leigh (when secretary Cecill), which exhibits the following character of this queen: "Here maist thou see one, if the kind may moove thee, a woman; if degree may provoke thee, a woman of high estate; by birth, made noble; by marriage, most noble; by wisdome, godlie; by a mightie king, an excellent queene; by a famous HENRIE, a renowned KATHERINE; a wife to him that was a king to realmes refusing the world, wherein she was lost, to obtaine heaven, wherein she may be saved: abhorring sinne, which made hir bound, to receive grace, whereby she may be free: despising flesh, the cause of corruption, to put on the spirit, the cause of sanctification: forsaking ignorance, wherein she was blind, to come to knowledge, whereby she may see: remooving superstition, wherewith she was smothered, to imbrace true religion, wherewith she may revive." The ingenious continuator of Dr. Henry's History observes, that Catharine Parr was remarkably learned, and published, during her life, many works which did credit to her piety and abilities; but the accomplishments and arts of admiral Seymour seduced her into an injudicious marriage, and she paid dearly for that imprudence which alone disgraced a life of virtue and discretion. She fell by poison, as is believed, given by her profligate husband, who had again formed criminal projects on the English throne, by an alliance with the princess Elizabeth; having gained over Edward the sixth to request, that the lord admiral should be appointed his governor. Queen Catharine, it seems, had been made uneasy some time before her death by the freedoms which her husband took with the princess, and even became a spy upon their conduct?. The queen dowager lived a few months only after her second marriage, and dying in childbed, was buried in the chapel of Sudley castle. Her leaden coffin having been explored by female curiosity in the year 1782, her features, and particularly her eyes, are said to have appeared in a state of perfect preservation. Her stature must have been very low, as the lead which enclosed her corpse was only five feet four inches long3. A portrait of this princess, in oil colours, is in the archiepiscopal palace of Lambeth. An epitaph in Latin verse was written by her chaplain Dr. Parkhurst, and printed in his Ludicra, sive Epigrammata Juvenilia, 1573; whence it appears that she lived only seven days after the birth of her daughter. Huic peperit natam; à partu cum septimus orbem Another short inscription follows, in the same rare book. EJUSDEM REGINÆ EPITAPHION. Catharina in hac urna jacet, Regina nuper Angliæ, Decus mulierum maximum. Pariendo perit puerpera. Infantem enim postquàm edidit, (Fulgente luce septima) En illa spiritum edidit.] See Burghley papers, published by Haynes. Vide Archaeologia, vol. ix. p. 2. KING EDWARD THE SIXTH. MANY authors have preserved accounts of this prince's writings. Cardan talks much of his parts and learning. His own diary gave the still better hopes of his proving a good king, as in so green an age he seemed resolved to be acquainted with his subjects and his kingdom. Holland affirms', that he not only wrote notes from the lectures or sermons he heard, but composed a most elegant comedy, the title of which was, "The Whore of Babylon." Precious as such a relique would be in the eyes of zealots or antiquarians, I cannot much lament that it is perished, or never existed. What an education for a great prince, to be taught to scribble controversial ribaldry3. As 2 P.27. [Mr. Warton suspects, and with reason, that Holland had never seen the drama which he pronounces to be an elegant performance. Hist. of E. P. vol. iii. p. 195. Mr. Reed, however, remarks, that Tanner (from Bale) mentions it, and quotes a single line from it, by which it is shown to have been written in Latin. Biog. Dram. vol. i. p. 145.] 9 [It is candidly observed by our poetical historian, that the genius, habits, and situation of the age should be considered, when it seems strange that controversial ribaldry should have been suffered to enter into the education of a great monarch. The new settlement of religion, by counteracting inveterate |