Well, hear
the truth, then, all of you! On that night, between Monday and
Tuesday, I was not in my sleeping-apartment, because I had a grave
and sacred duty to perform; because a dying woman called on me for
help and pity! Would you know, my lord and husband, who this dying
woman was? It was Anne Askew!"
"Anne Askew!" exclaimed the king in astonishment; and his
countenance exhibited a less wrathful expression.
"Anne Askew!" muttered the others; and John Heywood very well saw
how Bishop Gardiner's brow darkened, and how Chancellor Wriothesley
turned pale and cast down his eyes.
"Yes,I was with Anne Askew!" continued the queen--"with Anne Askew,
whom those pious and wise lords yonder had condemned, not so much on
account of her faith, but because they knew that I loved her. Anne
Askew was to die, because Catharine Parr loved her! She was to go to
the stake, that my heart also might burn with fiery pains! And
because it was so, I was obliged to risk everything in order to save
her. Oh, my king, say yourself, did I not owe it to this poor girl
to try everything in order to save her? On my account she was to
suffer these tortures. For they had shamefully stolen from me a
letter which Anne Askew, in the distress of her heart, had addressed
to me; and they showed this letter to you in order to cast suspicion
on me and accuse me to you. But your noble heart repelled the
suspicion; and now their wrath fell again on Anne Askew, and she
must suffer, because they did not find me punishable.
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