She was conducted to the scaffold by Sir John Bridges, the lieutenant of the Tower, dressed in the gown which she wore at her trial, and attended by her two gentlewomen, Mrs. Elizabeth Tylney and Mrs. Ellen, who wept bitterly, while not a tear moistened her own cheeks. She brought with her the book of prayers she had with her in prison, and all the way to the scaffold she was engaged in reading it. On reaching the place of execution, she saluted the Feds and others in commission with unaltered mien and countenance. No Protestant minister was permitted to be present to assist her devotions. Feckenham had accompanied her professedly for that purpose; but though he treated her with all humanity, not having confidence in his religious sentiments, she was disturbed by bis presence, and was observed not to give much heed to his disevirse, her attention during it being apparently absorbed in readng the book of prayers she had brought with her from the prison. Ba: she was not ungrateful for any kindness he had shown her. On taking him by the hand and bidding him farewell, she said to him, *God will abundantly requite you, good sir, for your humanity to me, though your discourses gave me more uneasiness than all the terrors of my approaching death." Turning round to the spectators, she addressed them in a short speech, declaring that in accepting the crown she had been rather constrained by the solicitations of others than governed by her own deliberate judgment and voluntary choice; expressing her exclusive dependence upon the merits of Christ for salvation; vindicating the justice of God in the death she was now to die, because of the many sins she had committed; and estreating the Christian people to pray for her so long as she was ia Life. Good people," said she, “I am come hither to die, and by

ether with fear of her own death, which then approached, neither with the sight of the dead carcase of her husband, when he was brought into the chapel, she came forth, the heutenant leading her."-P. 55. On beholding his remains, she is reported to are waid, "O Guildford! Guildford! the antepast is not so bitter that you have thed and that I shall soon taste, as to make my flesh tremble; it is nothing compared to the feast that you and I shall this day partake of in heaven."

Chronicle of Queen Jane and Queen Mary, p. 56,

me:

a law I am condemned to the same. The fact, indeed, against the queen's highness was unlawful, and the consenting thereunto by 1 but touching the procurement and desire thereof by me, on my half, I do wash my hands thereof in innocency, before God, and the face of you, good Christian people, this day;" and therewith she wrung her hands, in which she had her book. Then she said, "I pray you all, good Christian people, to bear me witness that I die a true Christian woman, and that I look to be saved by none other means but only by the mercy of God, in the merits of the blood of his only Son, Jesus Christ: and I confess, when I did know the Word of God I neglected the same, loved myself and the world, and therefore this plague or punishment is happily and worthily hap pened unto me for my sins; and yet I thank God of his goodness, that he hath thus given me a time and respite to repent. And now, good people, while I am alive, I pray you to assist me with your prayers."

In this address, as the attentive reader will perceive, the Popish doctrines as to human merit, the invocation, mediation and intercession of saints, purgatory, and masses offered for the living and the dead, though not expressly mentioned, are evidently alluded to, and plainly though implicitly rejected; and seeing herself surrounded by Popish priests, who frequently circulated false reports that the martyrs at their death had abjured their errors and died in the Roman faith, she seems as if afraid lest her dying sentiments should be misrepresented.

in

Having concluded her address, she kneeled down, to engage her devotions, and turning to Feckenham, said, "Shall I repeat this

"Holinshed has amplified this into the following more explicit statement: 'My offence against the queen's highness was only in consent to the device of others, which now is deemed treason; but it was never my seeking, but by counsel of those who should seem to have further understanding of things than I, who knew little of the law, and much less of the titles to the crown.'"-Chronicle of Queen Jane and Queen Mary, Note by editor, p. 52.

2 Ibid., p. 52. Another report of this speech, "somewhat more verbose, but not so impressive," as the editor of The Chronicle, &c., observes, is to be found in The Phoenix, vol. ii. pp. 42, 43; and in Nicolas's Remains of Lady Jane.

palm," referring to the 51st, beginning in the Vulgate with these words, "Misereri mei Deus." "Yes, madam," he replied; upon which she repeated it from beginning to end. Having done this she rose from her knees, and began to prepare for her dress First pulling off her gloves, she gave them and her handkerchief to one of her maids, Mrs. Ellen. At the same time

2

her fate by taking off

gave the book of prayers she had brought with her to the safold to Mr. Thomas Bridges, the lieutenant's brother. On her pceeding to untie her gown, the executioner offered to assist her, but she desired him to let her alone, and turned towards her two lewomen, who assisted her in taking it off, and also in taking off her "frose paste" and neckerchief, giving her, when this service was performed, a white handkerchief to tie about her eyes. At this Lent the executioner fell on his knees before her, and begged her fgiveness. This request she most willingly granted. He next desired her to stand upon the straw; in doing which the block met her view, but the sight did not shake her fortitude, and she only requested that he would despatch her quickly. Again kneeling down, she asked him, "Will you take it off before I lay me down." "No, madam," he answered. She now bound the handkerchief rand her eyes, and feeling for the block, exclaimed, “What shall I do! where is it? where is it?" Upon which one of the by-standers con lucted her to the block; and immediately lying down, she laid her head upon it, and uttered, with an audible voice, the pious ejaculation-the last words she spoke, "Lord, into thy hands I commend my spirit." The axe fell, and in an instant her head was severed from her body. All present, even the partizans of Mary,

So Fore. In Archeologia, it is "Tylney."

1 Er Harris Nicolas, in his Life of Lady Jane (p. xci.), is greatly puzzled as to the rie of dress meant by this term, and is inclined to coincide with a literary friend, suggested "fronts-piece." As, however, Foxe has spelt it "frowes-past," the tor of the Chronicle of Queen Jane and Queen Mary (p. 58), is of opinion that probably "frow's paste," or matronly head-dress, is meant; the paste being a head attire Feby brides, as explained in the glossarial index to Machyn's Diary, p. 463.

Pose's Arts and Monuments, vol. vi., pp. 424, 425. Foxe's narrative of Lady Jane's estan is the same, almost rerbatim, with an account in Archæologia, vol. xxiii, p 407,