LADY JANE GREY. [L#\r'NY JAIME ©U THE LIFE OF LADY XANE GREY DAVID t BARTLETT. PHILADELPHIA : POUTER & COATES. .1 TBANSFBR t c 4z-^£^7 10 IFD lff0I»£11, LITTLE VOLUME 0St afuti0natH2 Itisrtiu/^. - '---^"''^ ■ 1 I OFFER no apology fef ""preparing this \f,.'j(ue. The lovely woman who is its subject, pjv-;(jjssed a character worthy of contemplation. Her career is one of the most interesting and tragical to be found in the pages of English history. But I apologise most heartily fcr the manner in which I have executed my task^ though apologies are not generally accepted by the reading public. My object ha,s been to prepare a popular sketch of the Life of hlu ly Jane Grey — to make a book so conve- nient in liize, and simple in style, as to command the att'j'/.(:on of the million. The subject of this me- moir e'Uhted. so long ago, that it has been impossible to dis« fev any new facts connected with her life ; but 1 have searched thoroughly all the proper au- thcritos, and present, in a single volume, every- tli'V.*; of interest which has reference to Lady Jane Vlll PREFACE. It has seemed to me necessary to give a brief sketch of the times immediately previous to those in which Lady Jane Grey existed, for her own career and sad fate were, in a manner, dependent upon the political events of those times. Her claim to the throne of England cannot be understood, vsdthout adverting to the history of Henry VHI. and his queens, one of whom was the dearest female friend Lady Jane ever possessed. My authorities in the preparation of this volume have been. Knight, Goldsmith, Hume, Fox, Burnet, Agnes Strickland, and Speed. I am also much in- debted to an English volume upon Lady Jane Grey, by Howard. I shall be contend with little praise for my book, if any of those who read it shall be led to imitate the character of the beautiful and illustrious woman whose sad, yet in another sense glorious, career, it records. D. W. B. Hartfoed, Conn., CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. FAOI Birth of Lady Jane Grey. — Family. — Extraction.— Thom- as Grey. — His sayings. — Third Marquis of Dorset, Lady Jane's Father. — Charles Brandon, — Mary Tudor. — Louis XII. — Marriage. — Death. — Mary's marriage with Charles Brandon. — Henry VIII. offended. — Reconciliation 13 CHAPTER 11. History of the Reformation. — Henry VIII. — His marriage with Katharine of Arragon. — Birth of Princess Mary. — Wycliflfe. — Luther. — Reformation in Germany. — Henry VIII. an author. — Wolsey. — His career. — The King falls in love with Anne Boleyn. — Percy. — Anne. — Di- vorce from Katharine. — Marriage with Anne Boleyn.— Wolsey's fall. — Rise of Cromwell. — Execution of Anne Boleyn 26 CHAPTER HI. Birth of Lady Jane Grey. — Her father. — His Country- Seat. — Lady Jane's early history. — Customs of the age. — Her appearance at Court as maid to Katharine Parr. — Jane Seymour. — King's marriage. — Birth of Prince Edward. — Death of the Queen. — Henry marries Anne of Cleves. — Deserts her. — Marries Katharine How- ard. — Her disgrace and execution 58 X CONTENTS. CHAPTER IV. FASI Katharine Parr. — Sir Thomas Seymour. — Katharme mar- ries Henry VIIL — Lady Jane Grey. — Katharine's nar- row escape. — Death of the King. — Edward VI. — Som- erset. — Admiral Seymour marries Katharine Parr. — Project of marrying Lady Jane Grey to the King. — Con- duct of Elizabeth. — Death of Katharine Parr. — Lady Jane Grey her chief momner ITS CHAPTER V. Correspondence in reference to Lady Jane. — She goes to her father's house. — Returns to the care of Seymour. — The Adnjiral arrested. — Lady Jane returns to Brad- gate. — Seymour beheaded. — Letter of Roger Ascham to Lady Jane.^-Presented at Court. — Visit with the Princess Mary. — ^Mary presents her with a gold neck- ace 98 CHAPTER VI. Duke of Somerset. — Lisurrections. — Rise of the Earl of Warwick. — Made Duke of Northumberland. — Downfall of Somerset. — Northumberland's ambition, — His designs upon the Crown 124 CHAPTER Vn. Lady Jane Grey. — Description of her person. — Her learn- ing and virtues. — Northumberland's projects. — Imagin- ary conversation between Roger Ascham and Lady Jane. — Her marriage with Lord Guildford Dudley. — Edward VI. a victim to Northumberland. — Makes his WUl in favor of Lady Jane Grey. — Troubles with the Council. — Innocence of Lady Jane 1S6 CONTENTS. XI CHAPTER VIII. FAGB The Princess Mary. — Her early mortifications. — Her dis- grace. — Fruitless attempts at marriage. — Northumber- land's treatment of Mary. — Remarks upon her charac- ter 151 CHAPTER IX. Jeath of Edward VI. — Lady Jane Grey apprised of his Death and Will. — Refuses to accept the Crown. — Weeps and faints. — Is forced to accept it. — Goes to the Tow- er. — Mary is surrounded in the country by Friends. — Proclamation of Lady Jane. — Advance of Mary upon London. — The Nobility and Council flock to her stand- ard. — Lady Jane gives up the Crown. — The arrest of Ladv Jane and her husband. llQ CHAPTER X. Duke of Northumberland. — Suflblk set at liberty. — Trial of Northumberland — His execution. — Lady Jane Grey. — Her treatment. — Her angelic conduct. — Queen Mary's religious persecutions. — Her coronation 211 CHAPTER XL Trial of Lady Jane Grey and Lord Guildford at Guild- hall. — Their conduct. — Sentenced to death. — Sympathy for Lady Jane. — Religious matters. — Dr. Sandys. — Pro- ject of Mary's Marriage with Philip. — Opposition of Peo- ple and Parliament. — Insurrections of Suffolk, Carew, and Wyatt. — Wyatt in London. — His downfall 231 Xll > CONTENTS. CHAPTER XII. FAGI Eesult of the Insurrections. — The approaching fate of Lady Jane Grey. — Mary signs Lady Jane's death-Avar- rant. — She prepares for death — Religious dispute with Feckenham. — Letter to her father. — Letter to her sister Katharine. — Her Prayer. — Her last hours. — Death of Lord Guildford. — Her own triumphant end 250 CHAPTER XIII. Trial of the Duke of Suffolk. — His execution. — End of Wyatt. — Lady Katharine and Lady Mary Grey. — Per- Becution of Queen Elizabeth. — The end. 2*8 LIFE OF LADY JANE GREY. CHAPTER I. BiaTH OF LADY JANE GREY. — FAMILY. EXTEACTION. THOMAS GEEY. HIS SAYINGS. THIED MARQUIS OF DOESET, LADY JANe's FATHKE. CHARLES BEANDON. MAEY TDDOE. LOUIS XII. MAE- EIAGE. DEATH. MAEY's MARRIAGE WITH CHARLES BEANDON HENEY VUL OFFENDED. ^EECONCILIATION. Lady Jane Grey was born iu Bradgate, Leicestershire, one of the interior counties of England. The precise date of her birth cannot be satisfactorily ascertained, no two of the chron- iclers of her times agreeing upon this point. The probabilities are, however, that she was born in the year 1537, being of the same age as Ed- ward YL, with whose fate in after years her own fortunes were closely connected. The family of GtRey was originally of Nor- man extraction. Rollo or Frilburt was the first 14 THELIFEOF of the family record ; he was chamberlain to Eobert, Duke of JSTormandj, who made him a present of the castle and lands of Croy, in Picardy, from which sprung the name de Croy, and subsequently de Grey. John, Lord de Croy, jnly son of Kollo, mar- ried Adela, daughter and co-heir of William Fitz Osbert, by whom he had a son — Sir Arnold de Grey, who soon after the Nor- man conquest became lord of Water Eaton, Stoke, and Eotherfield. By his wife Joan, heiress of the Baron Ponte del Arche, he had a son — Auchitel de Grey, whose eldest son's name was — Eichard de Grey, whose son — ■ Auchitel de Grey, married Eva, daughter of Baldwin de Eedrers, Earl of Devon. Their eldest son's name was — John de Grey — his son — Henry de Grey had a grant of the lands of Thurrock, in Essex, from Eiohard I. His second son — John de Grey, had a high position under the government. He married Emma, daughter and heiress of Geoffrey de Glanville — their son — LADY JANE GREY. 15 Eeginald de Grey, married Maud, daughter of the Baron of Willon. Their son — John de Grey, married the daughter of Lord Basset of Drayton. Their son — Eoger de Grey, married Elizabeth, daughter of Lord Hastings. Their son— Eeginald de Grey, married Eleanor, daughter of Lord Straise. He commanded all the king's castles in Wales, in the reign of Edward IIL Their son — Eeginald de Grey, married Joan, daughter of Lord Ashley. Their son — Sir Edward de Grey, married Elizabeth, daughter of Lord Ferrens. Their son — • Sir John Grey married the eldest daughter of the Earl of Elvers — she after his death marrying King Edward IV. Their son — Sir Thomas Grey held high office under Henry VII. — was created Knight of the Garter, Earl of Huntingdon and Marquis of Dorset. His son^ Thomas Grey, the second Marquis of Dorset, was a great favorite of Henry YIIL, in the third year of whose reign he was general of the army sent into Spain for the purpose of invading Guienne. Peace was restored, and two years after the, with four of his brothers, the Duke of 16 THE LIFE OF Suffolk and others, went to Paris, and obtained great renown at tlie tournaments of St. Denis, In 1520, lie was present at the interview between Henry YIII. and the French monarch Francis, at the famous Champ d^Or, or Field of Gold. He had the honor of carrying the sword of state on this occasion, and won renown at the tournaments which graced the distinguished meeting of the monarchs. In 1522, he was chosen to go to Calais to re- ceive and escort the Emperor Charles Y. into England. He married for a second wife, Marga- ret, daughter of Sir Hobert Wotton. He was a man of extraordinary abilities, of exceedingly stu- dious disposition, and was not characterized by the vices of his age. Some of his wise sayings — for he was fond of writing — are preserved to this day in the libraries of English antiquarians. We will quote a specimen. " The greatest trust between man and man is giving counsel." "Never was the man merry who had more than one woman in his bed, one friend in hia Dosom, one faith in his heart." His son — Henry Grey, third Marquis of Dorset, came to LADY JANE GREY. 17 the title in 1530 He was father to Lady Jane Grey. He was at first Constable of Engknd, and possessed other high trusts under the gov- ernment, and finally received the title of his wife's father — the Duke of Suflfolk. He married Frances, eldest daughter of Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, whose wife was sister'to Henry Vin. The children of Henry, third Marquis of Dorset (afterwards Duke of Suffolk), were-tTane, Katharine, and Mary. It was through the mar- riage of Henry, third Marquis Of Dorset, that the claim to the crown of England came into the Dorset family. Lady Jane Grey's claim to the crown was through her mother, and it will be necessary for us to give a brief sketch of her descent upon the mother's side. Henry VIL, one of the wisest kings of Eng- land, married Elizabeth of York, and their chil- dren were Arthur, Margaret, Henry, Mary and Katherine. Of these only three survived their parents — Margaret, afterward Queen of Scotland, Henry, King of England, and Mary, who became Queen of France. Mary Tudor, the grandmother of Lady Jane Grey, was born in the year 1498, and was a great 18 THE LIFE OF favorite with her brother, the terrible Henry VIII. She was very beautiful, and won the heart of the Duke of Suffolk. Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, was a person of elegant appear- ance, most winning manners and exalted courage. He was perhaps the most accomplished gentleman of his time, and contrived to win the affections of the king, who made him an esquire of his body, and chamberlain of the principality of Wales. He fought a battle with the French off Brest, and the following year asked leave to at- tend the expedition to Terouenne and Tournay. Henry appointed him to the command of the vanguard of the army, and also made him Vis- count I'Isle. The next year he also made him Duke of Suffolk. The duke was fascinated by +.he youthful graces of Mary Tudor, and she was pleased with his elegant manners, handsome ap- pearance and courageous actions. Their love, however, was probably unknown to the king. At any rate, in 1514, Mary was married to Louis XII. of France. The French monarch when in the prime of life was tall, agile and handsome, was somewhat dissipated in his youth, but upon his accession to the throne, he forsook his vices He had been compelled by Louis XL to marry LADY JANE GREY. lb his daughter Jeanne, a deformed girl, but of amiable disposition. The poor girl loved her handsome husband passionately, but when he came to the throne, he put her away through a dispensation of the pope. Jeanne wept and begged in vain, for Louis married Anne of Brit- tany, who was a faithful and pious wife. She died in January, 1514. Mary, the sister of Henry VIII., was affianced to Prince Charles, grandson of Maximilian and Ferdinand, while his father was detained years before at Windsor Castle. The prince did not consider the engage- ment binding, and Louis XIL proposed the hand of his own daughter to him as his wife. Henry VIII. was frantic with rage at what he termed the treachery of the prince, and the am- bassador of France proposed, with adroitness, that Mary Tudor should marry the king, his master. Henry accepted the proposal — never for a moment considering the heart of his sister. The French king was fifty-three years old while Mary was only sixteen, and very charming in her beauty. She was deeply in love with Charles Brandon, but saw that opposition was utterly useless, and consented to the union. A treaty was made between the two monarchs, Louis a«i.- LADY JANE GREY. 93 dence. Somewhat sad from her recent discov- eries in reference to her husband's affections, the queen was yet sustained with the hope of presenting him with an heir, which she fondly trusted would recall his wandering heart to its proper home. She took the lovely Lady Jane with her, who, although so young in years, yet was so gentle and wise, so beautiful and good, that she was a most desirable companion for her. On the 30th of August, 1548, Katharine gave birth to a daughter, much to the disappointment of both parents, who had hoped it would prove to be a male heir. But Seymour did not ex- press any regret, but seemed to be overflowing with exquisite happiness at the thought of being a father. But the queen gave birth to her babe at the cost of her own life. The puerperal fever attacked her, and finally caused her death. Sey- mour treated her very affectionately, but amid her half-delirium she seemed to hate him and even to forget her babe. It is supposed by some that Katharine sus- pected that she was poisoned, but it is a very improbable supposition. The charge of poison- ing was an after-invention of Seymour's enemies 94 THE LIFE OF to ruin him with the king. It is more probable that some of the queen's attendants repeated to her some of the court gossip in reference to Sey- mour's passion for Elizabeth, Certain it is that she made her will upon her death bed, in which she bequeathed all her possessions to her deai husband, "only wishing them to be a thousand times more in value than they were." Upon her sick bed it is true she seemed to be sorely trou- bled with something in reference to Seymour. She said that she was not well handled. "Why, sweetheart," said her husband, "I would do you no hurt." He tried to pacify her, and laid down by her side and spoke kind words of affection to her, but she answered sharply. But it was mainly the disease, for she said not a word about her babe, which was unnatural. Seven days after the birth of her child, this good wife and excellent woman expired. Although she ex- pressed herself somewhat severely against her husband, yet before she died her thoughts were all upon him, and her heart, too, was his. To the very last she loved him, and loved him so well that she was anxious that he should have all her wealth, even forgetting the babe in whose veins ran her own blood 1 LADY JANE GREY. 95 Lady Jane Grey was in close attendance upon the queen during her illness, and saw her eyes closed in death. It must have been a sad stroke upon her young and tender heart, for Katharine had been to her a preceptor, a friend, and a mother, the kindest mother she had in the world, if we may believe the words of Roger Ascham, her tutor. The funeral of the queen took place with great solemnity from Sudley Castle, and Lady Jane Grey was the chief mourner. We extract the following from " a breviate of the interment of the Lady Katharine Parr, queen-dowager," which is still preserved. It certi£es that Lady Jane was present at the funeral, and acted as chief mourner in the procession. " The order in proceeding to the chapel : " First, two conductors in black, with black staves ; then gentlemen and esquires ; then knights ; then officers of the household, with their white staves ; then the gentlemen ushers ; then Somerset herald, in the tabard coat ; then the corpse, borne by six gentlemen in black gowns, with their hoods on their heads ; then eleven staff torches, borne on each side by yeomen round about the corpse, and at each corner a knight foj 96 THE LIFE OP assistance (four) with their hoods on their heads j then the Lady Jane (daughter to the Lord-Mar- quis Dorset) chief mourner, her train borne up by a young lady ; then six other lady mourners, two and two; then yeomen, three and three, in rank ; then all other following." We cannot take our leave of Katharine Parr without quoting the words of a writer who lived in her time : " She was endowed with a pregnant wittiness joined with right wonderful grace of eloquence, studiously diligent in acquiring knowledge as well of human discipline as also of the holy scriptures ; of incomparable elasticity, which she kept not only from all spot, but from all suspi- cion, by avoiding all occasions of idleness, and condemning vain pastimes." The queen's chaplain wrote her epitaph in La- tin. The translation is as follows : " In this new tomb the royal Katharine lies ; Flower of her sex, renowned, great, and wis* A wife, by every nuptial virtue known, A faithful partner onc« to Henry's throne. To Seymour next her plighted hand she yields- Seymour, who Neptune's trident justly wields ; From him a beauteous daughter bless'd her arms, An infant copy of her parent's charms. When now seven days this infant flower had bloomed, Heaven in its wrath the mother's soul resumed." LADY JANE GREY. 97 Of all the queens who were the consorts of Henry VIII., Katharine was the only one whose character for piety and wisdom is all that one could wish. Her influence over Lady Jane Grey was very great, and to her guidance we may as- cribe much of Lady Jane's purity and nobleness of life. 7 CHAPTER y. CORRESPONDENCE IN REFERENCH TO LADT JANE. SHE GOSH TO HER father's HOUSE. RETURNS TO THE CARE OF SEYMOUR. TUB AD- MIRAL ARRESTED. LADY JANE RETURNS TO BRADGATE. SEYMOUR BEHEADED. — LETTER OF ROGER ASCHAM TO LADY JANE. PRE- SENTED AT COURT. VISIT "WITH THE PRINCESS MARY. ^MARY PRK- SENTS HER WITH A GOLD NECKLACE. The death of Katharine Parr was a terrible shock to Lord Seymour ; so keenly did he feel it, so overwhelmed was he with the affliction, that he resolved at* once upon dismissing his household, and giving up the splendor which surrounded his housekeeping at Sudley Castle. His plans were all broken up by Katharine's death, and he scarcely knew how to proceed. He, however, shortly reconsidered his decision, and wrote to Lady Jane's father, earnestly re- questing that she might remain at his house. The following is a copy of the letter. " My lord, " After my most hearty commend unto your LADY JANE GREY. 99 lordship, whereby my last letter unto the same "written in a time when partly with the queen's highness' death I was so annoyed that I had small regard either to myself or my doings ; and partly then thinking that my great loss must presently have constrained me to have broken up and dissolved my whole house, I offered unto your lordship to send my Lady Jane unto you, whensoever you would send for her, as to him whom I thought would be most tender to her. Forasmuch, as being since both better advised of myself, and having more deeply digested whereunto my power would extend, I find that indeed with God's help, I shall right well be able to continue my house together without di- minishing any great part thereof. And there- fore, putting my whole affiance and trust in God, have begun anew to establish my household, where shall remain not only the gentlewomen of the queen's highness' privy chamber, but also the maids which waited at large, and other women being about her grace in her life-time, with a hundred and twenty gentlemen and yeomen, continually abiding in house together ; saving that now presently certain of the maids and gen- tlemen have desired to have leisure for a month 100 THE LIFE OP to see their friends, and then immediately return hither again. And therefore, doubting lest your lordship might think any unkindness that I should by my said letters take occasion to rid me of your daughter so soon after the queen's death ; for the proof both of my hearty affection • towards you, and good will towards her, I mind now to keep her, until I next speak with your lordship ; which should have been within these three or four days, if it had not been that I must repair unto the court, as well to help certain of the queen's poor servants, with some of the things now fallen by her death, as also for my own affairs; unless I shall be advertised from your lordship of your express mind to the con- trary. My lady, my mother, shall and will, I doubt not, be as dear unto her, as though she were her own daughter, and for my own part, I shall continue her half-father and more, and all that are in my house shall be as diligent aboui her as yourself would wish accordingly. "Thomas Seymour." But the marquis seems not to have been will- ing that Lady Jane should remain, for two days after he wrote as follows to Seymour : — LADY JANE GREY. lOl " My lord, " My most hearty commendations unto your good lordship not forgotten. When it hath pleased you by your most gentle letters to offer me the abode of my daughter at your lordship's house, I do as well acknowledge your most friendly affection towards me and her herein, as also render unto you most deserved thanks for the same. Nevertheless, considering the state of my daughter and her tender years, wherein she shall hardly rule herself as yet without a guide, lest she should for lack of a bridle take too much heed, and conceive such opinion of herself that all good behavior as she heretofore hath learned, by the queen's and your most wholesome instructions, should either altogether be quenched in her, or, at the least, much diminished, I shall in most hearty wise require your lordship to commit her to the governance of her mother, by whom for the fear and duty she oweth her, she shall most easily be ruled and framed towards virtue, which I wish above all things to be most plentiful in her ; and although your lordship's good mind concerning her honest and godly ed- ucation is so great, that mine can be no more, yet weighing that you be destitute of such one 102 THE LIFE OF as should correct her as a mietress, and admon- ish her as a mother, I persuade myself that you will think the eye and oversight of •my wife shall be in this respect most necessary. My meaning herein is not to withdraw any part of my promise to you for her bestowing, for 1 assure your lordship, I intend, God willing, to use your discreet advice and consent in that be- half, and no less than mine own ; only I seek in these her young years wherein she now stand- eth, either to make or mar (as the common say- ing is) the addressing of her mind to humility, soberness, and obedience. Wherefore, looking upon that fatherly affection which you bear her, my trust is that your lordship, weighing the premises, will be content to charge her mother with her, whose waking eye in respecting her demeanor shall be, I hope, no less than you, a friend, and I as a father, would wish. And thus wishing your lordship a perfect riddance of all unquietness and grief of mind, I leave any further to trouble your lordship. "From my house at Brodegate, the 19th of September. Your lordship's to the truly my power. Henry Dorsett. " I'o my very good Lord Admiral : give this." LADY JANE GREY. 103 Lady Jane's mother also wrote to Seymour as follows : " Although, good brother, I might be well en- couraged to minister such counsel unto you as I have in store, for that it hath pleased you not only so to take in worthy that I wrote in my Lady of Suffolk's letter, but also to require me to have in readiness such good advices as I shall think convenient against our next meeting, yet considering how unable I am to do that hereto belongeth, I had rather leave with that praise I have gotten at your hand, than by seeking more to lose that I have already won. And whereas of a friendly and brotherly good will you wish to have my daughter Jane still continuing in your house, I give you most hearty thanks for your gentle offer, trusting, nevertheless, that, for the good opinion you have in your sister, you will be content to charge her with her, who promiseth you not only to be ready at all times to account for the ordering of your dear niece, 'jut also to use your counsel and advice on the bestowing of her whensoever it shall happen. Wherefore, my good brother, my request shall hat I may have the oversight of her with 104 THE LIFE OP your good will, and thereby I shall have good occasion to think that you do trust me in such wise, as is convenient that a sister to be trusted of so loving a brother. And thus, my most hearty commendations not omitted, I wish the whole deliverance of your grief, and continuance of your lordship's health. From Bradgate, 19th of this September. Your loving sister and assured friend, "Fkances DoKSErr." Lady Jane was grand niece of Henry VIII., and, therefore, grand niece to Katharine Parr, but we can hardly conceive why Seymour should consider himself her uncle because he married Katharine, but Lady Dorset addresses him as a relation, a " good brother." Seymour finally consented that Lady Jane should return to her father's house, and sent his steward with her, but a few weeks afterwards he became very desirous that she should return to his house. He revived his old idea of marrying her to Edward VL, her second cousin. Lady Jane was now nearly twelve years old, and very pretty. She was staying in London with her parents at Dorset-house, near the Temple, and LADY JANE GREY. 105 there Seymour visited Lord Dorset, and finally, by eulogizing upon the brilliant prospect in store for Jane, i. e., her marriage with the king, he per- suaded the marquis to a,gain relinquish his lovely daughter to his care. He gave him five hundred pounds, as a part of two thousand pounds, which he had agreed to lend him, and refused any bond, saying that Lady Jane should be the pledge. Seymour's ambition was towering, and long before this he had endeavored to win the young king over to himself. Indeed, he was partially successful, for Edward seemed to regard him with more affection than his brother the lord protector. He gave Edward money, made him various presents, and endeavored in every pos- sible secret manner to get the king into his own hands. At last, he induced him to write a letter advising that he be appointed in the place of Somerset to the office of lord protector. This brought Somerset, who was absent in Scotland, at once back to court, and steps were at once taken to induce Seymour to relinquish his impru- dent and ambitious project. He paid no atten- tion, however, to any remonstrances which were addressed to him on the subject, until the coun- cil passed a resolution that he be sent to the 106 THE LIFE OF Tower, when lie hastened to his brother and sought a reconciliation, which took place. He was contented but for a short time, his spirit being a restless one, and impelling him forward to his fate. Somerset wished to marrj his son Lord Hertford to Lady Jane Grey, but Seymour wished her to marry the king, to defeat his brother's project, Hertford afterwards married Lady Jane's younger sister. Somerset hoped to rnarry the king to his own daughter, and, there- fore, was deadly opposed to Seymour's plan of raising Lady Jane to the throne. The lord admiral said publicly of Lady Jane Grey, that " she was as handsome a lady as any in England?" It is evident that the king was well affected towards Lady Jane, and the Protes- tant party were not at all averse to the admiral's project. She had been very carefully educated under the tutelage of Koger Ascham and Queen Katharine Parr, and the latter person always had in view her prospects for a royal position in her subsequent career. But the protector's in- fluence was too great for any such plan to suc- ceed, and Seymour seems in a manner to have given it up, though Lady Jane remained at his house until his arrest for treason. LADY JANE GREY. \07 The Princess Elizabeth wtis now sixteen years old, and Admiral Seymour renewed his old idea of marrying her. He was twenty years older than Elizabeth, but he was yet handsome and graceful, and she loved him. She allowed her governess, upon the death of Katharine Parr, to write him a letter of condolence, and, in a short time, the rumor was abroad that he would marry her. But according to Henry YIII.'s will, she must not marry without the consent of the coun- cil, and this could not be obtained. If she should still persist in marrying Seymour, she for''(3ited her right of succession to the crown. This, of course, she could not make up her mind to do. She was herself too ambitious and too wise to make any such sacrifice. But there can be no doubt that she loved Seymour, and, in fact, that she never really and truly loved any other man during her brilliant career. It was her impas- sioned love for Seymour that led her into so many imprudences with him. By nature she was extremely cautious, but with him she seemed to forget all etiquette. She scrupled not to say that she would marry the admiral if the council consented. Somerset declared that " he would clap his brother into the Tower if he became a 108 THE LIFE OF suitor for Elizabeth's hand," and the quarrel between them broke out afresh. This threat exasperated Seymour, and he plunged reckless- ly into the maddest intrigues against the lord protector. He resolved even as a last resort to seize upon the king's person ; and a confederate re- vealing his plans, Somerset caused his arrest. He was carried instantly to the Tower, and was now shut out from all hope. It would seem that he need not have feared for his life when his own brother was in reality the ruler of the kingdom, but Somerset was fully resolved upon sacrificing the life of Seymour, and thus rid himself of a powerful rival and enemy. 