The next court daie, the cardinals sat againe, at which time the councell on both sides were there rea|die to answer. The kings councell alleaged the ma|trimonie not to be lawfull at the beginning,The present mariage whie thought vn|lawfull. bicause of the carnall copulation had betwéene prince Ar|thur and the quéene. This matter was verie vehe|mentlie touched on that side, and to prooue it, they al|leaged manie reasons and similitudes of truth: and being answered negatiuelie againe on the other side, it seemed that all their former allegations were doubtfull to be tried, and that no man knew the truth. And thus this court passed from sessions to sessions, and daie to daie, till at certeine of their sessions the king sent the two cardinals to the queene (who was then in Bridewell) to persuade with hir by their wis|doms, and to aduise hir to surrender the whole mat|ter into the kings hands by hir owne consent & will, which should be much better to hir honour, than to stand to the triall of law, and thereby to be condem|ned, which should séeme much to hir dishonour.

The cardinals being in the queenes chamber of presence,Quéene Ka|tharine and the cardinals haue c [...]mmu|nication in hir priuie chamber. the gentleman vsher aduertised the quéene that the cardinals were come to speake with hir. With that she rose vp, & with a skeine of white thred about hir necke, came into hir chamber of presence, where the cardinals were attending. At whose com|ming, quoth she, What is your plesure with me? If it please your grace (quoth cardinall Wolseie) to go in|to your priuie chamber, we will shew you the cause of our comming. My lord (quoth she) if yée haue anie thing to saie, speake it openlie before all these folke, for I feare nothing that yee can saie against me, but that I would all the world should heare and sée it, and therefore speake your mind. Then began the cardi|nall to speake to hir in Latine. Naie good my lord (quoth she) speake to me in English.

Forsooth (quoth the cardinall) good madame, if it please you, we come both to know your mind how you are disposed to doo in this matter betwéene the king and you, and also to declare secretlie our opini|ons and counsell vnto you: which we doo onelie for verie zeale and obedience we beare vnto your grace. My lord (quoth she) I thanke you for your good will,The quéene refuseth to make sudden answer to so weightie a matter as the diuorse. but to make you answer in your request I cannot so suddenlie, for I was set among my maids at worke, thinking full little of anie such matter, wherein there néedeth a longer deliberation, and a better head than mine to make answer: for I néed counsell in this case which toucheth me so néere, & for anie counsell or freendship that I can find in England, they are not for my profit. What thinke you my lords, will anie Englishman counsell me, or be fréend to me against the K. pleasure that is his subiect? Naie forsooth. And as for my counsell in whom I will put my trust, they be not here, they be in Spaine in my owne countrie.