pose of building himself a palace, increased this odium; and Warwick took advantage of it to form a conspiracy against him. He was induced by his fellow-councillors to resign his office, though only on condition that his life and liberty should not be touched. This stipulation was soon violated. He was sent to the Tower, and only released on pleading guilty to the charges brought against him. Warwick succeeded to his power, and was elevated by Edward to the dukedom of Northumberland. Fearing that the late Protector might regain his former influence, Northumberland determined on his complete ruin; and caused him to be arrested on the charge of raising a rebellion in the north, and of conspiring against the lives of several of the councillors. He was found guilty on the latter charge, and executed, 1552.

Somerset was greatly beloved by the people, and at his execution numbers of them rushed to dip their handkerchiefs in his blood. These relics they did not forget to display when his rival underwent the same fate. Somerset, though a weak man, deserved a better end. Northumberland afterwards acknowledged that the accusations on which he was condemned were without any foundation.

8. Northumberland's ambition was not yet satisfied. Perceiving that Edward's health was declining, he formed the design of bringing the crown into his own family. With this end in view, he persuaded Edward to settle the crown on the Marchioness of Dorset, whose daughter, Lady Jane Grey, was married to his son, Lord Guildford Dudley.

Elizabeth and Mary were excluded on the ground of their illegitimacy; Mary, Queen of Scots, was passed over on account of her French marriage and her religion.

9. A few days after, Edward died. During his last illness he was placed under the care of a woman, who has been suspected of having hastened his end.

His dying words were-" O, my Lord God! defend this realm from papistry, and maintain Thy true religion, that I and my people may praise Thy holy name, for Jesus Christ's sake!"

Like all the Tudors, he possessed great intellectual ability. One, who knew him well, says-" He knew Latin and French well, was not ignorant of Greek, Italian, and Spanish, and was not without a competent knowledge of logic, of physic, and of music." His diary is still to be seen in the British Museum.

Contemporaries.-10. Scotland, Mary; France, Francis I., Henry II.; Germany, Charles V.; Joan Boucher, a distinguished martyr, to whose death Edward, with great reluctance, consented.

MARY I.

Born A.D. 1516; Reigned 5 years (1553-1558). Family.-1. Mary was the daughter of Henry VIII. and Catherine of Arragon. She married Philip II., son and successor of Charles I. They had no children.

Chronicle.-2. Northumberland proclaimed his daughter-in-law queen the day after Edward's death: but the nation was little disposed to set aside the regular succession, and received the new monarch very coldly.

Lady Jane Grey was only sixteen at the time; yet, young as she was, it was with great reluctance that she consented to accept the crown. She urged the superior title of Mary and Elizabeth; expressed her dread of the results of the enterprise ; and begged that she might be allowed to remain in the station in which she was born.

To get the princesses into his possession, Northumberland caused letters to be sent to them shortly before Edward's death, requesting their presence in London; but a timely warning enabled Mary to avoid the snare and to flee into Suffolk. Here she summoned her adherents to support her cause; and in a very short time found herself surrounded by a powerful army. thumberland marched against her, though the disaffection of his troops and the coldness of the public gave him little hope of success.

Nor

As he went along he observed to his son, "Many come out to look at us, but I find not one who cries God speed you!”

His forces deserted so rapidly that he found it was useless to proceed. He then gave up his design and proclaimed Mary. In the mean time the council declared for the legitimate queen; and Lady Jane Grey resigned the crown after a short reign of ten days. Mary soon after entered London.

3. Northumberland, too dangerous to be left at large, was committed to the Tower; and as soon as Mary was firmly seated on the throne, he was brought to trial and executed. Lady Jane and her husband were also placed under confinement.

Northumberland's meanness of spirit after his downfall is as remarkable as his ambition before. In a letter, which he wrote from prison, he says, "Oh that it would please her good Grace to give me life! yea, the life of a dog, if I might live and kiss her feet, and spend both life and all in her honourable service." At his execution he said, "I have deserved a thousand deaths." He then traced the sign of the cross in the sawdust on the block, kissed it, laid down his head and perished. The Duke and Duchess of Suffolk, Lady Jane's parents, were pardoned.