'The Parliament found a bill of attainder, and he was sentenced to be beheaded. Several of the Princess Eliza- beth's friends were arrested, and she herself had apartments in the Tower, and was looked upon in the light of a prisoner. She wrote a bold and eloquent letter to Somerset, in which she said, "Master Tyrwhit and others have told me there goeth rumors abroad which be greatly both against my honor and honesty, which above all other things I esteem, which be these, that I am in the Tower, and with child by my lord admiral. My lord, these are shameful slanders." I LADY JANE GREY. 109 ' ' The princess was obliged to guard her very looks during the trial and execution of her lover, for she was herself in great danger from the sus- picions which were aroused against her. Sey- mour seems to have abandoned himself to his fate from the moment of his imprisonment. He was probably so fully aware of the nature of his brother's ambition, and of the sacrifices which he would make to it, that he knew there was no hope of pardon. Upon the scaffold he protested that he had never committed any treason against the king or his country. Before his death he procured some ink, and plucking off an aglet from his dress, with the point of it he wrote a letter .to Elizabeth. He perished sadly, without any religious confession ; Latimer says, "dangerous- ly, irksomely, horribly." When the Princess Elizabeth was told of his terrible end, she had the wisdom to conceal her sorrow, simply saying, " This day died a man without much wit, and with very little judgment." The only heir of Seymour's was the poor babe which purchased its life by the death of its mother, Katharine Parr. Lady Jane Grey was godmother to the little orphan, but in the hands of its cruel uncle Somerset and his wife, it fared 110 THE LIFE OF worse than it would have done at the hands of a pirate. It should have inherited wealth, but everything was grasped by a strong arm away from her. At one time she was in charge of the Duchess of Suffolk, at another, of the Marquis of Northampton, but, in every case, she was cheated and despoiled of her rights. Though the daugh- ter of a Queen of England, she had no home, nor place where to lay her head. She survived until the age of thirteen, when she° joined her sainted mother in a sphere where cruelty and injustice cannot exist. We cannot contemplate the execution of Sey- mour without a feeling of horror. Undoubtedly, he acted with the rashest imprudence, and, in a manner, may be said to have induced his fate, by his wretched conduct, but there is something terrible in his death, caused, as it was, by his own brother. The heart of Somerset must have been made of stone, or he could not have seen his nearest relative, his own brother, upon the scaffold without a pang of sorrow. But he seems not to have exhibited the slightest feeling upon the subject. His only desire was to secure his dissevered head — and, when his object was ac- complished, he was happy again. This is the LADY JANE GREY. Ill great stain upon his life. He was generally pop- ular with the people, and they mourned him when, still later, he met the same dreadful fate which he had passed upon Seymour, but some there were who must have, remembered the murder of his brother, and have feit that the hand of Providence was plainly to be seen in his* own execution. When Seymour was arrested, Lady Jane Grey returned to her father's, at Bradgate, where she continued her studies. In the year 1550 the Marquis of Dorset was appointed itinerant jus- tice of the king's forests, and remained princi- pally at his seat in Leicestershire. In the month of August the whole family, with many guests, were assembled there. During this month the good Eoger Ascham, being appointed to a di- plomatic mission in Germany, made a visit to Bradgate to see his beautiful scholar. Lady Jane He says : — " Before I went into Germany I came intr Brodegate, in Leicestershire, to take my leave of that noble lady, Jane Grey, to whom I Avas ex- ceedingly much beholden. Her parents, with all the household, gentlemen and gentlewomen, were hunting in the park. I found her in her chamber 112 THE LIFE OP reading Phaedon Platonis in Greek, and that witli as much delight as some gentlemen would read a merrj tale in Bocace. After salutation and duty done, with some other talk I asked her why she would lose such pastime in the park ; smiling she answered me : ' I wis all their sport in the park is but a shadow to that pleasure I find in Plato ; alas, good folk, they never felt what true pleasure meant.' ' And how came you, madam,' quoth I, 'to this deep knowledge of pleasure, and what did chiefly allure you unto it, seeing not many women, but few men, have attained thereto?' 'I will tell you,' quote she, 'and tell you a truth, which perchance ye will marvel at. One of the great- est benefits that ever God gave me is that he sent me so sharp and severe parents, and so gentle a schoolmaster. For when I am in the presence of either father or mother, whether 1 speak, keep silence, sit, stand or go, eat, drink, be merry or sad, be sewing, playing, dancing, or doing any thing else, I must do it, as it were in such weight, measure, and number, even so per- fectly as God made the world, or else I am so sharply taunted, so cruelly threatened, yea pres- ently sometimes with pinches, nips, and bobs, and LADY JANE GRET. 113 other ways which I will not name for the honor I bear them, so without measure misordered, that I think myself in hell till the time come that I must go to Mr. Elmer, who teacheth me so gently, so pleasantly, with such fair allurements to learning, that I think all the time nothing whilst I am with him. And when I am called from him I fall a weeping, because whatsoever I do else but learning, is full of grief, trouble? fear, and whole misliking unto me. And thus my book hath been so much my pleasure, and bringeth daily to me more pleasure and more, that in respect of it, all other pleasures in very deed be but trifles and troubles unto me 1' I remember this talk gladly, both because it is so worthy of memory, and because, also, it was the last talk that ever I had, and the last time that ever I saw that noble and worthy lady." The reader must remember that in Lady Jane's time it was customary to correct chil- dren and even grown up young ladies very harshly. But the Marquis of Dorset was a severe man, selfish, avaricious, and formed of a temper anything but pleasant. Any man who will mistreat his mother will mistreat a child, and the marquis treated his mother shamefully 8 114 THE LIFE OF He seems to have been ready at all times to barter Lady Jane away withoat consulting her feelings, and it is a wonder how she was so gentle and lovely with such treatment as she received at home. Perhaps it was because she was so large a portion of her life absent from home, and under the guardianship of the gentle and good. Early in the next year Eoger Ascham wrote Lady Jane a letter, which is still preserved. The following is a copy : — "In this my long peregrination, most illustri- ous lady, I have travelled far ; have visited the greatest cities; and have made the most dili- gent observations in my power upon the man- ners of nations, their institutions, laws, religion, and regulations; nevertheless, in such variety there is nothing that has raised in me greater admiration than what I found in regard to your- self during the last summer, to see one so young and lovely, even in the absence of her learned preceptor, in the noble hall of her family, at the very moment when all her friends and relatives were enjoying hunting and field sports--to find, I repeat, oh, all ye gods! so divine a maid dili- gently perusing the divine Phaedon of Plato; LADY JANE GREY. 115 in this more happy, it may be believed, than ia her noble and royal lineage. "Go on thus, oh best adorned virgin, to the honor of thy country, the delight of thy parents, thy own glory, the praise of thy preceptor, the comfort of thy relatives and acquaintances, and the admiration of all. Oh happy Elmer! to have such a scholar, and to be her preceptor. I congratulate both you who teach, and she who learns. " These are the words of John Sturmius unto myself as my reward for teaching the most illus- trious Lady Elizabeth ; but to you two I can repeat them even with more truth ; to you two I concede this felicity, even though I should have to lament want of success where I had ex- pected to reap the sweetest fruits from my labor. '"But let me restrain the sharpness of my grief, which prudence makes it necessary I should conceal even to myself This much I may say, that I have no fault to find with the Lady Elizabeth, whom I have always found the best of ladies, nor indeed with the Lady Mary; but if ever I shall have the happiness to meet my friend Elmer, then shall I repose ir his bosom my sorrows abundantly.' 116 THE LIFE OF "Two things I repeat to thee, my good El- mer — for T know that thou wilt see this letter — that by your persuasion and entreaty the Lady Jane Grey, as early as she can conveniently, may write to me in Greek, which she has al- ready promised to do. I have even written lately to John Sturmius, mentioning this prom- ise. Pray let your letter and hers fly together to us. The distance is great, but John Hales will take care that it shall reach me. If she even were to write to Sturmius himself in Greek, neither you nor she shall have cause to repent your labor. " The other request is, my good Elmer, that you would exert yourself so that we might conjointly preserve this mode of life amongst us. How freely, how sweetly, and philosophi- call}^, then, should we live ! "Why should we, my good Elmer, less enjoy all these good things, which Cicero, at the conclusion of his third book, De Finitus, describes as the only ration- al mode of life? Nothing in any tongue, no- thing in any times, in human memory, either past or present, from which something may not De drawn to sweeten life ! " As to the news here, most illustrious lady, LADY JANE GREY. 117 I know not what to write. That which is writ- ten of stupid things, must itself be stupid ; and, as Cicero complained of his own times, there is little to amuse, or that can be embellished. Be- sides, at present all places and persons are oc- cupied with rumors of wars and commotions, which for the most part are either mere fabrica- tions, or founded upon no authority ; so that anything respecting continental politics would neither be interesting nor useful to you. " The general council of Trent is to sit on the first of May : Cardinal Pole, it is asserted, is to be the president. Besides, there are tumults this year in Africa ; then preparations for a war against the Turks: and then the great expec- tations of the march of the emperor into Hun- gary, of which, though no soldier, I shall, God willing, be a companion. Why need I write to you of the siege of Medgeburg, and how the Duke of Mechlenburg has been taken ; or of that commotion which so universally at this moment afflicts the miserable Saxony ? To write of all these things I have neither leisure nor would it be safe ; but on my return, which I hope is not far distant, it shall be my great hap- piness to relate all these things to you in person. 118 * THE LIFE OF " Thy kindness to me, oli most noble Jane Grej, was always most grateful to me when present with you ; but it is ten times more so during this long absence. To your noble pa- rents I wish length of happiness; to you a daily victory in letters and in virtue; to thy sister Katharine, that she may resemble thee; and to Elmer I wish every good that he may wish to Ascham. "Further, dearest lady, if I were not afraid to load thee with the weight of my light saluta- tions, I would ask thee, in my name to salute Elizabeth Astley, who, as well as her brother John, I believe to be of my best friends; and whom I believe to be like that brother in all integrity and sweetness of manners. " Salute, I pray thee, my cousin Mary Laten, and my wife Alice, of whom I think often er than I can now express. Salute, also, that worthy young man Garret, and John Haddon. " Farewell, most noble lady in Christ. "K. A. *' August AE, 18th January, 1851." It would be a singular sight, even in this enlightened age — that of a girl of fourteen years corresponding with the first scholars of LADY JANE GREY. 119 Europe, and in Greek ! Ascliam, Bullinger, and Sturmius, all distinguished men, received her let- ters with the greatest pleasure, and answered them as if it were a wonderful privilege. In the following month of June, Lad j Jane commenced the study of the Hebrew language, and in the same month wrote an epistle to the celebrated Bullinger, at Zurich. Bullinger was imbued with the principles of the reformation, and was well known to the Dorset family. The letter of Lady Jane is unaffected, the style pure, and the sentiments religious. During a part of the year 1551, Lady Jane resided in Cambridge, though the greater portion seems to have been spent at Bradgate. On the 11th of October her father, the Marquis of Dorset, was raised to the peerage. The title of the Suffolk family had become extinct by the death of Henry and Charles Brandon, and it was bestowed upon the Marquis of Dorset, because his wife was sister to the Suffolks. From this time, therefore, we shall mention Lady Jane's parents by their new titles — the Duke and Duchess of Suffolk. The family now came to London, and Lady Jane was presented at court. Mary of Lorraine, the queen-dowager of Scotland, had just arrived 120 THE LIFE OF from France, and on the occasion of her visit Lady Jane publicly took part in the ceremonies in honor of the queen. The first interview- between the queen and King Edward took place on the fourth of November, and Lady Jane was a witness to the interesting scene. The reception took place at Whitehall, and the Duchess of Suffolk rode in the carriage tbitber witb Queen Mary, and her daughter, Lady Jane Grey, followed in her train. That day the royal couple dined alone together, and Lady Jane, ber motber, and many other distin- guished ladies, retired to tbe queen's great cbam- ber, wbere tbey all partook of a grand entertain- ment. That night her majesty returned to ber apartments in tbe bishop's palace, but two days afterwards further bonors were conferred on ber. A long train of tbe nobility followed her tbrougb Bisbopsgate street as far as Shoreditcb cburch, and Lady Jane's motber, the Duchess of Suffolk, was a very prominent personage in the procession, adding much to its splendor. On New Year's day, 1552, tbe Duchess of Suffolk made Edward tbe king a present of a purse knit of gold and silver, and containing forty pounds sterling. Tbe young monarcb gave LADY JANE GREY. 121 her in return three gilt bowls with covers. Edward often saw Lady Jane, and loved her, but rather as a brother than as a suitor. It was about this time that Ladj Jane wrote a second letter to Bullinger, the scholar and reformer. The health of Edward declining at this time, it was proposed that he should travel over the kingdom, in the hope of diverting his mind from weighty matters which pressed upon him. Just previous to his starting, the Princess Mary came to court and bad an interview with her half- brother. The King started for Guildford the latter part of June, and in July Lady Jane Grey took occasion in the absence of the court to pay a visit to the Princess Mary at Newhall. The princess seems to have received her in a cordial manner, though they did not agree upon religious subjects. The following anecdote is re- corded as having occurred during this visit. The Princess Mary was at heart a Catholic, though she made pretences of being, if not a Protestant, at least very liberal in her religious belief. She had a domestic chapel at Newhall, and one day when Lady Jane Grey was walking through it in company with Lady Wharton, the latter curt- F 122 THE LIFE OF Bied to the host on the altar. Lady Jane ob- served the act of reverence and asked, " Is Lady Mary present in the chapel ?" " No," replied Lady Wharton. " Why, then, do you curtsey ?" asked Lady Jane. "I curtsey to Him that made me," replied Lady Wharton. " Nay," said Lady Jane," but did not tbe baker make him ?" This dialogue was repeated to the Princess Mary, who was offended with Jane, and it is said never afterwards loved her. We may be sure of this fact, but we doubt if ever before she entertained much affection for her lovely cousin. She did at one time, to be sure, pre- sent her with a costly dress, yet Lady Jane said, when the dress was sent to her, — " Nay, it were a shame to follow my Lady Mary, who leaveth God's word, and leave my Lady Elizabeth, who followeth God's word." The Princess Elizabeth for several years had endeavored by a sober and severe life to expiate her sad imprudencies with Lord Seymour. It may have been that the dreadful fate of the only man whom she truly loved made so deep LADY JANE GEET. 123 an impression upon her mind, that she was desirous of quitting the vanities of life. Sev- eral years before, Mary gave to Lady Jane a gold necklace set with pearls. Alasl the fair neck around which the golden gift was placed, was, destined to be severed by the same hand which offered the splendid toy ! It is quite evident that Lady Jane never looked upon Mary with much affection. Her conduct, in- deed, had not been attractive, and her sym- pathies for Catholicism might have rendered her odious in the sight of the pious and en- lightened Lady Jane. The king continued absent on his journey, and Lady Jane Grey returned to her studies. The good Aylmer was her guide and instructor, and she was a most apt pupil. Not only was she thoroughly acquainted with the learned lan- guages, but general science attracted her close attention. She was also deeply versed in theol- ogy, so much so that she was a match for almost any religious disputant. CHAPTER VI. DQKE OF SOMERSET. INSURRECTIONS. RISE OF THE EARL OF WAR- WICK. MADE DUKE OF NORTHUMBERLAND. DOWNFALL OF SOM- ERSET. — Northumberland's ambition. — his designs upon the CROWN. The Duke of Somerset, when he had sacr; ficed the life of his own brother to his ambition, became still more desirous of enlarged power and influence. A great commotion raged through- out England among the lower classes, on ac- count of a pecuniary panic which was prevalent in the country. The duke, hoping to add to his popularity with the masses, took the side of the people. The landholders in many in- stances had inclosed the commons, which the poor people had been accustomed to graze their cattle upon, or otherwise make use of, and the protector somewhat rashly issued a proclama- tion insisting that all commons which had been inclosed should at once be thrown open to the public. But few obeyed this proclamation, and LADY JANE GREY. 125 the masses determined to rectify the evil by mob-law, and insurrections were common over the kingdom. The landed proprietors and the nobility, by this act of Somerset, were alienated from him, and resolved to affect the ruin of so bold and despotic a man. Though themselves guilty of usurpation of lands, they yet saw that the duke had assumed a power which he could not legally hold. Religious revolts soon agitated the kingdom, which had their seat in the west, and also in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. The people who revolted were principally of the laboring classes, and they generally revolted against the oppression of the wealthier classes rather than Protestantism, though in certain parts great dis- satisfaction was felt at the religious state of the government. The protector had been unfortu- nate in his. wars, in his statesmanship ; had been personally extravagant, building himself a most costly palace at a time when the nation was almost bankrupt ; and a storm had now arisen which he could not withstand. In his war with Scotland he had been unsuccessful ; in his con- flict with France he had been defeated ; the old nobility had from the first hated him ; and now 126 THE LIFE OP in a time of unprecedented depression in pecuni- ary matters, his extravagance was such as to disgust the nation. Conceited, vain, and ambi- tious, he caused himself to be styled " Duke of Somerset by the grace of God," after the most royal manner. At this time there was a man in England who had the acuteness to perceive that Somerset's fall was inevitable, and he deter- mined to profit by it. He was a man of fearful ambition, who would not scruple at any act by which he might advance his fortunes ; a man who knew passing well how to cajole and flat- ter, indeed how to control men, and yet he was by no means possessed of the highest talent, and had little personal courage. He was a renowned soldier, possessed no settled religious principles, but discovering how firm the young king was in his devotion to the Eeformation, he became a Protestant. This man, who exercised such a sad influence over the fortunes of Lady Jane Grrey, was the Earl of Warwick, afterwards made Duke of Nor- thumberland. He was born in 1502, and was in early life attached to Cardinal Wolsey. He achieved many victories by land and sea, and now, seeing plainly that Somerset was hated by LADY JANE GREY. 127 the nobility, and was losing his popularity with the people, he began to play a bold game for power. He endeavored to win the affections of the king, and, being one of the council, soon came to be Somerset's only great rival. But Somerset was growing unpopular, his star was setting in the west, while that of Warwick had but just arisen. The latter part of the year 1549, the enemies of Somerset were so bold in their measures against him, that he became alarmed, and surrounded himself with soldiers well equipped for defence. He was at Hampton Court, and the king was with him. Somerset carried the -king to Windsor, while the council, animated by Warwick, called upon the nobility throughout the kingdom to come to their assistance. Som- erset first determined to defy his enemies, and, by force, if necessary, retain possession of the monarch, but he very soon wrote a letter to the council, in which he stated, that provided they intended no harm to the king, they would find him, the protector, ready to agree to their re- quirements. They saw, at once, that Somerset was at their feet. Warwick had triumphed. The council published a proclamation, in which they stated clearly the misconduct of the protec- 128 THE LIFE OF tor, who, at last, wrote privately t xiis greai enemy, Warwick, and begged of hin^ to save him, reminding him of their friendship in older days. On the 13th of October, Somerset was placed under arrest, and the misdemeanors of which he was guilty, were drawn up against him in writing, and he was carried to the Tower. Thus Warwick was left at the head of the gov- ernment, and, of course, had constant access to the king, whom he soon completely controlled. In 1550, Somerset made a humble confession, that he had been guilty of the misdemeanors charged against him, on his knees before the king, in the hope that he would be dealt merci- fully with. He was deprived of all his offices, of all personal property, and of two thousand pounds a year from the revenue of his lands, lie complained of the severity of this heavy fine, but when the council replied harshly to him, he confessed that it was just. As a reward for his abject humility, he was, on the sixth of Febru- ary, released from the Tower. He conducted himself so humbly that he was again sworn in member of the privy council. The Earl of War- wick was made lord admiral, and great master of the household. An apparent reconciliatioi. LADY JANE GREY.' 129 took place between "Warwick and Somerset; Lord Lisle, Warwick's eldest son, marrying Lady Anne, daughter of Somerset. But the late lord protector could not be content with his present humble position, and took secret measures for re- aining his old position. He conceived the idea of getting the king into his hands, and making a stand in the provinces. In October, Warwick was made Duke of Northumberland, and shortly- after, the nation was shoclced by the news that Somerset was again arrested, and, this time, on a charge of high treason. It was charged that he had intended to raise a revolt against the gov- ernment in conjunction with other noblemen, that he designed taking possession of the king ; and to prove these charges, the confessions of one of his tools were taken as evidence. The trial took place on the first of December, the duke being brought from the Tower to Westminster, with the axe of the Tower carried before him. The trial was a most unfair one, yet fairer than the trial which Somerset had acceded to his own brother, Admiral Seymour. He denied the charge against him, though he confessed that he had, at one time, prepared to kill Northumber- land, but had afterwards given up the idea. The f 9 130 THE LIFE OF charge of treason fell through, but he was found guilty of felony, and sentenced to be beheaded. He was carried back to the Tower, unaccom- panied by the terrible axe, inasmuch as he had been acquitted of the charge of treason. The execution took place on Friday, the 22d of January, and the king, in his journal, thus early makes a note of his uncle's death : " The Duke of Somerset had his head cut off upon Tower-hil], between eight and nine o'clock in the morning." Early in the morning, London was astir, for though the Duke of Somerset had been a proud, ambitious and extravagant man, yet the people could not entirely lose their old love for him, and now that his day of doom had come, their sympathies were deeply roused. The Lord- Mayor of London and the constables required that every household remain within doors until after ten o'clock, to prevent a gathering of the people, or an insurrection. Notwithstanding this order, by seven o'clock Tower-hill was covered by an immense multitude of people. The duke was perfectly calm, kneeling down, and repeat- ing a few short prayers. After this, he rose, and walked to the east side of the scaffold, and spoke LADY JANI, GREY. 131 to the people. He said that he had never by word or deed offended against the king, and that he did not repent at any of his doings while lord protector. He certainly must have forgot- ten his base treatment of his brother Seymour, or else he spoke hypocritically. While he was speaking, a great noise was heard, and a man was seen to ride swiftly towards the Tower. Im- mediately there rose a great cry of " A pardon I a pardon ! God save the king !" The duke in- formed the people that they were mistaken, though, at first, it is likely that he himself had faint hopes that the horseman might bear news of a reprieve. He requested the multitude to be quiet lest their tumult should disturb his calm- ness, which was so desirable at such an hour. He then knelt down again, and prayed with seeming fervency, the people watching him with swelling hearts, and some with streaming faces. He then stood up before them, and with a clear, calm face bade the sheriffs farewell, then the Lieutenant of the Tower, and all others on the scaffold with him. He gave the executioner some money, and then took off his gown, and knelt down on the straw, untying his shirt- strings, and turning his collar down from his -182 THE LITE OF neck, that his head might be severed easily and quickly. When he laid his neck upon the block his cheeks grew red, but immediately a cap was put over his face. He repeated the name of Jesus slowly, and, at the third time, the axe descended, and he was instantly killed. Hun- dreds of the spectators rushed up and dipped their handkerchiefs in the blood, that they might keep them in memory of the beheaded duke. This proves pretty clearly that the people yet loved him ; still they remembered how a few years before, he had sacrificed the life of his brother without the least hesitancy or apparent compunction of conscience. The fate of the duke, therefore, seemed to be a judgment of God, and whether or not he deserved his fate on account of treason to the state, or felony, it is pretty certain that he deserved it on account of his own criminality in other transactions. Sev- eral persons perished with the Duke of Somer- set as his accomplices, and among them Sir Ralph Yane, who, well knowing that the Duke of Northumberland was at the bottom of their mur- der, said boldly, that as often as Northumberland laid his head on his pillow he would find it wet with their blood. Whether or not it was so, the LADY JANE GREY. l33 dake was destined to feel the retributive hand of Providence a few years later. Parliament met the day after the execution of Somerset, and it was found that the members could hardly be counted on as the hearty sup- porters of the existing government. The truth was, that the Duke of Northumber- land by his execution of Somerset had outraged the feelings of the nation, and they soon learned to hate while they feared him. He met with bold opposition in parliament, and out of it, and if he now would, he might have learned a lesson which would have saved his life. But his am- bition was so towering, that opposition only whetted his appetite for more power, and his schemes grew still bolder and more magnificent. He, at one time, purposed to marry his son. Lord Guildford Dudley, to the daughter of the Earl of Cumberland, and, it is said, the king planned the match, and if so, it renders probable the story, that he was himself attached to Lady Jane Grey, and intended to make her his wife. But Northumberland soon dropped this project for a new vision opened upon his ambitious eyes. The king, for some time, had been declining in Ijealth, and was now so seriously ill as to alarm 134 THE LIFE OF the nation. His constitution ever was delicate • in the spring of the previous year, he was at- tacked by the measles and small-pox, and being ill for a long time, his frame was very much en- feebled, and it seemed impossible for him to re- gain even his accustomed robustness. In the spring of 1553, he caught a violent cold, which was aggravated by injudicious treatment, and a disease of the lungs was the consequence. Some declared that he was under the influence of slow but subtle poisons, administered to him by persons at court, but there is not the slightest foundation for a belief in any such story. Un- doubtedly, that slow but terrible disease, the consumption, was fastened upon the young, but wise and pious king, and the Duke of Northum- berland saw that he probably had not long to live. It was this state of things which aroused the fiery ambition of his nature, and led him to project schemes which were destined to prove the ruin of not only himself, but of many others, among whom, stands first and fairest, the gentle Lady Jane Grey. The duke saw that the young king was warmly devoted to Protestantism, knew that Edward was well aware of the Princess Mary's half-concealed love for