich ; and Anne, with a lack of delicacy, and an indiscretion truly remarkable, excited the suspicion even of her friends, by accompanying tbe King thither. She occupied apartments away from those of the Queen ; but this only rendered her position more doubtful and objectionable, and gave at least an appearance of probability to the now widely circulated rumours, that she already shared her bed with the King. When Gardiner was again despatched to Home, to plead for the divorce, in tbe spring of 1529, Anne made him a present of some cramp rings,* and as * These rings were of metal, and after the Queen had consecrated them with great and solemn ceremony, they were deemed a certain cure for the cramp. Like tho galvanic, sured him of her friendship in the following kind-worded epistle " ME. STEPHEN ,-f " I thank you for my letter, wherein I perceive the willing and faith-I fui mind that yon have to do me plea; sure, not doubting, but as much as ia possible for man's wit to imagine you will do. I pray God to send you well to speed in all your matters, so that you will put me to the study how to reward your high service. I do trust in God you shall not repent it, and that the end of this journey shall be more pleasant to mo than, your first, for that was but a rejoicing hope, which ceasing, the lack of it does put me to the more pain, and they that are partakers with me as you do know. And therefore, I do trust, that this hard beginning shall make tho better ending. " Mr. Stephen, I send you here cramp rings, for you and Mr. Gregory (Cassali), and Mr. Peter, praying you to distribute them as you think best ; and have mo recommended heartily to them both, as she (I), that you may as rings of the present day, their efficacy may be attributed solely to the superstitions faith of the wearer, who believing himself cured, was cured. j" Stephen was Gardiner's Christian name