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 ANNE BOLEYN. 285 court, and it does not appear that even then she entertained any notion of the king's attachment toward her. Nor, if she had, would it have either surprised or alarmed her, for such were the freedoms allowed in those times, that what in ours are termed flirtations, and censured, were then considered harmless, and tacitly permitted, if not approved in society. She had not long returned to court when Henry presented her with a costly jewel, to which gift' she attached so little im- portance, it being then a common custom to make similar ones, that she wore it without any reserve or fear of misconstruction. Emboldened by the gayety of manner, Henry some time after avowed his flame, the confession of which, far from meeting en- couragement from its object, excited her anger and indignation ; nor was it until after many apologies and entreaties for pardon that he was forgiven. It was on this occasion that Anne is said to have told him, in the words used by the Lady Elizabeth Grey, that "she was too good to be a king's mistress." From that moment, unaccustomed to resist the impulse of his ill- regulated passions, Henry determined to remove all obstacles to the indulgence of that which bound him to the fascinating Anne Boleyn, and pursued the necessary steps to procure a di- vorce from Katharine with increased vigor. Henceforth he addressed Anne with more respectful homage, and now, for the first time, ambition, hitherto dormant in her breast, or lulled to sleep by her deep affection for Percy, awoke, as the brilliant prospect of ascending a throne was opened to her by her sovereign. Among the persons whose society Anne Boleyn preferred were the celebrated Earl of Surrey, Sir Thomas Wyatt, and her own brother. Lord Rochford, three men whose literary acquire- ments, refined taste, and elegance of manner were remarkable at a period when these qualifications were far from being gen- eral. They, too, took especial delight in her company, and en- couraged her in her taste for literature. Conversing with her one day while she worked, Wyatt play- fully snatched from her jeweled tablet which hung by a lace from her pocket, and suspending it round his neck, beneath his dress, refused to return it, though repeatedly pressed to do so by her. Henry remarking that Wyatt frequently hovered around Anne, and feeling somewhat jealous of him, entreated her to give him a ring, which he wore on his little finger, in- tending on the first occasion by displaying it to Wyatt to make