That acute and comprehenfive critic Dr. John, fon, in his remarks upon Shakespeare's tragedy of Henry the Eighth, fays, "that the meek for❝rows and virtuous distress of Queen Catharine "have furnished fome fcenes which may be justly "numbered amongst the greatest efforts of Tra"gedy. But the genius of Shakespeare," adds he, "comes in and goes out with Catharine." Our great Dramatic Poet has, in the speeches of Queen Catharine, very often copied them from Hall and Hollinfhed. It is the happy privilege of genius to know when to felect and when to invent. According to Hall, when the Cardinals Wolfey and Campejus came to announce to her the appointment of the Tribunal at Black-Friars, to decide respecting the validity of her marriage with Henry, fhe thus addreffed them: "Alas, my Lords, whether I bee the Kinge's lawfull "wife or no, I have been married to him almost twenty years, and in the meane season never queftion was made before! Dyvers Prelates yet being alyve, and Lordes alfoe, and Privie "Counfellors with the King at that tyme, then adjudged our marriage lawful and honeft; and

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now to fay it is detestable and abominable, I "thinke it great marvel, and in especially when "I confider what a wife Prince the Kinge's "father was, and alfo the love and affection that "Kyng Ferdinando my father bare unto me. "I thinke in myself, that neither of our fathers

"were

"were founcircumfpect, fo unwife, and of fofmall "imagination, but they forfawe what might fol""lowe of our marriage; and in especial the Kyng

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my father fent to the Court of Rome, and "there after long fuite, with great cofte and

charge, obteigned a licenfe and difpenfation, "that I being the one brother's wyfe and para"venture carnally knowen, might, without fcru"pul of confcience, marry with the other lawfully, which lycence under lead I have yet to "fhew; which thinges make me to fay, and furely believe, that oure marriage was bothe

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lawful, good, and godlie. But of thys trouble "I onley may thanke you, my Lorde Cardinal "of Yorke; for because I have wondered at "your hygh pryde and vain-glory, and abhorre

your volupteous lyfe and abominable lechery, "and little regard your prefumpteous power and

tyranny, therefore of malice you have kindled "thys fyre, and fet thys matter abroche; and "in especial for the great malice that you bear "to my nephew the Emperour, whom I know

you hate worse than a fcorpion, because he "would not fatisfie your ambition, and make

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you Pope by force, and therefore you have

fayed more than once, that you would trouble hym and hys frendes; and you have kept "hym tru promyfe, for of al hys warres and "vexacions he only may thanke you; and as ❝ for me, hys poor aunte and kynswoman, what

"trouble you put me to by this new found " doubt, God knoweth, to whom I commyt my "caufe according to the truth."

Hollinfhed thus defcribes her laft illness and

death.

1536. "The Princefs Dowager lieng at "Kimbolton fell into her last sicknesse; whereof "the King being advertifed, appointed the Em"perour's Ambaffadour that was Leger here with “him, named Euftachius Capucius, to go to "vifit her, and to doe his commendations to "her, and will her to be of good comforte. The "Ambaffadour with all diligence did his duty. "therein, comforting her the best he might; but "fhee within fixe days after, perceiving herself 66 to waxe verie weake and feeble, and to feele "death approaching at hande, caused one of her

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gentlewomen to write a letter to the King,

commending to him her daughter and his, and "befeeching him to ftande goodfather unto her; "and farther defired him to have fome confider"ation of her gentlewomen that had served her, "and to fee them bestowed in marriage. Fur"ther, that it would please him to appoint that "her fervants might have their due wages and "a year's wages befides.

"This in effect was all fhe requested; and fo "immediately hereupon fhe departed this life the

"8th of Januarie, at Kimbolton aforefaid, and was buried at Peterborrowe."

Lord Herbert, from Polydore Vergil, fays, that Queen Katharine, falling into her laft fick nefs at Kimbolton in Huntingdonshire, in the fiftieth year of her age, and finding her death. approaching, caufed a maid attending upon her to write to the King to this effect:

66 MY MOST DEAR LORD, KING, AND HUSBAND,

"The hour of my death now approaching, I cannot choose but, out of the love I beare you, "to advise you of your foule's health, which you

ought to prefer before all confiderations of the "world or flesh whatfoever; for which yet you "have caft me into many calamities, and your"felf into many troubles. But I forgive you "all, and pray God to do foe likewife. For "the reft, I commend unto you Mary our

'

daughter, befeeching you to be a good father "to her, as I have heretofore defired. I must "entreat you also to refpect my maids, and give "them in marriage (which is not much, they

being but three); and to all my other fervants a year's pay, befides their due, left otherwife they fhould be unprovided for. Laftly, I "make this vow, that mine eyes defire you "above all things. Farewell."

ANNE BOLEYN.

THIS unfortunate Queen of Henry the Eighth is thus described by Lord Herbert, from a relation "taken out (he fays) of a MS. of one "Master Cavendish, Gentleman Usher to Car"dinal Wolfey."

"Anne Boleyn was defcended, on the father's "fide, from one of the heirs of the Earles of "Ormonde, and on the mother's from a daugh"ter of the Houfe of Norfolke; of that fingular "beautie and towardneffe, that her parents took "all care poffible for her good education. "Therefore, befides the ordinary parts of vir"tuous inftructions, wherewith fhee was liberally brought up, they gave her teachers in playing on mufical inftruments, finging, and dancing; infomuch, that when she compofed "her hands to play and voice to fing, it was "joined with that sweetneffe of countenance "that three harmonies concurred. Likewise, “when she danced, her rare proportions varied "themfelves into all the graces that belong "either to reft or motion."

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The following original Letter is in the British Museum, and fhews of what consequence Anne Boleyn thought Archbishop. Cranmer's interference