The History of the Reformation Volume 1 Book III. [29 Jan 1536.] This was the last public good act of this unfortunate queen (age 35); who, the nearer she drew to her end, grew more full of good works. She had distributed in the last nine months of her life between fourteen and fifteen thousand pounds to the poor, and was designing great and public good things. And by all appearance, if she had lived, the money that was raised by the suppression of religious houses had been better employed than it was. In January, she brought forth a dead son. This was thought to have made ill impressions on the king; and that, as he concluded from the death of his sons by the former queen, that the marriage was displeasing to God; so he might, upon this misfortune, begin to make the like judgment of this marriage. Sure enough the popish party were earnestly set against the queen, looking on her as a great supporter of heresy. And at that time Fox (age 40), then bishop of Hereford, was in Germany, at Smalcald, treating a league with the protestant princes, who [?]sisted much, on the Ausburg Confession. There were many conferences between Fox and doctor [?]arnes, and some others, with the Lutheran divines, for accommodating the differences between them; and the thing was in a good forwardness: all which was imputed to the queen. Gardiner was then ambassador in France, and wrote earnestly to the king, to dissuade him from entering into any religious league with these princes; for that would alienate all the world from him, and dispose his own subjects to rebel. The king thought the German princes and divines should have submitted all things to his judgment; and had such an opinion of his own learning, and was so puffed up with the flattering raises that he daily heard, that he grew impatient of any opposition, and thought that his dictates should pass for oracles. And because the Germans would not receive them so, his mind was alienated from them.

Calendars. On the same day that the Queen (deceased) was buried this King's concubine (age 35) miscarried of a child, who had the appearance of a nude about three months and a half old, at which miscarriage the King (age 44) has certainly shown great disappointment and sorrow. The concubine (age 35) herself has since attempted to throw all the blame on the duke of Norfolk (age 63), whom she hates, pretending that her mishap was entirely owing to the shock she received when, six days before, he (the Duke) came to announce to her the King's fall from his horse. But the King knows very well that it was not that, for his accident was announced to her in a manner not to create alarm; besides which, when she heard of it, she seemed quite indifferent to it. Upon the whole, the general opinion is that the concubine's miscarriage was entirely owing to defective constitution, and her utter inability to bear male children; whilst others imagine that the fear of the King treating her as he treated his late Queen, which is not unlikely, considering his behaviour towards a damsel of the Court, named Miss Seymour (age 27), to whom he has latterly made very valuable presents-is the oral cause of it all. The Princess' governess, her daughters, and a niece of hers, have greatly mourned over the concubines miscarriage, never ceasing to interrogate one of the Princess' most familiar maids in waiting on the subject, and asking whether their mistress had been informed of Anne's miscarriage, for if she had, as was most likely, they still would not for the world that she knew the rest of the affair and its causes, thereby intending to say that there was fear of the King's taking another wife.

Wriothesley's Chronicle 1536. 29 Jan 1536. This yeare also, three daies before Candlemas^d, Queene Anne (age 35) was brought a bedd and delivered of a man chield, as it was said, afore her tyme, for she said that she had reckoned herself at that tyme but fiftene weekes gonne with chield; it was said she tooke a fright, for the King ranne that time at the ring and had a fall from his horse, but he had no hurt; and she tooke such a fright withall that it caused her to fall in travaile^e, and so was delivered afore her full tyme, which was a great discompfort to all this realme.^f

Note d. As Candlemas Day is the 2nd of February, our Author must have calculated three full days, exclusive of the 29th January, 1536.

Note e. Another account is that her miscarriage was occasioned by the shock which she received upon discovering that Henry VIII had transferred his affections to Jane Seymour (age 27).

Note f. Her miscarriage was thought to have made an ill impression on the King's mind, who from thence concluded that this marriage was displeasing to God. Burnet, i. p. 196.

Letters 1536. 29 Jan 1536. 282. On the day of the interment the Concubine (age 35) had an abortion which seemed to be a male child which she had not borne 3½ months, at which the King has shown great distress. The said concubine (age 35) wished to lay the blame on the Duke of Norfolk (age 63), whom she hates, saying he frightened her by bringing the news of the fall the King had six days before. But it is well known that is not the cause, for it was told her in a way that she should not be alarmed or attach much importance to it. Some think it was owing to her own incapacity to bear children, others to a fear that the King would treat her like the late Queen, especially considering the treatment shown to a lady of the Court, named Mistress Semel [Jane Seymour (age 27)], to whom, as many say, he has lately made great presents. The Princess's gouvernante (age 60), her daughters, and a niece, have been in great sorrow for the said abortion, and have been continually questioning a lady who is very intimate with the Princess whether the said Princess did not know the said news of the abortion, and that she might know that, but they would not for the world that she knew the rest, meaning that there was some fear the King might take another wife.

Annales of England by John Stow. 29 Jan 1536. The twentie nine of Januarie, Queene Anne (age 35) was delivered of a man Childe before her time, which was borne deade.

Letters 1536. 10 Feb 1536. Vienna Archives. 283. Chapuys to Granvelle.

