of Peterborough began a devout dis- the place of execution, where it lay course, suitable to her present con- for some days, covered with a coarse dition, and offered up prayers to Hea- cloth torn from a billiard table. The ven in her behalf: but she declared block, the scaffold, the aprons of the that she could not in conscience executioners, and every thing stainhearken to the one, nor join with the ed with her blood, were reduced to other; and falling on her knees, re- ashes. Not long after, Elizabeth appeated a Latin prayer. When the pointed her body to be buried in the dean had finished his devotions, she, cathedral of Peterborough with royal with an audible voice, and in the magnificence. But this vulgar artiEnglish tongue, recommended unto fice was employed in vain; the paGod the afflicted state of the church, geantry of a pompous funeral did not and prayed for prosperity to her son, efface the memory of those injuries and for a long life and peaceable which laid Mary in her grave. James, reign to Elizabeth. She declared soon after his accession to the Enthat she hoped for mercy only through|glish throne, ordered her body to be the death of Christ, at the foot of removed to Westminster Abbey, and whose image she now willingly shed to be deposited among the monarchs her blood; and lifting up and kissing of England.

the crucifix, she thus addressed it : Such was the tragical death of As thy arms, O Jesus, were extend- Mary Queen of Scots, after a life of ed on the cross, so with the out- forty-four years and two months, alstretched arms of thy mercy receive most nineteen years of which she me, and forgive my sins." passed in captivity. The political

She then prepared for the block, parties which were formed in the by taking off her veil and upper gar- kingdom during her reign have subments; and one of the executioners sisted, under various denominations, rudely endeavouring to assist, she ever since that time. The rancour gently checked him, and said, with with which they were at first animata smile, that she had not been accus-ed, hath descended to succeeding tomed to undress before so many ages, and their prejudices as well as spectators, nor to be served by such their rage, have been perpetuated, valets. With calm but undaunted and even augmented. Among hisfortitude, she laid her neck on the torians, who were under the dominion block; and while one executioner of all those passions, and who have held her hands, the other, at the se- either ascribed to her every virtuous cond stroke, cut off her head, which, and amiable quality, or have imputed falling out of its attire, discovered her to her all the vices of which the huhair already grown quite gray with man heart is susceptible, we search cares and sorrows. The executioner in vain for Mary's real character. held it up still streaming with blood, She neither merited the exaggerated and the dean crying out, "So perish praises of the one, nor the undistinall Queen Elizabeth's enemies," the guishing censure of the other. earl of Kent alone answered, Amen. To all the charms of beauty, and The rest of the spectators continued the utmost elegance of external silent, and drowned in tears; being form, she added those accomplishincapable at that moment of any ments which render their impression other sentiments but those of pity or irresistible polite, affable, insinuatadmiration. ing, sprightly, and capable of speakNone of her women were suffered ing and of writing with equal ease to come near her dead body, which and dignity. Sudden, however, and was carried into a room adjoining to violent in all her attachments; be

:

cause her heart was warm and un-[both in degree and in duration, those suspicious. Impatient of contradic- tragical distresses which fancy has tion; because she had been accus- feigned to excite sorrow and comtomed from her infancy to be treated miseration; and while we survey as a queen. No stranger, on some them, we are apt altogether to forget occasions, to dissimulation; which, her frailties, we think of her faults in that perfidious court where she re- with less indignation, and approve of ceived her education, was reckoned our tears, as if they were shed for a among the necessary arts of govern- person who had attained much nearer ment. Not insensible of flattery, or to pure virtue.

unconscious of that pleasure with With regard to the queen's person, which almost every woman beholds a circumstance not to be omitted in the influence of her own beauty. writing the history of a female reign, Formed with the qualities which we all contemporary authors agree in love, not with the talents that we ascribing to Mary the utmost beauty admire, she was an agreeable woman of countenance, and elegance of rather than an illustrious queen. The shape, of which the human form is vivacity of her spirit not sufficiently capable. Her hair was black, though tempered with sound judgment, and according to the fashion of that age, the warmth of her heart, which was she frequently wore borrowed locks, not at all times under the restraint and of different colours. Her eyes of discretion, betrayed her both into were a dark gray; her complexion errors and into crimes. To say that was exquisitely fine; and her hands she was always unfortunate, will not and arms remarkably delicate, both account for that long and almost un- as to shape and colour. Her stainterrupted succession of calamities ture was of an height that rose to which befel her; we must likewise the majestic. She danced, she walkadd, that she was often imprudent. ed, and rode with equal grace. Her Her passion for Darnley was rash, taste for music was just, and she both youthful, and excessive; and though sung and played upon the lute with the sudden transition to the opposite uncommon skill. Towards the end extreme, was the natural effect of her of her life she began to grow fat, and ill-requited love, and of his ingrati- her long confinement, and the coldtude, insolence, and brutality; yet ness of the houses in which she was neither these, nor Bothwell's artful imprisoned, brought on a rheumatism, address and important services, can which often deprived her of the use justify her attachment to that noble- of her limbs. No man, says Branman. Even the manners of the age, tome, ever beheld her person without licentious as they were, are no apo- admiration and love, or will read her logy for this unhappy passion; nor history without sorrow. can they induce us to look on that tragical and infamous scene which followed upon it, with less abhor

