with her; and that the act was
committed at Hampton Court, 25th December, 25 Hen. VIII.

"5. That the queen, 8th of May, 26 Hen. VIII., procured and incited
Francis Weston, one of the gentlemen of the king's privy chamber, to
have illicit intercourse with her; and that the act was committed at
Westminster, 20th May, 26 Hen. VIII.

"6. That the queen, 12th of April, 26 Hen. VIII., procured and incited
Mark Smeton, Esq., one of the grometers of the king's chamber, to have
illicit intercourse with her; and that the act was committed at
Westminster, 26th April, 26 Henry VIII.

"7. Furthermore, that the said George, Lord Rochfort, Henry Norris,
William Brereton, Sir Francis Weston, and Mark Smeton, being thus
inflamed by carnal love of the queen, and having become very jealous of
each other, did, in order to secure her affections, satisfy her
inordinate desires; and that the queen was equally jealous of the Lord
Rochfort and other the before-mentioned traitors; and she would not
allow them to show any familiarity with any other woman, without her
exceeding displeasure and indignation; and that on the 27th day of
November, 27 Hen. VIII., and other days, at Westminster, she gave them
gifts and great rewards, to inveigle them to her will.

"8. Furthermore, that the queen, and other the said traitors, jointly
and severally, 31st of October, 27 Hen. VIII., and at various times
before and after, compassed and imagined the king's death; and that the
queen had frequently promised to marry some one of the traitors,
whenever the king should depart this life, affirming she never would
love the king in her heart.

"9. Furthermore, that the king, having within a short time before become
acquainted with the before-mentioned crimes, vices, and treasons, had
been so grieved that certain harms and dangers had happened to his royal
body."[586]

[Sidenote: The improbability of the queen's guilt and the improbability
of a conspiracy against her increase in the same ratio.]

[Sidenote: There is no room for the hypothesis of mistake.]

[Sidenote: The parallel of Leontes suggested, but not admissible.]

I suppose that persons who have made up their minds conclusively, and
are resolved to abide by the popular verdict of English historians, will
turn with disgust from these hideous charges; seeming, as they do, to
overstep all ordinary bounds of credibility. On one side or the other
there was indeed no common guilt. The colours deepen at