NEWS THAT A PRINCE WAS BORN.

127

of the present Fountain Court) solemnly singing the hymn. "Salve festa dies," the Queen looked down on them from the window of her bed-chamber, and watched them pass, so that she was seen by hundreds of spectators. This was considered a somewhat serious breach of etiquette, but it was, doubtless, done in order publicly to testify to Mary's reverence for the ceremonies of the Catholic faith, and to refute the rumour then current that she was dead.

Immediately after this, the birth of the anxiously expected heir was believed at length to be imminent, and the greatest excitement prevailed in the palace. The nursery was got ready, midwives, nurses, and rockers were engaged, and "a cradle veri sumptuouslie and gorgeouslie trimmed" was prepared; and on it were inscribed the verses:

"The child which thou to Marie,
O Lord of might hast send,
To England's joie in health
Preserve, keepe and defend."

Indeed, so completely confident were they as to the anticipated event, that not only were passports made out for the Queen's messengers, who were to be the bearers of the joyful intelligence, but despatches were also prepared for the English ambassadors abroad, and letters for the continental sovereigns, announcing the fact of her Majesty's safe delivery.

These documents were signed by the King and Queen "Given under our signet at our house of Hampton Court," the date being left in blank to be filled in afterwards, and the word fil left unfinished, so that by the after addition of s or of le it would serve for a boy or a girl. One of these singular letters however—namely, the one which was to be sent to Cardinal Pole-was more decidedly worded, and went so far as to settle the sex of the expected baby, informing him in express terms "that God had been pleased, amongst his other benefits, to add the gladding of us with the happy delivery of a Prince."

These curious evidences of the infatuation of the royal confidence may still be seen in the Record Office. At length, on the last day of the month, the glorious hour in which should be brought forth the hope of England and of the Catholic world was declared to have arrived. Messengers

were despatched in advance to announce the happy event in London, where the news was received with the ringing of bells, the singing of the "Te Deum" in several churches, the preaching of thanksgiving sermons, and the lighting of bonfires. Indeed one devout priest went so far, in his religious enthusiasm, as to describe the very appearance of the child-"how fair, how beautiful and great a prince it was, as the like had not been seen."

The news even crossed the Channel to Antwerp, where the great bell of the Cathedral was set ringing, salutes were fired by the vessels in the river for the actual birth, and the English mariners supplied by the Regent with a hundred crowns to drink the health of the new-born prince.

But, as Machyn observes, "the morrow after, yt was torned ordur ways, to the plesur of God." No child had been born; and suspicion began to arise that some very considerable mistake had been made. Still Mary herself had no misgivings. So religious processions were ordered, and up and down marched the priests "through city and suburb, park and square; torches flared along Cheapside at midnight behind the Holy Sacrament, and five hundred poor men and women from the almshouses walked two and two, telling their beads on their withered fingers. Then all the boys of all the schools were set in motion, and the ushers and the masters came after them; clerks, canons, bishops, mayor, aldermen, officers of guilds. Such marching, such chanting, such praying, was never seen or heard before or since in London streets."

CHAPTER IX.

RECONCILIATION OF MARY AND ELIZABETH.

Ir was at this juncture that Elizabeth arrived at the palace, having been sent for by the Queen, perhaps that she might be a witness of the birth, and because that event would probably terminate the political intrigues that had hitherto

VIEW OF HAMPTON COURT PALACE FROM THE THAMES IN THE REIGN OF QUEEN MARY.

(From a Drawing made by Antonius Wynegaarde, for King Philip, and now preserved in the Bodleian Library.)

found a centre in her. Philip also wished to be conciliatory towards her, partly because he hoped by that means to ingratiate himself with the English people, and partly perhaps with a view to eventually making her his wife, if, as he probably suspected would be the case, Mary should after all be childless, and not live long. Mary also, on the advice of Philip, had at length made up her mind to pardon her sister, against whom, in spite of strong suspicion, nothing treasonable had ever yet been proved.

Bedingfield, under whose custody she was at Woodstock, had received orders on the 17th of April to bring her with all speed to Court, with her servants and guards; and the party set out on the journey, with every precaution, on the 25th, arriving four days after at Hampton Court. But if Elizabeth had expected that her sister intended at once to pardon her and receive her in a way befitting the heiress to the throne, she was disappointed. For, instead of being brought in state through the principal entrance and ushered into the royal presence, Bedingfield and his guards conducted her like a prisoner to a back gate, whence she was taken to the apartments assigned to her, and closely guarded. The rooms she occupied were in the Water Gallery, which is shown on the right in the engraving on the preceding page,

and which was doubtless selected on account of its isolation from the rest of the building. All communication with anyone was forbidden, and for a day or two she only saw her own bed-chamber women and Bedingfield.

But on the 1st or 2nd of May a message came from the Queen directing her to prepare herself to receive Philip, and to attire herself in the most splendid robe she possessed.

Of what passed at the interview-the first that ever took place between these two illustrious persons, who were destined afterwards to become such deadly enemies-we have no record. The King came to the Princess's apartment by a private passage or cloister; and the visit was kept so profound a secret that none except those immediately concerned knew it had taken place at all, and no mention has ever been made of it by any English historian. Information of it, however, reached the French and Venetian ambassadors, from whom nothing that happened in the palace could be concealed, and they duly reported it to their respective Courts.