the Catholic religion, and LADY JANE GREY. ' 135 he trusted that he could persuade him to over- turn the will of Henry VIIL, and leave the crown to Lady Jane Grey, It was a wild and unrighteous project, which was probably entirely concealed from the duke's best friends until ripe for execution, and kept carefully away from Lady Jane until after the death of the king. Northumberland proposed that his son, Lord Lord Guildford Dudley, should marry Lady Jane, and thus he woiild be father to the Queen of England, provided his plan should succeed. CHAPTER VII. LADY JANE GREY. DESCRIPTION OF HER PERSON. HER LiARNINO AND VIRTUES. — NORTHUMBERLAND'S PROJECTS. IMAGINARY CON- VERSATION BETWEEN ROGER ASCHAM AND LADY JANE. HER MAR- RIAGE WITH LORD GUILDFORD DUDLEY. — EDWARD VI. A VICTIM TO NORTHUMBERLAND. MAKES HIS WILL IN FAVOR OF LADY JANE GREY. TROUBLES WITH THE COUNCIL. INNOCENCE OF LADY JANE. Lady Jane Gkey was now sixteen years old, and, perhaps, one of the most beautiful women in England. Her beauty was of a style some- what rare in that age. She was not command- ing, imperious and passionately beautiful. Her beauty was surmounted by the most exquisite loveliness of character. She was gentle, kind and affectionate ; though a learned scholar, she was no mere "blue-stocking." A painting of her at this time, which is still preserved, repre- sents her as having a very fair, broad and beau- tiful brow, eyebrows of jet, a small and exquisite mouth, and a face on which sits the very spirit of meekness and subdued beauty. She wears a LADY JANE GEEY, 137 very large head-dress, which almost entire- ly covers her hair from sight. A few locks are seen upon the temple. Around her neck there is a high collar or partlet, as it was called, stand- ing upright, and very richly embroidered. The neck and a slight glimpse of the bosom are to be seen — in the latter, there is a beautiful bouquet of flowers. Gowns at this time were generally cut square in the neck, and were often splendidly enriched by costly sleeves and a habit-shirt, the collar of which standing upright was ingeniously and handsomely embroidered. A Holbein painting of Lady Jane represents her without her partlet, her neck and bosom almost bare, with the exception of necklaces and jewels. Her hair in this painting is surmounted by a low head-dress, and falls down upon the back of her neck. In both pictures, the face is very sweet and beautiful, and in the latter, there is a pensiveness which would almost make one suppose that, when it was taken, she anticipated, by presentiment, her sorrowful fate. Burton, an ancient writer, says of Lady Jane : " That most admired Princess, Jane Grey, who being but young, attained to such excellent learn- ing, both in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin tongues, 138 THE LIFE OF and also in the study of divinity, by the instruc- tion of Mr. Aylmer, as appeareth by her many writings, letters, etc., that as Mr. Fox saith of her, had her fortune been answerable to her bringing up, undoubtedly she might have been compared to the house of Yespasiaus, Lemproni- aus, and Cornelia, mother of the Gracchi, in Rome ; and, in these days, the chiefest men in the universities." Fox says : " She hath the innocency of childhood, the beauty "of youth, the solidity of middle, the grav- ity of old age, and all at sixteen ; the birth of a princess, the learning of a clerk, the life of a saint, yet the death of a malefactor for her pa- rents' offences. I confess I never read of any canonized saint of her name ; a thing whereof some papists are so scrupulous, that they count it an unclean and unhallowed thing to be of a name whereof never any saint was — but let this worthy lady pass for a saint ; and let all great ladies which bear her name imitate her virtues ; to whom I wish her inward holiness, but far more outward happiness." Still anot..er writer says: " She had a perfection noble and holy, a LADY JANE GREY. 139 strength remarkable in one of her sex, a lady in all goodness so perfect that whosoever could gain but some part of her shadow, might have enough in latter days to boast, and rank themselves with the most virtuous." Fuller says : " No lady which led so many pious, lived so few pleasant days ; her soul was never out of the nonage of afflictions, till death made her of full years to inherit happiness ; so severe was her education. Whilst a child, her father's house was a house of correction ; nor did she write woman sooner than she did subscribe wife, and, in obedience to her parents, was unfortunately matched to the Lord Guildford Dudley, whose worse fault was that he was son to an ambitious father " Sir Thomas Chaloner, in an elegy upon her death, commends her beauty, but much more her charming conversation. He says, she was well versed in. eight languages; had natural wit, and that much improved by art and study ; that she played instrumental music well ; wrote an excellent hand ; yet was mild, humble and mod- est, " and never showed an elated mind until she manifested it at her death." Lady Jane not 140 THE LIFE OF only played on instraments, but had a very sweet voice, and sang beautifully, according to contem- porary writers. Bishop Latimer says : " She was handsome, learned beyond imagina- tion, of a most acute wit, and for prudence even at her age superior to her sex ; extremely pious ; devoted to the reformed faith ; and so far from aspiring to the honor, that she took the regalia with tears." And Burnet says : " With all her advantages of birth and parts, yet she was so humble, so gentle, and pious, that all people both admired and loved her, and none more than the youthful Edward." The young king continued to grow worse, and the Duke of Northumberland resolved upon car- rying out his daring projects in reference to the crown. The Parliament met in March of this year (1553), but sat only four weeks, leaving Northumberland in possession of the govern- ment. The monarch was in such ill health that his will was completely subjected to that of the duke, and the kingdom was virtually ruled by Northumberland. Foreseeing the death of Ed- ward, he determined to snatch the crown away LADY JANE GREY. 141 from the Princess Mary, whose it would be law- fully and justly by right of succession, and re- tain it in his own family. To do this, it would be necessary to make a tool of the king, and, also, of Lady Jane Grey. It would be necessary, first, to marry Lady Jane to his son, secondly, to strengthen his own position by other marriages, allying himself to eminent families, thirdly, to coax Edward to bequeath the crown to Lady Jane, or force him to do it, and finally, to con- ceal carefully his intentions from the virtuous and innocent Lady Jane, whose whole nature would rebel against the idea of an unjust usur- pation of the crown until the last moment, when through her love for her friends, and, especially, her fear of her parents, and her devotion to Pro- testantism, she could be forced into accepting the responsible part which was to be allotted to her in this unfortunate drama. If Northumberland's energy and talent had equalled his ambition, there is no doubt but he might have succeeded in his plans, for the cause of the Reformation was loved by a large portion of the people, and Lady Jane Grey was looked upon with affection everywhere. Northumberland determined to marry his 142 THE LIFE OF daughter, Lady Katharine, to Lord HastingSi eldest son of the Earl of Huntingdon ; Loid Herbert eldest son of the earl of Pembroke, to Lady Katharine Grey, younger sister to Lady Jane; and his fourth son. Lord Guildford Dud- ley, to Lady Jane Grey. In the age of which we write it was not customary for parents to consult their children in reference to their mat- rimonial projects, and it is not probable that Lady Jane was consulted in reference to the marriage with Lord Guildford, her father, the duke of Suffolk, and Northumberland arrang- ing the union with all its preliminaries. But the light of history is clear enough for us to discover that. Lady Jane soon loved Dudley. He was scarcely twenty years of age, tall and graceful, and quite handsome, and well calcu- lated to win the heart of the Lady Jane, who was almost a girl, and naturally very affec- tionate. The families had long been intimate, and it is likely that Guildford and Jane were well acquainted with each other ; and possibly they were, before the marriage was spoken of, attached to each other. The courtship, how- ever, was of short continuance, being consum- mated quickly by marriage It cannot be de- LADY JANE GREY. 14b nied that the marriage was planned by Nor- thumberland and the Duke of Suffolk, and, at least on their part, was a match of ambition, but Guildford and Jane as yet knew nothing of the proposed after-usurpation of the crown. Walter Savage Landor — one of the most beau- tiful of the English authors — in his '■^Imaginary Conversations " has one imaginary interview be- tween Lady Jane, at this time, and her old friend Roger Ascham. Although purely ficti- tious, we will quote it here : — Ascham. — Thou art going, my dear young lady, into a most awful state; thou art passing into matrimony and great wealth. God hatb willed it; submit in thankfulness. Thy affeoi tions are rightly placed and well distributed Love is a secondary passion in those who love most, a primary in those who love least. He who is inspired by it in a high degree is in- spired by honor in a higher; it never reaches its plenitude of growth and perfection but in the most exalted minds. Alas ! alas ! Jane. — What aileth my virtuous Ascham? Why do I tremble? Aschayn. — I remember a sort of prophesy, made three years ago ; it was the prophecy of 144 THE LIFE OF thy condition, and of my feelings on it. Recol lectest thoa who wrote, sitting upon the sea- beach, the evening after an excursion to the Isle of Wight, these verses? " Invisibly bright water ! so like air, On looking down I feared thou couldst not bear My little bark, of all light barks most light, And looked again and drew me from the sight And held tlie bench, not to go on so fast." Jane. — I was very childish when 1 composed them, and if I had thought any more about the matter, I should have hoped that you would have been too generous to keep them in your memory as witnesses against me. Ascham. — ^Nay, they are not so much amiss for so young a girl, and there being so few of them, I did not reprove thee. Half an hour I thought might have been spent more unprofita- bly ; and I now shall believe it firmly, if thou wilt be led by them to meditate a little on the similarity of situations in which then thou wert, to what thou art now in. Jane. — I will do it and whatever else you command, for I am weak by nature and very timorous, unless where a strong sense of duty holdeth and supporteth me. There God acteth, and not his creatures. There were with me at LADY JANE GREY. 145 sea those who would have been attentive to me if I had seemed to be afraid, even though worship- ful men and women were in the company ; so that something more powerful threw my fear overboard. Yet I never will go again upon the water. Ascham. — Exercise that beauteous couple, that mind and body, much and variously, but at home, at home, Jane ! in-doors, and about things in- doors, for God is there too. We have rocks and quicksands on the banks of our Thames, O lady, such as ocean never heard of; and many — who knows how soon I — may be ingulphed in the current under their garden-walls. Jane. — Thoroughly now do I understand you. Yes, indeed, I have read evil things of courts, but I think nobody can go out bad, who enter- eth good, if timely and true warning shall have been given. Ascham. — I see perils on perils which thou dost not see, albeit thou art wiser than thy poor old master. And it is not because love hath blinded thee, for that surpasseth his sup- posed omnipotence ; but it is because thy tender heart, having always leant affectionately upon good, hath felt and known nothing of evil. T ^ 10 146 THE LIFE OF once persuaded thee to reflect luuc. , let me now persuade thee to avoid the habitude o^ reflection, to lay aside books, and to gaze care- fully and steadfastly on what is under and be fore thee, Jayie. — I have well bethought me of my duties. how extensive they are ! What a goodly and fair inheritanc3 ! But tell me, would you com- mand me never more to read Cicero, and Epicle- tus, and Polybus ? The others I do resign : they are fit for the arbor and the gravel-walk: yet leave unto me, I beseech you, my friend and father, leave unto me for my fireside and for my pillow, truth, eloquence, courage, con- stancy. Ascham. — Eead them on thy marriage-bed, on thy child-bed, on thy death-bed. Thou spot- less, undrooping lily, they have fenced thee right well. These are the men for men ; these are to fashion the bright and blessed creatures whom God shall one day smile upon in thy chaste bosom. Mind thou thy husband. Jane. — I sincerely love the youth who hath espoused me ; I love him with the fondest, the most solicitous affection. I pray to the Al- mighty for his goodno5ss and happiness, and do LADY JANE GREY. 147 forget at times, unworthy suppliant, the prayers I should have offered for mj^self. Never fear that I will disparage my kind religious teacher, by disobedience to my husband in the most trying duties. Ascham. — Gentle is he, gentle and virtuous; but time will harden him : time must harden even thee, sweet Jane ! Do then complacently and indirectly lead him from ambition. Jane. — He is contented with me and with home. Ascham,. — Ah, Jane ! Jane ! Men of high es- tate grow tired of contented ness. Jane. — He told me he never liked books unless I read them to him : I will read them to him every evening: I will offer new worlds to him, richer than those discovered by the Spaniards : I will conduct him to treasures, what treasures ! on which he may sleep in innocence and peace. Ascham. — Rather do thou walk with him, ride with him, play with him, be his fairy, his page, his everything that love and poetry have invent- ed ; but watch him well, sport with his fancies, turn them about like the ringlets round his cheek: and if ever he meditateth on power, go toss up thy baby to his brow, and bring back his l48 THE LIFE OP thouglits into his heart by the music of thy dis- course. Teach him to live unto God, and unto thee ; and he will discover that women, like the plants in woods, derive their softness and tender- ness from the shade." During the last week of May, the marriage of Lady Jane Grey with Lord Guildford Dudley was celebrated at Durham House, in the Strand, the residence of the Dake of Northumberland. No more appropriate time could have been chosen for the marriage of the innocent and love- ly Lady Jane, than that of the English May. At the same time and place, two other marriages were solemnized — those of Lady Katharine Grey with Lord Herbert, and Lady Katharine Dudley with Lord Hastings. The marriage ceremonifs of these illustrious weddings were conducted magnificently, and a vast deal of show and pa- geantry were thrown about them. It was very proper that the day should be shrouded in so- lemnity, but the splendor of the occasion would have passed unheeded, could those who took part in the grand ceremonies only have looked forward a few months into the future. The young king was pleased with the match of Lady Jane, and it is said, that the last smiles which LADY JANE GREY. 149 graced his face were those seen there on this occa- sion. The court had already begun to pat on the hue of mourning, in its tone of feeling, in anticipa- tion of Edward's death, but now, for a few days, there was pomp and ceremony and general glad- ness. Edward ordered the master of the ward- robe to give to Lady Jane much wedding apparel, as well as many jewels. Lady Jane, attired in a dress embroidered with gold, between two pages, and followed by a train of maidens, entered the wedding apartment. "When the ceremony was performed, and it was known to the people in the streets, there was a general rejoicing. Nor- thumberland was hated by the people for his terrible ambition, but they loved Lady Jane, and could not dislike the young and harmless Dud- ley, her husband. The nuptials were celebrated at court with great splendor, and for several days there was general rejoicing and festivity. As soon as the marriage ceremonies were fair- ly over, Lord Guildford and Lady Jane, the summer being opened, retired to Sion House, a seat of the Dudley family, to enjoy their honey- moon. The spot was very beautiful, and the season of the year was also charming, and with- out doubt the youthful couple here tasted a 150 THELIFE OF happiness wliicli was destined to be their last upon earths Lady Jane wrote a third letter to Bullinger from this place, and it is preserved to this day in the library at Zurich. Northumberland, who was constantly by the side of the king, saw that he now was declining so rapidly that he must execute his long contem- plated schemes of aggrandizement and power. He first took care to gain the consent of the Duchess of Suffolk to transfer her own right of succession to her daughter Lady Jane. This was easily accomplished, though it was an unwar- ranted and eflFeminate proceeding. There now stood, in the event of Edward's death, which was absolutely certain, between Lady Jane Grey, Northumberland's daughter-in-law, but two per- sonages — the Princesses Mary and Elizabeth. Ac- cording to all the acknowledged principles of hereditary right, the first right of succession be- longed to the Princess Mary, who was Henry VIII.'s eldest living child. But by her father's act, by act of Parliament, she had, together with the Princess Elizabeth, been bastardized. Henry had, however, in his will, made in 1544, given to Mary the right of succession. He passed by the right of the descendants of his older sister LADY JANE GREY. 151 Margaret to the crown, and placed next in order, as to the right of succession, the descendants of his younger sister Mary, Duchess of Suffolk. Northumberland saw that it would not do for him, upon the death of the king, to place Lady Jane upon the throne without special authority, for if the right really lay in the Brandon branch, the Duchess of Suffolk was the proper person to wear the crown. He, therefore, began to work upon the mind of the king to induce him to wil"! his crown to Lady Jane Grey. The king was a warm-hearted Protestant, and lying at the point of death, was an easy subject for an artful man to practise upon. The duke represented to him, that in case he did not make a will leaving the crown to Lady Jane, it would surely fall to the Princess Mary, who was a big oted Roman Catholic, and who would persecute those persons who were attached to the princi- ples of the Reformation. The Princess Elizabeth, who was a Protestant, must also be set aside, be- cause her father had by act of Parliament bas- tardized her, and if this act of bastardy were not acknowledged to be of force, neither could the same act against Lady Mary be binding ; so, ac- cording to the reasoning of Northumberland, no 152 THE LIFE OF other course was open but to will the crown to Lad J Jane Grej. Yet a more reckless usurpa- tion of the crown scarcely ever occurred. In the hearts of the people everywhere, Catholic or Protestant, there was a strong devotion to the principles of hereditary right, and they would not see the Princess Mary wronged. The same feeling was in the heart of Lady Jane Grey, who knew nothing of the mighty plans which were in embryo, and which concerned herself more closely than any other person in the kingdom. It is not known whether the king was convinced by the arguments of Northumberland, or so sur- rounded by his servants as to lack the courage to deny him his wish, but he consented to make a will. He at first supposed, of course, that he was to bequeath the crown to Lady Suffolk, but upon being told that she consented to relinquish her right to her daughter Jane, Edward made no objection to the change. Had he been usually well, he must have detected the utter madness of this scheme, for the Duchess of Suffolk was yet liable to bear children, and in case she were to have a son, he would indisputably have a right to the throne. Thus deliberately was an avenue left open to civil war. LADY JANE GREY. 153 The king first sketched with his own hand a draft of the proposed entail of the crown, and on the 11th of June sent for Sir Edward Mon- tague, chief justice of the common pleas, Sir Thomas Bromley, a puisne justice of the same- court, Sir Eichard Baker, chancellor of the aug- mentations, and Goswold and GryfFjn, the at- torney and solicitor-general, to attend the coun- cil at court. When they came he stated to them what he had done, gave the reasons for the proceeding, and wished them to draw up an assignment of the crown to Lady Jane. They replied that the act of Parliament settled the succession, and they had no power over it. On the 14th of June they again met the council, when they declared to the king that they could not execute his wish without subjecting them- selves to the charge of treason. Northumber- land was beside himself with rage, and swore that he was ready to fight any man in so just a cause, and declared afterwards he was ready to have beaten these men. Such was the earn- estness of the king, and the terrible anger of Northumberland, that they at last consented to draw up an assignment of the crown. There was one exception. Hales, though a Protestant, 154 THE LIFE OF was sc fully imbued with a sense of the injust ^e of the proceeding, that he refused to have any part in the matter. The will was prepared, engrossed on parchment, and had the great seal afl&xed to it. On the 21st of June it received the signature of the lords in council, of almost all of the judges, and of the attorney and solicitor- general. Twenty-four members of the council pledged their oaths to defend to the uttermost the will of the king, and if any man should ever attempt to alter it, to punish him as an enemy of the kingdom. The will in question asserted that Mary and Elizabeth were rendered incapa- ble of inheriting the crown. It also declared that the descendants of Mary, sister of Henry VIIL, were of the whole blood to Edward by the father's side, that they were " natural born within the realm, very honorably brought up, and exercised in good and godly learning, and other noble virtues, so that there is great trust and hope to be had in them that they be and shall be very well inclined to the advancement and setting forth of our common wealth." The conclusion of the will was as follows : — " The king doth, therefore, upon good delib- eration and advice, herein had and taken, by LADY JANE GREY. 155 tliese presents declare, order, assign, limit, and appoint, that if it shall fortune us to decease, leaving no issue of our body lawfully begotten, that then the said imperial crown and realm shall be unto the eldest son of the said Lady Frances, wife of the Duke of Suffolk and grand daughter of Henry VIII., lawfully begotten, being born into the world in our life-time, and to the heirs male of the said eldest son," etc., etc., and in default of which, " to the Lady Jane, eldest daughter of the said Lady Frances." Archbishop Cranmer for a time refused to sign this will, indeed absented himself from council to avoid being asked, but the king sent to him and begged of him earnestly to do so, and he at length consented, though much against his own will. It was not that he loved Mary, or was particularly unwilling to bastardize her, but he had an affection for Elizabeth, who he well knew was at heart a warm Protestant. There were other notable men who signed the will with more or less unwillingness, and a few who would not consent to do it at all. Edward now began to exhibit symptoms of immediate death. His breathing, which for a long time had been difficult, now grew still 156 THE LIFE OF worse ; his pulse was scarcely perceptible ; hia limbs swelled to an unusual size, and his coun- tenance wore the livid hue of death. There was no feeling of disappointment in those around the orphan-king ; indeed, the feeling of sorrow had lost its poignancy, from the fact that his death had been considered as a settled event, soon to occur, for many months. The majority of the court were creatures of Northumberland, and they well knew that their master expected to found his fortunes upon the decease of the king ; — it could not be expected that they should mourn Edward's demise. But there was a large class who felt the most poignant sorrow at the calamity which in a few days was to befall the nation. They were men who loved the principles of the Eeformation, and who also loved justice. Edward was, though young, a true-hearted Pro- testant, and if he had lived, would have been a friend to liberty, literature, and an cilightened religion. The greatest possible contrast existed between his reign and that of his father, Henry VIII. The one was ferocious, blood-thirsty, and irreligious, though pretending to a love for good things. The other was mild almost to ineffi- ciency, gentle as a girl, full of lovely piety, and LADY JANE GEEY. 157 fond of classic literature. Under Henry the nation held its breath for fear; under Edward it was free and happy, notwithstanding the in- numerable insurrections and commotions, which were partly a result of Henry's previous tyranny, and the wretched statesmanship of Edward's ministers. When the month of July was ushered in, it became certain that Edward could survive but <$ few days. His physicians declared that they could do no more for him. He was given over to the care of a miserable female quack, and sunk with alarming rapidity to his grave. The 6th day of July was his last day upon earth. In the evening of that day, while engaged in prayer, calm and fearless as a saint, the gentle prince expired, having lived nearly sixteen years, and reigned six years and five months, CHAPTER VIII. THE PRINCESS MARY. — HER EARLY MORTIFICATIONS. HER DISGRACE. FRUITLESS ATTEMPTS AT MARRIAGE. NORTHUMBERLAND'S TREAT- MENT OF MARY. REMARKS UPON HER CHARACTER. It will be proper for us here to give a short sketch of that princess who was the legitimate successor to Edward VI., and by whose hand Lady Jane Grey met her fate. Unless Queen Mary's previous history is taken into account, the reader will scarcely be able to understand the secret of her severe, and oftentimes heartless conduct. The Prmcess Mary was born at Green- wich Palace on February 18th, 1516, and was consequently, upon the death of Edward, nearly thirty-eight years of age. She was the daughter of Henry YIII. by Katharine of Arragon. When only six years old she was betrothed to the Em- peror Charles Y., and she was, accordingly, edu- cated for a brilliant position. Three years after this, rumors came to England that the emperor LADY JANE GREY. 159 meant to desert Mary, and was already engaged to Isabel of Portugal. Mary grew pale with jeal- ousy, though only eight years of age, which certainly indicated a frightful precocity of the passions. A year after the emperor married Isabel. This was the first of a long series of dis- appointments in her life, every one of which was calculated to inflict the severest wound upon a woman's nature. At this period of her life she was the heiress to the crown of England, and was called the Princess of Wales. She was a lovely child, being obedient, intelligent, and cheerful in her disposition. Francis I. of France at this time entered into negotiations respecting Mary, but finally married Eleanora. He professed after this a desire to marry his son Henry to the prin- cess Mary, but about this time, the doubts in reference to her legitimacy were first broached, and her matrimonial projects were rendered hopeless. Henry YIII. separated from his wife, and declared Mary to be the offspring of an in- cestuous marriage. No keener mortification could it possibly have been Mary's lot to feel, and it is a wonder that she did not go mad. To add to her sorrow, she was torn from her mother's arms, to behold her again no more 160 THE LIFE OF This cruel act could only have been perpetrated by a monster. Her mother wrote to her, for she was truly a blessed woman, and endeavored to cheer her with hopes of brighter days in the future. It was not until the birth of Elizabeth that Henry completely disinherited Mary. At the age of seventeen, Mary came to court to wit- ness the ceremonies surrounding the birth of Elizabeth. Henry required that she should greet the new born princess according to her rank, as heir to the crown, but she refused. " Sister, I will call the babe," said she, " but nothing more." Henry threatened, but Mary w^as firm, for she would not consent, at that time, to acknowledge her mother's disgrace. The privy council com- manded her to lay aside the title of princess, and demanded that her own servants should not ad dress her by any title. During this year, James Y. became suitor for the hand of Mary, notwith standing her situation, but his suit was refused by the king peremptorily. In the beginning of 1534, her disgrace was made complete by act of Parliament, which took away from her her rights and titles, and declared her to be an illegitimate child. Her establishment was broken up, and fene was taken from her dear old frirnd the LADY JANE GREY. 161 Countess of Salisbury, and was transferred to an apartment in the household of the princess Eliz- abeth. This was heaping insult upon injury. If the heart of Mary was not soured by such cruel treatment, by such misfortunes which thickly clustered in her path, she was an ex- ception, and a remarkable one, among her sex. When Mary was twenty years old her mother died. She begged the privilege of kissing her lips in death, of taking one farewell look of the being who had brought her into the world, but her wish was cruelly refused. This treatment pro- ceeded from a man who professed dissatisfaction with the Romish religion, and it only tended to render Mary still more intense in her devotion to that church which had defended her, and coldly declared the wrongs which her mother had suffered. The death of a male heir at this time gave the friends of Mary more hope, and the new queen, Jane Seymour, seems to have looked upon her with some affection. Mary began to hope for a place again in her father's heart, but the king told her that the price of her res- toration to court must be her acknowledgment that her mother's marriage was incestuous. At 11 162 THE LIFE OP first she bitterly rebelled against such a require- ment, but upon consideration she thought it politic to sign her own disgrace, hoping that when she was received into the society of her father, she might -win him to grant her a portion of her natural rights. She loved the king, it is