ing of our Secretary, and our Privy Signet of the Egvell', remaining in our own keeping, as also our Great Seal to be put to these said presents. Dated at Canterbury the xth day of April, the xxiiii year of our reign'.

KATHERINE OF ARRAGON".

In the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, Amen. I, Katharine, &c. supplicate and desire King Henry the VIII. my good Lord, that it please him of his grace, and in alms, and for the service of God, to let me have the goods which I do hold, as well in gold and silver as other things, and also the same that is due to me in money for the time passed, to the intent that I may pay my debts and recompense my servants for the good service they have done unto me, and the same I desire as effectuously as I may, for the necessity wherein I am ready to die and to yield my soul unto God.

First, I supplicate that my body be buried in a Convent of Observant Friars. Item, that for my soul may be said Item, that some personage go to our Lady of

c masses.

21504. King Henry VII. died of a consumption at Richmond April 21st, 1509.

Katherine, daughter of Ferdinand King of Spain. She was born about the year 1483, and on the 14th of November 1501, married Arthur Prince of Wales, eldest son of King Henry VII. then just fifteen years of age, and who died on the 2d of April 1502, s. p.; she afterwards married her brother-in-law, Henry, who was created Prince of Wales 18th February 1503, and succeeded to the throne 21st April 1509, as King Henry VIII. On the 24th of June in the same year they were crowned at Westminster, and their only issue Mary, who is mentioned in her mother's will, was born at Greenwich in February 1518, and succeeded her half-brother King Edward VI. as Queen of England 6th July 1553. Queen Katherine's unfortunate history is too well known, and too generally lamented, to require either repetition or comment.

Walsingham, in pilgrimage, and in going by the way dole xx nobles. Item, I appoint to Mistress Darell xxl. for her marriage. Item, I ordain that the collar of gold which I brought out of Spain be to my daughter. I ordain to Mistress Blanche x 7. sterling. Item, I ordain to Mistress Margery, and to Mistress Whiller, to each of them x l. sterling. Item, I ordain to Mistress Mary, my physician's wife, and to Mistress Isabel, daughter of Mistress Margery, to each of them XL 7. sterling. Item, I ordain to my physician the year's coming wages. Item, I ordain to Francisco Philippe all that I owe unto him, and besides that XL. sterling. Item, I ordain to Mr. John, mine apothecary, his wages for the year coming, and besides that all that is due unto him. Item, I ordain that Mr. Whiller be paid of expence about the making of my gown, and besides that of xx l. sterling. Item, I give to Philip, to Anthony, and to Bastian, to every of them xxl. sterling. Item, I ordain to the little maidens xl. to every of them. Item, I ordain that my goldsmith be paid of his wages for the year coming, and besides all that is due to him hitherto. Item, I ordain that my launderer be paid of that is due unto her, and besides that of her wages for the year coming. Item, I ordain to the Sabell of Vergas xx l. sterling. Item, to my ghostly father his wages for the year coming. Item, it may please the King my good Lord, that the house ornaments of the church to be made of my gowns, which he holdeth, for to serve the convent thereat I shall be buried. And the furs of the same I give for my daughter *.

HENRY VIII.

In the name of God, and of the glorious and blessed Virgin our Lady Saint Mary, and all the Holy Company of Heaven. We Henry, by the grace of God, King of England, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, and on earth, immediately under God, the supreme head of the

* Cottonian MSS. Titus, C. vii. f. 44. It is without date.

Church of England and Ireland, of that name the eight, calling to mind, &c. And as for my body, were it not for the crown and dignity which God hath called us to, and that we would not be an infringer of worldly policies and customs when they be not contrary to God's laws, we would be content to have it buried in any place accustomed to Christian folks, were it never so vile, for it is but ashes, and to ashes it shall return again; nevertheless, because we would be loath, in the reputation of the people, to do injury to the dignity which we are unworthily called unto, we are content, and by these presents, our last will and testament, ordain that it be buried in the quire of our College of Windsor, midway between the halls and the high altar, and an honorable tomb for our bones to rest in be made (if it be not done by us in our life time), in which we will also that the bones of our true and loving wife Queen Jane' be put also. Also, we will that the tombs and altars of King Henry the Sixth, and of King Edward the Fourth, our great uncle and grandfather, be made more princely, at our charges.

