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couple returned to England, they were afraid to come up to court, but went to their seat in Suffolk. From that place Mary wrote another letter to the king, who, loving both her and his old favorite, the duke, consented to a reconciliation. By certain persons, the marriage was said to be illegal, as the Duke of Suffolk's first wife, Lady Mortimer, was still alive; but she had been repudiated by him long before. After his marriage the duke frequented the court, and was a favorite of the king. A year after the marriage, Margaret, Queen of Scots, came to London, and the king and his two sisters had a happy meeting.

Henry, the third Marquis of Dorset, married Frances, the daughter of the Duke of Suffolk. Their eldest child was the Lady Jane Grey, and in many things the Marquis of Dorset was scarcely worthy to be the parent of so good, so illustrious a daughter. His mother complained bitterly of his treatment of her, declaring that he withheld her property from her, and in other matters conducted himself in a most undutiful manner. The family coat-of-arms is thus described: Barry of six, argent and azure; in chief, three torteauxex, ermine: the motto, A ma puis

sance.

CHAPTER II.

HISTORY OF THE REFORMATION.-HENRY VIII.-HIS MARRIAGE WITH KATHARINE OF ARRAGON.-BIRTH OF PRINCESS MARY.-WYCLIFFE. -LUTHER.-REFORMATION IN GERMANY.-HENRY VIII. AN AUTHOR.-WOLSEY.-HIS CAREER. THE KING FALLS IN LOVE WITH ANNE BOLEYN. PERCY.-ANNE.-DIVORCE FROM KATHARINE.MARRIAGE WITH ANNE BOLEYN.-WOLSEY'S FALL.-RISE OF CROMWELL.-EXECUTION OF ANNE BOLEYN.

In order to clearly understand the causes which led to Lady Jane Grey's innocent usurpation of the English crown, it will be necessary briefly to sketch the history of the Protestant Reformation in England, and therefore to go back to the commencement of Henry VIII.'s reign. That prince was in his eighteenth year when he ascended the throne, made vacant by his father's death. He was exceedingly handsome, frank and generous in his disposition at this time, though noted for his ardent love of pleasure, and he was a universal favorite. Previous to his coronation, Henry had been married to Katharine of Arragon, the daughter of Queen Isabella of Spain, and

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the widow of Prince Arthur, who was the eldest son of Henry VII., and brother to Henry VIII.. Prince Arthur and Katharine were married in November, 1501, the former fifteen years of age -the latter seventeen. Five months after the marriage, Prince Arthur died, and Katharine was left a young widow. Her marriage-portion consisted of 200,000 crowns, and half the sum had been paid at the time of the marriage. Her father and mother now signified their wish for the return of their daughter with her marriageportion. Henry VII., to do away with the necessity of returning so much money, and to gain the unpaid portion of the young widow's dower, immediately proposed that she should marry her brother-in-law, Prince Henry. But Henry was five years younger than Katharine, and the proposed match was distasteful to him; nevertheless, in June 1503, she was betrothed to him. Three years later, Henry VII. conceived a strong desire to marry Joanna, the sister of Katharine; and fearing that the people would not be satisfied with the marriage of the father and two sons into one family, he forced Prince Henry the day before he attained his fifteenth year, to solemnly protest against his betrothment to Katharine.

But so soon as the young prince was forbidden to think of marriage with Katharine, he at once was determined to obtain her, and they were carefully kept apart to prevent a private marriage. When at length the king became convinced of the hopeless insanity of Joanna, Prince Henry and Katharine were married. The event took place on the 11th of June, 1509, and they were together crowned on the 24th of the same month. The queen at this time, though five years older than the king, was, if not handsome, at least of pleasing appearance, and possessed a pious heart and beautiful disposition. She was fond of reading pious books, and all her pleasures were of the gentler sort. That Henry had great confidence in her during the early part of his reign, is very evident from the momentous trusts which he at different times reposed in her. At the close of 1510, the queen gave birth to an infant son, which was christened Henry, but which died a few weeks after its advent into the world. Had this child lived, the queen probably would have been saved all her future troubles. In November, 1514, Katharine again became a mother to a prince, which survived but a few days. In February, 16, was born the

Princess Mary, who was destined in later years to bear so cruel a sway over the fortunes of the illustrious lady who is the subject of this work. Katharine bore Henry five children, but one, of them all, arriving to years of maturity.

When Henry VIII. came to the throne of England, the religion of the country was Roman Catholic. Indeed, the great Reformation was not commenced. A long time before, Wycliffe had denounced the abominations of the Romish Church, but his doctrines had not taken root in the popular mind, though unquestionably there were many pious people in England who at the date of Henry's accession to power, were disgusted with many of the practices of the Romish. priests. Eight years later, and Martin Luther, the humble monk, sounded the note of alarm over Europe, against the frightful doctrine of indulgences. As yet, on every other point, he was a good Catholic; but soon, with an intellect made clear and strong through liberty and a freedom from the prevailing superstition of the times, he went still further, and even questioned the supremacy of the Pope. Germany at once was made the theatre of intense excitement, through the fearless and eloquent words of the courageous

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