The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1878-01-11

Catherine of AragOn.


ITO De contnued.l
Catherine Of ATagOn.
There is scarcely character in Eng
lish history around which more OF IN
terest clusters than Catherine OF ARA
gnu, she first wife Of Henry VIII. And
the one who gives his attention TO this
lady's unhappy story, yields her all the
more of his sympathy, inasmuch as her
misiortunes did not come upon her
through any fault or indiscretinn OF her
own Her name stands pure aud un-
tarnished beside that OF her profigate
husband.
Catherine was the fourth daughter Of
Ferdinand of Arragou and Isabella Of
Cnstile. whose names are inseparably
linked with that OF Columbus, the dis
coverer of America. Ia her fifteenth
year she was united in marriage with
Arthur, Prince of Wales, son Of Henry
VII. Her youthful husband was hut "A
boyoi fourteen, aud some months younger
than herself Their marriage was cele-
hrated al ST. Pauls Cathedral, amid the
greatest pOmp audceremonies, banquet
iugs and rejoiciugs OF the pOpulace.
The youthful couple were exceedingly
popular, he winning grace by his sweet
ness of temper aud proficiency of learn
ing, aud she by her beauty, modesty,
aud accomplishments They Were as
signed "a separate residence, where they
Kent a miniature court. But in four
months after his marriage the boVish
bridegroom suddenly died, and Gather
inc was left "a widow while yet barely
fifteen.
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Henry VII. managed To make "A good
bargain with the Spanish monarch,
Catherine was promised in marriage TO
Henry. hcr hrother-in-law. now heir APP
parent TO the throne. Henry was much
younger than herself; aud as the mar
riage could not toe solemniZed until he
had completed his fourteenth year, she
was retained during the years OF wait
ing as hostage Of the good faith Of
Spain. A few years aiterward Henry
reached that age. when his first act was
to enter protest la due form, "tliat he
had neither done, nor meant tn do, any
thing which could render the contract
made during his homage binding in
law This his father, the king, eX-
planned TO mean that it was only TO free
MS son OF all previous obligation, that
the contemplated marriage might be
entered into with their own free will
aud accord. But historians seem TO
think that its real Object was, by max
ing The marriage SEEM uncertain, 10
iorce the Spanish king 10 submit to the
pleasure of the English king ia certain
projects which he hal in view.
lt was not until Catherine had been
seven years widow, and was herself
twenty-five years of age. aud Henry
nearly eighteen, that they were married.
Henry VII. had m -antime died, aud
tatherine's husband was now king,
styled Henry VIII. Their coronation
immediately followed their marriage.
In l522, thirteen years after the royal
marriage, Anne Boleyn, a young and
beautiful woman, daughter Of Sir
Thomas Boleyn, who had heen "A maid
OF honor TO Queen Claude Of France, was
admitted into the household Of Gather
Inc IN similar capacity. Says Lin
gard; "Her French education gave her
superiority over her companions; she
played, and danced, aud sang with more
grace than any lady at court, aud the
gayety OF her conversation, with her vi
Naclly OF disposition, attracted "a crowd
of admirers %
King Henry speedily became one OF
these. But Anne was as discreet as she
was fair. She could not be his wife, and
she would not be his mistress. Months
and years rolled by, and still found the
maiden obdurate. Then Henry began
20 consider whether it was not possible
To anuul his former marriage He pre-
tended to be suddenly seized with scru-
Piles about the propriety of his marriage
with Catherine, since she had been the
widow Of his brother. He applied q
I Pope Clement for divorce, or for de-
cree which should annul his marriage;
but the Pope persistenly refused 10 grant
either decree or divorce.
Catherine protested against the course
Of her royal husband with all the dig
E nifty becoming a queen and the daughter
Of king. But finally, in 1888, King
I Henry, finding his appeals To the Pope
all iu vain, took upon himself the re-
spousibility 10 declare his former mar
. riage null aud void, aud contract mar
riHge with Anne. This marriage wa.
privately performed, knowing, as the
Z king well did, that 10 would bring d
storm upon his head when il should be-
come known. Parliament afterward, hy
I the direction of Henry, recognized the
marriage. while Crammer officially de-
clared that Henry and Anne we're and
{ had been Joined in lawful matrimony
Queen Catherine was already ban
ished from th- court, and forbidden te
assume royal titles; but the latter in
+ junction she openly disregarded, styling
herself queen aud her daughter princes:
until the day of her death.
But IL Queen Catherine suffered gross
wrong aud injustice, she was amply
avenged in the course Of time. She die,
I January 5, 1886, and in less than foul
months she was followed to the grav,
by her successful rival. But their enS
: was very different. The divorced queeI
died peaceably in her bed, while Anne
Boleyn was beheaded upon the scatiold
probably for the three-fold reason tha
She gave no male heir to the throne
that She had aroused the jealousy Of he
roval husband, and that, furthermore
he was already ensnared by q fAirer face