said, — though how this can have been true we cannot conceive, — and was exceedingly desirous of seeing him. She was, also, without any judi- cious friend to guide her, and finally consented to acknowledge that the marriage of her mother was incestuous, and consequently that her own birth was illegitimate. It is impossible to apol- ogize for this disgraceful act. Mary believed the marriage of her mother to have been a most righteous, though very unfortunate one, had not the slightest doubts in reference to her own legitimate birth, yet she deliberately consented to belie her own dearest convictions, to cover with shame the memory of a pious mother, for the sake of peace with the king. We can ac- count for this act only upon the ground that by repeated misfortunes and mortifications Mary's heart had become hardened, and that she did not look upon the disgrace of illegitimacy with so much horror as she had done a few years LADY JANE GREY. 163 before. The following is a copy of tlie remark- able acknowledgment of her own degrada- tion : — " LADY MARY's SUBMISSION". "The confession of me, the Lady Mary, made upon certain points and articles under written, in the which, as I do now plainly and with all mine heart confer and declare mine inward sen- tence, belief, and judgment, with a due conform- ity of obedience to the laws of the realm, so minding ever to persist and continue in this determination, without change, alteration, or va- riance, I do most humbly beseech the king's highness, my father, whom I have obstinately and inobediently offended, in the denial of the same heretofore, to forgive my offences therein, and to take me to his most gracious mercy. " First, I confess and acknowledge the king's majesty to be my sovereign lord and king, in the imperial crown of this realm of England, and to submit to his highness, and to all and singular laws and statutes of this realm, as becometh a true and faithful subject to do, which I shall obey, keep, observe, advance, and maintain, according to my bounden duty, with all the power, force, 164 THE LIFE OF and qualities that God hath indued me, during ray life. (Signed) Mary. "Item. I do recognize, accept, take, repute, and acknowledge the king's highness to be su- preme head in earth under Christ, of the Church of England, and do utterly refuse the bishop of Eome's pretended authority, power, and jurisdic- tion, within this realm heretofore usurped, ac- cording to the laws and statutes made in that behalf, and of all the king's true subjects hum- bly received, admitted, obeyed, kept, and ob served ; and also do utterly renounce and for- sake all manner of remedy, interest, and advan- tage which I may by any means claim by time, or in any wise hereafter, by any manner, title color, mean, or case that is, shall or can be d& vised for that purpose. (Signed) Mary. " Item. I do freely, frankly, and for the dis- charge of my duty towards God, the king's highness, and his laws, without other respect, recognize and acknowledge that the marriage heretofore had between his majesty and my mother, the late princess-dowager, was by God'3 law and man's law, incestuous and unlawful., (Signed) " Mary." LADY JANE GREY. 165 Mary's household was now established upon a comfortable footing, and in the autumn overtures were made for her marriage with Henry, Duke of Orleans. The king even hinted that she might be restored to her right of succession. It is supposed by some historians that at this time Mary loved the celebrated Eeginald Pole, and that she intended one day to marry him. But Henry continued to negotiate for her marriage with foreign princes, all of his plans proving unsuccessful. A life more mortifying cannot be conceived than that which the Lady Mary led, for she was literally a-begging over Europe for a husband. When she was twenty-two years old an attempt was made to marry her to the Duke of Cleves, and her portrait was sent into Saxony for the purpose, but all negotiations failed of their intent. The next proposed alli- ance was with the Duke of Bavaria, but by Henry's treatment of Anne of Cleves, this match was broken off. In the year 1540 Mary's old schoolmaster, a zealous Catholic, suffered mar- tyrdom for his religion. Then her dear old friend, the Countess of Salisbury, met with a horrible end. The result was that Mary im- bibed a hatred of the Keformers which she was 166 THE LIFE OF destined one day to gratify by still more horri* ble deeds. When Henry YIIL married Katharine, he restored his daughter Mary to her royal rank, and when he died, in his will he restored her to her proper place in the succession, and gave her a marriage portion of £10,000. When Dudley — afterwards Northumberland — came to power, he commenced a system of persecution against the Princess Mary on ac- count of her devotion to the Eomish religion. Her chaplains were arrested, and the council determined that she should not perform mass in her chapel. But Mary was now bigoted in her devotion to her religion, and would not give up her religious rights. She came to court and had an interview with Edward, declaring her willingness, if need be, to lay down her life. She was now nervous, querulous, soured, and possessed of a temper which she could not at all times control. She therefore endured the vexa- tious proceedings of Northumberland with much impatience. It was her conduct at this time which led Edward to consent to will the crown to Lady Jane Grey, who was a sincere Pro- testant. LADY JANE GREY. 167 When Edward expired, the Princess Mary was nearl} thirty-eight years of age, and unmarried. At the early age of six years she had been betrothed, and at eight was cast off by her royal lover. Thus it will be seen that she scarcely entered upon life before she was doomed to mortification. By the injudicious treatment of her teachers, she was at eight led to love a man much her senior in years, so that his breach of engagement actually had a bad effect upon her health ! Doomed next to be separated from her mother, and still later to be accused of ille- gitimacy, and forced — she, the proud daughter of a king — to acknowledge her shameful condi- tion, and, through her whole life, to negotiations for marriage with an indefinite number of per- sons, all of which projects fell short of success — is it any wonder that now we behold her a bro- ken-hearted, crushed, almost ruined woman ? The father of Lady Jane Grey had used his talents and influence to crush Katharine of Ar- ragon, mother to the Princess Mary, He had favored the divorce, favored the degradation of that pious queen and her innocent daughter and Mary hated him, and hated his children Northumberland, too, had taken every sure 168 THE LIFE OF method of rousing her vindictiveness, whenever she could exercise it with safety. He had arrest- . ed her chaplains, interfered in her style of wor- ship, and in short rendered himself odious to her. Lady Jane Grrey was his daughter-in-law — that alone were enough to decide her fate, in case she fell into Mary's power on a charge of treason, especially if on a charge of usurpation of the crown, which was a right now belonging to Mary. It is impossible to excuse the conduct which characterized the whole of Queen Mary's reign, and the present chapter is not an apology for her blood-thirsty persecutions, but merely an at- tempt to show the reader how Mary had become hardened — how she had lost that loveliness of character which was in reality hers when she was young. She was now, it cannot be denied, a cold-hearted, bigoted woman. Insulted, spurned, trodden under foot all her life, she felt willing to revenge herself upon the world for its cruel treatment of herself. That she was a pious woman we believe, but she was astonishingly bigoted and fanatical, and consequently a most dangerous person to sit upon the throne of Eng- land. More precocious in her passions than LADY JANE GREY. 169 her intellect, she was, at the age of thirty-eight, an unpleasant woman, to say the least, for an intimate companion, and well fitted to act the part of a persecutor. Yet Mary must not be made responsible for all the terrible deeds which occurred during her reign. In many, perhaps the majority of instances, she was persuaded by cruel ministers to destroy life, and often she may be said scarcely to have known anythmg of the diabolical tortures to which some of the Protestants were put. There were occasions, too, in which she exhibited signs of the most tender feeling, proving that the heart which in her youth was filled with the gentlest attributes, could not ever quite lose its original character. But we must hurry on to the course of our narrative. CHAPTER IX. DEATH OF EDWARD VI. LADY JANE GREY APPRIZED OF HIS DEATH AND WILL. REFUSES TO ACCEPT THE CROWN. WEEPS ANB FAINTS — IS FORCED TO ACCEPT IT. GOES TO THE TOWER ^MARY IS SURROUNDED IN THE COUNTRY BY FRIENDS. PROCLAMATION OF LADY JANE. ADVANCE OF MARY UPON LONDON. THE NOBIH- •TY AND COUNCIL FLOCK TO HER STANDARD. LADY JANE GLADLY GIVES UP THE CROWN. ARREST OF LADY JANE AND HER HUSBAND. The first thing whioh Northumberland at- tempted to do after the death of the king, was to conceal that fact from the nation for a few days, to enable him the more surely to estab- lish Lady Jane Grey upon the throne, and to take possession of the Princess Mary, who had been summoned to attend the death-bed of the king. As soon as Edward had expired, the Duke of Northumberland, accompanied by the Duke of Suffolk, Earl of Pembroke, and other noblemen, proceeded to Sion House, and ac- knowledged Lady Jane Grey to be their queen. This seems to have been the first time that Lady LADY JANE GREY. 171 Jane liad any definite idea in reference to the bestowment of the crown upon herself. Until now, she had been kept in perfect ignorance of the ambitious designs of Northumberland and her father, the Duke of Suffolk. True to her conscientious nature, she refused to take the crown thus offered to her ! To her there was no pleasure in the contemplation of a brilliant career as Queen of England. She was too gen- tle, too pious for a courtly life. And when they came to press upon her that crown, which was to her a crown of thorns, she was with her young lord, enjoying his caresses amid the retired but beautiful lands of Sion House. Her father ex- plained to her that Edward VI., who had just expired, had bequeathed the crown to her, that the privy council were unanimously of opinion that she was the lawful heir to the throne, and that the people of London were of the same opinion. The young bride was at first aston- ished by their representations, and when Nor- thumberland, her father, and other distinguished noblemen fell at her feet, was almost bewildered. But she soon calmly answered them in nearly the following words : — " The laws of the kingdom and natural right 172 THE LIFE OF stand for the king's sisters, and I will beware of burthening a weak conscience with a yoke which belongeth to them ; I understand the infamy of those who permit the violation of right, to gain a sceptre; and it is mocking God and deriding justice, to scruple at the stealing of a shilling, and not at the usurpation of a crown. Besides, I am not so young, nor so little read in the guiles of fortune, to suffer myself to be taken by them. If she enrich any, it is but to make them the subject of her spoil ; if she raise others, it is but to pleasure herself with their ruins ; what she adorned but yesterday, is to-day her pastime ; and if I now permit her to adorn and crown me, I must to-morrow suffer her to crush and tear me to pieces. Nay, with what crown doth she present me ? A crown which hath been violently and shamefully wrested from Katha- rine of Arragon, made more unfortunate by the punishment of Anne Boleyn, and others that wore it after her ; and why, then, would you have me add my blood to theirs, and be the third victim from whom this fatal crown may be ravished, with the head that wears it ? But even in case that it should not prove fatal unto me, and that all its venom were consumed, if LADY JANE GREY. 173 fortune should give me warranties of her con- stancy, should I be well advised to take upon me these thorns, which would not fail to tor- ment me, though I were assured not to be stran- gled with it? My liberty is better than the chain you offer me, with what precious stones soever it be adorned, or of what gold soever framed. I will not exchange my peace for hon- orable and precious jealousies, for magnificent and glorious fetters, and if you love me sincerely and in good earnest, you will rather wish me a secure and quiet fortune, though mean, than an exalted condition exposed to the wind, and fol- lowed by some dismal fall." We are sure that the reader will coincide with "US in the opinion that a more touching and elo- quent reply could not have been made by Lady Jane. Her prophetic words in reference to her "dismal fall" were remembered long after her mistake had been expiated upon the scaffold. Northumberland and the Duke of Suffolk again represented to Lady Jane, with vehement earnestness, that the crown was of right hers, and also laid fully before her the dreadful con- sequences which would result to the Protestant party if she refused to accept it, and thus con- 174 THE LIFE OF tribute to the rise to power of a vindictive Catholic. Lady Jane had been educated to be- lieve that to disobey a father's command was an almost atrocious act. She had been accustomed alwaj's to obey, to give up her own will to that of others. Her parents were always severe in their education, and she was poorly fitted to withstand the express command of her father. He did not now hesitate to insist that she take the crown. But finally her own husband used his eloquence to persuade her to mount the throne. It is probable that before this he was aware of Lady Jane's brilliant p/ospects ; at any rate, now his heart was fired with ambition, and he sank upon his knees before his young and gentle bride, and begged of her not to refuse the gorgeous bauble. It is said that at last not merely eloquence was used by her friends to persuade her to take the fearful step, but that threats were used until she, exhausted wdtli weeping and frightful agitation, sank to the floor in a fainting fit. Lady Jane was only sixteen ; gentle, broken in spirit ; and now her lather commanded, her husband entreated, her councillors advised, that she consent to become the Queen of England LADY JANE GREY. iVO Ilcr love for Protestantism was touched ; she was threatened with the loss of the love of her dear- est friends — is it strange that she became a pas- sive victim in their hands ? Such was the fact. From this time to her death she was really a prisoner — first in the hands of her friends, and lastly in the hands of her enemies. Alas ! her friends were her worst enemies. On the 8th of July, Lady Jane appointed Lord Clinton constable of the Tower. This was the first acknowledgment of her power, by herself, and this act was in reality Northumberland's, for he controlled the queen. On the 9th, the supe- rior officers of the guard at Greenwich took oaths of allegiance to Lady Jane. The same day the Bishop of London preached a powerful sermon at St. Paul's, in favor of Lady Jane's acceptance of the crown. In the afternoon of the 10th of July, Lady Jane openly assumed a royal state and the government of the realm. But it will be necessary for us to recount the movements of the Princess Mary and her friends at this time. Northumberland concealed the death of Ed- ward, and sent for Mary to come and see her dying brother. His object was to gain posses- 176 THE LIFE OF sion of her person. Slie started for Greenwich, but at Hocidesden she met a messenger who declared to her that Edward was dead. She could hardly believe the man, and very much feared it was a trap laid for her by her enemies. For if she were to assert herself Queen of Eng- land, if it should afterwards appear that Edward was yet alive, she would expose herself to the pains of treason. Sir Nicolas Throckmorton sent the messenger to her ; Sir Eobert, his brother, had long been her devoted adherent, and she said: " If Eobert had been at Greenwich I would have hazarded all things, and gaged my life on the leap." She staid that night near Cambridge, at the house of a Mr. Huddleston, and in the morning proceeded towards Kenninghall. When upon the summit of a mountain she looked back and saw the house in which she had lodged in flames. Her enemies had done the deed. " Let it blaze," said Mary, " I will build Huddleston a better !" On the 9th, at Kenninghall, Mary ad- dressed a letter to the privy council, offering pardon to them if they would proclaim her their sovereign. This letter was received on the morning of the 10th, and Northumberland at LADY JANE GRET. 177 once proclaimed Lady Jane Grrey Queen of Eng- land. The custom had always been for a new sovereign to spend the few first days of a reign at the Tower, and Lady Jane left Sion House for Durham House, in London, and from that place proceeded by boats to the Tower. It was between four and five o'clock in the afternoon when she entered that palace and prison. She was followed by a numerous retinue, consisting of the nobility of either sex, and her train was borne up by her own mother, assisted by other ladies of the highest rank. The ordnance of the Tower saluted the cavalcade, and when Lady Jane had entered, the Marquis of "Winchester brought to her the crown. But she only wept sorrowfully, and lifted not a finger to place it upon her head, 'but passively waited for others to hold it there. At the outset of her short reign she seems to have been oppressed by a terrible weight of sorrow, so as to render hex scarcely capable of any action. It is prob- ble that she foresaw the result of all thia pageantry. As soon as Lady Jane was crowned in the Tower, a proclamation was issued ; at six o'clock, heralds with a trumpet announced the same to ^ 12 178 . THE LIFE 6f the people, claiming their allegiance. The mass of the people an hour before were in utter igno- rance of Edward's death, and thej received the proclamation with coolness. It was the same everywhere ; the people were not in favor of the usurpation of the crown, but dared not oppose it. Lady Jane was beloved, and Protest- antism was beloved, by the English, but they loved dearer yet the right of succession, and could not see that law of right broken. Besides this, the people hated intensely the Duke of Northumberland, and were fully aware that Lady Jane was his victim. The Duke was overbearing in his disposition, ambitious, reck- less, and a tyrant. Oppression from the hands of a legitimate monarch was pleasanter to them than the rule of an upstart, who would make a tool of the Queen Jane. It is said that Lady Jane noticed that in the streets she was not greeted with any enthusiasm, and turning to her husband, called his attention to the perilous fact. From this moment Mary's adherents were hope- ful, for the people at heart were on her side. "We give the proclamation of the queen, with the exception of a few unimportant para- graphs : LADY JANE GREY. 179 " PROCLAMATION". " Jane, hj the grace of God Queen of Eng- land, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith and of the Church of England, and also pf Ire- land, under Christ on earth the supreme head. To all our loving, faithful, and obedient subjects, r-^fV'S^^ to every of them, greeting. Whereas our^^st -^ dear cousin, Edward the Sixth, late King of England, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, and on earth the supreme head, under Christ, of the Church of England and Ireland, by his letters patent, signed with his own hand, and sealed with his great seal of England, bear- ing date the 21st day of June, in the 7th year of his reign, in the presence of the most part of his nobles, his counsellors, judges, and divers other grave and sage personages, etc., etc. * * * * * * * * 4«- Forasmuch as the imperial crown of this realm, by an act made in the thirty-fifth year of the reign of King Henry the Eighth, our projenitor and great uncle, for lack of issue of his body lawfully begot, and foi lack of issue of the body of our said late cousin, King Edward the Sixth, by the same act limited and appointed to remain to the Lady Mary, by the name of the Lady Mary, his eldest daughter, 180 THE LIFE OF and to the beirs of her body lawfully begot, and for the default of such issue the remainder there- of to the Lady Elizabeth, by the name of the Lady Elizabeth, his second daughter, and to the heirs of her body lawfully begotten, with such conditions as should be limited and appointed by the said late king of worthy memory, King Henry the Eighth, our progenitor and great uncle, by his letters patents under the great seal, or by his last will in writing, signed with his hand. And forasmuch as the said limitation of the imperial crown of this realm, being limited as is aforesaid, to the said Lady Mary and Lady Elizabeth, being illegitimate and not lawfully be- gotten, for that the marriage had between the said late king, Henry the Eighth, our projeni- tor and great uncle, and the Lady Katharine, mother to the said Lady Mary ; and also the marriage had between the said late king, Henry the Eighth, our progenitor and great uncle, and the Lady Anne, mother to the said Lady Eliza- beth, were clearly and lawfully undone by sen- tences of divorces, according to the word of God, and the ecclesiastical laws, and which said several divorcements have been severally ratified and confirmed by authority of Parliament, and LADY JANE GREY. 181 especially in the thirty-third year of the reign of King Henry the Eighth, our progenitor and great uncle, remaining in force, strength, and effect, whereby as well the said Lady Mary, as also the said Lady Elizabeth, to all intents and purposes are and be thereby disabled to ask, claim, or challenge the Said imperial crown, or any other of the honors, castles, manors, lord- ships, lands, tenements, or other hereditaments, as heir or heirs to our said late cousin. King Edward the Sixth, or as heir or heirs to any other person or persons whosoever, as well for the causes before rehearsed, as also for that the said Ladys Mary and Elizabeth were unto our said late cousin but of the half blood, and there- fore by the ancient laws, statutes, and customs of this realm, be not inheritable unto our said late cousin, although they had been born in lawful matrimony, as indeed they were not, as by the said sentences of divorce, and the said statute of the twenty-eighth year of the reign of our king, Henry the Eighth, our said progenitor and great uncle, plainly appeareth ; and forasmuch, also, as it is to be thought, or at least must be doubted, that if the said Lady Mary or Lady Elizabeth should hereafter have and enjoy the said impe- 182 THE LIFE OP rial crown of tliis realm, and should happen to marry with any stranger out of this realm, that the said stranger, having the government and imperial crown in his hands, would adhere and practise, not only to bring this noble free realm into the tyranny and servitude of the Bishop of Eome, but also to the laws and customs of his or their own native country or countries, to be practised and be put in use within this realm, rather than the laws, statutes, and customs, here of long time used, whereupon the title of inher- itance of all and singular the subjects of this realm do depend, to the peril of conscience, and the utter subversion of the common weal of this realm. Whereupon our said late dear cousin, weighing and considering with himself what ways and means were most convenient to be had for the stay of the said succession in the said imperial crown, if it should please God to call our said late cousin out of this transitory life, having no issue of his body, and calling to his remembrance that we, and the Lady Katha- rine and the Lady Marie, our sisters, being the daughters of the Lady Frances, our natural moth- er, and then and yet wife to our natural and most loving father, Henry, Duke of Suffolk, and the LADY JANE GREY. 183 Lady Margaret, daughter of the Lady Eleanore, then deceased, sister to the said Lady Frances, and the late wife of our cousin Henry, Earl of Cumberland, were very nigh of his grace's blood, of the part of his father's side, our said progenitor and great uncle, and being naturally born here within the realm, and for the very good opinion our said late cousin had of our and our said sisters and cousin Margaret's good edu- cation, did therefore, upon good deliberation and advice, herein had and taken, by his said letters patents declare, order, assign, limit, and appoint, that if it should fortune himself, our said late cousin. King Edward the Sixth, to decease, leav- ing no issue of his body lawfully begotten, that then the said imperial crown of England and Ire- land, and the confines of the same, and his title to the crown of the realm of France, and all and singular honors, castles, prerogatives, privileges, preliminaries, authorities, jurisdictions, domin- ions, possessions, and hereditaments, to our said late cousin. King Edward the Sixth, or to the said imperial crown belonging, or in anywise ap- pertaining, should, for lack of such issue of his body, remain, come, and be unto the eldest son of the body of the said Lady Frances, lawfully 184 THE LIFE OF begotten, and so from son to son, as he should be of authentic birth, of the body of the said Lady Frances lawfully begotten, being born into the world in our said cousin's lifetime, and to the heirs male of the body of every such son law- fully begotten ; and for default of such son born into the world in his lifetime, of the body of the said Lady Frances, lawfully begotten, and for lack of heirs male of every such son lawfully begot- ten, that then the said imperial crown, and aJ and singular other the premises should remain come, and be to us, by the name of the Lad} Jane, eldest daughter of the said Lady Frances and to the heirs male of our body lawfully be gotten, that then the said imperial crown, and all other the premises, shall remain, come, and be to the said Lady. Katharine, our said second sister, and to the heirs male of the body of the said Lady Katharine lawfully begotten, with divers other remainders, as by the same letters patent more plainly at large it may and doth appear. Since the making of which letters patent, that is to say, on Thursday, which was the sixth day of this instant month of July, it has pleased God to call to his infinite mercy our said most dear and entirely beloved cousin, LADY JANE GREY. 185 Edward the Sixth, whose soul God pardon, and forasmuch as he is now deceased, having no heirs of his body begotten, and that also there remaineth at this present time no heirs . lawfully begotten of the body of our said pro- genitor and great uncle, King Henry the Eighth ; and forasmuch also as the said Lady Frances, our said mother, had no issue male begotten of her body, and born into the world in the life- time of our said cousin, King Edward the Sixth, so as the said imperial crown, and other the premises to the same belonging, or in anywise appertaining, now be and remain to us in our actual and royal possession, by authority of the said letters patent : We do, therefore, by these presents, signify unto all our most loving, faith- ful and obedient subjects, that like as we for our part shall, by God's grace, show ourselves a most gracious and benign sovereign queen and lady to all our good subjects, in all their just and lawful suits and causes, and to the uttermost of our power shall preserve and maintain God's most holy word, Christian polity, and the good laws, customs, and liberties of these our realms and dominions ; so we mistrust not, but they and every of them, will again for their parts, at a^\ 186 THE LIFE OP times, aud in all cases, show themselves unto us, their natural liege queen and lady, most faithful, loving, and obedient subjects, according to their bounden duties and allegiances, whereby they shall please God, and do the thing that shall tend to their own preservation and security ; willing and commanding all men of all estates, degrees, and conditions, to see our peace and accord kept, and to be obedient to our laws, as they tender our favor, and will answer for the contrary at their extreme peril. "In witness whereof we have caused these our letters to be made patent. " Witness ourself, at our Tower of London, this tenth day of July, in the first year of our reign. "god save the queen." This proclamation was read to the inhabitants of London, and as we have remarked, excited no enthusiasm. It fell coldly upon their ears, for they knew every word came direct from the ambitious brain of Northumberland. They saw, too, that its reasoning was fallacious ; they could not resist the conviction that Mary, however repugnant in her character and religious princi- LADY JANE GREY. 187 pies to them, was nevertheless the lawful queen of the realm. Yet no opposition was made, with a single exception, to the assumption of the crown bj Lady Jane. The exception was the case of a young man apprentice to a vintner, who asserted Mary's rights aloud, and as a pun- ishment for his offence he was set on the pillory, and had both of his ears cut off. Queen Jane, though residing in the Tower, made preparations for a removal in a few weeks. She appointed Sir Ambrose Dudley to be keeper of her palace at Westminster, who began to make preparations for the queen's change of residence. On the 11th of July the council wrote to commissioners, then in Flanders to ne- gotiate a treaty of peace, the following despatch : "After our hearty commendations, ye shall learn by this bearer, Mr. Shelley, and by such letters as ye shall receive from the queen's high- ness, our sovereign lady. Queen Jane, which copy of such letters as are hers ye are to send to the emperor, which is the cause of this message DOW sent to you, and what it is that is now to be done by you there ; first, the signification of our lord's death ; next, the possession of the queen's highness in the crown of this realm; 188 THE LIFE OP thirdly, the placing of you, Sir Phillip Hobbye, knight, as ambassador there resident ; fourthly and last, the offer for your remaining there to proceed in the treaty of peace, if it shall so like the emperor. Furthermore, ye shall understand that although the Lady Mary hath been neither to write us to remain quiet, yet nevertheless we see her not so weigh the matter, that if she might she would disturb the state of this realm, having thereunto as yet no manner apparent of help or comfort but only the cognizance of a few lords and base people, all other the nobility and gen- tlemen remaining in their duties to our sovereign lady, Queen Jane. And yet, nevertheless, be- cause the conditions