Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-02-23
ANNE DOLEYN.
A HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE ILL-FATED
ENGLISH QUEEN, BY cRIsFIELD JOHNSON.

ENGLISH QUEEN, BY cRIsFIELD JOHNSON.
The selection of the sorrows Of this Eng
lsh Queen for dramatic delineation by a
distinguished American woman, recalls 10
mind the strangest drama ever known in
English Court life, closed by the saddest
tragedy ever enacted within tue gloomy
walls OF the tower Of London.
Fifteen years aller the discovery Of Amer
lea, in The seventh summer of that wonder
full sixteenth century, which was TO see
greater social, intellectual aud religious
changes, than any which bad preceded it
since the birth Of Christ, Anne Boleyn was
born. The daughter of Sir Thomas Boleyn,
a gentleman of good birth, but poor estate,
she was, on the maternal side, the grand
child of the Duke of Norfolk, who stood
the very highest among the English nobil-
ity.
When the babe was only two years old,
all the bells of England rang merrily, and
all the people went wild with joy, for gruff,
miserly old King Henry the Seventh was
dead, aud the nation welcomed with rap
turous hopes the handsome, gracious, gall
liant young Harry the Eighth, then little
less than eighteen years old, and consider
ed the beau ideal ofa noble prince. At the
remar kably early age of seven the little
Anne, either on account OF her youthful
charms or the influence of the Duke OF
Norfolk, received the high honor, but
doubtful benefit, of being appointed maid
of honor 10 the Kings sister, Mary, who
20 t., 10 o,,ia
The Twelfth. Queen Mary's English at
tendants were, for some reason, sent back
TO their own country, but the infantile
graces of Anne Boleyn caused her TO be ex
cepted from the order.
In a few months Louis died, and aller a
brief time his widow married the Duke ot
Suffolk, aud soon returned TO England.
But little Auue's beauty and eayety had
drawn the attention of Queen Claude, wife
of the young King Francis the First, who
kept The maid under her protection for sew
en- or eight years. Anne Boleyn was no
unsophisticated English beauty; her first
lessons Of life were learned in the brilliant
but dssipated court of Francis the First
and her enemies were afterwards quick tc
use this fact TO discreiit her character.
Just when her youthful grace was bios.
somng 10 the competer beauty OF woman
hood, Anne was recalled to England, and
installed as Maid Of Honor to Queen Cath
| crime of Aragon. In that position several
years swiftly passed amid easy duties and
| sparkling pleasures-amid the tiattery o
| Galants and the envy of rivals-not i'm
probably having her own heart touched by
some one of The gay young mobiles arounC
her. With Lord Percy, heir of the anoien
house of Northumberland, which had once
almost equaled royalty, and which even il
| the days of the Tudors still welded an i'm
mense power in the North OF England, it il
| almost certain there were some passages o
| love, but whether they went so far as an en-
Gagement of marriage is unknown 10 thI
mere student of history, the dramatic artis
can fill the historic blank as may suit hi
| convenience.
II was probably about 1925, when Ann
was eighteen years old, that she first at
tracted the Kings especial attention. No
long afterwards he began TO make know
his seruples regarding his marriage witt
his brothers. widow. Most men hav
judged that these pretended scruples wer
entirely bypocrlilcal, and that his conduc
was inspired by his growing dislike of III
Queen, who WAS eight years older thai
himself, aud by his love for the fair Boleyr
Perhaps it was, but the early deaths of tn
three male children of his marriage wer
quite enough, in that superstitious age, I
make him believe his irregular nuptial
cursed by the judgment of Heaven. Doubt
less in this case, as in SO many other mani
feslations of human nature, scruples an
desires went hand in hand, and the King
remorse for his improper marriage, Will
not entirely caused, was greatly sharpenet
by his comparison of frolicsome youn
Anne with austere old Catherine.
But very slowly the great oonjugal dram
OF the sixteenth century was played. 1t wa
not until 1927 that Henry made applicatio
10 the Court of Rome for a divorce. Ho'
that application was received by the tlmi
Clement the Eighth-afraid of the King {
England, but still more afraid of Gather
ines nephew, Charles the Fifth, King
Spain and Emperor of Germany-how fC
i've years the proceedings dragged the
weary length along, the Kings request b'
ing neither denied nor granted by the va'
illatlng Pope how the all-grasping Wolse
sought 10 win his way through these CON
plieations 10 the papal thronei how yes
by year Henry became more ALLEVIATE
| from the Romish See-these are matters
general history unnecessary TO dwell upo
in this personal sketch.
Meanwhile the intimacy between Il
King aud Anne Boleyn became more an
more pronounced. All understood that,
the divorce should be obtained, that lad
p would become Queen of England. Hem
wrote her numerous letters, and there is L
doubt that she did all she could to forwaI
the divorce. Her own letters to Wolse
ahoU this haVond uuesliOn.