First Barl of Pembroke of the Present Creation. 



98 



From Lord Admiral Seymour to Katharine Parr. 



"After my humble commendation unto your highness, yesternight I supt at 

 m\ brother Herberd's, of whom, for your sake besides mine own, I received good 

 cheer ; and after the same, I received from your highness, by my sister Herberd, 

 your commendations, which were more welcome than they were sent. And after 

 the same, she waded further with me, touching my being with your Highness at 

 Chelsea, which I denied, being with your Highness ; but that indeed, I went by 

 the garden as I went to see the Bishop of London's house, and at this point stood 

 with her for a time, till at the last she told me further tokens which made me 

 change colours, who, like a false wench, took me with the manner. Then re- 

 membering what she was. and knowing how well you trusted her, examined her 

 whether those things came from your Highness, and by that knew it to be true ; 

 for the which I render unto your Highness my most humble and hearty thanks ; 

 for by her company, in default of yours, I shall shorten the weeks in these parts, 

 which heretofore, were three days longer in every one of them than they were 

 under plummet at Chelsea." 



Four months had not yet elapsed since the death of the king. 

 The exact date of their union being unknown, Miss Strickland, in 

 her Lives of the Queens of England, considers this letter to be the 

 earliest evidence of their still secret marriage, owing to Seymour 

 calling Sir William and Lady Herbert (not Lord Herbert, as Miss 

 Strickland styles him) " brother," and " sister/'' Seymour and the 

 queen lived in great magnificence, Katharine in the misguided notion 

 that he loved her for herself ; but the period of their felicity was 

 very short, she gave birth to a daughter and died at the time, 

 Seymour closed his turbulent career soon after at the block. 



Sir William Herbert was actively employed during the eventful 

 year of 1549. In the spring, the dispute between the peasantry 

 and the commissioners for enclosing common lands had come to a 

 crisis : the Protector Somerset, whose power was now on the wane, 

 came into open collision with the council on this point, and coun- 

 tenanced the rioters. The more energetic among the lords resolved, 

 m consequence, to act for themselves ; Sir William Herbert, whose 

 own parks had been invaded, attacked the rioters in person, and cut 

 some of them to pieces. 



At this crisis came the news of the insurrection in the western 

 counties, where the rebels demanded a return to Catholicism. Active 

 measures were now taken ; as the treasury was empty, the lords sold 

 their plate and jewels to raise money; before the rebellion was over 