of the baser sort of people is understood to be unruly if they be not gov- erned and kept in order, therefore for the meet- ing with all events, the Duke of Northumber- land's grace, accompanied with the Lord Mar- quis of Northampton, proceedeth with a conve- nient power into the parties of Norfolk, to keep those countries in stay and obedience ; and "be- cause the emperor's ambassadors here remaining shall on this matter of the policy not intermed- dle, as it is very likely they will and do dispose, the Lord Cobham and Sir John Mason repair- LADY JANE GREY. 189 eth to tlie same ambassadors to give them notice of the Ladj Mary's proceedings against the state of this realm, and to put them in remem- brance of the nature of their ofi&ce, which is not to meddle in these causes of policy, neither di- rectly or indirectly, and so to charge them to use themselves as they give no occasion of un- kindness to be ministered unto them, whereas we would be most sorry for the amity which on our part we mean to conserve and maintain. And for that grace the ambassadors here shall advertise thither what is said to them. Ye shall therefore declare to the emperor both the cause of this message to his ambassadors, and what the very message is, using it in such sort as thereby the amity may best be preserved. " The 11th of July, 1553. The Council to the Com mission ers. " The queen's despatch (really prepared by the council) was as follows : " JANE THE QUEEN. "Trusty and well-beloved, — We greet you well. It hath so pleased God of his providence, by the calling of our most dear cousin of famous memory. King Edward the Sixth, out of this 190 THE LIFE OF life, to our very natural sorrow, that we be, both by our said cousin's lawful determination in his lifetime, with the assent of the nobility and state of this our realm, and also as his lawful heir B,nd successor in the whole blood royal, pos- sessed of this our realm of England and Ireland. Wherefore we have presently sent to our good brother, the emperor, this present bearer hereof, our trusty servant, Mr. Eichard Shelley, with letters of recommendation and credence from us, thereby signifying unto him as well the sorrow- fal death of our said cousin the king, as also our succession in the crown of this realm, motioning unto our good brother the continuance in such amity and league as our said cousin and prede- cessor had with him, for which purpose we have furthermore signified by our said letters, not only our orders that you, Sir Phillip Hobbye, shall there remain and rest with our said good brother the emperor, as our ambassador resident, praying him to give you credit appertaining to such an of&ce, but also that for the like zeal and desire we have to the weal of Christendom, as our said cousin King Edward had, wherein we do count to follow his steps, we have given order that ye, the whole number of our ambas- LADY JANE GREY. 191 sadors, shall there remain to continue to dwell in the former commission which ye had from our ancestor the king, if it shall please our said good brother, the copy of which our letters we send to you herewith, for your more ample understanding of our determination, which con- sidered and pondered we would ye made the most speedy course to our said good brother, and in order to execute the matters contained in the said letters of your part to be declared — first, the signification of the death of our said ancestor and cousin the king, whereof as we by nature must take great grief, so we doubt not but our said good brother will, for friendship and great amity, sorrow and condole with us; next, that you, Sir Phillip Hobbye, have express order there to reside and attend upon our good brother as our minister, for the continuance and the en- tertainment of the intelligence and firm amity heretofore had and concluded betwixt our said ancestor and cousin the king and our said good brother, the maintenance whereof we, with the assent of our nobility and council, do much de- sire, and for our pity will not fail but confirm- and maintain the same. In third, ye shall show to our said good brother that as we do by God'a 192 THE LIFE OF good providence succeed to our said ancestor and cousin, King Edward the Sixth, in this our crown and dominions, so do we also find in our heart and mind the very descent and inheritance of his most Christian devotion and affection to the common weal of Christendom, which moveth us, with the advice of our nobil- ity and council, to offer to our said good brother the ministry and ofl&ce of you our ambassadors, to remain there and proceed in the former com- mission for the consolation of some good peace betwixt our said good brother and the French king, wherein we refer our good purpose and meaning to the mind and contentation of our said good brother. This done, whatsoever our good brother shall answer ye may thereunto reply as ye think expedient, tending to the con- tinuance of our ancestor's amity, with an addi- tion that ye forthwith report unto us. For the rest of the proceeding hereof, ye shall under- stand by the bearer, to whom we would ye should give credit. " Given under our signate, at our Tower of London, 11th July, 1553." The following address by Queen Jane to cer- LADY JANE GREY. 193 tain of her nobility, was prepared by ISTorthuni- berland at this time, and the original draft still remains in the British Museum. In cer- tain places, sentences or parts of sentences are lost : — "Right trusty and well-beloved councillors — We greet you well, and desire the same, that whereas it hath pleased Almighty God to call to his mercy out of this life, our dearest cousin the king, your late sovereign lord. By reason whereof, and such ordinances as the said late king did establish in his lifetime, for the securi- ty and welfare of this realm, we are entered into our rightful possession of this kingdom, as by the last will of our said dearest cousin, our late ancestor, and other several instruments to that effect, signed with his own hand, and sealed with the great seal of this realm England * * * in his own presence, and the nobles of this realm for the most part, and all our council and judges, with the * * * * here also sub- scribed their names, as by the same will and testament it may now evidently and doth ap- pear; now, therefore, do you understand that by the * * * and sufferance of the heavenly Lord, and by the assent and consent of the said ' . .3 194 THE LIFE OF nobles and councillors, and others before signi- fied, we do this day make our entry into our Tower of London, as rightful queen of this realm, and have accordingly set forth our proc- lamation to all our loving subjects, giving them thereby to understand the same as their- duty of allegiance which they now of right owe unto us, as most amply shall be shown hereafter, nothing doubting, right trusty and well-beloved councillors, but that you will endeavor your- selves in all things to the uttermost of your power, not only to defend for our use, but also assist us in our rightful possession of this king- dom, and to disturb, repel, and resist the feigned and untrue claim of the Lady Mary, bastard daughter to our great uncle, Henry the Eighth, of famous memory. Wherein as you shall, and that what to your truth and duty appertain- eth, so shall we grant and show unto you and yours accordingly." Neither of the preceding papers purporting to emanate from the queen, really were prepared by Lady Jane, and it is doubtful if she saw them. The ostensible head of the kingdom was in truth an innocent girl, who was a prisoner of the Duke of Northumberland. The duke pro- LADY JANE GREY. 195 fessed to feel thoroughly at his ease in reference to the state of the kingdom, but his dispatches reveal the truth — that he was alarmed, and ex- ceedingly anxious to win confidence from the nobility, and countenance from the German em- peror. His subsequent conduct fully proved that he never had been satisfied with his hopes of success, as well that notwithstanding all his ambition he was really destitute of courage. At p.ve.rv step of the narrative henceforth, we can but mourn that it was Lady Jane Grey's terrible fate to fall into the power of this man. In the meantime Mary and her friends exert- ed themselves to the utmost. In Suffolk, Nor- folk, and Cambridgeshire, the great mass of the people, high-born and low-born, detested the Duke of Northumberland, and when Mary pledged herself to make no change in the re- ligion and laws of the land, they in a body came over to her cause. On the 12th of July she arrived at Framlingham, and sent to Norwich to cause her proclamation there. The council had written her, in reply to her letter, that her claim to the crown was invalidated by King Ed- ward's will, and by the general voice of the people. But the council were astonished and 196 THE LIFE OP alarmed when news of tlie disaffection in the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk reached them, and when they also heard that Mary was sur- rounded by the Earls of Bath and Sussex, Sir Thomas Wharton, Sir John Mordaunt, Sir Wil- liam Drury, Sir John Shelton, and many other of the nobility and gentry. Northumberland determined upon raising forces immediately to put down the insurrection, as he termed it. But he knew not what to do, for he was the only fit man to head the army, and yet he dared not leave London, for fear that his enemies would in his absence intrigue against him. He concluded to place the Duke of Suffolk at the head of this army, but the queen besought him with tears, and besought the council, that her father might remain with her, and finally deter- mined if necessary to use her authority, and not suffer him to go. There was no other resource left, and Northumberland himself led the army from London. It consisted of six thousand men, well equipped according to the fashion of those times. Before leaving Queen Jane, Nor- thumberland made an appeal to those he left at the Tower, reminding them of their oaths, and telling them that he was willing to put in jeop- LADY JANE GREY. 197 ardj his own life, that her right might be maintained. " The queen," he said, " bj your and our enticement, is rather of force placed ou the throDe, than by her own seeking or re- quest." Every one present swore to uphold the rights of Lady Jane, and he proceeded on his way. But as he was passing through the city he could not fail to observe the temper of the people, and he observed to Lord Wilton ; "In all this multitude, my lord, you do not hear one wish us prosperity!" It was true, and he might have foreseen, and perhaps did foresee, his own fate from that hour. While Lady Jane was at the Tower, on the 12th of July, the Marquis of Winchester deliv- ered to her the crown jewels, gold and silver, and articles for her wardrobe. The following were among the things : a " fysshe of gold, being, a toothpick, a like pendent having one pearl, and three little pearls at it, a dewberry of gold, a collet with five pearls, a tablet with a white and blue sapphire, eight gaurdes of gold and a tassel of Yenice gold, five small agates with stars graven upon them, a chain with ja^ tinths, table diamonds set in gold, ' etc., etc. 198 THE LIFE OF On the 15th of July the commissioners in E^landers wrote to the council as follows : — " Pleaseth it your good lordships. The four- teenth of this present Don Diego found me, Sii Phillip Hobbye, and me, Sir Richard Morysone, walking in our host's garden, and at his first coming to us entered into a long talk how much he was bound to owe his good will and service to England, and therefore he could not but at one time both sorrow with us for the loss of our good old mastei', a prince of such virtue and towardness, and also rejoice with us that our master which is departed, did, ere he went, provide us of a king, in regard we had so much cause to rejoice in ; he made his excuse that he had come to us the day before, laying the stay thereof in De Arras, for, said he, when I told him I would come to you, and show me a partaker of both your sorrows and gladness, with mind to offer to the king's majesty by you, both of as much service as could lie in me, and of as much as my friends and kinsmen were able to do, in case De Arras did think such my office would not offend the emperor my master; De Arras' advice was that I should for a season defer my going unto you, which as I did some- LADY JANE GREY. 199 what against my will, so I and mine were very glad that so I did, for he telleth me now I £pay come to you and sorrow with you, and rejoice with you, and make all the offers that I can to the king's majesty, for I shall not only not offend him in so doing, but I shall much please his majesty therewith. And therefore, saith he, do I, and sorrow that you lose so good a king, so do I much rejoice that you have so noble and toward a prince to succeed him, and I promise you, by the words of a gentlemen, I would at all times serve his highness myself and as many as I shall be able to bring with me, if the em- peror did call me to serve him. We said we had hitherto received the sorrowful news, but the glad tidings were not as yet come unto us by letters. We were glad to hear this much, and wish we were able to tell him all how things went at home. Saith he, I can tell you this much. The king's majesty, for discharge of his conscience, writ a good piece of his testa- ment with his own hand, barring both his sis- ters of the crown, and leaving it to the Lady Jane, near to the French queen. Whether the two daughters be bastards or no, or why it is done, we that be strangers have nothing to do 200 THE LIFE OF witli this matter. Ye are bound to obey ana serve his majesty, and therefore it is reason we take him for your king whom the consent of the nobles of your countrie have declared for your king, (and saith he) for my part of all others am bound to be glad that his majesty is set in this ofRce. I was his god-father, and would as wil- lingly spend my blood in his service as any subject that he hath, etc., etc." Two days later the commissioners wrote an- other communication to the privy council, de- claring that they had had an interview with the emperor, and set forth the substance of the despatches. On Sunday, the 16th of July, a sermon was preached in favor of the new reign at St. Paul's by Mr. Eogers — a man who, for his boldness^ soon afterwards perished at the stake. That very day the lord treasurer stole out of the Tower to his house in London, to make arrange- ments for the whole council going over to the cause of Mary. They had until now been in a manner prisoners, for they dared not leave the Tower while Northumberland was there. The news of Mary's advance on London strengthened the hopes of her adherents there, and rendered LADY JANE GEEY. 201 gloomy the partizaus of Queen Jane. Fearing that Mary might escape from her castle — which was situated near the German ocean — by sea to the continent, some days before, the govern* ment had sent six ships of war down to the Suf- folk coast, to intercept any vessels containing her ; but these ships, as soon as they arrived at Yarmouth, went over to the side of Mary, and at once added strength to her position. She had now around her an army several thousands strong, and on the 16th all the ships at Harwich declared in her favor. The news of this alarm- ing popularity of Mary's cause could not have failed to carry fear to the heart of the council, and especially the Duke of Suffolk, who was really, in the absence of Northumberland, the head of the government. Letters arrived from Northumberland, demanding immediate rein- forcements, and acknowledging that his army was rapidly deserting him. The council was now fully determined upon making some suita- ble excuse for leaving the Tower, and Lady Jane to her fate. Professing to comply with the demand of ISTorthumberland for more troops, they sent a body of men out of London under the charge of the Earls of Pembroke and Arun* 202 THE LIFE OF del, who were, as thej knew, secretly the friends of Mary. Suffolk was completely deceived, for he prepared the following dispatch to be sent by them : — • " To our trusty and well-beloved Sir John Bridges and Sir Nicholas Poynty, Knights. "jane the queen. " Trusty and well-beloved, we greet you well, because we doubt not but this our most lawful possession of the crown with the free consent of the nobility of oui' realm, and other the states of the same, as both plainly known and accepted of you, as our most loving subjects, therefore we do not reiterate the same, but now most earnest- ly will and require, and by authority hereof warrant you to assemble, muster, and levy, all the power that you can possibly make, either of your servants, tenants, of&cers, or friends, as well horsemen as footmen, repairing to our right trusty and right well-beloved cousins, the Earls of Arundel and Pembroke, their tenants, ser- vants, and ofl&cers, and with the same to repair, with all possible speed, towards Buckingham- shire, for the repression and subduing of certain tumults and rebellions moved there against our LADY JANE GREY. 203 crown bj certain seditious men. For the repres- eion whereof we have given orders to divers others our good subjects, and gentlemen of such degree as you are, to repair in like manner to the same parties. So as we nothing doubt but upon the access of such our loving subjects as be appointed for that purpose to the place where the seditious people yet remaia, the same shall either lack heart to abide in their malicious purpose, or else receive such punishment and execution as they deserve, seeking the destruc- tion of their native country, and the subversion of all men in their degrees, by rebellion of the base multitude, whose rage being stirred, as of late years hath been seen, must needs be the confusion of the common weal. Wherefore our special trust is in your courage, wisdom, and fidelity in this matter, to advance yourselves both with power and speed in this enterprise, in Buch sort, as by ye the nobility and council shall also be prescribed unto you. And for the sus- tentation of your charge in this behalf, by our said commandment, do further give order to your satisfaction, as by their letters also shall appear unto you. And beside that we assure you of our special consideration of this your service to 204 THE LIFE OF US and our crown, as expressly to the prcjer* vation of this our realm and commonwealth. Given under our signet at the Tower of Lon- don, on the 18th day of July, the first year of our reign." The efforts of Northumberland's party to .sus- tain themselves were made in vain. Fox the whole English nation regarded the Duke as a dangerous and tyrannical man, and also were convinced that to Mary the throne properly belonged, and now that she had solemnly prom- ised to make no change in the religion of the country, they were contented that she should assume the crown. The privy council was also, at this very time, in secret devoted to Mary, and almost the only personage of influence left at London, who was sincerely devoted to Lady Jane Grey, was her own father, the Duke of Suffolk. Northumberland at Cambridge, though at the head of an army, made no stand against the enemy, but endeavored to convince the people by argument that his daughter-in-law was right- fully Queen of England. He asked Dr. Landys, a learned and ardent Protestant, to preach in sup* LADY JANE GREY. 205 port of the claims of Lady Jane, and he did so, attacking with boldness both Mary's character and her title to the throne. In London, Cecil, Cranmer, and the rest of the privy councillors, persuaded Suffolk that it was necessary to raise a large force and put them in their hands, they being just ready to declare for Mary, but care- fully disguising their real sentiments. On the 19th day of July a large portion of the council were at Baynard Castle, the seat of the- Earl of Pembroke, just out of London, They had persuaded the Duke of Suffolk that it was necessary for them to leave the Tower, but they were no sooner fairly out of his reach, than they concerted a plan for instantly revolu- tionizing London. Early in the morning, news reached London from the lord-lieutenant of Essex, that the Earl of Oxford had deserted to the side of Mary, and the following despatch to the lord-lieutenant was sent from the Tower : — " After our right hearty commendations to your lordships, although the matter contained in your letters of the Earl of Oxford departing to the Lady Mary be grievous unto us for divers respects, yet we must needs give your lordship our hearty thanks for your ready ad- 206 THE LIFE OF vertisement thereof. Requiring your lordship nevertheless, like a nobleman, to remain in that promise and steadfastness to our sovereign lady, Queen Jane's service, as ye shall find us ready and firm with all our force to the same. Which neither with honor, nor with safety, nor yet with duty, we may now forsake. " From the Tower of London, the 19th of July, 1553.'' During the forenoon, while a portion of the council were in the Tower with Lady Jane, another part were assembled in Baynard Castle. The Earl of Arundel at once moved a resolu- tion of allegiance to Queen Mary ; Pembroke seconded it, and placing his hand upon his sword, boldly declared that he was ready to dispute the matter with any man who dared oppose the authority of Lady Mary. The whole of the party were unanimous in their support of Mary, and news of the transaction flew to the streets of London. The lord mayor and. alder- men were sent for, and Mary was proclaimed in the streets. The people rejoiced, for they were delivered from the rule of the detested Northum- berland. Undoubtedly, however, there were many who grew sorrowful when they thought LADY -JANE GREY. 207 of the gentle Lady Jane, who had scarcely an enemy in England. The people loved and pitied her, while they rejoiced in the downfall of her father-in-law. The Earl of Arundel and Lord Paget set off" instantly to Mary with the important news of the revolution at London. The happiness of the Londoners seemed half- frantic; caps were thrown into the air; the Earl of Pembroke "threwe awaye his cape full of angelles ;" money was thrown out of the win- dows to the crowd by the partisans of Mary ; bonfires raged, and bells pealed for joy. The commotion in the streets soon was known to the inhabitants of the Tower. The Duke of Suffolk was so frightened as to act with the most lamentable lack of manliness. As soon as he heard that Mary was proclaimed in the streets, he came out of the Tower, commanding his partisans to throw aside their weapons, for he was but one man, and himself upon Tower Hill proclaimed the Lady Mary to be the law- ful Queen of England ! The duke was very much dejected, and went to Lady Jane's apart- ments and told her that she must lay aside her royalty and all its ceremonies, and advised her to bear her sorrowful fortunes with patience. 208 THE LIFE OF In her reply we see the sweet humility which ever dwelt in her heart. She said that her fortitude was greater than he had imagined, and that this summons was more welcome to her than that which raised her to the throne. " In obedience to you, my lord," said she, " and to my mother, I acted violence on myself, and have been guilty of a grievous offence ; but the pres- ent is my own act, and I willingly resign to correct another's fault, if so great a fault can be corrected by my resignation and sincere ac- knowledgment." As soon as Lady Jane had replied thus, she retired to her private apartment, and in solitude pondered on her dangerous situation. Yet, as all the chroniclers of her times agree in declar- ing, she manifested not the slightest symptom of fear, but wore the same sweet, calm, half-sor« rowful countenance, which ever was the bright- est charm of her personal appearance. As soon as Suffolk had deposed Lady Jane, he sent a dispatch to Northumberland, requir- ing him at once to disband his army, and submit to Queen Mary. But that cowardly though am- bitious man, as we shall shortly see, needed no such command to render him willing to give LADY JANE GREY. 209 the crown to Mary. The council decided that Lady Jane should give up the title of queen — which she most willingly and joyously had done several hours before — and all the privileges and ceremonials attached to the position which she had innocently usurped. It is said, to illustrate the suddenness of the revolution in London, that on the morning of the momentous 19th, Lady Jane stood god-mother to a child in baptism, and was attended with all the loyal honors due to a queen, but in the afternoon she was not only deposed but virtually a prisoner. At last the order came from Queen Mary for her arrest on a charge of high treason, and she was placed in close confinement. The only thing whicl* seems to have touched her heart, was the cruei separation from her husband, Lord Guildford Dudley. They were both young, handsome, and undoubtedly loved each other, and their separation at such a time, and under such gloomy prospects, must have been heart-rend- ing. Dudley was not exactly to her that he was on her marriage-day, for then his heart was pure, and full of truest love for Lady Jane. Since that day ambition had once got the bet- ter of his love, and though he saw his wife U 210 LADY JANE GREr. " weeping and fainting in her anguish, and re- fusing to accept the crown, yet he pressed the bitter cup upon her, and would take no denial. Yet she loved him, undoubtedly, notwithstand- ing his cruelty. But what must have been his remorse, after this misfortune came, when he thought of his own agency in the unfortunate usurpation I CHAPTER X. DCKE OF NORTHUMBERLAND. SUFFOLK SET AT LIBERTY. TRIAL OF NORTHUMBERLAND. — HIS EXECUTION. LADY JANE GREY — BEE TREATMENT. HER ANGELIC CONDUCT. QUEEN MAEy's RELIGIOUS PERSECUTIONS. HER CORONATION. When the news of the revolution in London reached Northumberland, at Cambridge, he was struck with terror. Seeing that the people in the streets were enthusiastic in their joy, he con- ceived the insane idea that bj hurrahing with them, and joining them in their demonstrations, he might save his own life. A man of his high position, who had usurped the crown, should either have fought to the last against his ene- mies, or have calmly awaited his dreadful fate like a man, with dignity and with courage ; and the world would at least have looked upon him without contempt. But the affrighted man ran into the market-place, and shouted for Queen Mar}', tossed his cap high in the air and wept, 212 THE LIFE OF he pretended, for joy ! But the tears were those of fright, of anguish, notwithstanding his pre- tences. Dr. Sandys, the clergyman who only the Sunday before, had preached boldly against Mary, stood by his side. He was a man of real courage and true piety, ready alike for success or for the scaffold. The miserable duke said to him : " Queen Mary is a merciful woman, and doubt- less all will receive the benefit of her pardon." "Flatter not yourself," replied Dr. Sandys, " for were the queen ever so much inclined to pardon you, those who rule her will destroy you, whoever else is spared." Sir John Gates, who had been a tool of Nor- thumberland's, arrested him now, but in the course of a few hours he was set at liberty. When the Earl of Arundel entered the city at the head of a body of troops, he at once arrest- ed Northumberland, Gates, and Dr. Sandys, and committed them to the Tower. Soon after, the Duke and Duchess of Suffolk, the Marquis of Northampton, the Earl of Huntingdon, and others were arrested. On the 3d of August, Queen Mary arrived at Wanstead, her seat, and disbanded her army, LADY JANE GREY. 213 with the exception of a body of liorse. The Duchess of Suffolk had been liberated after a few hours' imprisonment, and when she met the queen she fell upon her knees, and begged mercy for her husband, the Duke of Suffolk, saying that he was ill, and would die if shut up in the Tower. The queen was pleased to hear her prayer, and liberated the duke. Thus the couple who had literally forced Lady Jane into acceptance of the crown were free, while the innocent victim of their wicked ambition lay in her dismal place of imprisonment. The duchess had not a word to say for her gentle daughter, no pardon to ask, and she did not hesitate to take part in the public ceremonies of the occasion ! Years afterwards, when Mary slaughtered the saints with an almost diabolical perseverance, the Duchess of Suffolk still re- mained her friend and professed admirer I " In the afternoon of the 3d of August, Queen Mary entered the city. She rode upon a white horse, and was dressed in violet velvet, and looked somewhat fair, though near forty years of age. Elizabeth rode next after her sister, the queen. All London was in the streets, and when the queen arrived at the Tower, she re- 214 THE LIFE OF leased many prisoners, wlio had long been con- fined there. The majority of them were Cathol- ics, however. It soon became evident that Mary did not intend to fulfil her first promise not to alter the established religious laws of the coun- try. A Protestant came up to London with a petition from his fellow-believers, and was put in the pillory!