Page:The Queens of England.djvu/299

KATHARINE OF ARRAGON. 259 master ; and when Henry, on the 25th of May, reached Canter- bury, on his route to embark for Calais, great was his surprise when he received intelligence of the arrival of Charles the Fifth at Dover ; although it was strongly suspected that this visit was concerted between the emperor and Wolsey, and con- sequently did not surprise the latter, however he might affect ignorance of it. The cardinal immediately offered to proceed to Dover to receive Charles, and to announce the visit of Henry for the next day, by which means an opportunity was afforded Wolsey of a private conference with Charles. From Dover Henry conducted the emperor back to Canterbury, to see the queen, who was delighted to meet her nephew for the first time. Charles, who had been kept au fait of the intended in- terview between Francis the First and Henry by the cardinal, came expressly to use his influence to prevent it ; but this being impossible, Henry having engaged his honor for the meeting, it was generally thought that the emperor took that opportunity of securing the good offices of Wolsey, by promising him all his interest for the elevation of the cardinal to the pontifical throne in case of the death of Leo the Tenth. Charles embarked for Flanders on the 30th of May, after having obtained a promise from Henry that he would enter into no engagement with Francis the' First that could be prejudicial to the emperor, and also that Henry would pay a visit to Charles at Gravelines before he returned to England. The splendor of the Field of the Cloth of Gold, with its fetes, tournaments, masques, and balls, has been so often described, that we will pass over it, briefly stating, that business was not lost sight of in a meeting supposed to be devoted to pleasure ; for the project of the mar- riage of the Princess Mary with the dauphin was again revived, and other conditions on various points arranged. Little did Queen Katharine dream that Anne Boleyn, who was present on this memorable occasion, was one day to rival her in the affec- tions of Henry, and to take her place on the throne. Nor did Henry notice his fair subject who was soon to kindle such a flame in his heart. On the 24th of June the sovereigns parted, after having spent three weeks together in a round of amuse- ments, in which each vied with the other in the display of gorgeous splendor. Henry and Katharine proceeded to Grave- lines on the 10th of July, but returned the same night to Calais, where, the next day, the emperor and his aunt Marguerite, the governtss of the Low Country, joined them, and spent three