"Indeed," replied she, "if your majesty have so conceived {442}my meaning has been mistaken, for I have always held it preposterous for a woman to instruct her lord; and if I have ever presumed to differ with your highness on religion it was partly to gain information for my own comfort regarding certain nice points on which I stood in doubt, and sometimes because I perceived that in talking you were better able to pass away the pain and weariness of your present infirmity, which encouraged me to this boldness, in the hope of profiting by your majesty's learned discourse." There was no limit to the flattery that this egotist could stand. With a complacent smile he replied, "And is it so, sweetheart? Then we are perfect friends." He then kissed her, and gave her leave to depart. On the day appointed for her arrest the king felt better, and sent for her to take the air with him in the garden. She came attended by three ladies. Presently Wriothesley with forty armed men entered the garden with the intention of carrying the queen off to the Tower. But he had not been informed of the change in the king's mind. To his great surprise Henry received him with a burst of indignation, calling him beast, fool, and knave, and bidding him get out of his sight. Katharine tried to calm him, and begged forgiveness for her foe. "Ah! poor soul," said the king, "thou little knowest, Kate, how evil he deserveth this grace at thy hands. On my word, sweetheart, he hath been to thee a very knave!" Now if Katharine had not been a woman of forbearance and real virtue she would immediately have turned on her enemies when she had the king in her power, but instead of that she induced him to overlook Wriothesley's offence, but he never forgave Gardiner the blunder he had made, and not only struck his name from his council-book but forbade him his presence. Henry is said to have been very kind {443}and affectionate to Katharine during his latter days, yet it was well-known that he was preparing another charge of heresy against her when death overtook him, and that she survived him only by special good luck. [[A.D. 1547.]] Henry VIII. expired January 28, 1547, at the royal palace of Westminster, in the fifty-sixth year of his age. When his will was opened Katharine was surprised and indignant to find that she was not appointed regent of the realm, with the care of the young King Edward VI., as she deserved to be. The king's body lay in state for several days, and was then buried with great pomp in St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. A few months after his death Katharine returned to her former lover, Sir Thomas Seymour, to whom she was married in the month of May, 1547. Her royal stepchildren were much pleased at this match, and continued their affection for Katharine throughout her life. [Illustration: 0447] End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Agnes Strickland's Queens of England, Vol. I. (of III), by Rosalie Kaufman and Agnes Strickland