- This was the prelude to those terrible acts which will ever be associated with the name of Queen Mary. About this time letters were received from the commissioners in Flanders, revealing the singular fact that the despatches which were received from them by Northumberland some time previous, were devoid of truth, and intend- ed to deceive, for from the first the emperor had expressed himself utterly opposed to Lady Jane's usurpation of the throne 1 On the 18th of August, the Duke of Northum- berland had his trial. He acted towards his judges with great humility. It is not a little singular that among his judges were men who had acted with him as councillors to Lady Jane Grey 1 He said to the judges that he spoke not anything in defence of himself, yet he wished the opinion of the court on two points : First, LADY JANE GREY, 215 whether a man, acting by authority of the prince and council, and by warrant of the great seal of England, might properly be charged of treason. Secondly, whether any of the persons who acted with him, and of course were equally guilty, might be his judges, or pass upon his trial at his death ! The reply of the court was that the seal he used was not the seal of the lawful queen, but the seal of an usurper, and secondly, that any persons who were not attainted of treason, could with the pleasure of the queen, sit upon the tial The duke saw that words would avail him noth- ing, and confessed his crimes and begged their pardon. Throughout the trial he conducted himself in the basest manner possible. There is one exception ; for he assured the court what ever might be his own deserts, that Lady Jane not only did not aspire to the crown, but was hy enticement and force made to accept of it. This was the only generous sentiment which fell from the lips of the duke during his trial. For himself, he craved the death which was usually accorded to noblemen, and beseeched that his children might be treated favorably. He also 216 THE LIFE OP wished to confer with some eminent divine upon religious matters. He hoped still to save his life by renouncing his Protestantism. The rejoicing of the people was great when they heard of the sentence of condemnation against the Duke of Northumberland. They felt that at last justice had overtaken him for his despotic acts. When he was carried back from the court to his prison in the Tower, a woman, probably alluding to the execution of Somerset by Northumberland, saluted him with the words, " Behold the blood which thou didst cause to be unjustly shed does now apparently begin to revenge itself on thee ! " On the 19th of August, Northumberland re- ceived news that it was the intention of the government to proceed at once to his execution, and he immediately wrote the following letter to the Earl of Arundel : " Honorable lord, and in this my distress my especial refuge, most woful was the news I re- ceived this evening by Mr. Lieutenant, that I must prepare myself against to-morrow to receive the deadly stroke. Alas, my good lord, is my crime so heinous as no redemption but my blood can LADY JANE GREY. 217 •wash away the spots thereof? An old proverb there is, and that most true, that a living dog is better than a dead lion. Oh! that it would please her good grace to give me life, yea the life of a dog, if I might but live and kiss her feet, and spend both life and all in her honora- ble service, as I have the best part already under her worthy and most glorious father. Oh ! that her mercy were such as she would consider how little profit my dead and dismembered body can bring her, but how great and glorious an honor it will be in all posterities when the report shall be, that so gracious and mighty a queen had granted life to so miserable and penitent an object. Your honorable usage and promise to me since these my troubles, have made me bold to challenge this kindness at your hands. Pardon me. if I have done amiss therein, and spare not, I pray, your bended knees for me in this distress. The God of heaven it may be will requite one day on you or yours. And if my life be lengthened by your mediation and my good lord chancellors, (to whom I have also sent my blurred letters,) I will ever owe it to be spent at your honorable feet. Oh ! good my lord, remember how sweet life is, and how bitter the J 218 THE LIFE OF contrary. Spare not your speech and pains, for God, I hope, hath not shut out all hopes of com- fort from me in that gracious, princely, and wo- man-like heart ; but that as the doleful news of death hath wounded to death both my soul and body, so a comfortable news of life shall be as a new resurrection to my woful heart. But if no remedy can be found, either by imprisonment, confiscation, banishment, and the like, I can say no more, but God grant me the patience to endure, and the heart to forgive the whole world. " Once your fellow and loving companion, but now worthy of no name but wretchedness and misery. J. D." This letter shows very clearly the real char- acter of Northumberland. Although a man of iron nerve and most reckless disposition, yet in view of death his courage all vanishes, and he cries in his agony like a child, for help. How strangely does the conduct of Lady Jane con- trast with his own at this crisis ! She, though young and gentle, has not a word of complaint, not a single thrill of fear ; but the old, weather* beaten soldier begs most shamefully lor " yea, the life of a dog ! " LADY JANE GREY. 219 But the base supplication was fruitless, for on the 22d day of August, the lieutenant of the Tower delivered to the sheriffs of London the Duke of Northumberland, Sir John Gates, and Sir Thomas Palmer, for execution. When the duke and Sir John Gates met, the former said: " Sir John, God have mercy upon us, for this day shall end both our lives, and I pray you forgive me whatsoever I have offended, and I forgive you with all my heart, although you and your council were a great occasion thereof." Sir John replied : " Well, my lord, I forgive you all, as I would be forgiven, and yet you and your authority were the original cause of it altogether, but the Lord pardon you, and I pray you forgive me." The duke laid aside his gown, and leaning upon the railing,, made an address to the multi- tude of people congregated to witness his execu- tion. The day before he heard mass in his prison, and boldly avowed himself a Catholic, thus deserting his old creed. He confessed that he was worthy of death ; that he had helped in the false religion, and for this God had punished the nation by the death of Henry YIIL, Ed- ward VI. ; with rebellion, and with sweating 220 THE LIFE OF sickness. He was thankful that now he was a Christian, though for sixteen years he had not been one. He guarded his hearers against cove- tousness, which was the cause of his fate, and said, " I beseech you all to bear me witness that I die in the true Catholic faith." He then re- peated several Latin psalms, and afterwards said : " Into thy hands, Lord, I commend my spir- it," and bending toward the block, said that he deserved a thousand deaths ; when his neck lay upon it, it was instantly severed. Gates and Palmer were immediately after executed. Thus perished the man who was the cause of so much intense suffering to innocent persons, through his inordinate ambition. But it is time that we return to Lady Jane Grey and her unfortunate husband. They were now state-prisoners, and confined in separate apartments. Beauchamp's Tower was the gen- eral place of confinement for state-prisoners, but Lady Jane was imprisoned in one of the war- den's houses, inside of the prison walls, kept by a "Master Partridges." It is probable that her comfort was better secured in the warden's house than it could have been in the usual prison apartments. She was allowed to retain LADY JAKE GREY. 221 two of her female attendants, but the day after she became a prisoner, the Marquis of Winches- ter, the lord treasurer, required of her to deliver up the crown jewels, or those which were in her possession. The sympathy of the nation for Lady Jane was unquestionable, unmistakable. Northumberland was hated ; but for his lovely and innocent victim there was nothing but pity, save in the hearts of a few heartless courtiers, or bigoted and fierce Catholics. The nation loved as its own existence the principle of her- editary right, and never could quietly consent to see Mary defrauded of her throne, yet it blamed not the pious and gentle-hearted Lady Jane Grey for her agency in the unfortunate usurpation. A feeling of sympathy for her, and even for her husband in a lesser degree, filled the hearts of the people, and it was generally hoped that no punishment would be inflicted upon them. The Duke and Duchess of Suffolk, though a hundred times more guilty than Lady Jane, had been set free, why should not the victim of their advice and commands also re- ceive her liberty ! The conduct of Lady Jane upon her impris- onment will, as long as the history of England 222 THE LIFE OF and the Reformation is remembered, place ber name upon the scroll of heroes and martyrs who perished bravely and gloriously. History fur- nishes no instance where a girl of sixteen con- ducts herself through trial, imprisonment, and death with greater courage, mildness, and resig- nation than were exhibited by Lady Jane Grey. She was young, and loved life and liberty ; she was full of the warmest affections ; yet she parted from the fair husband in whose bosom she had lain, without a murmur, and laid off the habiliments of a queen for a prison-life, without a sigh 1 Her conduct during this change was truly remarkable. Fuller says that "she made misery itself amiable by her pious and patient behavior ; adversity, her night clothes, bearing her, as well as her day-dressing, by reason of her pious disposition." Burnet says, "she was so humble, so gentle, and pious, that all people both admired and loved her. That she had a mind wonderfully raised above the world, and at the age wherein others are but imbibing the notions of philoso- phy, she had attained to the practice of the highest precepts of it : for she was neither lifted up with the hope of a crown, nor cast down LADY JANE GREY. 225 when slie saw her palace made afterwards her prison; but carried herself with an equal temper of mind in the great inequalities of fortune that so suddenly exalted and depressed her." Through all her long imprisonment this an- gelic creature never uttered a complaint of her suffering, and seemed to be wholly concerned for her father and husband, who had forced her to act the part which she did, and which must be expiated by the sacrifice of her life. When London was alive with enthusiasm upon the ad- vent of Mary, Lady Jane was alone in her apart- ment, and listened to the booming of the cannon and the shouts of the populace in silence. It is not strange that her pious heart soon came to the conclusion that this world of bitter dis- appointment was nothing in comparison to that glorious world towards which her meek spirit was hastening. Queen Mary entered the Tow- er and liberated many prisoners there, but she came not to " Master Partridge's " house, where was the young Lady Jane, her cousin. Before the coronation of Queen Mary, she issued an order to the lord treasurer which com- menced as follows : 224 the life op "by the queen. " Mary the Queen. "Trusty and well beloved, we greet you well. And where upon delivery of certain of our jewels and stuff to your hands by the Lady Jane Grey, the 20th of July last, which she had before received of you the 12th of the same month, it appeareth that the parcels hereafter mentioned were wanting, and by occasion there- of cannot be found again ; forasmuch as we certainly understood that by your diligence all the rest that she had was recovered, being at the same time in like danger, and upon trust we have ye will not let to use the like travel to recover those parcels to our use as soon as ye can," etc., etc. There follows a list of the lost articles — lost probably in the agitation and con- fusion attendant upon the suddenness of the change of Lady Jane's condition. It seems that every penny in the possession of Lady Jane or her husband, Guildford Dudley, was taken from them, as if in part to make up to loss of certain articles of state. At the time of Northumberland's death the imperial ambassadors urged Queen Mary to bring Lady Jane to trial ; but she seems not to LADY JANE GREY. 225 have been willing, either because lier heart would not allow of it, or she feared to outrage the feelings of the people too far. It is said that she declared that she had no heart to put to death her unfortunate cousin, whom she regard- ed as the victim of Northumberland. About this time Lady Jane addressed a narrative of her term of royalt}'', to Queen Mary, in which she confessed her fault, but declared that when Northumberland and her father and mother came to her, and attempted to force the crown upon her, that she fell to the ground fainting, as one dead, and remained their helpless victim. The cause of this address to the queen was not to intercede for her own life or that of Dudley, but to show her majesty the innocence of her- self in the transaction. Lady Jane was pious and good, and loved a good reputation better than life, and wished Queen Mary to know that she had not acted with wilful wickedness in the usurpation, but had been forced to act the part allotted to her. Whether the true statement of the case had any effect upon the queen we know not, but the conduct of her officers towards Lady Jane was harsh in the extreme. The charge that some of the crown jewels were lost J 15 226 THE LIFE OF was merely a pretence, and under it Lady Jane and Dudley were literally robbed of their pri- vate jewels, and all the money in their posses- sion. There is a meanness in such an act almost without a parallel in history. For a proud Queen of England to seize upon the pocket- money of an unfortunate woman, who was niece to a king, certainly was the lowest depths of niggardliness. The Sunday after the execution of Northum- berland, the old Catholic service was chanted in St. Paul's, and on every hand it soon became apparent that Mary would soon commence a career of persecution. Throughout the month of August, sharp struggles took place between the Catholics and Protestants, for the possession of the churches, and the government seemed to be undecided whether boldly to proclaim Cathol- icism in opposition to the principles of the Eefor- mation. All doubts were soon dispersed, howev- er, by the course pursued by the ministry. Mary was desirous of placing the Pope at the head of the church, but even her Catholic bishop, Gardi- ner, opposed this scheme. Her answer to him is a memorable one. " Women, I have read in Scripture, are LADY JANE GREY. 227 forbidden to speak in churcli. Is it then fit* ting that your church should have a dumb head?" On the 15th of September, Archbishop Cran- mer, Latimer, and others, were arrested and committed to prison. All doubt was at an end now, — Queen Mary was determined to distin- guish herself as a heretic-burner; a religious persecutor. During the last week in September, the queen was busily occupied in preparing for her ap- proaching coronation. She had no money left in her treasury, and was obliged to borrow £20,000 of the citizens of London for the occa- sion. The day appointed was the first of Octo- ber. Three days before the coronation, the queen set out from Whitehall by barge for the Tower, attended by the lord mayor and different honor- able companies. At the Tower, she made fif- teen knights of the bath, and remaining over night, the next day she went in grand procession through the streets of London. On the coronation morning, the queen and her numerous attendants took their barges, and proceeded to the stairs leading to Parliament- chamber. The whole city was in the streets, 228 THE LIFE OF notwithstanding the day before had been one of the utmost pomp and pageantry. The Parha- ment-charaber was splendidly hung with tapes- try, and blue cloth was laid in the street, from Parliament-hall to Westminster Abbey. At about ten o'clock the queen was conducted to the robing-chamber, where she waited till eleven, when the procession commenced to the Abbey. Bishop Gardiner performed the part usually al- lotted to the Archbishop of Canterbury, pro- nouncing the coronation-oaths. Mary was at- tired in royal robes of velvet, a mantle with a train, a surcoat, a riband of Venice gold, a man- tle-lace of gold and silk, with buttons and tassels of the same material, having the imperial crown on her head, the sceptre in her right hand, an orb in her left, and a pair of gold-crimson seba- tons on her feet. Mary's personal appearance at this time was not striking. Nearly forty years old, low in stature, very thin and pale in her face, which was not indicative of either intellect or good nature, she made little impression through her beauty, though she was by no means re- pulsive in her appearance. After the principal ceremonies were over, a general pardon of pris- oners was read, but it contained so many excep- LADY JANE GRE-i. 229 tions, that to many the day was a day of sorrow rather than a day of rejoicing. When the queen left Westminster Abbey it was in a robe of purple velvet, an open surcoat of the same material, with miniver and pow- dered ermine, a mantle-lace of silk and gold, a riband of gold, and a crown upon her head. The banquet followed, and among the entertain- ments of the occasion were dramatic and comic representations. The comedian, Heywood, pre- sented himself at court, from banishment. The queen asked him : " What wind has blown you hither? " "Two special ones," said Heywood, "one of them to see your majesty." " We thank you for that," replied Mary, " but I pray for what purpose was the other? " "That your majesty might see me/" replied the comedian. His wit was successful, and the queen often saw him, and amused herself with his comic representations. During all this pageantry Lady Jane Grey remained in her prison, separated from her hus- band and all her friends; yet she was happy, 230 ■ LADY JANE GREY. for slie«^ad the peace " which passeth all un- derstanding." In a few days Mary's first parliament was opened. Its first act was to repeal all former acts of Henry VIII.'s reign in reference to Katharine of Arragon and her daughter, Queen Mary. Its next was to pass a bill of attainder upon Lady Jane Grey and her husband. CHAPTER XI. VKIAL OF LADT JANE GREY AND LORD GUILDFORD AT GUILDHALL.— THEIE CONDUCT. SENTENCED TO DEATH. — SYMPATHY FOE LADT JANE. RELIGIOUS MATTERS. DR. SANDYS. PROJECT OF MAEY^S MARRIAGE WITH PHILIP. OPPOSITION OF PEOPLE AND PARLIA- MENT. INSURRECTION OF SUFFOLK, CAREW, AND WYATT. WYATT IN LONDON. HIS DOWNFALL. The trial of Ladj Jane Grej and her hus- band, Lord Guildford Dudley, on a charge of high treason, took place at the Guildhall on the 13th of November. Archbishop Cranmer, Lord Ambrose and Sir Henry Dudley, were at this time also charged with treason. The time ol Lady Jane's trial was in the saddest month of the English year — a month usually crowded full of sombre skies and melancholy fogs. On the morning of the memorable 13th of ISTovember, a morning, probably, like almost all November days in London, overcast with the solemnest clouds of autumn, Lady Jane and Lord Guild- ford were led from the Tower, in which so long 232 THE LIFE OF they had been incarcerated, to Guildhall, to take their trial,. They were surrounded by a guard of four hundred halberdiers, and great noise and confusion were attendant upon the procession to the place of trial, yet Lady Jane bore herself with courage and calmness. From the day on which she was imprisoned to this day she had not seen her husband, but this morning they met. "We can easily imagine what a sad meeting it must have been, and how eagerly each scanned the face of the other to discover with what patience and Christian meek- ness the imprisonment had been borne. When the unfortunate pair entered the court-room, there was present a great crowd of witnesses, and the ceremonies which characterized the trial were exceedingly impressive. But Lady Jane was, throughout the whole scene, perfectly calm and seemingly happy. Her judges were men well calculated to intimidate a young and tender woman, but she was not agitated in the least. Her cheeks were blooming all the while, and her voice trembled not, nor in any manner did she show fear or agitation. To the charge against her Lady Jane pleaded guilty, though she was most innocently so, and guiltless of any LADY JANE GREY. 233 intention to rob another of her rights. The sentence was pronounced bj Lord Chief Justice Morgan, and a most terrible one it was. She was sentenced to be burnt alive on Tower Hill or beheaded, at the queen's pleasure. When this dreadful sentence was . pronounced, a groan burst forth from almost every person present, and when Lady Jane set out on her return to the Tower, great crowds of people followed her, crying aloud, and bewailing her fate. The sympathy for her was exceedingly great, and she was obliged to offer consolation to those who followed her. Turning to them she said, with angelic sweetness, " Oh ! faithful companions of my sorrows, why do you thus afflict me v/ith your plaints ? Are we not born into life to suffer adversity, and even disgrace, if it be necessary ? When has the time been that the innocent were not exposed to violence and oppression?" We must remember that all this sympathy was shown for Lady Jane when a universal opinion obtained that she was to be pardoned by Queen Mary. How much more powerful it would have been in view of her death, we can readily imagine. The queen, notwithstanding 284 THE LIFE OF her hardness of heart, was touched with pity for Lady Jane, when she beheld her meek and gentle conduct. There is not the slightest rea- son to doubt her intention at this time to pardon Lady Jane and her husband. Lord Guildford Dudley, She ordered that the former be al- lowed the liberty of walking in the queen's garden at the Tower, and on the hill. Lord Guildford also received a gentler treatment than before, having the liberties of the " ports " where he was lodged. On the 21st of Decem- ber, the Marquis of Northampton and Sir Hen- ry Gates were both pardoned and released from prison, and immediately Lady Jane Grey and Lord Dudley experienced a change in their treatment, which must have led them to believe that soon the queen would set them at liberty. Alas ! that the mad and foolish acts of others, who were already free from the miseries of a prison life, should bear such a sad sway over their fortunes ! Queen Mary showed an intense desire to win Lady Jane over to the Catholic faith, and learned papist divines were sent to argue with her, and endeavor to show her the wickedness of the doctrines of the Eeformation. We have LADY JANE GREY. 235 no doubt but Mary really longed to see Lady Jane a good Catholic, and from the best of motives. She was cruel and persecuting, not because she loved blood, but because she was ignorantly, bigotedly, madly devoted to the Ca- tholic religion. But it was utterly useless to attempt to shake Lady Jane in her belief. As an old writer remarks, " all their labors were bootless, for she had art to confound their art, wisdom to withstand their flatteries, resolution above their menaces, and such a true knowledge of life, that death was to her no other than a most familiar acquaintance." A convocation of the clergy previous to this had declared the Book of Common Prayer to be an abomination, and also demanded a super- vision of the Catechism, and recommended im- mediate persecution against all of the clergy who did not put away their wives, and adopt tho Catholic article of belief in reference to the real presence. The whole influence of the govern- ment was in favor of the Catholic religion, and in those days, when the scaffold and the stake were commonly used to terrify the people into compliance with the wishes of the court, the influence of the government was exceedingly 236 THE LIFE OF powerful. The truth was, that many of those who, under the reign of Edward VL, had called themselves Protestants, were so merely because it was for their personal interest to be so, and the moment that a Catholic occupied the throne, they retreated back at once into the bosom of the Romish church. A majority of the clergy became Catholic, and some of the bishops ; but Cranmer and Latimer were sent to the Tower, and soon after the Archbishop of York for mar- rying, and Ridley for preaching at St. Paul's in favor of Lady Jane's usurpation, Poynet for marriage, and several other of the bishops for similar offences, were sentenced to imprison- ment. Dr. Sandys, who so boldly, at Cambridge, preached against the title of Mary to the throne, though at first imprisoned, was afterwards liber- ated by the queen. One of the ladies of her bedchamber interceded for the bold and honest preacher, and one day when Gardiner came to the privy chamber the queen said : " Winchester, what think you about Dr. San- dys ? Is he not sufficiently punished ? " " As it pleases your majesty," answered the bishop. " Then, truly," replied Queen Mary, " we LADY J^NE GKEY. 237 would have him set at liberty," She signed immediately the warrant for his releasement, and he was set free. The friends of Qaeen Mary attempt, from such acts as these, to res- cue her name from the opprobrium which has covered it for centuries, and we think they certainly show that she was not wholly lost to tender emotions. But it is impossible to forget the many terrible acts for which Queen Mary ever must be held responsible by just men, and which shroud her memory in a pall of darkness. Undoubtedly her ministers were constantly pressing her on in her career of per- secution, but a true Queen of England should have been superior to her cabinet, and have guided them, instead of being contented to be led hy them. About this time certain of the inhabitants of the county of Suffolk reminded the queen that she solemnly promised them before her corona- tion that she would not change the reformed religion as it was established under her brother, Edward YI. But the queen did not like thus to be reminded of her broken promises, and one man, who was bolder than his companions in complaining, was put in the pillory. Judge 238 THE LIFE OP Hales, a Protestant, who had refused to coun- tenance Lady Jane Grey's usurpation, simply because of his strict honesty of character, was thrust into a loathsome dungeon, where he soon grew crazy and endeavored to make way with his life. At last he was liberated, but his health and mind were ruined. Mary now determined upon marriage, to make sure of a Catholic succession. All her life she had been trying to marry, and now there was an eligible opportunity to wed the son of the Em- peror Charles, to whom (the father) she had been thirty years before engaged. It is said that Mary really loved Edward Courtenay, Earl of Devon, whom she had liberated from prison, a handsome and exceedingly accomplished gen- tleman. But unfortunately he was suspected of sympathizing with the Protestants, and regarded the Princess Elizabeth with more affection than Queen Mary. The queen also had some thoughts of wedding the celebrated Cardinal Pole, who had never taken priest's orders. The main reason for dismissing this project, was the ad- vanced age of the cardinal, he being now fifty- three years old. The Emperor Charles sent over his ambassa- LADY JANE GREY. 239 dors for the purpose of arranging a marriage between his son Philip and the English Queen. They had constant access to her, and she, with- out even asking the advice of her council, made a solemn engagement of herself to Philip. For a short time the engagement was kept a secret, but when it came out, the whole country was filled with discontent. The English people feared that with a Spanish prince for the hus- band of their queen, England would sink into a state of vassalage to Spain. Many Catholics opposed the marriage, and the entire Protestant body were bitterly against it. They boldly de- clared that Mary's sole object was " to continue Popery where it was, and to bring it in where it was not." The speaker and twenty members of Parliament petitioned her majesty that she would not marry a stranger or a foreigner. The queen thought that Gardiner, her favorite bish- op, originated this movement, and said she would prove a match for his cunning. That very evening she sent for the Spanish ambassa- dor, and leading him into her private oratory, Bhe knelt before the altar, and after she had repeated the hymn Veni Creator, she called upon God to witness that while she lived she 240 THE LIFE OP would never marry any man but Philip of Spain. In December, Parliament was dissolved, to get rid of a troublesome enemy. In January, Count Egmont arrived from Spain, to conclude the marriage-treaty. There were at once tokens of revolt, for the people of Kent, where the count landed, rose in large masses and endeav- ored to obtain his person. He arrived at Lon- don safely, and the marriage-treaty was arranged. The terms were as follows : Philip was to have the honor of the title of King of England, but the government was to rest solely with the queen, he merely aiding her in her duties. No Span- iard was to enjoy any of the offices of the king- dom ; no innovations were to be made in the laws and customs of England ; the queen was never to be carried abroad without her free consent, nor any of her children, if she had any, without the consent of the nobility, Philip, in case Mary sur- vived him, was to settle upon her a jointure of ^60,000 a year ; the male issue of the marriage was to inherit Burgundy and the Low Countries, as well as England ; and in case Don Carlos, Phil- ip's son by his first marriage, were to die and leave no issue, then their issue, whether male or LADY JANE GREY. 241 female, were to inherit Spain, Sicily, ai-d Milan. The treaty was concluded, but notwithstanding the concessions made by the Spanish prince, the English people were dissatisfied. In less than a week Queen Mary and her court were alarmed by the intelligence that Sir Peter Carew was up in arms in Devonshire, to resist the advent of Philip of Spain, and that already he had taken possession of the city and castle of Exeter. News shortly followed to the effect that the Duke of Suffolk, with his brothers. Lord John and Lord Leonard Grey, had organized a rebel- lion in the mid-counties, for the restoration of the innocent Lady Jane Grrey, who seems to have been the victim of any ambitious and reckless man in the kingdom. But the most formidable insurrection was that headed by Sir Thomas Wyatt. He was only twenty-three years old, a Catholic, son to an illustrious poet, full of enthusiasm, and was roused to a high pitch of excitement in reference to the Spanish marriage. Thus there were three distinct in- surrections in the kingdom, though they were one in reference to one point — the queen's mar riage. Sir Peter Carew aimed at placing Eliza- beth and the Earl of Devonshire on the throne ; ^ 16 242 THE LIFE OF Wyatt only wished to prevent tlie foregin mar- riage; and the Greys looked for the restoration of Lady Jane Grey to the throne. The last per- sonages were the maddest of all. The Duke of Suffolk had once been pardoned for treason ; he was perfectly well aware that there was a good prospect that his daughter would soon be re- leavsed from her confinement ; he also knew that, in case of his success, Lady Jane would never accept of the throne, unless by force she were compelled to do so ; we can therefore account for his conduct only upon the ground that he lacked the qualities of mind which men generally possess. A more reckless, foolish, mad, cruel course of conduct he could not have pursued. He passed through Leicestershire, pro- claiming Lady Jane Grey in every town through which he journeyed, and, weak man, seemed to sincerely believe that the nation which only a few months before had utterly refused to sup- port his cause, would now rally unitedly around him ! The Earl of Huntingdon, at the head of an army, soon conquered the Grey party, they flying for their lives into distant towns. The duke and his brothers were, however, shortly LADY JANE GREY. 243 afterwards arrested, and imprisoned in the Tow- er. Sir Peter Carew was also