me, if she resembles her mother, Anne Boleyn; never
had woman so many charms and allurements both in her person and her
humour; I have heard say she had something remarkably lively in her
countenance, very different from what is usually found in other English
beauties." "I think," replied Madam de Cleves, "'tis said she was born
in France." "Those who imagine so are mistaken," replied the
Queen-Dauphin; "I'll give you her history in a few words.

"She was of a good family in England; Henry the Eighth was in love with
her sister and her mother, and it has been even suspected by some, that
she was his daughter; she came to France with Henry the Seventh's
sister, who married Louis XII that Princess, who was full of youth and
gallantry, left the Court of France with great reluctance after her
husband's death; but Anne Boleyn, who had the same inclinations as her
mistress, could not prevail with herself to go away; the late King was
in love with her, and she continued maid of honour to Queen Claude;
that Queen died, and Margaretta, the King's sister, Duchess of Alenson,
and since Queen of Navarre, whose story you know, took her into her
service, where she imbibed the principles of the new religion; she
returned afterwards to England, and there charmed all the world; she
had the manners of France, which please in all countries; she sung
well, she danced finely; she was a maid of honour to Queen Catherine,
and Henry the Eighth fell desperately in love with her.

"Cardinal Wolsey, his favourite and first minister, being dissatisfied
with the Emperor for not having favoured his pretensions to the Papacy,
in order to revenge himself of him, contrived an alliance between
France and the King his master; he put it into the head of Henry the
Eighth, that his marriage with the Emperor's aunt was null, and advised
him to marry the Duchess of Alenson, whose husband was just dead; Anne
Boleyn, who was not without ambition, considered Queen Catherine's
divorce as a means that would bring her to the Crown; she began to give
the King of England impressions of the Lutheran religion, and engaged
the late King to favour at Rome Henry the Eighth's divorce, in hopes of
his marrying the Duchess of Alenson; Cardinal Wolsey, that he might
have an opportunity of treating this affair, procured himself to be
sent to France upon other pretences; but his master was so far from
permitting him to propose this marriage, that he sent him express
orders t