please him to send you issue. From Hownsden this Thursday at xj of the clocke at night.

Your graces most humble and obedient

daughter and handmayde,

MARYE."

This penitent epistle was accompanied by "The confession of me, the Lady Marye, made upon certayne poyntes and articles underwritten, in the which as I doe nowe plainely and with all myne harte confesse and declare myne inward sentence, beliefe, and judgment, with a due conformitie of obedience to the lawes of the realme; soe minding for ever to persist and continue in this determination without change, alteration, or varyance, I doe most humblie beseache the kinge's highnes my father, whom I have obstinatly and inobediently offendid in the deniall of the same heretofore, to forgive myne offences therein, and to take me to his most gratious mercye.

"First, I confesse and knowledge the kinges majestie to be my soverayne lord and kinge in the imperiall crowne of this realme of England; and doe submitt myselfe to his highnes, and to all and singuler lawes and statutes of this realm, as becometh a true and faithfull subject to doe, which I shall allso obey, keepe, observe, advance, and mayntayne, accordinge to my bounden duety, with all the power, force, and qualyties that God hath indued me during my lyfe.

"Item, I do recognyse, accept, take, repute, and knowledge the king's highnes to be supreme head in earth, under Christ, of the church of England; and doo utterly refuse the Bishop of Rome's pretended authority, power, and jurisdiction, within this realme heretofore usurped, according to the lawes and statutes made in that behalfe, and of all the king's true subjects humbly receyved, admitted, obeyed, kept, and observed; and alsoe doe utterly renounce and forsake all maner of remedye, interest, and advantage which I may by any means clayme by the Bishop of Rome's lawes, processe, jurisdiction, or sentence, at this present time, or in anywise hereafter, by anye maner, title, colour, means, or care that is, shall, or can be devysed for that purpose.

"MARYE."

"Item, I doe freely, frankely, and for the discharge of my dutie towards God, the king's highness, and his lawes, without other respect, recognyse and knowledge that the mariage heretofore had between his majestie and my mother, the late princesse dowager, was by God's lawes and man's law, incestuous and unlawful. "MARYE."

Henry seems to have been satisfied, for the present, with this declaration; for, indeed, he was at this time pretty deeply engaged in a new matrimonial arrange

ment-that of taking off his second wife's head * ! What part the Marquess of Dorset took in this affair, history does not inform us; but it is well ascertained that Brandon, then Duke of Suffolk, and grandfather to Lady Jane, was active in the cause; a circumstance not likely to be forgotten by Elizabeth in after days, then the infant daughter of the unhappy queen. In fact the Duke of Suffolk was one of the privy council, who attended with Audley, the lord chancellor, and others, as Fuller relates in his Church History, at the court held at Lambeth by Cranmer, when that prelate cited the king and queen, Anne Bolleyn, to appear before him, as they did by their proxies. Anne, indeed, was then a prisoner in the Tower, this being on the day previous to her execution; and by this court she was divorced, the marriage being declared “invalid, frustrate, and of none effect."

In 1535 Queen Katharine died+: but Mary seems

* Henry was also much occupied in the improvement of his finances. In the Lansdown MSS. there is "A Devise how that within the Realme of England there may be levied for the King, our Sovereigne Lord, in two yeres, the somme of VIII. M. lli. (£800,000) with grete ese to his subjectis."

† A good picture of the manners of the times may be found in the will of Queen Katharine, as preserved in the British Mu

seum *

"In the name of the father, of the sonne, and of the holie ghost, amen. I, Katharine, doe supplicate and desire Kinge Henry ye VIII my good lord, that it please hym of his grace,

Brit. Mus. Cotton. Tit. c. vii. 44.

not to have been less sturdy at times in opposition to her father's mandates, or less hypocritical at others, than during her lifetime. A specimen of the latter

and in aulmes, and for the service of God, to let mee have the goodes which I doe hould, as well in gould and silver as other things; and also ye same that is due to mee in money for the tyme passed. To the tent yt I may pay my debts and recompense my servaunts for the good service they have done unto mee; and the same I desyre as affectously as I may for the necessity wherin I am redie to die, and to yeald my soule unto God.

First, I supplycate that my bodie be buried in a convent of observaunt freres.

Item, That for

my soule may be said 1 masses.

Item, That som p'sonage goe to our ladie of Walsingham in pilgrimage, and in going by the way doale xx nobles.

Item, I appoint to Mistres Darell xx li. for her mariage.
Item, I ordayne that the collar of gould whych I broughte

out of Spayne, be to my doughter.

Item, I ordayne to Mistres Blanche xli. sters.

Item, I ordayne to Mistris Margerie, and to Mistris each of them x li. sterl.

,

to

Item, I ordayne to Mr Mary, my physitian's wife, and to Mistris Isabell, doughter of Mistris Margerie, to each of them xl pounds sterl.

Item, I ordayne to my physitian ye yeares commynge wages. Item, I ordayne to Francisco Philippo all yt I owe unto him, and besydes that xl pounds sterl.

Item, I ordayne to Mr. John, myne apothecary, his wages for ye year commynge, and besydes yt all yt is due unto him.

Item, I ordayne that Mr. Whiller be payd of expence about ye makynge of my gowne, and besides yt xx liv. sterl.

Item, I geve to Phillipe, to Anthony, to Bastian, to everye of them xx liv. sterl.

Item, I ordayne to the little maydens x liv. to everie of them. Item, I ordayne y' my gouldsmith be paid of his wages for the year commynge, and besydes all that is due to him hitherto.

occurs in 1536, in a letter now in the Museum, but partly burnt, and almost illegible:

"In as humble and lowly maner as is possyble, I beseche your moste gracyous hyghnes of you...

Item, I ordayne that my launderer be paid of y' is due unto her, and besydes yt of her wages for yo year commynge.

Item, I ordayne to ye Sabell of Vergas xx liv. sterl. Item, To my ghostly father his wages for the year commynge. Item, It may please ye kinge my good lorde, that the house ornaments for y church to be made of my gowns which he houldeth for to serve the convent there at y shall be buried. And the furres of the same I geve for my doughter."

It is remarkable, that in this will the queen does not even recommend her daughter to the king; perhaps, in regard to her, she really acted as Shakspeare describes :

First, mine own service to your grace; the next,
The king's request that I would visit you;

Who grieves much for your weakness, and by me
Sends you his princely commendations,

And heartily entreats you take good comfort.

Kath. O my good lord, that comfort comes too late;

'Tis like a pardon after execution:

That gentle physic, given in time, had cured me;
But now I am past all comforts here, but prayers.
How does his highness?

Cap..

Madam, in good health.

Kath. So may he ever do! and ever flourish,

When I shall dwell with worms, and my poor name

Banish'd the kingdom!—Patience, is that letter,

I caused you write, yet sent away?

Pat.

No, madam.

Kath. Sir, I most humbly pray you to deliver
This to my lord, the king.

F