and elder daughter, of which any gentleman
would be ashamed. On the other hand, the attitude of Katharine and Mary
was exactly that best calculated to drive to fury a conceited, overbearing
man, loving his supreme power as Henry did. It was, of course, heroic and
noble of the two ladies to stand upon their undoubted rights as they did;
but if Katharine by adopting a religious life had consented to a divorce,
the decree of nullity would not have been pronounced; her own position
would have been recognised, her daughter's legitimacy saved, and the
separation from Rome at least deferred, if not prevented. There was no
such deterioration in Anne's character as in that of Henry; for it was bad
from the first, and consistently remained so. Her ambition was the noblest
trait in her nature; and she served it with a petty personal malignity
against those who seemed to stand in her way that goes far to deprive her
of the pity that otherwise would go out to her in her own martyrdom at the
hands of the fleshly tyrant whose evil nature she had been so greatly
instrumental in developing.

It was undoubtedly to Anne's prompting that the ungenerous treatment of
the Princess Mary was due, a treatment that aroused the indignation even
of those to whom its execution was entrusted. Henry was deeply attached to
his daughter, but it touched his pride for her to refuse to submit without
protest to his behest. When Norfolk told him of the attitude of the
Princess on her being taken to Hatfield to attend upon Elizabeth, he
decided to bring his parental authority to bear upon her personally, and
decided to see her. But Anne, "considering the easiness or rather levity
of the King, and that the great beauty and goodness of the Princess might
overcome his displeasure with her, and, moved by her virtues and his
fatherly pity for her, be induced to treat her better and restore her
title to her, sent Cromwell and other messengers posting after the King to
prevent him, at any cost, from seeing or speaking to the Princess."[114]
When Henry arrived at Hatfield and saw his baby daughter Elizabeth, the
elder Princess begged to be allowed to salute him. The request was not
granted; but when the King mounted his horse in the courtyard Mary stood
upon a terrace above to see him. The King was informed of her presence, or
saw her by chance; and, as she caught his eye, she threw herself upon her
knees in an attitude of prayer, whereupon the father touched his bonn