her prophecies, into the desperate career of treason into which we are soon to see her launched.
Her proceedings were known partially, but partially only, to the King; and the King seems to have been the only person whose understanding was proof against her influence. To him she appeared nothing worse than an excited fanatic, and he allowed her to go her own way, as the best escapement of a frenzy. Until Parliament had declared it illegal to discuss the marriage question further, he interfered with no one, and therefore not with her. If her own word was to be taken, he even showed her much personal kindness, having offered to make her an abbess, which is difficult to believe, especially as she said that she had refused his offer. She stated also that at the time of Lord Wiltshire's mission to the Emperor, the Countess of Wiltshire endeavoured to persuade her to accept a place at the Court, as a companion to Anne; which again is unsupported by other evidence, and sounds improbable.[1] But it is plain, that until she was found to be meditating treason, she experienced no treatment from the Government of which she had cause to complain; and thus for the present we may leave her pursuing her machinations with the Canterbury friars, and return to the Parliament.
March 30.The second session had been longer than the first; it had commenced on the 16th of January, and continued for ten weeks. On the 30th of- ↑ Note of the Revelations of Elizabeth Barton; Rolls House MS.
