cause his majesty had at that time to be offended with him, yet she thought that ignorance, not will, was the cause of his error, and so besought his majesty, if the cause were not very heinous, at her humble suit to take it. "Ah! poor soul,' quoth he, ‘thou little knowest how evil he deserveth this grace at thy hands. Of my word, sweet heart, he hath been towards thee an arrant knave, and so let him go.' To this the queen in charitable manner replying in few words, ended that talk; having also by God's only blessing, happily for that time and ever, escaped the dangerous snares of her bloody and cruel enemies for the gospel's sake." This attempt of Gardiner's, with some other practices of his about this period, in favour of popery, caused the king to order his name to be erased from the list of his executors, and to take some other steps which facilitated the progress of the reformation at the commencement of the reign of Edward VI. Among other services Catherine Parr at this time rendered to the cause of learning and truth, was the preventing the confiscation of the colleges at Cambridge by her intercession, which were placed at the king's disposal by a recent act, while many about the court were anxious to obtain their revenues. There can be no doubt that by the example and efforts of queen Catherine, much outward decorum, at least, was introduced into the court while she presided; and in many instances more than an external profession of religion. Her own constant attention to the observances of religion, appears not only from the foregoing narrative of Fox, but also from the little devotional works compiled by her, especially her prayers and meditations, several editions of which were printed in 1545 and the two following years, in a form particularly well suited to be a convenient manual for constant use.' Ballard has remarked, that the dreadful alarm she must have felt at the attempt of Gardiner for her destruction, seems to have awakened all the divine faculties of her soul, and to have made her more earnest in preparation for eternity. 66 one of Fuller observes of queen Catherine, that she was great piety, beauty, and discretion. Next to the bible she studied the king's disposition, observing him to her utmost. And need she had of a nimble soul to attend at all times on his humour, whose fury had now got the addition of frowardness thereunto. She was rather nurse than wife unto him, who was more decayed by sickness and intemperance than old age.” The history of queen Catherine Parr, after the decease of Henry, is short and melancholy. The provision he made for her, though a mark of his affection and esteem, was but a slender provision for one of her rank. Thus left an unprotected female in *These are published by the Religious Tract Society. 13 Her marriage with the lord admiral, and death. troublous times, it is not surprising that she should listen to the addresses of a man of rank and power, earlier than modern ideas of propriety would countenance. She married in the same year Sir Thomas Seymour, lord admiral of England, uncle to king Edward and brother to the protector, the duke of Somerset. It appears that she was the more inclined to this union by the revival of an early affection for that able, but ambitious and unprincipled individual. Ambition, indeed, appears to have been his chief inducement to this alliance, which was disapproved by his brother, though the young king wrote a congratulatory letter to the queen, assuring her that suitable provision should be made for them if at any time need required. With the lord admiral she lived but a short time, and that very unhappily. He was a scorner of the truth, and though he did not prevent her continuing openly to manifest her regard for the gospel, he did not hesitate to show his own indifference, by continually absenting himself from the public services she instituted for the benefit of their family. Latimer openly spoke of this in one of his sermons before king Edward. (See Latimer, p. 62.) 66 This pious female was soon released from her trials. ́ She died in September, 1548, soon after giving birth to a daughter; not without strong suspicions that she was poisoned by her husband, who was desirous of marrying the princess Elizabeth. His ambitious and cruel practices, however, soon met with a just reward. To use the words of Latimer, "he died very dangerously, irksomely, horribly." He had been in practice, if not in profession, an open infidel. Some lines, however, written by him a short time before his execution, evince a mind aware of the cause of his situation; he says, Forgetting God to love a king, hath been my rod." Her daughter, thus left an orphan, died at an early age. Her writings consist of a small manual of Prayers or Medita tions, which is reprinted in the following pages. There is also a compilation, chiefly from scripture, entitled Psalms. These are fifteen in number, and are reflections on various subjects connected with christian life. But the most valuable of her writings was, Queen Catherine Parr's Lamentation of a Sinner, bewailing the ignorance of her blind life." This was published after her decease by lord Burleigh, who found it among her papers, and it is reprinted in the present collection. Some letters written by her will be found in Strype and Haynes. She also translated an exposition of the fifty-first Psalm made by Jerome of Ferraria. The part she took in the translation of the Paraphrase of Erasmus has been already noticed. 