sion," that prompt action
should be taken on behalf of herself and her daughter before the
Parliament could do them to death and consummate the apostasy of England.
It was her last heart-broken cry for help, and like all those that had
preceded it during the seven bitter years of Katharine's penance, it was
unheard amidst the din of great national interests that was ringing
through Europe.

It was during the feast of Christmas 1535, which Henry passed at Eltham,
that news came to Chapuys from Dr. De la Sa that Katharine had relapsed
and was in grave peril. The ambassador was to see the King on other
business in a day or two, in any case, but this news caused him to beg
Cromwell to obtain for him instant leave to go to the Queen. There would
be no difficulty about it, the secretary replied, but Chapuys must see the
King first at Greenwich, whither he would go to meet him. The ambassador
found Henry in the tiltyard all amiability. With a good deal of overdone
cordiality, the King walked up and down the lists arm in arm with Chapuys,
the while he reverted to the proposal of a new friendship and alliance
with the Emperor.[132] The French, he said, were up to their old pranks,
especially since the Duke of Milan had died, but he should at last be
forced into an intimate alliance with them, unless the Emperor would let
bygones be bygones, and make friends with him. Chapuys was cool and
non-committal. He feared, he said, that it was only a device to make the
French jealous, and after much word-bandying between them, the ambassador
flatly asked Henry what he wanted the Emperor to do. "I want him," replied
the King, "not only to cease to support Madam Katharine and my daughter,
but also to get the Papal sentence in Madam's favour revoked." To this
Chapuys replied that he saw no good reason for doing either, and had no
authority to discuss the point raised; and, as a parting shot, Henry told
him that Katharine could not live long, and when she died the Emperor
would have no need to follow the matter up. When Chapuys had taken his
leave, the Duke of Suffolk came after him and brought him back to the
King, who told him that news had just reached him that Katharine was
dying--Chapuys might go and see her, but he would hardly find her alive;
her death, moreover, would do away with all cause for dissension between
the Emperor and himself. A request that the Princess Mary might be allowed
to see her dying mother was at first met with a f