the other victims: but the whole scene was so terrific, that the persons who had been permitted to attend. upon her in her prison, for consolation and support, were so impressed with its various horrors, as to be indebted to her for that consolation which they could not give *.

66

"Oh, faithful companions of my sorrows," said she, why do you thus afflict me with your plaints? Are

* The royal apartments in the Tower, and the " Quenes Garden," as it was called, occupied the south eastern angle of that fortress, close by Irongate. After Elizabeth's time they went to decay, and the offices of the ordnance stand upon their site. The only remaining vestige is what is now called Cold Harbour; supposed to be the entrance to that part of the palace afterwards occupied by Elizabeth, whilst a state prisoner.

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 ?"

With respect to the public feeling, as manifested on her way back to the Tower, it is stated expressly by Speed, that great lamentations were made, during the transit of all the prisoners, but especially for the good Lady Jane; whose state the queen herself so pitied, that she ordered her to have the liberty of walking in the queen's garden in the Tower, and on the hill also: and he adds, that surely had not her father, after his first offence, fallen into another, she had been, as was thought, "pardoned of life." It has been supposed that the youth and innocence of those two youthful personages, neither of whom had reached their seventeenth year, pleaded sufficiently in their behalf, even upon her bigoted and jealous mind.

SECTION VII.

Treatment of Lady Jane and Lord Guildford as Prisoners-Indulgences and Hopes of Pardon-Efforts for Conversion, on the Part of Mary-Steadiness and Christian Fortitude of Lady Jane-Letter to Harding-Revival of Popery-Submission of the Realm to the Pope-Public Opinions and FeelingsWyat's Rebellion-Proposed Marriage of Mary with Philip of Spain-Anecdotes, &c.-Injudicious Participation of the Duke of Suffolk in the Rebellion-His Arrest and Imprisonment in the Tower-Fatal Consequences to Lady Jane-Conferences with Catholic Priests-Order for Execution-Letter to her Father, and other obituary Memorials-Preparations for the fatal Hour-Prayer in Prison-EXECUTION of Lord Guildford Dudley; followed by that of LADY JANE !-Affecting Anecdotes of the unhappy Pair-Resignation and Christian Fortitude of LADY JANE-Speech on the Scaffold — SHE FALLS!!!-Conclusion.

THE day of their trial was the first on which those illustrious victims to parental ambition had been permitted to see each other since their first moment of arrest; and they were as sedulously separated on their return to the Tower; yet to Lord Guildford some little indulgence was shown, for Stowe, in his Annals, says, that he and Lord Ambrose "had the liberties of the ports where they were lodged." But when, on the

21st of December, the Marquess of Northampton and Sir Henry Gates were pardoned and discharged, then the confinement of both the Dudleys and of Lady Jane was lessened in strictness, and, it is said, with hopes of pardon. The two young lords were permitted to walk on the leads of the Tower; whilst to Lady Jane was granted the favour of walking in the queen's garden, together with several other little indulgences; which would, however, have only been so many acts of cruelty, if further punishment had then been intended.

It has been supposed, by some, that Mary, at this moment, had no sanguinary purposes in view, but merely hoped, that by terror of the scaffold, and in the silence and seclusion of a prison, she might be able to recal them from that "heretical" path for which she had such an aversion; and, in consonance with this, it is stated by an anonymous writer*, that, during this period of her imprisonment, Mary and her priestly counsellors were very anxious to convert our amiable heroine to popery, for which purpose several learned divines of the Roman catholic persuasion were sent to her, to dissuade her from that profession of the Gospel which from her cradle she had ever held; each striving by art, by flattery, by threatenings, by promise of life, 66 or what else might move most in the bosom of a weak woman, who should become master of so great a prize; * Phoenix, vol. ii. p. 36.

but all their labours 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."

It has indeed been asserted by several, that she had the most solemn promises of life and fortune, provided she would recant: but all in vain; and she therefore began early to prepare herself for death, by a careful study of the promises in the Gospel.

If the letter recorded in Fox's Acts and Monuments as written by Lady Jane to Dr. Harding, who had been her father's chaplain, on the subject of his recantation from the reformed religion, be really from her pen, it must have been composed about this period, during her imprisonment; for Harding did not recant until after Mary's accession. Burnet observes of this letter, that it is "full of life in the thought, and zeal in the expression"--but we cannot help approving of the opinion of several judicious writers, that the violent flaming zeal, with the coarse indelicate language of it, cannot have been the genuine effusion of a mind so gentle and amiable as that of our heroine.

The letter itself may be found in Fox's Acts and Monuments*, and commences with a variety of phrases, applied to Harding as forsaking Christ, which surpass even the Billingsgate of some modern sectaries. Then follow * Vol. iii. p. 27.