4. Among the earliest acts of Mary's reign were the release of Norfolk and Gardiner from prison, and the re-establishment of the Romish worship.

Norfolk had been imprisoned in 1547: Gardiner in the reign of Edward VI. Mary did not even wait for the sanction of Parliament. On her own authority she restored the Latin liturgy, expelled the married clergy from their benefices, and threw many Protestants into prison.

Gardiner, Bonner, Tonstal, Day, and Heath, who had lost their bishoprics in the late reign, were now reinstated; and the most celebrated of the Protestant bishops, Ridley, Coverdale, Hooper and Latimer, were imprisoned. All the statutes pertaining to religion, which had been passed under Edward V1., were repealed; and it became clear that a religious persecution would soon follow.

5. An alliance for Mary was early made the subject of discussion in the privy council; but she set all advice aside and accepted the proposals of Philip, son of Charles V. This match was exceedingly odious to the nation, who were fearful that England might ultimately become subject to Spain.

In spite of all opposition, Mary persisted in the alliance; and a general spirit of disaffection was the consequence. In 1554 Sir Thomas Wyatt raised an army of Kentish insurgents for the purpose of compelling her to marry some Englishman. At first he met with considerable success; but, whilst attempting to raise London, he was taken prisoner. He was executed, with about 400 of his followers.

This insurrection furnished a plea for the execution of Lady Jane Grey and her husband. Her father, who had taken a part in it, was also executed soon after; and the princess Elizabeth, who is said to have been cognizant of Wyatt's plans, was sent to the Tower.

As the Lady Jane was about to go to the scaffold, she saw the headless corpse of her husband brought away from it. Her firmness, however, never gave way. She protested her innocence of treason at the place of execution, and died, uttering the prayer, "Lord, into thy hands I commend my spirit." In her note-book was found the following passage:-" If my fault deserved punishment, my youth, at least, and my imprudence were worthy of excuse. God and posterity will show me favour."

6. In the same year (1554) Mary married Philip. The marriage articles were highly favourable to England, and partly reconciled the people to the alliance.

They stipulated, 1. That Philip should not draw England into any foreign war; 2. That the male issue of the marriage should inherit England, Burgundy, and the Low Countries; 4. That Philip should hold the title of king, but have no share in the administration; and 5. That no innovations should be made in the constitution.

7. In 1555 commenced the Marian persecution,

during the three years of which, nearly 300 persons suffered death at the stake.

The most famous of this band of martyrs were Cranmer, Hooper, bishop of Gloucester, Ridley, bishop of London, Latimer, bishop of Worcester, and Rogers, vicar of St. Sepulchre's, London. Ridley and Latimer suffered together at Oxford. The latter, when the fire was kindled, exclaimed to his friend, "Be of good comfort, Master Ridley, and play the man. We shall this day light such a candle, by God's grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out." Hooper was offered a pardon on condition of recantation; but on seeing it, he replied, "Take it away, if you love my soul." Cranmer, in an hour of weakness recanted his opinions; but his love of truth ultimately triumphed over his love of life, and he again avowed his attachment to the Protestant faith. In an address delivered shortly before his execution, he observed: “I renounce and refuse as things written with my hand, contrary to the truth which I thought in my heart, and writ for fear of death and to save my life, if might be, and that is all such papers as I have written or signed since my degradation, wherein I have written many things untrue. And forasmuch as my hand offended in writing contrary to my heart my hand when I come to the fire shall be first burned." At the stake he kept his word, thrusting his right hand into the flames until it was consumed, and exclaiming, "This hand hath offended."

8. Philip left Mary in 1555, and did not return to England till 1557. He then prevailed on her to declare war with France. The loss of Calais was the consequence: it was taken by the Duke of Guise early in 1558.

9. This disaster, and Philip's heartless indifference, undoubtedly hastened Mary's death. In the autumn of the same year she died.

Cardinal Pole, who had succeeded Cranmer in the primacy, expired within twenty-four hours after the queen.

Contemporaries. — 10. Scotland, Mary; France, Henry II.; Germany, Charles V.; John Knox, the famous Scotch reformer; Peter Martyr, Martin Bucer, and John à Lasco, celebrated German reformers; Gardiner and Bonner, the most virulent of the Romish persecutors.