he Coronation of Anne Boleyn, we read that two Countesses
stood on either side of Anne's chair and often held a "fine cloth before
the Queen's face whenever she listed to spit." "And under the table went
two gentlewomen, and sat at the Queen's feet during the dinner." The
courtier's life, like the burglar's does not appear to have been one of
unmixed happiness.

In the same year she bore Henry a child, but to everyone's disappointment,
it proved to be a girl, who was christened Elizabeth, and became the great
Queen of England. Anne's triumph was pathetically brief. Her most
important act was that of getting the publication of the Bible authorised
in England. Two years after her coronation, Sir Thomas More, who had
refused to swear fealty to the King's heir by Anne, who had been thrown
into prison and was awaiting execution, asked "How Queen Anne did?" "There
is nothing else but dancing and sporting," was the answer. "These dances
of hers," he said, "will prove such dances that she will spurn our heads
off like footballs, but it will not be long ere her head dance the like
dance." In a year's time, this prophecy came true. Her Lady-in-Waiting,
the beautiful Jane Seymour, stole the King from her who in her time had
betrayed her royal mistress.

There are two versions with regard to her last feelings towards the King.
Lord Bacon writes that just before her execution she said: "Commend me to
his Majesty and tell him he hath ever been constant in his career of
advancing me. From a private gentlewoman he made me a marchioness, from a
marchioness a Queen; and now he hath left no higher degree of honour, he
gives my innocency the crown of martyrdom." This contains a fine sting of
satire. Another chronicler gives us her words as follows: "I pray God to
save the King, and send him long to reign over you, for a gentler or more
merciful prince was there never." One cannot but think that this latter
version of her dying words may have been edited by his Grace of
Canterbury.

If it is difficult to reconcile Anne's heartlessness with her piety, it
should be remembered that cruelty is often the twin-sister of religious
fervour.

Whatever may have been her failings of character, whatever misfortunes
she may have suffered during her life, Anne will ever live in history as
one of the master mistresses of the world.

THE DIVORCE

As to the divorce, it will be well to clear away the enormous amount of
argument, of vituperatio