[211] Richard Hilles, the Protestant merchant, writing to Bullinger in Latin (Zurich Letters, Parker Society), says that for some weeks before the divorce from Anne of Cleves, Henry was captivated by Katharine Howard, whom he calls "a very little girl"; and that he frequently used to cross the Thames from Westminster to Lambeth to visit, both by night and day, the Bishop of Winchester (Gardiner) providing feasts for them in his palace. But at that time Katharine was, Hilles tells us, looked upon simply as Henry's mistress--as indeed she probably was--rather than his future wife. [212] Hilles to Bullinger (Parker Society, Zurich Letters) gives voice to bitter complaints, and Melancthon wrote (17th August, etc.) praying that God might destroy "this British Nero." (_Calendar Henry VIII._, vol. 15.) [213] There is in the British Museum (Stowe MS. 559) a list of the jewels and other things given by Henry to Katharine at the marriage and subsequently. The inventory was made at the time of her attainder, when she was deprived of everything. The jewels appear to have been very numerous and rich: one square or stomacher, given on New Year's Day 1540, containing 33 diamonds, 60 rubies, and a border of pearls. Another gift at Christmas the same year was "two laces containing 26 fair table diamonds and 158 fair pearls, with a rope of fair large pearls, 200 pearls." Magnificent jewels of all sorts are to be counted by the dozen in this list, comparing strangely with the meagre list of Katharine of Aragon's treasures. One curious item in Katharine's list is "a book of gold enamelled, wherein is a clock, upon every side of which book is three diamonds, a little man standing upon one of them, four turquoises and three rubies with a little chain of gold enamelled blue hanging to it." This book, together with "a purse of gold enamelled red containing eight diamonds set in goldsmith's work," was taken by the King himself when poor Katharine fell, and another splendid jewelled pomander containing a clock was taken by him for Princess Mary. [214] He had on the same morning taken the Sacrament, it being All Souls' Day, and had directed his confessor, the Bishop of Lincoln, to offer up a prayer of thanks with him "for the good life he (Henry) led, and hoped to lead with his wife." (_Calendar Henry VIII._, vol. 16, p. 615.) [215] _Calendar Henry VIII._, vol. 16, p. 48, September 1540. This was a year before he made his statement to Cranmer. The hatred expressed to the King's new Catholic policy by Lascelles proves him to have been a fit instrument for the delation and ruin of Katharine. [216] They are all in the Record Office, and are summarised in the _Henry VIII. Calendar_, vol. 16. [217] Lady Rochford, who seems to have been a most abandoned woman, was the widow of Anne Boleyn's brother, who had been beheaded at the time of his sister's fall.