Page:The Queens of England.djvu/406

 364 THE QUEENS OF ENGLAND. until the Emperor Charles the Fifth had indignantly renounced the fulfilment of his engagement with the princess in conse- quence of his having discovered, secretly as Henry wished it to be kept, that he intended to divorce Katharine ; which proves that it was not the doubt of the Bishop of Tarbes, if indeed he had ever entertained a doubt with regard to the illegitimacy of Mary; that had instigated the king to such a measure, al- though such was the pretext made by Henry to allay the just anger of Katharine when she discovered his intention. No diminution of Henry's affection for his daughter appears to have taken place until he discovered that she was so much be- loved by the people that they would ill brook seeing her set aside by any new heir to the kingdom. He likewise saw that the princess was so fondlv attached to the queen, her mother, that her degradation from the throne would inflict deep sorrow on her daughter. Aught that interfered with the gratification of his own selfish views excited his anger and. impatience ; hence he began to feel as indisposed towards his daughter as to her mother, and was ready to sacrifice both to the indulgence of his passion and unbridled resentment. Although Henry was urging proceedings for the divorce, he still maintained an ap- pearance of amity with Katharine and their daughter, and no change in the princely state of either was for some time at- tempted. But this appearance of amity did not long continue. Henry finally parted from Katharine in 1531, and separated the Princess Mary from her mother at a period when each most required the consolation of being together. The letters written by Katharine to her daughter after their separation breathe a spirit of resignation and good sense, mingled with a becoming dignity, that do honor to her character. Out of consideration to the feelings of Mary, which had been so acutely touched as to cause her a long and dangerous illness, she concealed her own sorrow, and affected a cheerfulness which she must have been far from possessing. In vain did the bereaved mother entreat that her child might be permitted to visit her : she was denied this boon, and never more saw the daughter on whom she doted. The marriage of Henry with Anne Boleyn, early in 1533, brought new mortifications to Mary, by making her feel her altered position. She was commanded, on the birth of Eliza- beth, henceforth to renounce the title of princess, which was to be given solely to the infant daughter of Anne Boleyn, whom Henrv now declared to be the heiress to the throne, unless a