soon put to flight, he absconding to France. Wjatt alone remained in the field. He made a stand at the head of 15,000 men. Tlie queen sent the Duke of Norfolk with a body of men against him, at Rochester. There five hundred soldiers, under the duke, deserted to the side of Wyatt, and the queen's artillery also fell into the hands of the insurgents. The Duke of Norfolk fled, and three-fourths of his troops went over to Wyatt's side. When the news arrived at court of this defeat, all London was in uproar and confusion. If Wyatt had forced a march upon the capitol, he might, perhaps, have won a victory over the queen, for she was almost defenceless ; but he was three days in ar- riving at Greenwich. The queen rode into Lon- don, to encourage the citizens by her presence, and the lord mayor received her at the Guild- hall. She there made a speech to the people, full of mettle and true courage. At the conclu- sion the populace vociferated loudly, " God save Queen Mary and the prince of Spain ! " From Guildhall the queen proceedei to Westminster, where she held a council, to devise means for 244 THE LIFE OF defence. An armed watcli was set in "White- hall, But at two in the morning the palace was alarmed by news brought by a deserter that Wyatt would be at Hyde Park Corner in two hours ! The palace was filled with lamentations and cries of fear : hurried arrangements for de- fence were made ; the people barricaded the streets ; and the queen's chamber windows were well guarded, as well as all her apartments. Every woman at court was alarmed, with the exception of Queen Mary, who was calm and fearless. Bishop Gardiner tried to persuade her to take a boat and retreat from the city, but she answered : '' I will set no example of cowardice ! " At four in the morning the drums began to beat to arms, and the queen's forces were so disposed as best to defend Whitehall or the approaches to it. Wyatt's men already were in Kent street, where the pepple gave them good cheer. They were commanded to refrain from pillage, but could not be restrained from sack- ing the residence of Bishop Gardiner. His books were cut in pieces, so that, as an old writer says, " men might have gone up to their knees in leaves of books, cut out and thrown under foot." LADY JANE GREY. 245 The morning v/as a chill, wintry, gloomy one, for it was the 7th of February. It was nine o'clock before Wyatt began fairly to enter the city. He divided his forces into three parts. The queen's forces were under the leadership of Clinton and Pembroke, and quietly at their posts, awaited the attack from the insurgents. Thousands of the people were gathered to wit- ness the battle, or more properly, petty series of skirmishes. It had been promised Wyatt that Ludgate should be opened for him by the peo- ple of that section of the city, and he hastened there with a small force. At the same time two of his leaders — Knevet and Cobham — attacked Whitehall and St. James'. St. James' was well defended by Sir Henry Jermingham, but White- hall, where the queen was, was in great danger. The guards, commanded by Sir John Gage, gave way before the insurgents. At the time the queen stood in a gallery of the palace, and witnessed the conflict. The defeated soldiers se- creted themselves in some of the houses around the palace, and the porter shut the palace gates, so that friends and foes alike were shut out. The soldiers belonging to the queen's standard desirefl that the gates might be opened to them, 246 THE LIFE OF and Mary, with excellent courage, ordered that they be immediately opened, and the guards marched in before her. She spoke to them a few words of encouragement, and commanded them not to leave the spot. Wyatt now fought his way down the Strand towards Ludgate. This street, now the busiest thoroughfare in London, was filled with troops, under Courtenay, Earl of Devonshire. The mo- ment Wyatt appeared, he fled, some suppose from fear, but there is no doubt but that he was a secret ally of Wyatt. The insurgent leader then demanded the warden of Ludgate to surrender. He supposed the warden was a friend, but such was not the case. The com- mander, Lord Howard, appeared and answered to the summons : " Avaunt, traitor ! — you enter not here ! " Wyatt now was obliged to fight his way back to his main army. In the mean time Courtenay came in hot haste to the queen, saying, " The battle is broke — all is lost ! " Mary's spirit was roused, and she replied : " Such is the fond opinion of those who dare not go near enough to see the truth of the trial. We will go ourself to the battle immediately, LADY JANE GREY. 2-i7 and abide the upshot of our rightful quarrel, or die with the brave men fighting for us." She then prepared herself for the street. At that moment the palace was assaulted in the rear by a body of men under Cobham. A band of gentlemen-at-arms defended the palace with great courage, in the rear, and other men fought well in front with battle-axes. Cries were con- stantly heard throughout the palace, that all was lost, and the queen was beseeched to make an attempt to escape in a barge down the Thames. But she would not, but was cheer- ful, and endeavored to impart courage to those around her. She asked : " Where is Lord Pembroke? " The answer was : " He is in the midst of the battle." "Well, then," said she, "all that dare not fight may fall to prayers, and I warrant we shall hear better news anon. God will not deceive me, in whom my chief trust is." Still there was the -wildest confusion in the palace, and few hearts there were calm. Shrieks were uttered in every room, cheeks were white with fear, but Queen Mary privately left the palace, to cheer the soldiers. She saw that her 248 THE LIFE OF fate would be decided in a few moments ; that she would soon meet with an ignominious end, or at least a terrible disgrace, or she would tri- umph over her enemies, and stand the proudest queen of the world ! She stood between two of her soldiers, within shot of the enemy, and saw the valiant Pembroke make his final charge which decided the battle. Wyatt's forces fled in confusion, and such was the excitement and terror of every one, that friends were mistaken for foes, and the insurgents were only known by their dress, which had been muddied in coming hastily up to London. Sir Thomas Wyatt sat down upon a stall in Fleet Street, dispirited and fatigued, and in a short time gave himself up quietly a prisoner, and he was carried in triumph to court. Thus ended the three insurrections, the last one of which came so near being successful, that the court was striken with terror. Alas ! the conse- quence was that the innocent Lady Jane Grey, who had rested unconscious of the battles out- side her prison walls, must lay down her life. Her father had not only ensured his own down- fall, but that of his daughter. Mary might have rested content with his blood, had there been LADY JANE GREY. 249 no insurrection but the feeble one of whicli he was the head ; but Wyatt's frightful approach to success so alarmed her, that ehe was fully ready to sacrifice whoever, in the opinion of her council, was an enemy to the crown. CHAPTER XII. RESULT OF THE INSURRECTION. THE APPROACHING FATE OF LADT JANE GREY. MART SIGNS LADY JANE's DEATH-WARRANT. SHE PREPARES FOR DEATH. — RELIGIOUS DISPUTE WITH FECKENHAM. — • LETTER TO HER FATHER. LETTER TO HER SISTER KATHARINE. HER PRAYER. HER LAST HOURS. DEATH OF LORD GUILDFORD. — • HER OWN TRIUMPHANT END. The rebellion, the details of which we have just contemplated, was, as we have remarked, the immediate cause of Lady Jane Grey's death. Queen Mary was at once beset by her courtiers and councillors, who persuaded her to believe that the death of Lady Jane was necessary to the security of the crown. Alarmed as she had been by the insurrections, she needed but little argument to convince her that her innocent rela- tion must be sacrificed. It is a most singular fact, that the men who were the most urgent in their desire for Lady Jane's execution, were the very persons who had forced the crown upon her, but who by base recantation now stood LADY JANE GRET. 251 high at Marj's court. The Earl of Pembroke and the Marqais of Westminster were these men. Thej had, months before, urged with the utmost eloquence Lady Jane to accept the crown ; had, when she wept and fainted at the thought of usurpation, actually pressed the bit- ter cup to her lips, and now, with a cruelty and wickedness scarcely surpassed in history com- passed her death, urged Queen Mary to execute her at once ! The Duke of Suffolk, Lady Jane's father, was now, of course, a traitor, and sure of death. His conduct was characterized by the utmost reck- lessness, weakness, and madness. Queen Mary had, with singular good-nature, pardoned him for his former offence against her, pardoned him after an imprisonment of only a few days, and with a miserable grace now came his mad efforts to raise a rebellion against his benefactor. The most sad result of his conduct was the effect which it had upon the fortunes of Lady Jane Grey, He alone should have borne the penalties for his misconduct, but in fact the heaviest blow fell upon Lady Jane Grey, who was made re- sponsible for her father's conduct. The very next day after the fray with Wyatt, the queen 252 THE LIFE OF came to Temple Bar, and upon the spot still damp with blood, signed the death-warrant of Ladj Jane Grey and Lord Guildford Dudley. Her excuse was, that as long as a competitor to the throne existed there would be rebellions, and the safety of the kingdom demanded the death of Lady Jane. The warrant commanded the execution of the unfortunate pair upon the ninth day of February — it now being the seventh. The queen evidently was frightened for her safety, and not possessing a tender heart, con sented to the death of her lovely cousin without manifesting much feeling. Excuse the act as his- torians may, it was a frightful one, and it will for- ever stamp the character of Queen Mary as vin- dictive, cruel, and bloody. She knew perfectly well the true history of Lady Jane's usurpation of the crown — knew of her repugnance at ac- cepting it, of her innocence, her youth, and her gentle piety — must have known that under no circumstances could she ever again be persuaded to accept the crown, and yet, though she was her relative, yet Mary consigned her, young, beautiful, and pious as she was, to the scaffold ! Had the queen possessed a woman's heart, she never would have signed the death-warrant of LADY JANE GREY. 253 Lady Jane Grey. The truth is, her heart was cold, and her affections were withered by re- peated disappointments, and she felt but little sympathy for an enemy, in however distressing a condition. Only two days were allowed to Lady Jane to prepare for her execution, but so full of piety was her heart, that when Feckenham, a Catholic priest, came to announce to her her fate, she declared that she was ready and willing to die ! Dr. Feckenham was a bigoted, though a very sincere, and we believe a pious Catholic. He attempted to reason with her upon religious matters, but Lady Jane told him her time was too short for controversy. He at once flew to the queen, and told her that the time was too short for the preparation of Lady Jane for death, and that there could be no hope of winning her over to the true faith so suddenly. The queen therefore respited the execution for three days. Feckenham went immediately to the prison where Lady Jane was, and with his face glow- ing with pleasure, informed her of the respite. Lady Jane smiled sadly upon him, and replied: " You have mistaken my meaning ; I wish not for delay of sentence, but for quiet from 254 THE LIFE OF polemic disputation." The priest seemed sur- prised, but she went on to make the exquisite- ly beautiful remark: "I am prepared to receive patiently my death, in any manner it may please the queen to ap- point. True it is, my flesh shudders, as is nat- ural to frail mortality, but my spirit will spring rejoicingly into eternal light, where I hope the mercy of God will receive it ! " From this meek and beautiful reply, we may judge of the state of Lady Jane's mind. She "was calm, quiet, and fully prepared to die. At times her spirit seems to have been joyous, at others, burdened with a sweet melancholy, but at no time she looked forward to her fate with horror or bitter regret. Had she indulged in paroxysms of grief, her conduct would not have surprised the world, for she was very young and frail, but her sublime courage won the sympa- thy of all hearts. Queen Mary was enraged at her calm reply to Feckenham, and determined, if possible, to force the truth upon her — to persecute her in her few last hours, by wearisome religious dis- putes. She sent Feckenham again to her, and also sent se^ eral able Catholic divines, to discuss LADY JANE GREY. 255 with her the truths of the Catholic belief. Feck enham had little doubt but with the fear of death before her eyes, he should have an easy victory over his friend, Lady Jane, and begged of her to appoint an hour for the discussion of matters, which he insisted upon so deeply affect- ed her eternal welfare. She beseeched of him, in reply, if he really had any compassion for her, to leave her to herself, to commune in sol- emn silence with her Maker, before whose throne she hoped soon to appear. To this gentle crea- ture, whose death was certain to occur in a few hours, the prospect of a polemic discussion with a wily, though undoubtedly pious priest, must have been painful. She needed her few last hours for prayer and quiet contemplation, and it would be strange if, in sight of the scaffold, a young girl were to prove a match for a calm and learned priest, in disputation. But Feck- enham was bent upon a display of his powers, and Lady Jane consented to the discussion. To make the matter worse, Feckenham invited in a number of the clergy and others to witness the dispute. Among the witnesses were the noble and learned, who came to see a professed dis- putant vanquish a girl in religious argument.. 256 THE LIFE OP That scene would make a remarkable subject for an artist. It was within the walls of the bloody Tower, between a sombre, learned, big- oted priest on the one side, and a fair, bloom- ing, lovely girl on the other ; and a crowd of witnesses were gathered around — clergymen, no- bles, and learned men ! What a striking picture of the power of truth, however feeble the instru ment by which it is conveyed ! Feckenham commenced as follows : Feckenham. — Madam, I lament your heavy case, and yet I doubt not but that you bear out this heavy sorrow of yours with a constant and patient mind. Lady Jane Orey. — You are welcome unto me, sir, if your coming be to give Christian exhorta- tion. And as for my heavy case, I thank God, I do so little lament it, that rather I account the same for a more manifest declaration of God's favor towards me, than ever he showed me at any time before. And therefore there is no cause why either you or others, which bear me no good will, should lament or be grieved with this my case, being a thing so profitable for my soul's health. F. — I am here come to you at this present LADY JANE GREY. 257 time to instruct you in the true doctrine of the right faith : although I have so great confidence in you, that I shall have, I trust, little need to travel with you much therein. Ja7\je. — Forsooth, I heartily thank the queen's highness, which is not unmindful of her humble subject ; and I hope, likewise, that you no less will do your duty therein, both truly and faith- fally, according to that you were sent for. F, — What is then required of a Christian man? Jane. — That he should believe in Grod the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, three per- sons and one God. F. — What, is there nothing else to be required or looked for in a Christian, but to believe in him? Jane. — Yes, we must love him with all our heart, and all our soul, and with all our mind, and our neighbor as ourself. F. — Why, then, faith neither justifieth, nor Baveth. Jane. — Yes, verily, faith, as St. Paul saith, only justifieth. i<:— Why, St. Paul saith. If I have all faith without love, it is nothing. 17 258 THE LIFE OF Jane. — True it is ; for how can I love him whom I trust not? Or how can I trust him whom I love not? Faith and love go both together, and yet love is comprehended in faith. F. — How shall we love our neighbor ? Jane. — To love our neighbor, is to feed the hungry, to cloth the naked, and give drink to the thirsty, and to do to him as we would do to ourselves. i^^.— Why, then it is necessary unto salvation, to do good works also, and it is not sufficient only to believe. Jane, — I deny that, and I afl&rm that faith only saveth ; but it is meet for a Christian, in token that he followeth his master Christ, to do good works, yet may we not say that they profit to our salvation. For when we have done all, yet we are unprofitable servants, and faith only in Christ's blood saveth us. F. — How many sacraments are there ? Jane. — Two : the one the sacrament of bap- tism, and the other the sacrament of the Lord's supper. F, — No, there are seven. Jane. — By what scripture find you that ? LADY JANE GREY. 259 F. — Well, we will talk of that hereafter. But what is signifled by your two sacraments ? Jane. — By the sacrament of baptism I am washed with water, and regenerated b}'' the Spir it, and tha.t washing is a token to me that I am the child of God. The sacrament of the Lord's supper offered unto me, is a sure seal and testi- mony that I am, by the blood of Christ, which he shed for me on the cross, made partaker of the everlasting kingdom. F. — Why, what do you receive in that sacra- ment ? Do you not receive the very body and blood of Christ ? Jane. — No, surely, I do not so believe. I think that at the supper I neither receive flesh nor blood, but bread and wine ; which bread, when it is broken, and the wine, when it is drank, putteth me in remembrance how that for my sins the body of Christ was broken, and his blood shed on the cross, and with that bread and wine, I receive the benefits that come by the breaking of his body and the shedding of his blood for our sins, on the cross. F. — Why, doth not Christ speak these words : 'i^ake, eat ; this is my body ? Eequire you any plainer words ? Doth he not say it is his body ? 60 THE LIFE OF Jane. — I grant he saith so ; and so lie saith, I am the vine, I am the door ; but he is never the more the door nor the vine. Doth not St. Paul say, He calleth things that are not, as though they were ? God forbid that I should say, that I eat the very natural body and blood of Christ : for then, either I should pluck away my re- demption, or else there were two bodies, or two Christs. One body was tormented on the cross, and if they did eat another body, then had he two bodies ; or, if his body were eaten, then it was not broken upon the cross ; or, if it were broken upon the cross, it was not eaten of his disciples. F. — Why? Is it not as possible that Christ, by his power, could make his body both to be eaten and broken, as to be born of a woman without seed of man, and to walk upon the sea, having a body, and other such like miracles as he wrought by his power only ? Jane. — Yes, verily, if God would have done at his supper any miracles, he might have done Bo: but I say, that when he minded no work nor miracles, but only to break his body, and shed his blood on the cross for our sins. But I pray you to answer me this one question* LADY JANE GREY. 261 Where was Christ, when he said, Take, eat ; this is my body ? Was he not at the table when he said so? He was at that time alive, and suffered not till the next day. What took he but bread ? what brake he but bread ? and what gave he but bread ? Look, what he took he brake ; and look, what he brake he gave; and look, what he gave, they did eat ; and yet all this while he himself was alive, and at supper before his disci- ples ; or else they were deceived. F. — You ground your faith upon such authors as say and unsay both in a breath, and not upon the church, to whom you ought to give credit. Jane. — No, I ground my faith on God's word, and not upon the church ; for if the church be a good church, the faith of the church must be tried by God's word, and not God's word by the church, nor yet my faith. Shall I believe the church because of antiquity? or shall I give credit to the church that taketh away from me the half part of the Lord's supper, and will not let any man receive it in both kinds? which things, if they deny to us, then deny they to us a part of our salvation. And I say that it is an evil church, and not the spouse of Christ, but the spouse of the devil, that altereth the Lord's 262 THE LIFE OF supper, and both taketh from it and addeth to it. To that church (say I) God will add plagues, and from that church will he take their part out of the book of life. Do they learn that of St. Paul, when he ministered to the Corinthians in both kinds ? Shall I believe this church ? God forbid. F. — That was done for a good intent of the church, to avoid an heresy that sprang up from it. Jane. — Why? shall the church alter God's will and ordinance for good intent ? How did King Saul ? The Lord God defend. The conversation proceeded in like manner, but to no purpose. When Feckenham took his leave he said : F. — ^I am sorry for you ; for I am sure that we two shall never more meet. Jane. — True it is, that we shall never meet, except God turn your heart. For I am assured unless you repent and turn to God, you are in an evil case : and I pray God, in the bowels of his mercy, to send you his Holy Spirit : for he hath given you his great gift of utterance, if it pleased him also to open the eyes of your heart. Throughout the whole discussion Lady Jane LADY JANE GREY. 263 conducted herself with the utmost calmness and meekness ; indeed her witnesses were astonished at her deportment, as well as by her vigor of mind and language. She has left somewhere among her books, the following lines in refer- ence to this discussion : " Mr. Feckenham gave me a long, tedious, yet eloquent reply, using many strong and logical persuasions to compel me to have leaned to their church ; but my faith hath armed my resolution to withstand any assault that words could then use against me. Of many other articles of re- ligion we reasoned ; but those formerly rehearsed were the chiefest and most effectual. "Jane Dudley." The day had now arrived which at first had been designated as the time for the execution of Lady Jane and her husband. There had been a respite granted, but Lady Jane refused to ac- cept it ; but despite her refusal, the council post- poned her execution until the 12th of February. On the 10th, the wretched Duke of Suffolk was brought to the Tower a prisoner, but it is sup- posed that his daughter. Lady Jane, knew no- thing of his arrest, for on the evening previous 264 THE LIFE OF she addressed to him a celebrated letter, wLicb follows. The Duke was thus brought to become a witness of his daughter's dreadful fate; and unless his heart was turned to stone, it must have been filled with pain and remorse at the sight of that fair, young girl, offered up upon the scaffold as a sacrifice, to expiate his own blunders or ambitious acts. For his sake alone, or the sake of his friends, she had con- sented to act the part she did, and now she was receiving the penalty. It is, however, improper to say that she consented to the usurpation, for she never acquiesced in the plans of Northum- berland and her father. She was literally ^/orcec? to accept the crown, and would have been par- doned for the treason had her father not a second time transgressed the laws of the nation, and attempted to rally a few uneasy men in the provinces around her name, — she all the time the unoffending and innocent inmate of a prison, — and thus ensure her destruction ! But at last the Duke of Suffolk was in prison, from which he never was to depart, but to walk up the steps of a scaffold. Here in his dungeon his heart could not have tasted the peace which diffused a radiance over the countenance of his daughter, LADY JANE GREY. 265 like the aureola of glory around the brow of an angel I How sadly must her letter have come to him — how full it must have been of reproof— and yet how tender and kind it is I The fol- lowing is a copy : "letter from lady jane to her father. " Father,— " Although it hath pleased God to hasten my death by you, by whom my life should rather have been lengthened, yet can I so pa- tiently take it, as yield mor^ hearty thanks for shortening my woful days, than if the whole world had been given unto my possession, with life lengthened at my own will. And albeit I am well assured of your impatient griefs, re- doubled manifold ways, both in bewailing your own woe, and especially, as I hear, my unfortu- nate state ; yet my dear father,- if I may without offence rejoice in my own mishaps, meseems in this I may account myself blessed, that washing my hands in the innocency of my fact, my guilt- less blood may cry before the Lord, mercy to the innocent. And yet though I must needs acknowledge, that being constrained, and as you wot well enough, continually assayed, in taking 266 THE LIFE OF upoir me I seemed to consent, and therein griev* ouslj offended the queen and her laws ; yet do I assuredly trust, that this my offence towards God is so much the less, in that being in so royal estate as I was, my enforced honor blended never with mine innocent heart : and thus, good father, I have opened unto you the state where- in I at present stand. Whose death at hand, although to you, perhaps, it may seem right woful, to me there is nothing that can be more welcome, than from this vale of misery to aspire to that heavenly throne of all joy and pleasure, with Christ our Saviour. In whose steadfast faith, if it may be lawful for the daughter so to write to the father, the Lord that hitherto hath strengthened you, so continue you, that at the last we may meet in heaven with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Jane." It is not known when this letter was received by the Duke of Suffolk, but probably the day before the execution of his meek daughter. Nor is any mention made by any historian of those times of which we write, of the effect it had upon his mind. The lieutenant of the Tower at this time was LADY JANE GREY, 267 Sir John Gage, and having many opportunities of seeing Lady Jane and her husband, he could not help loving them, and desired not only to testify his respect and affection for them, but wished also to secure some token of their esteem for him, which he could keep in their memory. He therefore presented them a small book, bound in vellum, consisting of the devotions of an English Protestant of noble blood, who was wrongfully cast into prison. By some the book was supposed to have been written by the Duke of Somerset, and that the last five prayers in the volume were added by him on his second imprisonment, which ended in his execution. Upon this book, on the margin. Lady Jane wrote two notes, — one to her father, and one to Sir John Grage, — and Lord Guildford wrote one to his father-in-law, which was as follows : " Your loving and obedient son wisheth unto your grace long life in this world, with as much joy and comfort as ever I wished to myself; and in the world to come joy everlasting. *' Your most humble son, till death, " G. Dudley." 