The Sun.
London, England, 1822-03-02 00:00:00

LITERARY NOTICE.

LADY JANE GREY, AND HER TIMES.—By GEORGE
HOWARD', ESQ. pp. 390.
It may seem, at first sight, that a life which
scarcely extended to seventeen years, and a reign
of nine days, with a close imprisonment of seven
months, between the throne and the scaffold, for
such was the early fate of the heroine, can afford
but few materials for the biographer or historian ;
but the author of the work now before us, by
including her " Times," has thus been enabled to
present us with a very interesting collection of
facts and evidences, not only in regard to Lady
JANE herself, but also with respect to what may
perhaps be fairly considered as the most important
period of English History, emllracing the rise and
considerable part of the progress of the Refor-
mation, that cradle of all our religious and po-
litical rights and liberties. This, too, he has
done without much antecedent historical remark ;
for it must be remembered that Lady JANE was
born very near the middle of HENitY's reign, was
educated, during her earliest years, at his Court,
was the ornament of the Court of EDWARD VI. and
was not only related to, but on terms of daily inter-
course with, the great political characters of that
day, and even on terms of friendly intimacy with
MARY herself, to whose bigotry, perhaps, more.
than to her political fears, she fell a sacrifice.—
After an introduction, in which are recapitulated
the various testimonials of almost contemporary
writers to her merits and her virtues,
_the work
commences with a biographical sketch of her
paternal family of Grey, including that of the
lVidviles, and hastening down to her grandfather
THOMAS, the second Marquis of Dorset, cotem-
porary with, and the friend of, HENRY
when her " Times" may be justly considered as
beginning. This sketch leads to BRANDON, Duke
of Suffolk, who married Maly, youngest sister of
his Royal friend, and Queen Dowager of France,
whose daughter, the Lady FRANCES, married
Henry Grey, third Marquis of Dorset, from
which union sprung our ill-fated Heroine.
It is plainly apparent, from the internal evi-
dence of the work, that it was, at first, more
particularly intended for juvenile and female
readers; but the author has introduced so many
novel,-interesting, and hitherto unpublished do-
cuments, illustrative of men and manners—aye,
and of women too—at that day, that it fully
merits a place on the historical shelf of any
library.

For the amusement and information of our
readers, we shall trace and select these docu-
ments in preference to a mere analysis of the
work ; and the first extract we shall offer con-
sits of a fool's anecdote, and an original letter of
HENRY VIII. to Cardinal WOLSM—Speaking
of the rise of the Reformation, we find that,

" As early almost as the commencement of Henry's reign
%Volsey had shewn his enmity to heretics. The situation of
the reformed, or !Alan's, as they were termed, was then very
distressing. Fuller, in his Church History, observes, that
cruelty still continued: and increased on then even after at)
jurat ion, being forced to wear the fashion of a faggot wrought
in thread, or painted' on their left sleeves, all the days of
their lives; it being death to put on their clothes without
that cognizance; anti indeed, he adds, to poor people it was
true, `put it off, and be burned ; beep it on, and be starved;'
seeing.nonc generally, would set them to work that carried
that badge about them.

" It seas soon after that period that Henry VIII. baring
published his work against Luther, supposed by Fuller to
have been principally collected by Gardiner, was honoured
by the Pope with the title of Defender -of the Faith; with
which his Majesty was so much elated, that his jester or fool,
Will Somers, coming to the Court, could not help observing
it. Honest Will boldly aked his patron the cause of his
exultation and when the King answered that it arose from
the Holy Father having !immured hint with a title more emi-
nent thawany possessed by his ancestors, the fool very wisely
exclaimed Oh! good harry; let thou and I defend one
another, and let the faith alone to defend. itself!'
Henry,•however, did not take the fool's advice, for Wol-
sey was then in high favour at Court, as appears front the
following original epistle, now preserved in the British
M memo •

." Myne owne good Cardnall,---I recomande me unto you
wt all my hart, mid thanke you for the gratte payne and la-
bour that you doe dayly take in my bysynes and maters.
Desyryng you (that weir you have well establyshyd them) to
take slime pastyme acrd comfort, (to the intente you may the
longer endure to serve us), fur allways payne cannot be in-
durvd. Surly you have so substancyally orderyd oure maters,
babe of thys syde the see and byonde, that in mye oppynyon
litvll or nothyng can be addyd. Nevertheles, accordyng to
your desyre, I
doe send you uryne oppynyon by thys berur,
!he refformacion wherof I do remvte to you and the remnants
off out trusty edsellers, whyelie I am sure wyll substantially
Joke on hyt. As tonchyng the mater that Syr Wyllyam Say
brought answer off, I am well contentyd wt what order
soever you do lake in itt. The quene my wyff bathe desyryd
me to make her most barty recommendations to you as to hym
that she loveth Very well, and bothe she and I wolde knowe
sougne when you wyll repayre to ns. No mare to you at thys
tynie, but that with God's helps, I trust we shalle dysapoynte
oure enemy's off theyre intendyd ppose. Wryttyn with the
hand of your lovyng master ' HENRY REX.' "
" To my Lorde Cardinalle.”

We shall take an. early opportunity of sub-
mitting to our Readers more extracts from this
interesting work, which we recommend to glen)
as a valuable biographic and historical memoir.

* Brit. 111—us. Cott. Vesp. F. xiii. p. 71.

ST. DAVID'S DAY.—The 108th Annual Fes-
_ tival of the Society of Ancient Britons was cele-
brated yesterday. The excellence of the object,
and the extensive benificence of this Institution,
are too well known to need eulogium here. The
assemblage yesterday at the School House, in
Gray's Inn-lane, comprehended much rank and re-
spectability, and the procession to St. James's
Church, aided by the fineness of the weather,
had an exceedingly showy and pleasant effect.
—The Prayers were read at the Church in the
ancient British language, by the Chaplain to the
Society; and a Sermon appropriate to the occa-
sion was delivered by the Bishop of CHESTER:—
The dinner was given at the Freemasons' Tavern,
and nearly four hundred gentlemen were pre-
sent. His Grace the Duke of WELLINGTON in
the Chair, supported by the Bishop of Chester
and Lord Kenyon ; we also noticed Sir W. W.
Wynne, the Dean of Canterbury, Lord Bul-
keley, Lord Combermere, Lord Hill, &c. &c.
The gallery was filled with many elegant dres-
sed undies. After the usual loyal and patriotic
toasts had been drunk, the children paraded
round the room, and their happy and healthy ap-
pearance gave universal satisfaction. The gene-
ral arrangements were judicious, and the enjoy-
ments of the evening considerably heightened by
the excellence of the music. ' The contributions
to the charity were numerous and munificent.