rine, congratulating her upon her coming
greatness, and begging for an office about her person: "for I trost the
Quyne of Bretane wyll not forget her secretary."

Less than a fortnight later (21st July) the French ambassador gives as a
piece of gossip that Katharine Howard was already pregnant by the King,
and that the marriage was therefore being hurried on. Exactly when or
where the wedding took place is not known, but it was a private one, and
by the 11th August Katharine was called Queen, and acknowledged as such by
all the Court. On the 15th Marillac wrote that her name had been added to
the prayers in the Church service, and that the King had gone on a hunting
expedition, presumably accompanied by his new wife; whilst "Madame de
Cleves, so far from claiming to be married, is more joyous than ever, and
wears new dresses every day." Everybody thus was well satisfied except the
Protestants.[212] Henry, indeed, was delighted with his tiny, sparkling
girl-wife, and did his best to be a gallant bridegroom to her, though
there was none of the pomp and splendour that accompanied his previous
nuptials.[213] The autumn of 1540 was passed in a leisurely progress
through the shires to Grafton, where most of the honeymoon was spent. The
rose crowned was chosen by Henry as his bride's personal cognisance, and
the most was made of her royal descent and connections by the enamoured
King. "The King is so amorous of her," wrote Marillac in September, "that
he cannot treat her well enough, and caresses her more than he did the
others." Even thus early, however, whispers were heard of the King's
fickleness. Once it was said that Anne of Cleves was pregnant by him, and
he would cast aside Katharine in her favour, and shortly afterwards he
refrained from seeing his new wife for ten days together, because of
something she had done to offend him.

The moral deterioration of Henry's character, which had progressed in
proportion with the growing conviction of his own infallibility and
immunity, had now reached its lowest depth. He was rapidly becoming more
and more bulky; and his temper, never angelic, was now irascible in the
extreme. His health was bad, and increasing age had made him more than
ever impatient of contradiction or restraint, and no consideration but
that of his own interest and safety influenced him. The policy which he
adopted under the guidance of Gardiner and Norfolk was one of rigorous
enforcement of the Six Articles,