66 Such was Catherine Parr, one of those queens whom God has been pleased to constitute nursing mothers to his church-a main instrument in protecting and advancing the English refor mation at a most critical period; one who, it cannot be doubted, was a real follower of Christ. The following consolatory letter, written by Catherine Parr, shows her piety, and her attention to the precepts of the gospel, for it was ad dressed to the wife of one of her bitter opponents. Letter of Queen Catherine Parr to Lady Wriothesley, comforting her for the loss of her only son. GOOD my lady Wriothesley, understanding it hath pleased God of late to disinherit your son of this world, of intent he should become partner and chosen heir of the everlasting inheritance, for which calling and happy vocation ye may rejoice, yet when I consider you are a mother by flesh and nature, doubting how you can give place quietly to the same; inasmuch as Christ's mother, endued with all godly virtues, did utter a sorrowful natural passion of her Son's death, whereby we have all obtained everlastingly to live-therefore amongst other discreet and godly consolations given unto you, as well by my lord your husband, as other your wise friends, I have thought with mine own hand to recommend unto you my simple counsel and advice; desiring you not so to utter your natural affection by inordinate sorrow, that God have cause to take you as a murmurer against his appointments and ordinances. For what is excessive sorrow but a plain evidence against you, that your inward mind doth repine against God's doings, and a declaration that you are not contented, that God hath put your son by nature, but his by adoption, in possession of the heavenly kingdom? Such as have doubted of the everlasting life to come, do sorrow and bewail the departure hence, but those which are persuaded that to die here is life again, do rather hunger for death, and count it a felicity, than to bewail it as an utter destruction. How much, madam, are you to be counted godly wise, that will and can prevent, through your godly wisdom, knowledge, and humble submission, that thing which time would at length finish. If you lament your son's death, you do him great wrong, and show yourself to sorrow for the happiest thing that ever came to him, being in the hands of his best Father. If you are sorry for your own commodity, you show yourself to live to yourself. And as of his towardness you could but only hope, his years were so young which could perform nothing, it seemeth that he was now a meet and pleasant sacrifice for Christ. Wherefore, good my lady Wriothesley, put away all immoderate and unjust heaviness, requiring you with thanksgiving to frame your heart, that the Father in heaven may think you are most glad and best contented to make him a present of his spiritual, and your only natural son; glorifying him more in that it hath pleased his majesty to accept and able him to his kingdom, than that it first pleased him to comfort you with such a gift; who can at his pleasure recompense your loss with such a like jewel, if gladly and quietly you submit, and refer all to his pleasure. PRAYERS, OR MEDITATIONS; WHEREIN THE MIND IS STIRRED PATIENTLY TO SUFFER ALL AFFLICTIONS FELICITY. COLLECTED OUT OF CERTAIN HOLY A. D. 1546. "If ye be risen again with Christ, seek the things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things that are above, and not on things which are on the earth," Col. iii. MOST benign Lord Jesus, grant me thy grace, that it may alway work in me, and persevere with me unto the end. Grant me that I may ever desire and will that which is most pleasant and most acceptable to thee. Thy will be my will, and my will be to follow alway thy will. Let there be alway in me one will, and one desire with thee; and that I have no desire to will or not to will, but as thou wilt. Lord, thou knowest what thing is most profitable and most expedient for me. Give, therefore, what thou wilt, as much as thou wilt, and when thou wilt. Do with me what thou wilt, as it shall please thee, and shall be most to thine honour. Put me where thou wilt, and freely do with me in all things after thy will. Thy creature I am, and in thy hands, lead and turn me where thou wilt. Lo, I am thy servant, ready to do all things that thou commandest; for I desire not to live to myself, but to thee. Lord Jesus, I pray thee, grant me grace, that I may never set my heart on the things of this world, but that all worldly and carnal affections may utterly die and be mortified in me. Grant me above all things that I may rest in thee, and finally quiet and pacify my heart in thee. For thou, Lord, art the very true peace of heart, and the perfect rest of the soul, and without thee all things are grievous and unquiet. My Lord Jesus, I beseech thee, be with me in every place, and at all times; and let it be to me a special solace, gladly, for thy love, to lack all worldly solace. And if thou withdraw thy comfort from me at any time, keep me, O Lord, from desperation, and make me patiently to abide thy will and ordinance. O Lord Jesus, thy judgments are righteous, and thy providence is much better for me than all that I can imagine or devise. Wherefore, do with me in all things as it shall please thee, for it may not but be well, all that thou doest. If thou wilt that I be in light, be thou blessed; if thou wilt that I be in darkness, be thou also blessed. If thou vouchsafe to comfort me, be thou highly blessed; if thou wilt I live in trouble and without comfort, be thou likewise ever blessed. Lord, give me grace gladly to suffer whatsoever thou wilt shall fall upon me, and patiently to take at thy hand good and bad, bitter and sweet, joy and sorrow; and for all things that shall befall unto me, heartily to thank thee. Keep me, Lord, from sin, and I shall dread neither death nor hell. Oh what thanks ought I to give unto thee, who hast suffered the grievous death of the cross, to deliver me from my sins, and to obtain everlasting life for me. Thou gavest us most perfect example of patience, fulfilling and obeying the will of thy Father, even unto the death. Make me, wretched sinner, obediently to use myself after thy will in all things, and patiently to bear the burden of this corruptible life. For though this life be tedious, |