The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1912-06-16

years ,xs A was ls a mon n e =
ster. He was h t. n r r Vlli
Henry VIII. OF England Henry's IA
Their had educated him for the priest.
hood, when his elder brother, Arthur,
died: thus making Henry heir to the
English throne. Arthur had been
married to Catherine of Ara9on, who
brought him q dewry of 100000
crowns. Sooner than to return this
large dowry, the miserly old king mar
ried Catherine to Henry. She was
some years older than her boy nus
band and totally unit wife for such
youth.
In 1909 Henry VIII. became king. He
was eighteen years old and the most
popular man in his kingdom. Hand
some, athletic, Jolly, clever, he was
the exact opposite of his miser father.
England was weak from long civil
wars and bad rule. She had sunk al
most to the level OF q third rate power.
Henry quickly changed all this.
With splendid craftsmanship he stead
lily lifted his country to foremost
rank among Europe's nations, He
won victories against French and Scot
fish foes. Education and commerce
throve. The land waxed rich and hap
py:. For writing church book Henry
received from the pope the title Of
Defender of the Faith" A prosper
GUS. contented nation, daily increas-
ing in greatness, was ruled by wise.
just and beloved king.
So much for the first IS years. Then
came the change-a change that turn
ed hero king into biackguard. A
change no historian has been able to
explain. 1t. was, caused in the first
place by woman. i ','
Heny's wife,N Catherine of Aragon,
was grpwing old. lie was still in his
prime. She was ;homely. severe, SOL
emn--his OPPOSITE in all things They
had had two sons, who had died In
earliest infancy. Their only living
child was siekly daughter (who
later became Queen Nary. Henry,
up to this time, had treated his elder
ly wife kindly enough. There was no
stain on his private life. His morals
were unusually good, his career free
from scandal. But, after nearly a
score of years on the throne, he sud
denly fell in love with Anne Boleyn.
one Of GATHERINGS 4 ladies-i n-waiting.
Anne was beautiful weak, vicious;
she was decidedly attractive in spite
of the fact that she had two thumbs
on each hand. IF @
Henry wished to marry her. He de-
clared that his early marriage to his
brothers widow was illegal, and
sought to have 1t annulled.
The pope refused to sanction so
wicked a plan. Henry, thereupon,
threw aside his allegiance to the Cath
olic church and to the pope, and de-
clared himself the head of all relig.
ious institutions In England. Then
he proceeded to modify his country
religion and to hehead all who would
not conform to his new way Of think.
Ing. He also abolished Englands
peaceful monasteries. Catholics who
remained loyal to their church and to
the pope were slain without mercy or
Justice. Protestauts who objected to
Henry's regulations were also put to
death. Any man who crossed the mon
arch's wishes or ideas was executed.
Whole families were killed for no bet4
ter reason than that they obeyed their
own consciences rather than the UNI
Just orders of tyrant. BY Catholics
and Protestants alike Henry grew to
be loathed. His early popularity was
drowned In oceans of innocent blood,
shed at his cruel orders. Where once
he had governed by love he now ruled
by inspiring death fears. Some writer's
say that no less than 10000 persons
We're executed during the last 20 years
OF Henry's reign. This is, perhaps, an
exaggeration. But the victims could
be numbered by thousands. The once
genial, gracious sovereign had become
monster. .. E
Anne Boleyn profited little by her
marriage with Henry. Not long after
the birth OF her daughter (afterward
Queen Elizabeth), she was suspected
OF unfaithfulness and was beheaded
by Henry's orders. Next day he mar
ried Anne's lady-in waiting, Jane Sey-
mour. Jane died soon after the hirth
OF her son, Edward. Henry then mar
ried Anne of Cleves, Flemish
princess, whom he had never seen.
AT first sight he fell into rage, cursed
her for a hideous Flanders mare" and
divorced her. Soon aftcrward he mar
red Catherine Howard. Doubling
her loyalty to him, he had her put to
death and married his sixth wife,
Catherine Parr. De'
How much oftener he might have
gone to the altar, had he lived long
enough. cannot be guessed. lll-health
had already begun to disfigure his
handsome face, cripple his body and
make life an agony for him. On January
2S, 1547, he died, In his fifty.slxth year.
unmourned. hated; his very memory q
hing of horror.
The Likeness.
Mrs Newell suppose now we
have disagreed. YOU are comparing
T. 4 4 +