Vis 
lected by the rebels in, Ask’s insurrec- 
tion, called the Pilgrimage of Grace, to 
treat for them with the duke of Norfolk, 
and -that he died in 1542, which was 
soon after his marriage. Katherine was 
always distinguished fer piety, and em- 
braced early the doctrines of the Refor- 
mation, which were then speedily gain- 
ing ground. I know not on what occa- 
sion she first attracted the notice of the 
king (Henry VIII.); but it appears that 
the infidelity of his late wife had deter- 
mined him to select for his sixth, not 
only awoman of unblemished reputation, 
‘but one whose conduct had before given 
proof of the strictest conjugal integrity. 
Her union with Henry took place at 
Hampton-court, on the 12th of June, 
1543, when she was prebably in her 
S4th year. From this time she devoted 
herself with the most assiduous attention, 
to thé anxious cares of the dangerous 
station on which she had entered. Her 
amiable manners and conciliating de- 
portment secured the affection of her 
husband, while the charms of her con- 
versation soothed his mind, and allevi- 
ated his sufferings. Her religious opt- 
nions however did not agree with his, 
‘and on those points he was, and would 
be, absolute, This, notwithstanding her 
cautious prudence, was observed with 
malicious satisfaction by many about 
‘the court; and the wily bishop of Win- 
chester at length decided upon her de- 
struction, She was therefore privately 
accused of holding unlawful tenets, and 
of reading heretical books.. Some of her 
conversations with the king seemed to 
give colour to these accusations, and his 
indignation was immediately roused. A 
warrant was accordingly made out for 
her commitment to the Tower, and it wag 
doubtless the intention of the bishop to 
have brought her ultimately to the stake. 
Accident, however, disclosed to her the 
impending danger, and indisposition was 
the consequence of this discovery. The 
king, as if retaining his former tender- 
ness, not only made her a kind visit, but 
dispatched his own physician to attend 
her. By the advice of this.worthy man, 
who was acquainted with the secret cause 
of her malady, she shortly after sought 
the presence of the king. A religious 
subject was scon introduced for discus- 
sion, and she then, with great address, so 
completely satisfied his scruples, that a 
hearty reconciliation took place between 
them, and she afterwards acquired such 
an rscendancy over him, that her enemies 
Letters from Cheltenham 
[Sept. 1, 
thus baffled, never again attempted te 
lessen her in the king’s estimation. 
Her personal attendance on her hus- 
band during the short period that she 
was his nurse rather than his wife, must 
necessarily have been fatiguing, and the 
ceremonia!s connected with her elevated 
station, of cour-e, occupied much of her 
time; yet Katherine found opportunities © 
to pursue her favourite studies, and en- 
deavoured to enlighten the dark hemi= 
sphere in which she was placed by the 
publication of several devotional pro- 
ductions, that do equal credit to her un- 
derstanding and her siety. The-atten- 
tion which she paid to the best theolo- 
gical writers is evinced by her book of 
“ Prayers and Meditations, collected out 
of Holy Works,” which she published in 
1545, and which also contains fifteen 
psalms composed in imitation of. those 
of David, on particular subjects. ‘This 
work was the same year translated by 
the princess, (afterwards queen) Elizat 
beth,* into Latin, French, and Italian’ 
and her manuscript, which is dedicated 
to her father, is still preserved. Kathe- 
rine also translated and .published “ A 
godlie exposition of the fifty-first Psalm, 
which Hierom of Ferrary made at the 
latter end of his days,” and to this she 
has annexed some smaller pieces of her 
own composition, A manuscript that 
was found among her papers after her 
decease, is also in print, entitled ** Queen. 
Katherine Parre’s Lamentations of a 
Sinner, bewailing the Ignorance of het 
blind Life.” This is a relic of great 
value, inasmuch as it relates principally 
to herself, and contains a genuine pors 
trait of a comprehensive and reflecting 
mind, reviewing with regret its former. 
wanderings amidst the dark mazes of 
superstition, and hailing with grateful joy 
its approach to light and truth, . 
So great was the queen’s desire to pro- 
mote a free examination of the Scrip. 
tures, as thre best means of exposing those. 
errors which ignorance had_ hitherto 
fostered, that she caused the paraphrase 
of Erasmas on the New Testament, to 
be translated into English at her own 
expense, and even engaged the princess 
Mary (afterwards queen) to undertake 
that part of it which related to the gospel 
of St. John. This task the princess is 
said to have performed most admirably, 
and indeed so much was a taste for let- 
ters then cultivated among women of 
ws eg 
* She was then oaly twelve years old. 
distinction. 
