Page:The Queens of England.djvu/301

 KATHARINE OF ARRAGON. 261 look less youthful, so that even ere Time had robbed her of those personal attractions in which her contemporaries declared her not to be deficient, Henry considered her past the age for having a right to the affection and fidelity which he had sworn to her at the altar. But though Katharine took no part in the amusements of Henry, she offered no objections to his indul- gence of them, nor evinced any symptoms of jealousy until he drew attention by his too evident admiration of Mary Boleyn, the elder sister of Anne, who was afterwards to win his fickle heart. Although deeply wounded, Katharine conducted herself with a calm dignity that enabled her to avoid all slander, and which probably prevented Henry from pursuing his flirtation any further; for Mary Boleyn married, in July, 1521, William Carey, a descendant of the Beauforts, and not remotely allied to the king himself, but destitute of fortune, which latter cir- cumstance incurred the deep displeasure of her father at the marriage. The jealousy of Katharine was again excited, four years later, when Henry created Henry Fitzroy, his natural son by Lady Talbois, duke of Richmond and Somerset, grand ad- miral of England, and invested him with the order of the Garter. To confer such distinction on a mere child was a man- ifestation of a want of respect to the queen's feeling that greatly pained her. It also proved that he no longer hoped for a son by her, and this was very galling to Katharine. In May, 1522, Henry joined the Emperor Charles against France. Regardless of the contract that affianced his daughter Mary to the French dauphin he offered her to the King of Scot- land as if no previous engagement existed. The war with France caused the return of Anne Boleyn to England, where soon after she was appointed maid of honor to Katharine, an event fraught with misery to the queen ; for, although some historians have asserted that Henry had resolved on seeking a divorce from Katharine previously to his passion for Anne Boleyn, there can be little doubt that his eagerness to obtain it was greatly increased by his desire to wed her, how- ever he might urge his conscientious scruples as an excuse for it. Charles the Fifth had incurred the enmity of Wolsey by not having urged his influence for that cardinal's election to the papal throne, and the queen had offended the proud prelate by her disapproval of his ostentation and vanity. Wolsey had marked the growing indifference of his master towards Kath- arine — an indifference of which she was too deeply sensible