xxxv.

1553.

invalid; that it would fubject, not only the judges CHA P. who drew it, but every counsellor who figned it, to the pains of treafon; and that the only proper expedient, both for giving fanction to the new settlement, and freeing its partifans from danger, was to fummon a parliament, and to obtain the confent of that affembly. The king faid, that he intended afterwards to follow that method, and would call a parliament, in which he purposed to have his fettlement ratified; but in the mean time, he required the judges, on their allegiance, to draw the patent in the form required. The council told the judges, that their refufal would fubject all of them to the pains of treafon. Northumberland gave to Montague the appellation of traitor; and faid that he would in his shirt fight any man in so just a cause as that of lady Jane's fucceffion. The judges were reduced to great difficulties between the dangers from the law, and thofe which arofe from the violence of prefent power and authority ".

60

THE arguments were canvaffed in feveral different meetings between the council and the judges; and no folution could be found of the difficulties. At laft, Montague propofed an expedient, which fatisfied both his brethren and the counsellors. He defired, that a fpecial commiffion fhould be paffed by the king and council, requiring the judges to draw a patent for the new fettlement of the crown; and that a pardon fhould

1553.

CHAP. immediately after be granted them for any offence, XXXV. which they might have incurred by their compli-. ance. When the patent was drawn and brought to the bishop of Ely, chancellor, in order to have the great feal affixed to it, this prelate required, that all the judges should previously fign it. Gofnald at first refused; and it was with much difficulty, that he was prevailed on, by the violent menaces of Northumberland, to comply; but the conftancy of Sir James Hales, who though a zealous protestant, preferred justice on this occafion to the prejudices of his party, could not be fhaken by any expedient. The chancellor next required, for his greater fecurity, that all the privy counsellors fhould fet their hands to the patent The intrigues of Northumberland or the fears of his violence were fo prevalent, that the 2ift Jun. Counsellors complied with this demand. Cranmer alone hesitated during fome time, but at laft yielded to the earnest and pathetic entreaties of the king". Cecil, at that time fecretary of state, pretended afterwards, that he only figned as witness to the king's fubfcription. And thus, by the king's letters patent, the two princeffes, Mary and Elizabeth, were fet afide; and the crown was fettled on the heirs of the dutchefs of Suffolk: For the dutchefs herself was content to give place to her daughters.

AFTER this fettlement was made, with fo many inauspicious circumstances, Edward visibly declined

1553.

every day; and small hopes were entertained of his c HA P. recovery. To make matters worfe, his phyficians xxxv. were difmiffed by Northumberland's advice and by an order of council; and he was put into the hands of an ignorant woman, who undertook, in a little time, to restore him to his former state of health. After the use of her medicines, all the bad symptoms increafed to the most violent degree: He felt a difficulty of speech and breathing; his pulfe failed, his legs fwelled, his color became livid; and many other fymptoms appeared of his approaching end. He expired at Greenwich in And death. the fixteenth year of his age, and the seventh 6th July. of his reign.

ALL the English hiftorians dwell with pleasure on the excellent qualities of this young prince; whom the flattering promises of hope, joined to many real virtues, had made an object of tender affection to the public. He poffeffed mildness of difpofition, application to ftudy and business, a capacity to learn and judge, and an attachment to equity and juftice. He feems only to have contracted, from his education and from the genius of the age in which he lived, too much of a narrow prepoffeffion in matters of religion, which made him incline fomewhat to bigotry and perfecution: But as the bigotry of protestants, lefs governed by priefts, lies under more reftraints than that of catholics, the effects of this malignant quality were the lefs to be apprehended, if a longer life had been granted to young Edward.

CHA P. XXXVI.

С НА Р.
XXXVI.

1553.

MARY.

Lady Jane Gray proclaimed queen

Deferted by the people -The queen proclaimed and acknowledged Northumberland executed Catholic religion reftored A parliament - Deliberations with regard to the queen's marriage Queen's marriage with

Philip

Wyat's infurrection-Suppreffed - Execution

of Lady Jane Gray A parliament
arrival in England.

THE title of the princess Mary, after the demife of her brother, was not expofed to any confiderable difficulty; and the objections, started by the lady Jane's partifans, were new and unheard-of by the nation. Though all the protestants, and even many of the catholics, believed the marriage of Henry VIII. with Catherine of Arragon to be unlawful and invalid; yet, as it had been contracted by the parties without any criminal intention, had been avowed by their parents, recognized by the nation, and feemingly founded on thofe principles of law and religion, which then prevailed, few imagined, that their iffue ought on that account to be regarded as illegitimate. A declaration to that

1553.

purpose had indeed been extorted from parliament CHA P.
by the ufual violence and caprice of Henry; but xxxvI.
as that monarch had afterwards been induced to
restore his daughter to the right of fucceffion,
her title was now become as legal and parlia-
mentary as it was ever esteemed just and natural,
The public had long been familiarifed to these
fentiments During all the reign of Edward
the princess was regarded as his lawful fucceffor:
And though the proteftants dreaded the effects
of her prejudices, the extreme hatred, univerfally
entertained against the Dudleys, who, men
forefaw, would, under the name of Jane, be the
real fovereigns, was more than fufficient to
counterbalance, even with that party, the attach-
ment to religion. This laft attempt, to violate
the order of fucceffion, had displayed Northum-
berland's ambition and injustice in a full light;
and when the people reflected on the long train
of fraud, iniquity, and cruelty by which that
project had been conducted; that the lives of the
two Seymours, as well as the title of the princeffes,
had been facrificed to it; they were moved by
indignation to exert themselves in oppofition to
fuch criminal enterprifes. The general veneration
alfo, paid to the memory of Henry VIII. prompted
the nation to defend the rights of his pofterity;
and the miseries of the ancient civil wars were
not fo entirely forgotten, that men were willing,

I

Sleidan, lib. 25.

益