Robertson.

rence. Humanity will draw a veil 14. Execution of Lady Jane

Grey.

over this part of her character which it cannot approve, and may, perhaps, This excellent personage was deprompt some to impute some of her scended from the royal line of England actions to her situation, more than to by both her parents. her dispositions; and to lament the She was carefully educated in the unhappiness of the former, rather principles of the Reformation: and than accuse the perverseness of the her wisdom and virtue rendered her latter. Mary's sufferings exceed, a shining example to her sex.

But

it was her lot to continue only a short |vancement to the throne was by no period on this stage of being; for, in means agreeable to her. She even early life, she fell a sacrifice to the refused to accept of the crown; pleadwild ambition of the Duke of North-ed the preferable right of the two umberland; who promoted a mar-princesses; expressed her dread of riage between her and his son, lord the consequences attending an enterGuilford Dudley; and raised her to prise so dangerous, not to say so crithe throne of England, in opposition minal; and desired to remain in that to the rights of Mary and Elizabeth. private station in which she was born. At the time of their marriage she was Overcome at last with the entreaties, only about eighteen years of age, and rather than reasons, of her father and her husband was also very young: a father-in-law, and, above all, of her season of life very unequal to oppose husband, she submitted to their will, the interested views of artful and as- and was prevailed on to relinquish piring men; who, instead of exposing her own judgment. But her elevathem to danger, should have been tion was of very short continuance. the protectors of their innocence and The nation declared for Queen Mary; youth. and the lady Jane, after wearing the This extraordinary young person, vain pageantry of a crown during ten besides the solid endowments of piety days, returned to a private life, with and virtue, possessed the most en- much more satisfaction than she felt gaging disposition, the most accom- when royalty was tendered to her. plished parts; and being of an equal Queen Mary, who appears to have age with King Edward VI., she had been incapable of generosity or received all her education with him, clemency, determined to remove and seemed even to possess a greater every person, from whom the least facility in acquiring every part of danger could be apprehended. Warnmanly and classical literature. She ing was, therefore, given to lady had attained a knowledge of the Ro- Jane to prepare for death; a doom man and Greek languages, as well as which she had expected, and which of several modern tongues; had pass- the innocence of her life, as well as ed most of her time in an application the misfortunes to which she had to learning; and expressed a great been exposed, rendered no unwelindifference for other occupations and come news to her. The queen's biamusements usual with her sex and goted zeal, under colour of tender station. Roger Ascham, tutor to the mercy to the prisoner's soul, induced Lady Elizabeth, having at one time her to send priests, who molested her paid her a visit, found her employed with perpetual disputation; and even in reading Plato, whilst the rest of a reprieve of three days was granted the family were engaged in a party of her, in hopes that she would be perhunting in the park, and upon his suaded, during that time, to pay, by admiring the singularity of her choice, a timely conversion to popery, some she told him, that she "received more regard to her eternal welfare. Lady pleasure from that author, than others Jane had presence of mind, in those could reap from all their sport and melancholy circumstances, not only gaiety." Her heart, replete with this to defend her religion by solid argulove of literature and serious studies, ments, but also to write a letter to her and with tenderness towards her hus- sister, in the Greek language; in band, who was deserving of her af- which, besides sending her a copy fection, had never opened itself to of the Scriptures in that tongue, she the flattering allurements of ambi- exhorted her to maintain, in every tion; and the information of her ad- fortune, a like steady perseverance.

