Norwich bulletin., 1914-05-29
FAMOUS TRIALS
TRIAL OF ANNE eoLEYN.

When Henry VIII divorced his first
 wife, Catherine of Aragon. he had al
 ready made complete arrangements to
 wed Lady Anne Boleyn. whom he had
 created countess of Pembroke This
 marriage was celebrated on the 23d
 of January. 1533. She first bore him a
 daughter, who was named Elizabeth,
 and who in process of time became
 queen of England. and in January, 1855,
 son was born to the royal pair which
 did not live. This is thought to have
 At any rate, his love for his queen as
 stunned a remarkable coolness after
 this incident.
 Anne Boleyn had been Heary's wife
 for three years but at this time he
 entertained a secret affection for the
 Lady Jane Seymour The queen, per
 ceiying the alienation of the kings
 heart from her, used all her arts to
 recover it, though without success.
 The kings ardor having cooled, he
 found opportunities on all sides to
 discover incidents in the actions of the
 queen which he could use against her,
 and in this he was aided by persons
 about the court who were at odds with
 Anne The many stories that were
 carried to the king finally led him to
 charge her with various offenses and
 she was finally sent to the tower.
 Several lords who accompanied her
 to the tower by water declared to her what her crimes were, but she made deep protestations of her innocence.
 and begged leave to see the king. This
 was refused. The duke of Norfolk and
 some others at the privy council went and examined her in the tower but were able to get nothing out of her. On the 18th of May, 1536, Sir Wfl- liam Kingston. lieutenant of the tower. brought forth the queen and her hrofho,- orr Rnohfar6 n he tried by their peers. There was a scaffold erected for this purpose in the king s hall within the-tower. There were twenty-six peers appointed to try the queen, besides the lord high steward of England. Thomas. duke of Norfolk Before these n0ble lords the queen was indicted of high treason. The crimes laid to her charge were: That she had procured her brother and the other four to be with her. which they had often done; that she had said l to them that the king never had her heart; that she said to every one of them that she loved them better than any person whatsoever" and that the whole tended to the slurring of the fs- sue, begot between the king and her" It was also added in the indictment 1 that she and her accomplices had conspired the kings death. SWhen the indictment was read Anne pleaded not guilty. History fails to give the Dar- | ticulars of the trial, what questions, were put to her, how she answered with other circumstances which must | accompany so signal an event.
 l One thing is exceedingly remarkable l and lays a grands slur upon the pro- ceedings of the court, and that is that | son who confessed anything, was never | confronted by the queen. nor was his l evidence brought into the case. The main evidence that was brought, ac- cording to Spelman's account. was the oath of a dead woman: yet this
 wrought upon their lordships to the extent that they found the queen and her brother guilty Judgment was pronounced to the effect that the queer I should be burnt or beheaded at the kings pleasure.
 ! The poor queen was brought to the ecaffold erected on Tower hill on the 18th of May. a little before noon. After mounting the scaffold she made a ashor, speech of the character so brave and 1 pious a queen would be expected te make. Among those who were present on this fatal day were the dukes ol | Suffolk and Richmond, the lord chan oellor, Secretary Cromwell, the lord mayor, sheriffs and aldermen of Lcn- don.
 Anne's head was cut of by shs 1 hAnEman of Calais, who was broue hi over on purpose as being more ex- l part In the art of decollation than any tn England. Spelnan wrftes: "Hei eyes and lips wcre observed to move After her head had been Aevered Hei Ebody was thrown into common chest l ef elmtree that was made to put ar rows in, Surely they might have pro- vided a more decent coffin for her whe had once been tine light of the king {
 eyes. but 1t was go and not otherwise l and in that manner it was conveyed
 snte the tower char >i ssd th1ea tASiA6 hefo&o f5 osetadjk.' sss