This notable and good Catholic Archbishop of Canterbury, in his preaching on Sunday last, among other blasphemies against the Pope, proposed to prove that all the passages in Scripture about Antichrist referred to his Holiness, and, to injure at a blow the Holy See and the Imperial authority, cited one author who said that Antichrist should come when the empire was ruined. This, he said, it was now, because of all the monarchy only a small portion of Germany obeyed the empire; and he decried the Imperial authority as much as he could, ending by saying that the Pope was the true Antichrist, and no other need be looked for. Thus you may see the virtue and honesty of this apostate, and what has come of the good treatment shown him when he was with his Majesty, and what good cause I had to send my man to Bologna when his Majesty was there to prevent the Pope from allowing his promotion. I must not forget to say there are innumerable persons who consider that the concubine (age 35) is unable to conceive, and say that the daughter said to be hers and the abortion the other day are supposititious. Eight days ago the goods of the Dantzic merchants, which the King had sequestrated, were released. London, 10 Feb. 1535.

The King has lately given a Bishopric to one who some time ago abandoned the Augustinian habit¹, and like a Lutheran fled to Germany, where it is said he has a wife. Fr., from a modern copy, p. 1.

Note 1. Barlow, who was about this time promoted to the Bishopric of St. Asaph, was certainly an Augustinian originally, but there seems here to be some confusion between him and Barnes (age 41).

Letters 1536. 25 Feb 1536. Vienna Archives. 352. Chapuys to Granvelle.

I thank you for your good report to the ambassador of England touching what I several times wrote of Mr. Secretary Cromwell, who, as you will see by what I write to his Majesty, has formally thanked me for it. You will learn all the news here from my letters to his Majesty, save that Cromwell has told me that the French king insinuated to the King his master that the Emperor was quite content with what he had done against the duke of Savoy; and, moreover, that a Bible has been printed here in English, in which the texts that favor the Queen, especially Deut. xix., have been translated in the opposite sense. I am credibly informed that the Concubine (age 35), after her abortion, consoled her maids who wept, telling them it was for the best, because she would be the sooner with child again, and that the son she bore would not be doubtful like this one, which had been conceived during the life of the Queen; thereby acknowledging a doubt about the bastardy of her daughter. London, 25 Feb. 1535. Fr., from a modern copy, p. 1.

Letters 1536. 25 Feb 1536. I learn from several persons of this Court that for more than three months this King has not spoken ten times to the Concubine (age 35), and that when she miscarried he scarcely said anything to her, except that he saw clearly that God did not wish to give him male children; and in leaving her he told her, as if for spite, that he would speak to her after she was "relevize¹". The said Concubine (age 35) attributed the misfortune to two causes: first, the King's fall; and, secondly, that the love she bore him was far greater than that of the late Queen, so that her heart broke when she saw that he loved others [Jane Seymour (age 27)]. At which remark the King was much grieved, and has shown his feeling by the fact that during these festive days he is here, and has left the other (age 35) at Greenwich, when formerly he could not leave her for an hour.

Note 1. Possibly from 'relever' ie recovered?

Calendars. 06 Mar 1536. 35. Since the above was written I have had a letter from the Imperial ambassador in France, in date of the 15th ultimo, intimating that, according to news received from England, the King wished to marry the Princess to a gentleman of his kingdom, and that king Francis had told the Imperial ambassador that in consequence of a fall from his horse king Henry had been two hours unconscious without speech¹; seeing which Ana Bolans (age 35) (Boleyn) was so struck that she actually miscarried of a son. Great news these, for which we are bound to thank God, because, were the Princess to be married as reported, she may at once be considered out of danger; for her marriage may hereafter be dissolved and declared null, as it would effectually be owing to the violence used, and the evident fear the Princess has of her life, should she not consent to it. At any rate, it must be owned that though the King himself was not converted like St. Paul after his fall, at least his adulterous wife (age 35) has miscarried of a son.

Note 1. Que el Rey de Inglaterra auia caitlo con su cavallo, y estado mas de dos horas sin habla, de lo qual la Ana (age 35) tuvo tan grande alteracion que movió un hijo." [That the King of England had fallen with his horse and remained without speech for more than two hours, causing such a great disturbance to Ana that she gave birth to a child.]

Hall's Chronicle 1536. Feb 1536¹. And in February following was Queen Anne brought a bed of a child before her time, brought a bed of a child which was borne dead.

Note. Hall has the date wrong here - the miscarriage occurred on the 29th of January, the same day as Catherine of Aragon's funeral.

Letters 1536. 12 Feb 1536. Add. MS. 8,715, f. 205. B. M. 294. Bishop of Faenza (age 35) to the Prothonotary Ambrogio. Hears that the king of England has had a fall from his horse, and was thought to be dead for two hours. His lady (age 35) miscarried in consequence. Ital., modern copy, pp. 3. Headed: Al Signor Protonotario Ambrogio, Da Leone, li 12 Febraro 1536

Letters 1536. 15 Feb 1536. Has received a letter from the ambassador in France, dated 15 Feb., stating that he hears from England that the King intends to marry the Princess to an English knight. The French king said that the king of England had fallen from his horse, and been for two hours without speaking. "La Ana" (age 35) was so upset that she miscarried of a son. This is news to thank God for. The Princess being thus married will be out of danger; and the marriage itself will be of no validity, on account of her fear being so great and so evident unless she consented; and although the King has not improved in consequence of his fall, it is a great mercy that his paramour miscarried of a son.

Sp., pp. 5. Modern copy.