A Biographical Dictionary of the Celebrated Women of Every Age and Country/Parr, (Catherine)
PARR (CATHERINE),
Was the eldest of the two daughters of Sir Thomas Parr, of Kendal, who gave her a liberal education, as the most valuable addition he could make to her other accomplishments; and her attainments in literature fully answered his expectations; so that she became justly celebrated for her learning and good sense, which she employed to the best purposes through every stage of her life.
Her first husband was John Nevil, lord Latimer. After his decease her beauty and accomplishments so powerfully attracted the affections of king Henry, that she was married to him 1643.
She always took a peculiar pleasure in reading the sacred writings, and seems to have been piously disposed from her infancy; but the religious duties she so carefully practised in her youth were according to the Roman catholic faith, though she was afterwards very strenuous in advancing the reformation, and encouraging the protestant cause. These designs she pursued as far as the mutable and perverse disposition of an arbitrary prince, and the iniquity of the times would admit; and even further than she could do, without exposing herself to the utmost danger. For though her endeavours were managed with great prudence, and as much secrecy as the nature of the thing would admit of; yet they were observed by Gardiner, bishop of Winchester, who, with chancellor Wriothesly, and others, conspired against her so artfully, that, having drawn up articles, they got a warrant signed with the king's own hand to commit her to the Tower; which being accidentally dropt, was luckily found by one who conveyed it to the queen. The sight of it, and the recollection of the hard fate of some of her predecessors, threw her into a violent disorder, which confined her to her bed. The king hearing of her illness, made her a very seasonable visit; spoke to her all the kind things imaginable; and sent her Dr. Wendy, one of his physicians. Being himself at that time somewhat ill disposed, the doctor advised her by all means to go and cheer him up, and recruit his drooping spirits; not doubting but that by her good sense, and prudent management, she might avert the impending danger. The queen took his advice, and soon after made his majesty a visit, attended only by her sister the lady Herbert, and lady Lane. She found him sitting and talking with some gentlemen of his chamber. The king seemed pleased with her visit; and breaking off his discourse with his attendants, began of his own accord to confer with her about matters of religion; seeming, as it were, desirous to be resolved by the queen, of certain doubts which he then offered to her. The queen instantly perceiving the drift of his discourse, answered with great humility and submission:
That as a simple woman, much inferior to his majesty, she always referred herself to his wisdom, as her only anchor, supreme head, and governor hereon earth, next under God, to lean unto.
'Not so, by St. Mary, replied the king; you are become a doctor, Kate, to instruct us (as we take it) and not to be instructed or directed by us.'
'If your majesty take it so (says the queen) then hath your majesty very much mistaken me. And where I have with your leave presumed heretofore to discourse with your majesty, in which I have sometimes seemed to dissent from you; I did it not so much to maintain my opinion, as to minister discourse, not only to the end that your majesty might with less grief pass over this painful time of your infirmity, but also, that I hearing your majesty's learned arguments might from thence gain to myself great advantage.'
'And is it even so, sweet-heart (said the king) and tended your arguments to no worse end? Then are we now perfect friends again, as ever we were before.' And as he sat in his chair, embracing her in his arms, and saluting her, he said, 'that it did him more good at that time to hear those words from her own mouth, than if he had heard present news of an hundred thousand pounds fallen to him.' Upon which, it being then late at night, he gave her leave to depart; and in her absence spoke highly in her commendation.
The day, and almost the hour, appointed for sending the queen to the Tower being come, the king took a walk in his garden, with only two gentlemen of the bed chamber, and sent for the queen, who instantly came to him: he seemed in high spirits. But in the midst of their mirth, the lord chancellor approached his presence, with forty guards. The king looked upon him with a very stern countenance, and walking a little distance from the queen, called the chancellor to him, who, upon his knees, spoke softly to his majesty. The king, in a rage, called him knave, arrant knave, beast and fool, and commanded him instantly to be gone from his presence. On his departure, Henry returned to the queen, who perceiving him to be greatly moved, used all her eloquence to soften his displeasure, entreating his majesty, if his fault was not too great, to pardon him for her sake.
'Ah, poor soul (replied the king) thou little knowest how evil he deserveth this grace at thy hands. Of my word, sweet-heart, he hath been toward thee an arrant knave, and so let him go.'
She was convinced that the principles of the religion in which she had been brought up were not founded on holy writ; yet she would not trust wholly to her own reason in an affair of such importance; for she kept several eminent divines constantly with her, to solve her doubts, and instruct her, in quality of chaplains. With these she had frequent conferences in private concerning the reformation, and the abuses crept into the church: but particularly in Lent, she had a sermon preached in her chamber, at which the ladies and gentlewomen of her privy chamber and others, were present. She was likewise very assiduous in studying books of divinity, and especially the scriptures. Being thus qualified, she began to commit some of her own thoughts to writing. Her first composition seems to have been that, intituled, Queen Katherine Parr's Lamentation of a Sinner, bewailing the Ignorance of her blind Life. London, 1548 and 1563. This discourse was found among her papers after her death; and was published by secretary Cecil, who prefixed to it a preface of his writing.
She also composed many psalms, prayers, and pious discourses. These books being exceedingly scarce, the reader will find an account given of them by Mr. Strype. When the act was made, that all colleges, chantries, and free chapels should be at the king's disposal, the university of Cambridge was under terrible apprehensions, and well knowing the queen's great affection to learning, addressed letters to her, entreating her to intercede with the king for their colleges; which she effectually performed; and wrote to them in answer, 'that she exhorts them not to thirst after profane learning, and forget Christianity.'
This shews the great influence she had over the king, and the good use she made of it; his ill health joined such fierceness of manners to his former intractable dispositions, as rendered it a task extremely difficult, even for his prime favourites to make themselves agreeable to him, and retain his esteem: yet such were the amiable qualities of the queen, that she not only preserved his affection under all his pains and sickness, but greatly contributed to the alleviation of them, which fixed her so entirely in his good graces, that, after the bishop of Winchester had failed in his scheme, none of her enemies durst make any attempts against her. The following clause, in his last will, is dated December 30, 1636, but one month before his decease.—"And for the great love, obedience, chastness of fife and wisdom, he bequeathed unto her for her proper use, and as it shall please her to order it, three thousand pounds in plate, jewels, and stuff of household, besides such apparel as it shall please her to take, as she hath already; and farther we give unto her one thousand pounds in money with the enjoyment of her dowry, according to our grant by act of parliament."
Her great zeal for the reformation, and earnest desire to have the scriptures understood by the common people, induced her to employ several learned persons to translate Erasmus's Paraphrase on the New Testament into English, at her own expence. She engaged the lady Mary (afterwards queen) in translating the paraphrase on St. John: and wrote to her an epistle, in Latin, for that purpose.
King Henry dying, when she had been his wife three years, six months, and five days, she was married, not long after, to Sir Thomas Seymour, lord admiral, and uncle to Edward VI.
This unhappy marriage raised her a new scene of troubles; for between the pride of her sister-in-law, the duchess of Somerset, and the boundless ambition of the admiral, such furious animosities ensued, as proved the destruction of both families; and necessarily involved her in such troubles and perplexities, as put a final stop to her studies, and to all temporal enjoyments.
She lived, however, but a short time with the admiral; for, after being delivered of a daughter, she died in childbed, 1548, not without suspicion of poison; indeed she herself apprehended some unfair dealings, and on her death bed reproached the admiral with his unkindness.