and councillors of state awaited to
pay homage to their majesties; whilst in various apartments were the
nobility and men of quality, with their ladies, ranged according to
their rank, being all eager to kiss the new queen's hand. Sure never was
such show of gladness. Bells rang people cheered, bonfires blazed.

In the evening news was brought that the Duchess of York was being rowed
to Hampton from town; hearing which, the king, with a blithe heart,
betook his way to meet her through the garden, now bright with spring
flowers and fragrant with sweet scents, till he arrived at the gate
by which the silver streak of the pleasant Thames flowed past. And
presently on this calm May eve the sound of oars splashing in the tide
was heard, and anon a barge came in sight, hung with silken curtains
and emblazoned with the arms of royalty. From this the Duchess of York
disembarked, aided by the king. When she had offered her congratulations
to him, he, taking her hand, led her to his bride, that such fair
speeches might be repeated to her majesty. And coming into the queen's
presence the duchess would have gone upon her knees and kissed her
majesty's hand; but Catherine raised her in her arms, and kissed her on
the cheek. Then amidst much joy the happy evening waned to night.

The royal palace of Hampton Court, in which Charles had decided on
spending his honeymoon, had been raised by the magnificent Wolsey in the
plenitude of his power as a place of recreation. Since his downfall
it had been used by royalty as a summer residence, it being in truth a
stately pleasure house. The great pile contained upwards of four
hundred rooms. The principal apartments had cedar or gilded and frescoed
ceilings, and walls hung with rare tapestries and curtains heavy with
gold. Moreover, these rooms contained furniture of most skilful design
and costly manufacture, and were adorned by the choice works of such
masters of their art as Holbein, Bellini, Vansomer, Rubens, and Raphael;
and withal enriched with Indian cabinets, such as never were seen in
England before, which the queen had brought with her from Portugal.

The great hall had been the scene of many sumptuous banquets. The chapel
was rich in carved designs. Her majesty's bedroom, with its curtains of
crimson silk, its vast mirror and toilet of beaten and massive gold, was
a splendid apartment--the more so from its state bed, which Evelyn says
was "an embroidery of silver on crimson velvet