The Fifth Queen · Chapter
VII explained
Katharine Howard visits the Lady Mary's chambers and encounters Magister Udal, who renews his awkward courtship.
What happens
Katharine Howard visits the Lady Mary's chambers and encounters Magister Udal, who renews his awkward courtship. She is brought to the maids of honor, where a tense scene unfolds involving Lady Rochford and the sharp-tongued Cicely Elliott. Udal's lies about Cromwell's patronage provoke hostility, and Katharine, exhausted and in pain, collapses.
Themes in this chapter
Poverty and Patronage
Udal's poverty and his reliance on patronage are central; he quotes Seneca and Cicero on contentment, while Katharine mocks his 'ridiculous shifts.'
Loyalty and Betrayal
The maids suspect Katharine of being Cromwell's spy; Cicely Elliott's accusation of 'filthy spy' highlights the atmosphere of distrust.
Gender and Female Agency
Katharine navigates Udal's unwanted courtship and the hostile female space, asserting her independence despite physical weakness.
Characters to notice
- Katharine Howard
Arrives at the Lady Mary's rooms, weary and with a maimed arm; rebuffs Udal's advances and confronts the maids' accusations.
- Nicholas Udal
Pursues Katharine with learned quotations and a proposal; lies that Cromwell ordered a dress for her, causing a riot.
- Lady Rochford
Mistress of the maids, timid and helpless; panics at the mention of Cromwell and tries to appease Katharine.
- Cicely Elliott
Dark-haired maid of honor who mocks Katharine and openly defies Cromwell, blaming him for her family's deaths.
Key passages
“Pauper sum, pateor, fateor, quod Di dant fero.”
I am poor, I confess; I bear it, and what the gods vouchsafe that I take.
Udal quotes this Latin line to justify his poverty, adding Seneca's maxim about contentment.
“Nothing else maketh poverty so hard to bear as that it forceth men to ridiculous shifts.”
Poverty is hardest because it forces people into absurd compromises.
Katharine corrects Udal's interpretation of Juvenal, emphasizing the humiliation of poverty.
“It was a lording's daughter, the fairest one of three, Why lovèd of her master.”
A nobleman's daughter was loved by her teacher.
Udal cites a vulgar ballad to argue for a lady loving her master, which Katharine finds unspeakable.