Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1859-03-31
nliscellonp.
Letters from England.
TOWER OF LONDON. ON.-CONCLUDED.

first series of events which darkened tho IN
coming of the Tudor race, among whom there
was no small amount of faction, and in which
time Of struggle between light and darkness,
all was so chaos-like that it were perhaps diff
fcult to separate the two, to distinguish error
from truth will look at the leading fea-
lures of the reign of King Henry VIII. In
glanclng at this, we will divide it into three pe-
\ viaas Isl, irelnding the twenty years of his
union with katherine of Arragon, and the as
tendency over him Of the Romish party-Rome
being then in the zenith of its prosecuting
spirit. Cardinal Wolsey and Sir Thomas More
who both drank deeply OF these contaminating
sentiments, strongly influenced Henry, and the
cells of the tower were filed with those con-
victed of heresy-the epithet 50 easily applied
by error to truth.
2nd, Henry's passion for Lady Anne Boleyn
changed the current of royal opinions, and we
see the monarch, the ten succeeding years of
Thomas Cromwell's power, supporting the
cause Of the Reformation. Again the Tower
dungeons arc filled but principally with those
who withstood lIenry's claim to the head of
the Church The most llustrious of these
We're, the excellent, gifted and beloved Sir
Thomas More, and the venerable Fisher, Bishop
of Rochester, whose imprisonment at the ad-
vanced age of eighty -four years, seems to have
been at least, very rigorous; and that it was
hard and grievous, we learn from what he
wrote to the Secretary, Lord Cromwell: 81
have neither shirt nor suite to wear but that bee
ragged and rent so shamefully my dyett also,
God knoweth, how slender it is at meny tymes y
While this would seem a harsh enough scene
with which to close period, we have to re-
member the tragical fate of Queen Anne Boleyn.
and hoping we can find no worse, we will call
this the closing act in the second period of this
man reign.
We will look at the Sd period without COM
ments for in these times it is truly impossible
to tell what an hour may bring forth, and who
may be next called to exchange the palace for
the dungeon, the stake or the rack. Having,
the first day of this period, married the Lady
Katherine Howard, we might, for while, al
least, look for domestic peace; but as there
were accusations against her, although she was
but fourteen when married, the opposite fac
tion-to make some pretence for tumult, ii
which they, or some of their friends could share
the fruits-openly made these accusations
caused her to be arraigned for high treason
and although all the proofs of her guilt were
those, ,extorted under the torture and the rack
she was convicted, and brought to the scafolt
in l542 at twenty years of age. She died as
serting her innocence. The Romish party haC
also regained an influence over IIenry's mind
and he withdrew his favor from Cromwell, wht
had two years before perlshed on Tower Hill
He was of humble origin, but had from cult
vation of the highest talents, been raised to thu
highest offices in the Kingdom. He was zeal
GUS friend of the Reformation, but the increas
ing influence of an opposing party made hi
fall more rapid than his rise had been ant
none remained after his death to stem the tor
rent of persecution as he had ever done, AM
from that time, during the remainder of Henry
reign, the Tower dungeons were filled wit
learned diyines that favored the Reformation.
In 1916, Anne Askew, for denying in cover
sation the doctrine of transubstantiation, wa
tortured in the Tower, and burned at Smthfeld
The last of this great mans victims, that W
Gun notice, is Margaret, daughter of Edwar
", brother to the murdered Clarence. lie
crime seems to have been her royal blood. Whe
brought to the scaffold she refused to lay he
head on the block, saying " So do traitors US
to do, and am no traitor A terrible seen
ensued, which ended by the executoner draggin
this venerable lady, by her gray hairs, to tn
block So perished the last of the Plantagene
of whole blood, and so we will close this vie
of this great Kng-great only in the blackneS
Of his deeds-except we refer to him in accoun
of smaller Towers
Edward vi takes the throne, and soon two
his unces are sacrificed on the scafold, and G.
long the execution of Dudley, and Lady Jan
Grey, of whom spoke, in the Tower as pa
ace. Soon arose the rebellion from propose
oil marriage in high life) of Sir Thomas Wyat
which brought many captlves to the Towe
among whom was the Princess Elizabeth, whe
she was caused by the ruling powers, to
treated with great rigor. Cranmer, Ridley al
Latimer were all imprisoned in the Tower, a
tn, dungeons were filled with those who suffer
for thelr faith.
Elizabeth came to the throne in 1858. a
was hailed with joy by the nation but t
Tower does not cease to be place of much
t,rest as prison. Not stopping to enumeri
now, we will pass on and notice the use Of
Tower in the Stuarts' reign who nvw come
possess the throne.
The Stuar is coming to the throne at the cl
of EliElboth's brilliant career, could hot ma
all their views appreciated, and still keep
nation at peace, and in the unsuccessful cffa
at first made to free themselves from THIS ser
yoke, We see many captivcs brought to
Tower, Sir Walter Raleigh claims our +
notice, who was committed to the Tower
suspicion of being concerned in plot to pl
'le Lady AraJella Stuart on the throne, b
ol whom pershed at the Tower-she dying
iOiO, and he beheaded in 1913.
Among the many victims brought to
l?Ser in the long struggle between Charles
Parliament, may be noticed tho emin
'TSnan, Thomas Wentworth, who failed
"ny endoavors to stem the current OF ?