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FRANCIS LANCELOTT, ESQ. Queens of England. Vol.1.

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FRANCIS LANCELOTT, ESQ.
Queens of England. Vol.1.
page 476



ferer of her household, says, " Elizabeth told me that the Admiral loved her but too well; that the Queen was jealous of her and him, and that, suspecting the often access of the Admiral to her, she came suddenly upon them when they were all alone, he having her in his arms." It was reported, not only that she was pregnant, which she declared to be a shameful scandal, but also that she bore him a child. " There was a brute of a child born," states the MS. life of Jane Dormer, "and miserably destroyed; but could not be discovered whose it was, on the report of the midwife, wTho was brought from her house blindfold thither, and so returned ; saw nothing in the bouse while she was there but candlelight, only sayd it was the child of a very fair young- lady." These doings at length so excited the conjugal jealousy and the personal fears of Katherine, who well understood that she herself wrouhl be blamed by the council and the nation, if her step-daughter was ruined, most especially if that ruin was consummated by Seymour, her husband, that she sharply reproved Elizabeth's governess for not taking better care of her royal pupil, delivered a serious motherly, kind discourse to the Princess, on the probable consequences of such gross dereliction from the path of maidenly rectitude ; and to prevent the recurrence of such reprehensible freedoms, immediately separated her own household from that of Elizabeth. At this period, Katherine, greatly to the joy of herself and of her lord, was enceinte ; and that no serious breach bad taken place between herself and her royal stepdaughter, is evident by the subjoined familiar, friendly epistle from LADY ELIZABETH TO THE QUEEN DOWAGER. "Although your Ilighness's letters be most joyful to me in absence, yet considering what pain it is to you to write, your Grace being so far advanced in pregnancy, and so sickly, your commendation were enough in my lord's letter. I much rejoice at your health, with the well liking of tbe country, with my humble thanks that your Grace wished me with you till you were weary of that country. Your highness were likely to be cumbered, if I should not depart till I were weary living with you; although it were in the worst soil in the world, your presence would make it pleasant. I cannot reprove my lord for not doing your commendations in his letter, for he did it ; and although he had not, yet I will not complain of him, for that he shall be diligent to give me knowledge from time to timo bow his busy child doth ; and if I were at his birth, no doubt I would sec him beaten for the trouble he has put you to. Mr. Denny and my lady, with humble thanks prayeth most entirely for your Grace, praying the Almighty God to send you a most lucky deliverance. And my mistress wisheth no less, giving your highness most bumble thanks for her commendations. VÌrit with very little leisure, tkia last day of July. "Your humble daughter, "ELIZABETH." AVhen Katherine received this letter, she was at Sudeley, a noble castle and lands in Gloucestershire, which was royal property, but w"hich Henry the Eighth's executors had granted to Seymour, and where she had retired to await her accouchement. The appointments for her lying-in chamber and expected nursery were all the most rich and rare ; her princely retinue consisted of upwards of fifty laaies in waiting, maids of honour, and other female attendants, besides one hundred and twenty gentlemen of the household and yeomen of the guard. Parkhurst, Coverdale, Dr. Turner, and other preachers of the new learning, officiated as her chaplains ; and, to tho annoyance of her husband, who exhibited a marked distaste for protestant prayers and sermons, although he had shared largely in tbe plunder of the old church, and, to increase his wealth and power, professed to be a Reformer, she caused divine worship, according to the tenets of the new learning, to be performed twice or oftener in the day, under her own roof. On the ninth of August, 1548, Katherine received from the Princess Mary an


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