simply to bring- her to England, and these he had obeyed to the letter. What followed, will be best shewn by the following verbatim extract from Cromwell's letter to the King, concerning his Grace's marriage with Anne of Cleves. "The next day after the receipt of the said Lady (Anne) and lier entry made into Greenwich, and after your Highness had brought her to her chamber, I then waited upon your Highness in your privy chamber, and being there, your Grace called me unto you, saying to me these words, or the like, ' Milord, is it not as I told you ? say what they will, she is nothing so fair as hath been reported; howbeit, she is well and seemly.' Whereunto 1 answered and said, ' By my faith, sire, ye say true,' adding thereunto, that I thought she had a queenly manner, and, nevertheless, was sorry that your Grace was no better content. And thereupon your Grace commanded me to call together your council, which were these by name : The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk, my lord admiral, my lord of Duresme, and myself, to commune of these matters, and to know what commissioners the agents of Cleves had brought, as well touching the performance of the covenants sent before from thence to Dr. AVotton to have been concluded in Cleves ; as also in tbe declaration how the matters stood for the covenants of marriage between the Duke of Lorrain's son and the said Lady Anne. Whereupon, Osligcr and Hostoden, the ambassadors of Cleves, were called, and the matters (Anne's precontract to the Marquis of Lorrain) proposed, whereby it plainly appeared that they were much astonished and abashed, and desired that they might make answer on the next morning, which was Sunday. And upon the Sunday, iu the morning, your counsellors and they met together early, and then ef'Lsoons was proposed unto them as well touching the commission for the performance of the treaty and the articles sent to Mr. Wotton ; as also touching the contracts and covenants of marriage between the Duke of Lorrain's son and the Lady Anne, and what terms they stood in. To which things, so proposed, they answered as men much perplexed. They knew nothing about the articles sent to Mr. Wotton ; and as to the cuntract and covenants of marriage, they could say nothing, but that a revocation was made, and that they wrerc but spousals. And, finally, after much reasoning, they offered themselves to remain prisoners until such time as they should have sent unto them from Cleves the first articles ratified under the Duke, their master's, sign and seal; and also the copy of the revocation made between the Duke of Lorrain's son and the Lady Anne. Upon the which answers I was sent to your Highness by my lords of your council, to declare to your Highness their answer, and come to you by the privy way into your privy chamber, and declared unto you the same with all the circumstances, wherewith your Grace was very much displeased, saying, I am not well handled, and if it were not that she is come so far into my realm, and that my states and people have made a great preparation for her, and that I fear making a ruffel in the world by driving her brother into the hands of the Emperor and the French King ; both these monarcbs being now leagued together, I would never have married her. So that I might well perceive your Grace was neither content with the person ne yet with the proceedings of tho agents. And after dinner, on the said Sunday, your Grace sent for all your said counsellors, and repeated to them how your Highness was handled in regard to the articles sent to Dr. Wotton, and the precontract between Anne and the Duke of Lorrain's son. It might, and I doubt not, did appear to them, how loth your Highness was to marry at that time. And thereupon, and upon the consideration aforesaid, your Grace thought it expedient that she (Anne) should make a protestation in the presence of your counsellors and notaries, that she was free from all contracts, which were done accordingly. And thereupon, I repairing to your Highness, declared how that she had