the instigation of the Queen, showed the concordance to the King, who, on examining it exclaimed, " Poor Marbeek ! well would it have been for his persecutors, had they have employed their time no worse." M arheck was reprieved, but Persons, Testwood, and Filmer were, despite Katherine's desire to save them, burnt on the 26th of July. The success of this measure induced Dr. London and Symons, a lawyer, to charge Dr. Haines, a prebendary of Windsor, Sir Philip Hobby, and Sir Thomas Carden, together with their ladies, and several other members of the royal household, with favouring the new learning. But the only information that could be obtained against them was some false notes, which Dr. London had prevailed upon Oakham, the clerk of the court, to enter into the minutes of the late trial. The Queen, being informed of these iniquitous proceedings, dispatched one of her trusty servants to court, to expose the matter. Upon this information, Oakham was seized, all his papers were examined, and the plot was detected, London and Symons were sent for, and examined on oath ; when, not being aware that their letters were intercepted, they committed perjury, and were sentenced to be carried on horseback, with their faces to the horses' tails, and papers on their foreheads, denouncing them as perjured persons, and then to be set in the pillory in Windsor, in Beading, and in Newbury, where the King and Queen were. This sentence, the only vengeance Katherine desired, was fully executed, and so mortified Dr. London, that he died shortly afterwards. Thus ended the first of a series of contests between the Queen and the Catholics ; contests which were too often carried on in a spirit of vengeful hatred, and which, at least in one instance, as will hereafter be detailed, nearly cost tbe Queen her life. The elevation of Katherine to the crown matrimonial, wras followed by the advancement of the fortunes of her kindred and friends. On Lord Parr, her uncle, was bestowed the office of Lord Chamberlain. Her brother w^as created Earl of Essex, on the twenty-first of December, and so esteemed by the King, that he named him his "Integrity;" her sister, Lady Herbert, was made one of her ladies of the bedchamber ; and her step-daughter, Margaret, only daughter of her late husband, Lord Latimer, one of her maids of honour ; whilst her cousins, Thomas, George, and Clement Throgmorton, respectively became sewer, and halbert-bearer to tho King, and cupbearer to the Queen. Fortunately for Henry and his hitherto neglected offsprings, the sound sense, the learning, and the engaging manners of Katherine Parr, fully qualified her to undertake the difficult and highly responsible office of step-mother. Indeed, had Henry have so desired, which is by no means probable, considering how careless a father he was, it would perhaps have been impossible for him to have chosen a lady more willing and able to conduce to the happiness and the future well-being, and to reconcile the opposing interests of the offsprings of his former marriages. Immediately on obtaining sufficient influence over tho mind of the wayward monarch, Katherine prevailed upon him to restore the Princesses Mary and Elizabeth to royal favour. Urged by her promptings, Henry caused the obliging parliament, which met in January, 1544, to pass an act of his own dictation, with regard to the succession of the crown. After declaring Prince Edward the King's immediate heir, and, in the event of his death, settling the crown on any of tho children Henry might have by Katherine Parr, or by any succeeding wife, the parliament restored the two Princesses, Mary and Elizabeth, to their right of succession. But though Henry hud thus far done justice to the interests of his two daughters, he would not allow the act to be repealed, which had pronounced them illegitimate ; he made the parliament confer on him a power of still excluding them, if they refused to submit to any conditions which he should be pleased to impose, and he caused it to be enacted that, in default of bis own issue, he might dispose of the crown as he pleased, either by letters patent or by will. In fact, in this act tho King neither removed the brand of illegitimacy from his daughters,