The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-05-18
Great rials Of History.
Trial of Catherine of ArnRon.

King Henry VIII. OF England spent
moro time IN the courtroom than any
other sovereign has ever done And
II was the uuaris:ocratic Divorce
Court. The hrst OF the trials insti-
tut"d by Henry TO rid himself OF
wife % whom he had grown tired was
his efforts 20 divorce himself from
Catherine Of Aragou. - required two
long efforts. and the King became vory
much pccved 1T tho slowness OF tho
proceedings.
Henry and Catherine had been mar
ri"d on juno u. 1922. Size had pre-
Viously been married to his brother.
and feeling II was necessary as a poll
'cy ~ state 10 keep on good terms with
Ferdinand OF Spniu. when his broth
or died " decided TO marry his sister
;n-ltH. MI wri,.rr agree that the arst
Tow years Of their welded lie were
extremely happy. although the Queen
waa siN years licnry's scnicT FOR III
was only eighteen At the time OF the
marriage.
At first Catherine exercised an cnor-
nous influence over Henry. AMI. IN
fact. until tho riso OF Wolsey. Cath
crro was the most powerful person
age ia the kingdom. The FIRST trouble
that came between them was due 10
tho foxy Ferdinand, who iuvc!Rlcd his
son-in-law into "a lcaru. with him
against tho French monarch The re
suit was that after nc had involved
Eng!and he turned traitor aud CON
ciuded treaty OF peace with the
French, in which Henry was entirely
overlooked. This was in 1919. Henry.
naturally. was angereb, and the fol-
lowing year rumOTS OF divorce began
TO he heard, but they smoldered FOR
q long time. Then Anne Bolcyn an
rcaF"d. and tho King was AT her irct.
As Henry grew more and more at
tachcd TO Bolcyn. he ie!gucd rcmorsc
that nc should have been guilty OF
unlawfully marrying his brothcr's
widow. II was not until 1925 that
Henry began publicly to express hts
scruples regarding his wedding. To
assist him 10 carry out his scheme ho
secured the services OF Cardinal Vol
scy The cardinal cXcrted every effort
with the church at Rome TO nnnul the
wedding. hat his efforts failed
Finally tho King succeeded IN the
land. and the Arst trial was begun on
May 81, 1929. Tho sitt!ngs were hello
In the Parliament chamber OF the
convent OF Elackfriars. After the
commission had been read both Cath
'rine and Henry came forward. The
Kings feet. ana all chron!clers agree
,hat The speech OF the rejected wita
waa full OF eloQu.ncc and true
pathos. She reminded him that sho
was a stranger IN q strange country.
she spoke or their children. and re-
minded him In p!tcous accents that
for eighteen years she had been a low
Ing. true and faithful wife
The procedure of tho ecclesiastical
court was always slow. and Instead
OF pushing the trial. the court mere
~ issued citation for the two par
following TO state their case Tho
King, acting In precisely the Same
manner as an ordinary litigant in an
ecclesiastical suit, cxacted Il power
OF attorney and appointed two proc
tors To act for him. DR.. Sampson ana
Or. Ball.
Tho Queen. on her side. was b. no
means without advice. for she Sc.
lcctcd ns her counsel the Archbishon
or Canterbury and the bishops OF Elv.
Rochester and st. Asaph When tho
18th Of June arrived the King appeared
low in any way the Jurisdiction Of tho
l"F;tees. and It. was evident that she
mad made up her mind TO fight tha
matter to The bitter end
The case for the King was that by
the law OF the church marriage with
deceased brothers wife was pro
hihttive. Further. that such mar
riaEe was not permitted by the law
OF God. In answer To this GATHERINGS
friends admitted that the law of the
church was against the marriage.
but that the Pope had power to dis
pcnSc with the prohibition In any par
ticular case. and that In this ease he
had dono 80.
Among those who testified as to
being present at tho marriage OF
Hcnry's brother and Catherine, as
we'll MS to other facts regarding tho
marriage, were the Earl Of Shrewa.
bury, Sir Arthur Poynes, the Mar
quia of Dorset, the Niscount Fitz-
walter and the Dukes OF Suffolk and
Norfolk The trial In every way was
sham, and finally the Pope sum
moned the King to Rome. but Henry
haughtily refused 10 appear, either
in person or by deputy, ana, setting
The Pope 1T defiance, he married
Anne Boieyn on January %. 1898 on
the 10th Of the following May, Gram
mer declared the first marriage void.
and on March 90, 1884, Pope Clcmen,
pronounced 1t valid. Queen Catherine
did not quit tho kingdom, but was
closely guarded during the remaindor
OF her lifetime, her death occurring
January Z. 1886.