CHAPTER II. The King's thanksgivingfor his conjugal felicity—Katherine accused of incontineney bythe council—Examination of witnesses—The King's grief—Katherine's arrest-Startling confession—Imprisonmentin Sion House—Proceeded againstfor adultery—The Duchess of Norfolk, Lady Rochford, Derham, Culpepper, and others, implicated—Condemnation and execution of Derham and Culpepper—Sickness of the Duchess of Norfolk—Her servants condemned to perpetual imprisonment—Katherine's despondency and forlorn condition—The Lord Chancellor's futile efforts in her favour —She is attainted—Removed to the Tower—Condemned—Protests her innocence to her Confessor—Is executed with Lady Rochford, and buried in the Tower—Her fall lamented—Singular Act of Parliament regarding the King's wives. ^^^^^^^^^ ber, tbe day after the n f J ^'^^V^sl^/ * o Court with his Γ^^^Β^^^^ beloved Queen, he #^P^1S«3ÌPÌ God for the good life ho led, and trusted to lead, with his amiable consort ; and requested his confessor, tho Bishop of Lincoln, to comoso a form of thanksgiving for the lessings he enjoyed in the conjugal state, to be publicly pronounced on the morrow, All Souls' day. But on that eventful morrow, whilst the King was at mass, Cranmer put into his hands a paper containing tbe information obtained in his absence, with a request that he would not read it till he was private and alone. The disclosure startled tbe King, and, at first, so confident was he of tbe fidelity of Katherine, that he gave no credit to the information ; and sending for tho Lord Privy Seal, the Lord Admiral, Sir Anthony Brown, and Wriothesly, told them he believed the whole tale to be a scandalous falsehood ; but, that the Queen might not be slandered with impunity, he would have the case gone into with all possible privacy and diligence, and the offenders severely punished for their audacity. Accordingly, Lascelles and his sister were examined by the Lord Privy Seal and others, and as they reiterated their former statement, Derham was, by the King's orders, arrested on the pretended charge of piracy, and subjected to a severe examination. He admitted that, years back, when he lived in the service of tbe Duchess of Norfolk, he and Ka therine had exchanged a promise of mar riage, had lived together as man and wife, and had been so considered by the Duchess' servants ; but he solemnly de, nied that any improper intimacy had taken place between them since Kathe rine had become Queen. ΛΥΙιεη the result of these examinations, together with the fact that Katherine had taken into her service Derham, Manox, Jane Buhner, and other of her former immoral companions were imparted to the King, he burst into a passion of tears, and the next morning left Hampton Court without seeing the Queen, or even sending a message to her. All this time Katherine remained in ignorance of the danger which threatened her ; but on the day of Henry's departure from Hampton Court (November the tenth), the council, waiting on her in a body, informed her of the charge that had been made against her. She denied it in their presence, with earnest protestations of innocence ; but, on their departure, fell into such agonizing fits of grief and terror, that the night through her life and reason were despaired of. The next morning, Cranmer, by the King's orders, waited upon her, with a false promise of the royal mercy, if she would confess her crimes; but as the agitation she had been thrown into prevented her from doing more than, with