268 THE LIFE OF A few pages further on, upon the margin oi a leaf, is the following note from Lady Jane Grey to her father : " The Lord comfort your grace, and that in his word, wherein all creatures only are to be comforted. And though it hath pleased Grod to take away two of your children, yet think not, I most humbly beseech your grace, that you have lost them ; but trust that we, by leaving this mortal life, have now an immortal life. And I, for my part, as I have honored your grace in this life, will pray for you in another life. Your always humble daughter, "Jane Dudley." To Sir John Gage, Lady Jane addressed the following note, on the margin of the same book : " Forasmuch as you have desired so simple a woman to write in so worthy a book, good master lieutenant, therefore I shall, as a friend, desire you, and as a Christian require you, to call upon God to incline your heart to his laws, to quicken you in his way, and not to take the words of truth utterly out of your mouth. Live LADY JANE GREY. 269 Still to die, that by death you may purcliase eternal life ; and remember the end of Methusa- leh, who, as we read in the Scriptures, was the longest liver that was of a man, died at the last. For as the preacher saith, there is a time to be born and a time to die, and the day of death is better than the day of our birth. " Yours, as the Lord knoweth, as a friend, "Jane Dudley." The following day — the 11th of February — Lady Jane was constantly absorbed in medita- tion and prayer. In the evening she read the New Testament in Greek. After reading for a while she closed the book, then taking it up again and looking at the end of it, she saw some blank leaves, and taking pen and ink, wrote an exhortation to her sister Katharine. When she had finished it, she delivered the book to Mis- tress Ellen, one of her attendants, asking her to bear it to her sister, as a last token of her love and remembrance. It is as follows : " Good Sister Katharine, — "I have here sent you a book, which, al- though it be not outwardly trimmed with gold, Zl\) THE LIFE OF yet inwardly is more worth than precious stones. It is the book, dear sister, of the law of the Lord. It is his testament and last will, which he bequeathed unto us wretches ; which shall lead you to the path of eternal joy ; and if you, with a good mind to read it, and with an earn- est mind do purpose to follow it, it shall bring you to an immortal and everlasting life. It shall teach you to live, and learn you to die. It shall win you more than you should have gained by the possession of your woful father's lands. For as, if God had prospered him, you should have inherited his lands ; so if you apply diligently this book, seeking to direct your life after it, you shall be an inheritor of such riches, as neither the covetous shall withdraw from you, neither they shall steal, neither yet the moths cor- rupt. Desire with David, good sister, to under- stand the law of the Lord God. Live still to die, that you, by death, may purchase eternal life. And trust not that the tenderness of your age shall lengthen your life ; for as soon, if God calls, goeth the young as the old ; and labor always to learn to die. Defy the world, deny the devil, despise the flesh, and delight yourself only in the Lord. Be penitent for your sins, LADY J"ANE GREY. 271 and yet despair not : be strong in faitli, and yet presume not; and desire with St. Paul, to be dissolved, and to be with Christ, with whom, even in death,, there is life. Be like the good servant, and even at midnight waking, lest when death cometh and stealeth upon you as a thief in the night, you be with the evil servant, found sleeping : and lest for lack of oil, you be found like the five foolish women, and like him that had not on the wedding garment, and then ye be cast out from the marriage. Rejoice in Christ as I do. Follow the steps of your mas- ter, Christ, and take up your cross : lay your sins on his back, and always embrace him. And as touching my death, rejoice as I do, good sister, that I shall be delivered of this corruption, and put on incorruption. For I am assured that I shall, for losing a mortal life, win an immortal life, the which I pray God grant you, and send you his grace to live in his fear, and to die in the true Christian faith, from the which, in God's name I exhort you, that you never swerve, neither for hope of life, nor for fear of death. For if you will deny his truth to lengthen your life, God will deny you, and shorten your days. And if you cleave unto 272 THE LIFE OF him, he will prolong your days to your comfort and his glory. To which glory Grod bring me now, and you hereafter, when it pleaseth him to call you. Fare you well, good sister, and put your only trust in Grod, who only must help you. Jane." This striking letter was written the night be- fore she was executed. The solemn shades of evening enveloped her apartment in the Tower, and she well knew that the morning light would come only to guide her feet to the scaffold I As a token of the state of her mind in the immedi- ate prospect of death, this letter is exceedingly interesting. The Testament in which it was written still is preserved in England. It would seem as if Mary would have allowed her cousin to remain in quiet the last night before her death ; but no, the moment Lady Jane had finished her beautiful exhortation to her sister, two bishops and two learned doctors stood at the door of her apartments, seeking ad mission. They entered, and for two long hours endeavored to persuade her to recant, and die in the bosom of the Catholic church. And this when her hours on earth were but few, and she LADY JANE GREY. 273 had begged them to go their way, and let her rest in quiet. It may have been that nothing but zeal was the cause for this persecution, but it strikes us that one cause w as anger at Lady Jane's perseverance in her belief in Protestant- ism, and her wonderful calmness in view of death. The terrible efforts of her enemies to con- vert her to Catholicism, look to us as if caused by something else than mere religious zeal. There was a kind of gratification in seeing her obliged to answer all the difficult questions which the cool and calculating priests could put to her, in worrying the poor creature's last hours, as the deer is worried by the ravenous hounds. But it was impossible to disturb her peaceful spirit, " for her faith being built upon the rock Christ, was by no worldly persuasion or comfort to be either moved or shaken ; so that after the expense of time, and the loss of much speech, they left her (as they said) a lost and forsaken member ; but she, as before, prayed for them, and with a most charitable patience endured their worst censures." So writes a faithful historian of her times. At length the theological disputants left her alone. It must now have been late in the even- 1 274 THE LIFE OP ing, but Lady Jane, as soon as her visitors left, sat down to the composition of a prayer which had solaced her in prison. She wrote it out and corrected it, and it has been carefully preserved to this day. It is as follows : " A PRAYER MADE BY LADY JANE IN THE TIME OF HKR TROUBLE. " Lord, thou God and father of my life, hear me, poor and desolate woman, which flieth unto thee only, in all troubles and miseries. Thou, O Lord, art the only defender and deliv- erer of those that put their trust in thee ; and therefore, I being defiled with sin, encumbered with affliction, unquieted with troubles, wrapt in cai-es, overwhelmed with miseries, vexed with temptations, and grievously tormented with long imprisonment of this vile mass of clay, my sin- ful body, do come unto thee, merciful Saviour, craving thy mercy and help, without which so little hope of deliverance is left, that I may utterly despair of any liberty. Albeit it is ex- pedient that, seeing our life standeth upon try- ing, we should be visited sometime with some adversity, whereby we might both be tried LADY JANE GREY. 275 whether we be of the flock or no, aud also know thee and ourselves the better ; yet thou that saidst thou wouldst not suffer us to be tempted above our power, be merciful unto me now, a miserable wretch, I beseech thee, humbly desiring thee that I may neither be too much puffed up with prosperity, neither too much pressed down with adversity, lest I, being too full, should deny thee, my God, or being too low brought, should despair, and blas- pheme thee, my Lord and Saviour. O merci- ful Grod, consider my misery best known unto thee ; and be thou now unto me a strong tower of defence, I humbly require thee. Suffer me not to be tempted above my power ; but either be thou deliverer unto me out of this great misery, or else give grace patiently to bear thy heavy hand and sharp correction. It was thy right hand that delivered the people of Israel out of the hands of Pharaoh, which for the space of four hundred years did oppress them, and keep them in bondage. Let it, therefore, likewise seem good to thy fatherly goodness, to deliver me, a sorrowful wretch, for whom thy son Christ shed his precious blood on the cross, out of this miserable captivity and bondage 276 THE LIFE OF ■wlierein I am now. How long wilt thou be absent? Forever? Lord, hast thou forgot- ten to be gracious, and hast thou shut up thy loving kindness in displeasure ? Wilt thou be no more entreated? Is thy mercy clean gone forever, and thy promise come utterly to an end forever more? Why dost thou make so long tarry ? Shall I despair of thy mercy, O God ? Far be that from me. I am thy work- manship, created in Christ Jesus ; give me grace, therefore, to tarry thy leisure, and patiently to bear thy works, assuredly knowing that as thou canst, thou wilt deliver me, when it shall please thee, nothing doubting or mistrust- ing thy goodness towards me: for thou know- est better what is good for me than I do : therefore do with me, in all things, what thou wilt, and plague me what way thou wilt. Only in the mean time arm me, I beseech thee, with thy armor, that I may stand fast, my loins being girded about with verity, having on thy breast- plate of righteousness, and shod with the shoes prepared by the gospel of peace; above all things taking to me the shield of faith, where- with I may be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked, and taking the helmet of LADY JANE GEEY. 277 salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which ia tliy most holy word, praying always, with all manner of prayer and supplication, that I may refer myself wholly to thy will, abiding thy pleasure, and comforting myself in those trou- bles that it shall please thee to send me ; seeing such troubles be profitable for me, and seeing I am assuredly persuaded that it cannot be but .well all that thou dost. Hear me, O merciful Fa- ther, for His sake whom thou wouldst should be a sacrifice for my sins: to whom, with Thee and the Holy Grhost, be all honor and glory. Amen." The feeling of the people in reference to the execution of Lady Jane Grey and Lord Guild- ford Dudley, was intense. Sympathy for them was expressed everywhere ; and, indeed, the city of London was, from this and many other causes, in a state of panic. Military law pre- vailed, and fifty soldiers, who had deserted the queen's standard, were hung. They were all citizens of London, and were hung before their own doors. Corpses were to be seen in every street, and in every house in London there was fear and agitation. And now came the morning 278 THE LIFE OP of Lady Jane Grey's execution. The Twelfth day of February, 1554, is a day long to be re- membered by students of English history, for on that day perished one of the loveliest and most innocent and gentle of all heroines. The month of February is generally in England a chilly and stormy month, and we may well suppose that little beauty of nature was visible that day ; so sad were the events then tran- spiring, that it would hardly have been meet for nature to be arrayed in her most attractive robes. Queen Mary at first intended that Lady Jane and her husband should be executed to- gether on Tower Hill. What could have been her reason for wishing them to die together we know not, but it certainly was a very cruel thought. However, such was the universal and strong feeling in favor of the unfortunate pair, that the council, fearing that were the people to see the death of Lady Jane, it would add fuel to the fires of agitation still raging in the city, countermanded the first order, and directed that Lord Guildford Dudley should suffer alone on tbe Tower Hill, and that Lady Jane Grey should be executed within the walls of the LADY JANE GREY. 279 prison, and of course out of sigLt of the com- passionate people. Lofd Guildford was soon informed of this change in the attendant ceremonies of the exe- cution, and was exceedingly anxious for an interview with his wife. The queen was qaite willing that he should be gratified in his wish, well knowing that it could only add to the anguish of them both, and tend to discompose their minds. Lady Jane was, however, suffi- ciently prudent and courageous to refuse to see her husband. She well knew that their meet- ing must be agonizing, full of bitter tears and pain, and that after such a scene neither would be so calm and so well prepared to meet tri- umphantly the death which awaited them. She sent back word to her husband that the tender- ness of their parting would overcome the forti- tude of both, and would too much unbend their minds from that constancy which their approach- ing end required of them. Their separation, she said, would only be for a moment ; and that they would soon rejoin each other, in a country where their affections would be forever united, and where death, disappointment, and raisfor- 280 THE LIFE OF tunes could no longer have access to tbem, or disturb their eternal felicity ! A more beautiful reply could not have "been given, nor a wiser decision made. Indeed, throughout the whole career of this angelic creature, we are constantly surprised at her wis- dom, as well as gentleness. Though tender in years, constitution, and disposition, yet she ever manifests the superior wisdom of age. This is not mere panegyric — the reader has seen how circumspectly Lady Jane conducted herself at court amid every temptation, and how pure she came from it ; has seen how prudently she ever carried herself, how learned she was, and still how lovely. There was only one mistake — the acceptance of the crown — and it never can prop- erly be said that she accepted, it. Such was the amount of persuasion and force used against her better feelings and decisions, that she was scarce- ly a free agent in the act of the usurpation of the crown. Every other act of her life recorded in history, redounds to her glory as a wise, truly affectionate, and pious woman. But we must hasten to describe the solemn events of the memorable Twelfth. Soon after Lady Jane Grey sent the communication just LADY JANE GREY. 2Sl alluded to, to Lord Guildford, he was led out of the T(;wer. When he was outside of the gate, he was given up to the custody of one of the sheriffs of London, named Thomas Offleie. When passing out to the gate, he walked immediatelj beneath the window of Lady Jane, and for a moment he gazed up at her with a look of sad- ness yet of affection. She caught his eye, and gave him a signal that she saw him, and that he yet reigned over her heart. When he was out of sight, she resumed her seat, and with perfect calmness and resignation awaited the dread hour of death. She had seen the last of her living husband — in a few minutes more he would be in eternity ! When Lord Guildford arrived at the gate, many of his fiiends were there waiting for him, and he shook hands tenderly with Sir Anthony Bronne, John Throckmorton, and many others, bidding them farewell with calmness, and ask- ing them to pray for him. When he approached the scaffold, he mounted it with dignified com- posure, and knelt down in silent prayer to God. It is said after he had been on his knees for a few moments, he paused, and raised his eyes and hands up to Heaven, while a single tear dropped 282 THE LIFE OP from his eye. A large crowd of people were gathered about the place, and he spoke to them, desiring that they would pray for him ; then he quietly laid his head down upon the block, and gave himself up to the executioner. The axe fell — and he was dead. His head was laid in a white cloth, and with the body carried to a cart, in which they were taken back to the Tower for burial. News of his courage and noble conduct in death flew to Lady Jane Grey, and she was comforted. She was sitting quietly in her chamber, surrounded by her attendants, when the rumbling of a cart was heard. Lady Jane rose at once and walked to the window. Her attendants endeavored to keep her back, for they knew that in the cart were the remains of her husband ; but she over- came them with dignity, and passed to the win- dow, and looked steadily down upon the lifeless form of her loved husband. The sight must have given her an awful shock, but the only sign she exhibited was a deep, long sigh, and the following apostrophe, which burnt from her almost broken though calm heart : "Oh! Guildford! Guildford! the antepast is not so bitter that you hav^ tasted, and that I LADY JANE GREY. 283 sball soon taste, as to make my flesh tremble ; but that is nothing compared to the feast that yon and I shall this day partake of in Heaven ! " But now her own time had come. Prepara- tions had been making inside the walls of the Tower for her execution, a scaffold being erect- ed upon a green opposite to the "White Tower. When all was ready, the lieutenaut of the Tow- er, Sir John Gage, asked if she would not, before she left her apartments, give to him a small present, which he might keep always as a me- morial of her. She gave him a table book, where she had just written three sentences — one in Greek, one in Latin, and one in English — upon her husband's dead body. The meaning of these sentences was that human justice was against his body, but that divine mercy would save his soul ; that if her own fault deserved punishment, yet her youth at least, and her im- prudence, were worthy of excuse, and that God and posterity would show her favor. In her chamber she scratched the following with a pin : " Deo juvante, nil nocet malus ; Et non juvante, nil juvat labor gravis. Post tenebris, spero lucem." ^64: THE LIFE OF These lines have been translated as follows. " Whilst God assists us, Enry bites in vain ; If God forsake us, fruitless all our pain. I hope for light after darkness." Four more lines, the following, it is said weie also written by her : " Whate'er by man, as mortal, is assigned, Should raise compassion, reader, in thy mind ! Mourn others' woes, and to thy own resign ; The fate which I have found, may soon be thine." Lady Jane, being told that everything was ready for her execution, arose, and accompanied by her attendants, walked to the scaffold. Her countenance was natural and happy; not a sin- gle tear was in her eyes, nor scarcely a shade of sorrow upon her countenance. Her two maids, or attendants, Elizabeth Tilney and Mistress Ellen, wept aloud, but their sweet mistress was serene and beautiful as a summer morning. When she was come down from Master Par- tridge's home, where her apartments were, she was delivered into the hands of the London sheriffs, and her conduct was so modest, and yet so fearless, without agitation or curiosity, that every one was surprised. As a striking writer has saii, "like a divine body, going to LADY JANE GEET. 285 be united to her heart's best and longest beloved, so showed she forth all the beams of a well* mixed and well-tempered alacrity, rather in- structing patience how it should suffer, than being by patience any way able to endure the the travail of so grievous a journey." The lieutenant offered her his hand to lead her forth, and she took it without the slightest symptom of fear, without any paleness of cheek, and without a tear. While she was walking ixj the scaffold, she held in her hand a book, by the help of which she prayed very fervently, though Feckenham accompanied her, and endeavored to interrupt her in her devotions. She ascend- ed the scaffold as naturally as if she had been mounting the stairs of her own chamber, and stood meekly before her murderers until there was silence, when she spoke to the people pres- ent as follows, in a clear and pleasant voice : " Good people, I come hither to die, and by a law I am condemned to the same. My offence against the queen's highness was only in consent to the device of others, wL«3h is now deemed treason ; but it was never of my seeking, but by counsel of those who would seem to have fur- ther understanding of such things than I, who 286 THE LITE OF knew little of the law, and mucli less of the titlts to the crown. The fact, indee(3, was unlawful, and the consenting thereto by me, or in my be- half. I do wash mj hands thereof in innocence, before God and you, good Christian people, this day." When she pronounced these words Lady Jane wrung her hands, some thought from agony of mind, but it was undoubtedly an action to illustrate her words. She went on with perfect composure to say, "I pray you all, good Chris- tian people, to bear me witness, that I die a true Christian woman, and that I look to be saved by none other means but only by the mercy of God, and the merits of the blood of his only son, Jesus Christ ; and I confess when I did know the word of God, I neglected the same, and loved myself and the world, and therefore this plague and punishment is happily and wor- thily happened unto me for my sins ; and yet I thank God of his goodness, that he has thus given me time and respite to repent. And now, good people, while I am alive, I pray you to assist me with your prayers." Lady Jane was surrounded by Catholic di- vines ; not a single Protestant clergyman was allowed to be with her during her last moments; LADY JANE GREY. 287 and in her speech she seems to have determined to let the world know that she died in the Pro- testant faith. Perhaps she was afraid that they Avould attempt to make her out a convert to Catholicism, so strenuous had been their exer- tions to that end ; and therefore her dying speech set at rest, at once and forever, the question. When she was through speaking she knelt down to pray, and seeing Feckenham at her side, she pointed at a psalm in her book, and meekly asked : " Shall I say this psalm ? " His reply was a simple " Yea ; " and Lady Jane repeated the Miserere mei Deus in English, and in a solemn manner. When she had repeat- ed this psalm, she said to Feckenham : "God will abundantly requite you, good sir, for your humanitv to me, though your dis- courses gave me more uneasiness than all the terrors of my approaching death." Her devotions were now ended, and she was ready for the sacrifice of her life. She arose from her knees, still calm and beautiful, and began to undress, first taking off her gloves, and then her handkerchief, which articles she hand- 288 THE LIFE OF ed to Elizabeth Tilney, her maid. A book, which heretofore she had held in her hand, she now gave to the lieutenant's brother, Mr. Thom- as Brydges. She was proceeding to unloose her gown, when the executioner, meaning no harm, some- what rudely attempted to assist her, but she mildly requested that he vrould not touch her ; and turning to her maids, Elizabeth and Ellen, asked them to assist her. Her gown was un- loosed and taken off, and then her " froze peste and handkerchief." When this was done, her maids gave her a white handkerchief, with which it was expected she would bandage her eyes. The executioner, who seems to have been touched by her gentle behavior, and perhaps feared that she was offended with him for his attempt to assist her in unrobing, now knelt at her feet and asked her forgiveness for what he had done and was about to do, which she ac- corded to him in tho sweetest manner. The executioner then rose up and asked her to stand upon some straw. In doing so she caught her first glance at the fearful fatal block. But it is said that she did not shrink from, nor LADY JANE GREY. 289 show any fear of it, but said simply to the executioner : "I pray you dispatch me quickly." After saying this she knelt down and asked : " Will you take it off before I lay me down ? " ^he execationer answered, '"o, madam." Lady Jane now, without any apparent agita- tion, took with her own beautiful hands the white handkerchief, which we have before al- luded to, and tied it carefully over her eyes. She was now blindfolded, and endeavored to feel for the block, and asked, " What shall I do ? Where is it?" A person near her, on the scaffold, guided her to the block, and she instantly laid her head upon it, and then, stretching her body out grace- fully, rested for a moment, then exclaimed : " Lord, into thy hands I commend my spirit !" There was a moment of appalling silence — then the axe fell, and her lovely head rolled away from the body. It is said that scarcely one of the spectators witnessed her death without tears, and many cried aloud. Even the hard-hearted priests who came to enjoy her agony, could not refrain from ^ 19 290 THE LIFE OF weeping, and the good-hearted, though bigoted Feckenham, was filled with anguish. Fuller declares that "it is reported that Ladj Jane was as ladies wish to be who love their lords," when she was executed, and adds, "it was cruelty to cut down the tree with blossoms on it ; and that which has saved the lives of many women, hastened her death ; but God only knows the truth thereof." We know not what cause Fuller had for his remark, as no his- torian mentions any such fact or report. Judge Morgan, so Fox writes, who sentenced Lady Jane to death, shortly after her execution went mad, and in his raving, constantly shouted the name of Lady Jane Grey, and asked to have her taken away from him ; and so his life ended. It is not strange that the scene of her execution, which perhaps he was a witness of, should haunt the wretched man ; that the saint-like person of Lady Jane, whom he had so unjustly consigned to an early death, should refuse to quit the chambers of his diseased mind, when upon his death-bed. There was a feeling everywhere abroad, which accused Mary and her council of cruelty in the execution of Lady Jane Grey, and time has strengthened that feeling, until at LADY JANE GREY. 291 this day no one will attempt for a moment to justify her terrible act There was really not the slightest danger to her crown from the con- tinued existence of Lady Jane ; and we think that though she may have been alarmed by her council, by representations of the insurrection- ary state of the kingdom, yet one of the truest reasons why she signed the death-warrant was that, after all, she hated her cousin, as there is the best of evidence that she had done many years before. Lady Jane Grey's father and friends had been guilty of assisting in the deg- radation of the queen's mother and herself, and the claims of Lady Jane to the throne was with- out validity, unless Mary was declared to be of illegitimate birth. The queen could never overlook these facts — nor could Elizabeth, who reigned after her, and who, alike with Mary, was illegitimated by Northumberland and Suf- folk in their state papers. But when the innocent Lady Jane had expi- ated her mistake on the scaffold, it must have been that occasionally her memory rendered the pillow of the queen less fraught with pleasant dreams than it would have been, had Lady ^Tane Grey never perished by her hand. In the 292 LADY JANE GREY. Silent watches of the night, she must have som6 times seen the innocent girFs blood upon that pillow. One thing is very certain, tliat never afterward does she seem to have been happy ; and she expired at last under circumstances of gloom and sadness. CHAPTER. XIII. TKIAt OF THB DUKE OF SUFFOLK. HIS EXECUTION. END OF WYATT. LADV KATHARINE AND LADY MART GEEY. PERSECUTION OF QUEEN ELIZABETH. THK END. HavinCt concluded our narrative of the career of Lady Jane Grey, — her childhood, marriage, queenhood, and death, — little remains to be said. A few words, however, will be necessary, to sketch the fortunes of those persons who were intimately connected with our heroine. The Duke of Suffolk, Lady Jane's father, when taken into custody by the queen's officers, acted like a child, crying and moaning over his fate. Five days after the execution of his glorious child, he was himself brought to trial at "Westminster Hall. He was indicted for levying war against the queen, and adhering to the cause of Sir Thomas Wyatt, in order to depose the queen, and set the crown upon the head of his daughter. 294 THE LIFE OF He answered, that it was not treason for a peer of the realm, which he was, to raise his power and make his proclamation to avoid strangers out of the land making allusion to the Spaniards. The judges replied that he had done more; that he had opposed the queen's lieutenant at the head of her majesty's forces, which could net be construed as aught but high treason. He replied that he knew not that the person he opposed was the queen's lieutenant ; that his brother had advised him to go down into the country, where he would be safe anvDng his tenants ; but if he staid in town, he would be committed to the Tower again. The duke was condemned to death, and very justly, too, we think ; for he had committed treason for the second time, and that, too, with the utmost recklessness of character. When he returned from Westminster Hall, the duke was very sad, and desired all the persons whom he met to pray for him. Six days afterward, on the twenty-third day of February, he was brought to the place of execution on Tower Hill, where he confessed that his sentence was a just one, because he had been disloyal to Queen Mary. He asked the people who were LADY JANE GREY. 295 gathered to witness his death, to take warning from his fate, and be dutiful to the government. He avowed himself a believer in the Christian religion, and hoped for eternal mercy through Christ. After saying this, he was beheaded. Sir Thomas Wyatt met his fate on the 11th of April ; and a fortnight after, Lord Thomas Grey, brother to the late Duke of Suffolk, was beheaded on Tower Hill. At this time, Eliza- beth, afterwards so renowned, was herself a prisoner, and in the same prison with her was Robert Dudley, brother to Guildford Dudley, Lady Jane Grey's husband. This person after- wards became the celebrated Earl of Leicester, and was Queen Elizabeth's favorite. By some it is asserted that the queen began to love him at this time, when they were in prison together. The Duchess of Suffolk survived her husband and her daughter for many years, dying in the year 1563. She married again, but her second husband was a gentleman much beneath her in social position ; but it is suggested that she married low purposely, that she might be over- looked, and allowed to live out her remaining days in security. Her husband's name was Adrian Stokes, and for many years he was one 296 THE LIFE OF of her family domestics. There was little in her character which can command our respect, though perhaps she was the equal of her husband Of Lady Jane Grrej's two sisters, Ladj Kath arine and Lady Mary, but little is known. Lady Katharine had been betrothed to Lord Herbert, son of the Earl of Pembroke, but he repudiated the engagement for political reasons, now that the name of Suffolk was covered with disgrace. Lady Katharine was thus most shamefully de- serted. Fuller says quaintly of her : " This Heraclita, or Lady of Lamentation, thus repudiated, was seldom seen with dry eyes for some years togethef, sighing out her sorrowful condition ; so that though the roses in- her cheeks looked very wan and pale, it was not for want of watering." During the reign of Elizabeth, the Lady Katharine fell in love with Edward Seymour, Earl of Hertford. They were married secretly ; but one day the queen discovered that Lady Katharine was enciente, and the secret came out that they had married without the queen's leave. Here was an excellent opportunity for Elizabeth to retaliate upon the daughter for the wrongs committed by her father many years LADY JANK GREY. 297 before upon the queen, and she sent the couple to prison. Lady Katharine begged her friend, the Earl of Leicester, — brother to Lady Jane's husband, — to intercede in their behalf; but the earl dared not, for at that time he hoped to marry his queen, and cared not to remind her of his relationship to treasonable men. He therefore refused the suit of Katharine. In prison, the couple found means of access to each other, and in the course of time a second child was born, and a costly child it was to them, for the queen fined them £20,000. For seven long years she was confined to her dungeon, for the simple reason that she was a sister to the saint- like Lady Jane Grey. This was not the osten- sible but the true reason for Elizabeth's outra- geous cruelty. Lady Katharine, at the end of seven years, expired, worn down with grief and trouble. Lady Mary Grey married a man of humble origin, purposely to escape the sad fate of her two sisters. She died childless in 1575. When we contemplate the lessons which his- tory affords us, the conviction becomes strong in our hearts — we cannot escape it if we would — that beyond this sphere of action there is a 298 THE LIFE OF Court, before which all personages, whether kings or peasants, must be tried, and where all the unrighteous verdicts rendered here will be over- ruled, and pure justire administered to all, with- out respect of persons. It were easy to imagine before that judgment-throne the persons who have figured prominently in our pages — Henry VIII., covered with the blood of his victims — Queen Mary, earnest, but vindictive and cruel- hearted — and pure, spotless, glorious Lady Jane Grey! We might go further, and decide, in our imaginations, the fete awaiting each — but we have no right. God will judge righteously, and with Ilim we may trustingly confide the ministration of mercy and justice to our fellow- creatures and ourselves. '-'^'^ARYoFi