On the day of her execution, her hus-least, and her imprudence, were worband, lord Guilford, desired permis- thy of excuse; and that God and sion to see her; but she refused her posterity, she trusted, would show consent, and sent him word, that the her favour." On the scaffold, she tenderness of their parting would made a speech to the by-standers, in overcome the fortitude of both; and which the mildness of her disposition would too much unbend their minds led her to take the blame entirely on from that constancy, which their ap- herself, without uttering one comproaching end required of them.-plaint against the severity with which Their separation, she said, would be she had been treated. She said, that only for a moment; and they would her offence was not having laid her soon rejoin each other in a scene, hand upon the crown, but not rejectwhere their affections would be for ing it with sufficient constancy: that ever united; and where death, dis- she had less erred through ambition, appointment, and misfortunes, could than through reverence to her pano longer have access to them, or rents, whom she had been taught to disturb their eternal felicity. respect and obey that she willingly It had been intended to execute received death, as the only satisfacthe lady Jane and lord Guilford to- tion which she could now make to gether on the same scaffold, at Tower- the injured state; and though her hill; but the council, dreading the infringement of the laws had been compassion of the people for their constrained, she would show, by her youth, beauty, innocence, and noble voluntary submission to their senbirth, changed their orders, and gave tence, that she was desirous to atone directions that she should be be- for that disobedience, into which too headed within the verge of the Tow-much filial piety had betrayed her: She saw her husband led to ex- that she had justly deserved this puecution, and having given him from nishment, for being made the instruthe window some token of her re- ment, though the unwilling instrumembrance, she waited with tran-ment, of the ambition of others: and quillity till her own appointed hour that the story of her life, she hoped, should bring her to a like fate. She might at least be useful, by proving even saw his headless body carried that innocence excuses not great misback in a cart; and found herself deeds, if they tend any way to the more confirmed by the reports which destruction of the commonwealth.— she heard of the constancy of his After uttering these words, she causend, than shaken by so tender and me- ed herself to be disrobed by her wolancholy a spectacle. Sir John Gage, men; and with a steady, serene constable of the Tower, when he led countenance, submitted herself to her to execution, desired her to bestow the executioner. on him some small present, which he might keep as a perpetual memorial of her. She gave him her tablebook, in which she had just written 15. Fall of Cardinal Wolsey. three sentences, on seeing her hus- Cardinal Wolsey, the favourite of band's dead body; one in Greek, Henry VIII. was the most absolute another in Latin, a third in English. and wealthy minister of state that The purport of them was, "that hu- England ever saw. In his rise and man justice was against his body, but fall, he was the greatest instance the Divine Mercy would be favour- which many ages had produced, or able to his soul: "and that if her fault the mutability of human affairs. deserved punishment, her youth at| When the intrigues of his enemies

er.

Hume.

had weakened the king's attachment, tire to Asher, a country-seat which the meditated blow was for a time he possessed near Hampton Court. suspended, and fell not suddenly on The world that had paid him such the cardinal's head. The king, who abject court during his prosperity, probably could not justify, by any now entirely deserted him on this fagood reason, his alienation from his tal reverse of all his fortunes. He ancient favourite, seems to have re- himself was much dejected with the mained some time in doubt; and he change; and from the same turn of received him, if not with all his for- mind which had made him be so vainmer kindness, at least with the ap-ly elated with his grandeur, he felt pearance of trust and regard. But the stroke of adversity with double constant experience evinces how rigour. The smallest appearance of rarely high confidence and affection his return to favour, threw him into receive the least diminution, without transports of joy unbecoming a man. sinking into absolute indifference, or The king had seemed willing, during even running into the opposite ex- some time, to intermit the blows treme. The king was at length de- which overwhelmed him. He granttermined to bring on the ruin of the ed him his protection, and left him cardinal, with a motion almost as in possession of the sees of York and precipitate as he had formerly em- Winchester. He even sent him a ployed in his elevation. The dukes gracious message, accompanied with of Norfolk and Suffolk were sent to a ring, as a testimony of his affection. require the great seal from him; and Wolsey, who was on horseback when on his scrupling to deliver it, without the messenger met him, immediately a more express warrant, Henry wrote alighted; and throwing himself on him a letter, upon which it was sur- his knees in the mire, received, in rendered; and it was delivered by that humble attitude, these marks the king to sir Thomas More, a man of his majesty's gracious disposiwho, besides the ornaments of an ele- tion towards him. But his enemies, gant literature, possessed the highest who dreaded his return to court, nevirtue, integrity, and capacity. ver ceased plying the king with acWolsey was ordered to depart from counts of his several offences. He York Place, a palace which he had dismissed, therefore, his numerous built in London, and which, though retinue; and as he was a kind and it really belonged to the see of York, beneficent master, the separation was seized by Henry, and became passed not without a plentiful effusion afterwards the residence of the kings of tears on both sides. The king's of England, by the title of Whitehall. heart, notwithstanding some gleams All his furniture and plate were also of kindness, seemed now totally harseized: their riches and splendour dened against his old favourite. He befitted rather a royal than a private ordered him to be indicted in the fortune. The walls of his palace Star Chamber, where a sentence was were covered with cloth of gold, or passed against him. And not concloth of silver. He had a cupboard tent with this severity, he abandonof plate of massy gold. There were ed him to all the rigour of the parliafound a thousand pieces of fine Hol-ment.

land belonging to him. The rest of After Wolsey had remained some his riches and furniture was in pro- time at Asher, he was allowed to reportion and his opulence was, pro- move to Richmond, a palace which bably, no small inducement to this he had received as a present from violent persecution. Henry, in return for Hampton Court.

The Cardinal was ordered to re- But the courtiers, dreading still his Vol. II. Nos. 19 & 20.

E