Queen Katherine of Aragon, the daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella,
the patrons of Christopher Columbus, had now, after twenty years'
marriage with Henry VIII, reached a certain age. She had borne him
several sons, but all had died: only one, a daughter, lived, known
later on as Queen, under the title "Bloody Mary." Katherine had aged
early, and sought comfort in religion; she used to rise at night and
attend mass in the garb of a Franciscan nun. She knew of the
King's unfaithfulness, but accepted it quietly; she had heard the
name of Elizabeth Blunt, but ignored it.
Now she sat on a seat, and watched her young attendants playing,
while she turned over the pages of her prayer book. One pair
especially her eyes followed with pleasure--the uncommonly beautiful
Anna of Norfolk and young Henry Algernon Percy of Northumberland,
Hotspur's descendant. The pair were playing with roses; the youth
had an armful of white and the girl an armful of red roses, which
they threw at each other, singing as they lid so.
It was a beautiful sight, but the Queen became sad: "Don't play like
that, children," she said; "it awakens memories which ought to sleep
in the Tower, where Only the dead can sleep quietly. Besides, the
King, and consequently the Cardinal, will be vexed; they sit there
in the library.
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