Page:The Queens of England.djvu/317

 KATHARINE OF ARRAGON. 277 soon became visible by its increased delicacy. Aware of her fast declining state, she applied to have her residence removed to the neighborhood of London; but this request, like her for- mer one to see her daughter, was sternly refused, and no choice allowed her but to proceed to Fotheringay Castle a spot so insalubrious that she at once declared she would only be taken there by force. Some time after, she removed to Kimbolton Castle, a place little less unhealthy than Fotheringay. Such was the respect Katharine inspired in the breasts ot those appointed to attend her, that they could not be induced to address her as any other than the king's wife and queen; and as this was strictly prohibited by Henry, several of them de- manded their dismissal, while others incurred punishment tor this violation of the king's commands. The unhappy queen s words were noted down and reported to the privy council by Sir Edmund Bedingfield, who had been appointed steward of her household, and who, by the wish of Henry, was to make reductions in her establishment. How moderate were the de- sires of Katharine may be judged "by the fact that she required only to retain "her confessor, her physician, and her apothecary, two men servants, and as many women as it should please the king's grace to appoint." Cruel and heartless as had hitherto been the conduct of Henry toward Katharine, it now became marked by meanness no less unworthy a sovereign than of her to whom it was directed. Katherine's confessors, Fathers for- est and Abell, were thrown into prison, and persecuted in the most savage manner to force from them declarations that might iustify the divorce from their royal mistress. Finahy they were both put to death in the most horrible manner, Forest being burnt alive with the most incredible barbarities. The income assigned to Katharine was only that to which as widow ot Prince Arthur she had been entitled, and of this sum, amount- ing to five thousand pounds a year, so considerable a portion was withheld, that sufficient remained not to defray the ex- penses of her limited establishment, though conducted on the most economical system; thus poverty was added to the other ills heaped on the defenseless head of this illustrious lady, who had been tempted by offers of wealth, if she would abandon her rights and consent to her own and her daughter s degradation. This poverty fell on her, too, when, with ruined health, she stood most in need of the many comforts necessary to soothe, though they could not mitigate, disease.