This passage leads to the supposition that Dr. Fetherstone (who had been employed in Mary's education since her infancy), had been dismissed with the rest of the attached friends who composed her household at her regretted home of Beaulieu.

The two melancholy years Mary spent at Hunsdon, under the surveillance of her stepmother, were passed in sorrow and suffering.

The few friends who dared visit her were subjected to the severest espionage, their words were malignantly scrutinized, and sedulously reported to the privy council. The papers of the princess were put under the royal seal, and if she was allowed to read, she certainly was not permitted to write, since in one of her letters, penned just after the execution of Anne Boleyn, she apologizes for "her evil writing, because she had not written a letter for two years." Her father muttered murderous threats against her, and his words were eagerly caught and reechoed by those members of his council, whose whole study it was to flatter his wilful wishes, however wicked they might be. If the expressions of king Henry had not been appalling to the last degree, would the treasurer, Fitzwilliam, have dared to use the revolting terms he did, regarding his master's once idolized daughter? "If she will not be obedient to his grace, I would," quoth he, "that her head was from her shoulders, that I might toss it here with my foot," and so put his foot forward, spurning the rushes,'-a graphic exemplification added by two witnesses of his horrible speech, which it seems was not resented, but received as a dutiful compliment by the father of the young female whose bleeding head was thus kicked as a football in the lively imagination of the obedient satellite !

1 State Papers. MS. Cotton., Otho, c. x., much burnt, but successfully edited by sir Frederick Madden.

Dark indeed were the anticipations throughout Europe regarding the future destiny, not only of the unfortunate daughter, but of the queen, her mother, during the year 1535. The king's envoys wrote home that all men viewed them as Englishmen, with either pity or horror. Mason, who was resident in Spain, declared that the people expected to hear every day of the execu¬ tion of queen Katharine, and that the princess Mary was expected soon to follow her.' These rumours are vaguely stated in general history; only one author, and he a foreigner, attempts to relate the particular circumstances which instigated Henry VIII. to meditate the astounding crime of filiacide. Gregorio Leti affirms, that some fortune-teller had predicted the accession of the princess Mary to the crown after the death of her father. This report being circulated at court, was quickly brought to queen Anne Boleyn, and threw her into great agitation. She flew to the king, and with tears and sobs told him "how much afflicted she was at the thought that their child should be excluded from the throne for the sake of Mary, who was the offspring of a marriage so solemnly pronounced illegal." Henry, who was completely bewitched by her, embraced her with all the tenderness possible, and, to assuage her tears, " promised not only to disinherit Mary, but even to kill her, rather than such a result should happen." Fox, and every succeeding historian declare that Cranmer prevented the king from immolating his daughter-if so, this must have been the crisis.

To the princess, the matter of her life or death was, perhaps, of little moment, for grief had laid her on a bed of dolorous sickness. Her mother was on her deathbed, desiring with a yearning heart, but with words of

'Ellis's Letters, second series. Likewise Edmund Harvel, resident at Venice.

saintly meekness, to be permitted, if not to see her, merely to breathe the same air with her afflicted daughter; she promises solemnly that if Mary may be resident near her, she will not attempt to see her, if forbidden. She adds, that such measure was "impossible, since she lacked provision therefor," meaning, she had neither horse nor carriage to go out. Yet she begs the

king may be always told that the thing she most desires is the company of her daughter, "for a little comfort and mirth she would take with me, should undoubtedly be a half health unto her." Doleful would have been the mirth, and heart-rending the comfort, had such interview been permitted between the sick daughter and the dying mother, but it was no item in the list of Henry's tender mercies.

The emperor Charles V. remonstrated sternly on the treatment of his aunt and young kinswoman, and the whole ingenuity of the privy council was exerted to hammer out a justification of the ugly case. A copy of the despatch sent to Mason, much altered and interlined, remains in Cromwell's hand." "Touching the bruit of the misentreaty of the queen and princess, such report and bruit is untrue;" then after setting forth king Henry's munificence to the mother, he by no means boasts of his generosity to the princess, but adds, “Our daughter, the lady Mary, we do order and entertain as we think expedient, for we think it not meet that any person should prescribe unto us how we should order our own daughter, we being her natural father." In another despatch, the rumour at the imperial court is indignantly denied" that it was the king's intention to marry Mary to some person of base blood."

The death of Mary's tender and devoted mother

'Hearne's Sylloge, p. 107.

2

MS., Cott. Nero, b. vi., f. 85.

opened the year 1536 with a dismal aggravation of her bitter lot. The sad satisfaction of a last adieu between the dying queen and her only child, was cruelly forbidden. Mary was informed of the tidings of her mother's expected dissolution, and with agonizing tears and plaints implored permission to receive her last blessing, yet in vain, for Katharine of Arragon expired without seeing her daughter. Again, the Continent rung with reprobation of such proceedings. The English resident at Venice wrote to Thomas Starkey, a learned divine at Henry's court, February 5th, 1536,-" That queen Katharine's death had been divulged there, and was received with lamentations, for she was incredibly dear to all men, for her good fame, which is in great glory among all exterior nations." He concludes in Latin"Great obloquy has her death occasioned, all dread lest the royal girl should briefly follow her mother; I assure you men speaketh here tragice of these matters which are not to be touched by letters." Happy would it have been for Mary, happy for her country, if her troublous pilgrimage had closed, even thus tragically, before she had been made the ostensible instrument of wrong and cruelty unutterable to the conscientious Protestants!

189

MARY,

FIRST QUEEN REGNANT OF ENGLAND AND IRELAND.

CHAPTER II.

Change in Mary's fortunes-Fall of queen Anne Boleyn-Her penitent message to Mary-Friendship between Mary and queen Jane-Mary's correspondence with Cromwell-Her supplicatory letters to her father -Visit of the Spanish ambassador-Her deep mourning for her mother-Letter to Edward Seymour-Mary's acknowledgment of her illegitimacy-Forbidden to call her sister princess-Letter to Cromwell on that head-Letter to her father-Kind mention of her sister thereinHer household fixed at Hunsdon-Her method of spending her time -Her learning and accomplishments—Her musical skill-Privy purse expenses-Her visit to the king and queen-High play at courtVarious presents given to and received by her-Buys millinery at lady Gresham's shop-Mention of her sister Elizabeth-Mary's alms and gifts-Her illness-She is an importer of plants, &c.-Arrives at Hampton Court-Is sponsor to her infant brother, Edward-Her dress-Leads her sister Elizabeth-Mary chief mourner at queen Jane's funeral Treaty of marriage-Presents to her brother and sister-Mary's troubles in 1538—Wooed by Philip of Bavaria-Their interview in Westminster Abbey garden-Conversation with him in Latin-Love token-Their engagement broken at Anne of Cleve's divorce-Mary's sojourn at Sion-Removed at the fall of queen Katharine Howard-Domesticated with prince Edward and her sister-Her diplomatic letter-Her visit to her father, &c.-Course of life, &c.— Present at the marriage of Henry VIII. and Katharine Parr-Improved prospects.

AT the very time when all Europe anticipated the destruction of the princess Mary, a change took place in the current of events that influenced her fortunes. Her step-mother, queen Anne Boleyn, lost the male heir,