Also, I will" that the service of Placebo, and Dirige, with a sermon and mass on the morrow, devoutly to be done, and that all divine service accustomed for dead folks to be celebrated for us in the next proper place where it shall fortune us to depart this transitory life." Also yearly, for ever, to 13 poor men, which shall be called Poor Knights, to every of them 12d. by day, and once in the year, yearly for ever, a long gown of white cloth, with the garter upon the breast embroidered with a shield and cross of Saint George within the garter, and a mantle of red cloth, and to such a one of the thirteen poor knights, as shall be appointed governor £3. 6s. 8d. yearly, over and above the said 12d. per day. And as for and concerning the order and disposition of the Imperial Crown of these Realms of England and Ireland, with our title of France, and all dignities, honors, &c. for the sure esta

Jane Seymour, his third wife, who died in child-birth Oct. 12th, 1537.

Here follow some directions about his funeral, and many charitable bequests.

blishment of the succession of the same; and also for a full declaration, limitation, &c. with which conditions our daughters Mary and Elizabeth shall severally hold, have, and enjoy, the said imperial crown, after our decease, and for default of issue of our son Prince Edward lawfully begotten, and his heirs; and also for a full declaration, limitation, &c. to whom, and in which manner, form, and condition, the said imperial crown shall remain and come after our decease, and for default of issue and heirs of the several bodies of us, our said son Prince Edward, and of our said daughters Mary and Elizabeth, lawfully begotten, we, by these presents, make and declare our last will and testament concerning the said imperial crown in manner and form following, that is to say:

Immediately after our decease, our said son Prince Edward shall have and enjoy the said imperial crown and realm of England and Ireland, our title of France, with all dignities, honors, pre-eminences, &c. &c. to him and his heirs of his body lawfully begotten; and for default of such issue, we will that the said imperial crown, &c. after our two deceases, shall wholly remain and come to the heirs of. our body lawfully begotten of the body of our entirely beloved wife Queen Katherine' that now is, or of any other our lawful wife that we shall hereafter marry, for each of such issue and heirs; and default of issue of our said son Prince Edward, the said imperial crown, &c. shall wholly remain and come to our said daughter Mary and the heirs of her body lawfully begotten, upon condition that our said daughter Mary, after our decease, shall not marry without the consent of the Privy Councillors and others appointed by us to our dearest son Prince Edward aforesaid, to be of council, or of the most part of them, or of the most part of such of them as shall be then alive, thereunto had before the said marriage in writing sealed with their seals; all which conditions we declare, limit, appoint, and will, by these presents, shall be knit and invested to the said estate of our daughter Mary in the said imperial crown, and all other the premises; and if it fortune that our said daughCatharine Parr, his sixth and last wife.

ter do die without lawful issue, we will that the said imperial crown and other premises shall wholly remain and come to our said daughter Elizabeth, and to the heirs of her body lawfully begotten, upon condition that she do not marry, &c. excepting with the consent of the same persons and in the same manner as just stated. If it so happen that our said daughter Elizabeth do die without lawful issue, and for default of issue of the bodies of us, of our said son Prince Edward, and our said daughters Mary and Elizabeth, the said imperial crown shall wholly remain and come to the heirs of the body of the Lady Frances our niece, eldest daughter to our late sister the French Queen ',

1

Henry the Eighth had two sisters, Margaret and Mary; Margaret, the eldest, married, first, James IV. of Scotland, whose son, by her, succeeded as James V. and was grandfather of James VI. of Scotland, and First of England. Mary, the second sister, married, first, Louis XII. of France, who died s. p.; and, secondly, Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk; by whom she had Henry Earl of Lincoln, who died vitâ patris unmarried, and two daughters, Eleanor and Frances, on whose heirs, King Henry, in case of failure of the issue of Prince Edward, his son, and of his daughters Mary and Elizabeth, bequeathed the crown, entirely passing by the issue of Margaret his eldest sister. It is worthy of remark that the throne is left to the heirs of his said nieces Eleanor and Frances, but that they themselves are not included in the succession. On the death of Edward VI. an attempt was made to place the crown on the head of the unfortunate Lady Jane Grey, the eldest daughter and coheir of the said Lady Frances, on the ground that Mary and Elizabeth, the daughters of Henry VIII. were illegitimate; and as it is evident, that according to the will of that monarch, if they had died s. p. Lady Jane Grey would have been the next heir, the effect of their being considered illegitimate would equally have established Lady Jane's claim to the throne. Catherine, the sister of Lady Jane, on her unfortunate fate, of course succeeded to her claim to the crown, and on the death of Queen Elizabeth, Edward Lord Beauchamp, son and heir of the said Lady Catherine, by her second husband (she having been divorced from her first) Edward Seymour, Earl of Hertford, would, agreeably to the limitation of the crown by the will of Henry VIII. and which was authorized by act of parliament, have been the next in succession. The representative of the said Lord Beauchamp is