The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-02

Tower, In February, 1910, that Seymour
was In the habit OF visiting the girls bed
room before she was dressed, sometimes
alone and sometimes with his wife,
and there INDUCED in much indicate and
suggestive romping, In which Catharine
Par herself occasionally took part.
Thomas Parry. the cofferer, repeated in his
confession story told him by Mrs. Ashley
which carried the revelation somewhat
further. She said that 'the Lord Admiral
loved the Lady Elizabeth but too we'll,
and had done so for q good while, and this
was the cause that the Queen Dowager
was jealous Of him and Lady Elizabeth.
On one occasion the Queen Dowager, COM
ing suddenly upon them, had found him
holding the Lady Elizabeth in his arms;
upon which she fell out with them both,
and this was the cause why the Queen and
Lady Elizabeth parted"
The confessions Of Parry and Mrs. Ashley
with regard to Eizabeth's conduct and their
own are bad enough, but Mr.. Hume opines
that they kept back far moro than they
told, for on Elizabeth's succession, and
for the rest OF their lives, they we're treated
with marked favor. Parry was knighted
and made Treasurer OF the Household.
ahu ViiCL hbihCy iuy VII oCaSiDCh
in July, 1855, Queen Elizabeth visited her
in person and mourned her with great
grief. The author OF this work deems 1t
probable that the inexperienced girl was
really in love with the handsome, SNOWY
Seymour, but how far their relations
went will prob1bly never be known. 1t
Is certain that she wrote Indignantly to
the Protector Somerset, complaining OF
the ISLANDERS that were current about her
to the effect that she was with child by the
Lord Admiral, and demanding to be allowed
to come to Court and show hersslf as she
was virtuous indignation, however. real
or assumed. was always one Of her favorite
weapons. Str Robert Tyrwhitt. who was
sent by the Protector to worm out Of her
all that she knew OF the plot attributed to
the Lord Admiral. expressed the belief
that a secret compact had been entered
into between her and Ashley and Parry
never to confess during their lives. They
all, he reported, sing one song, and she
hath set the note for them
After this dangerous escapade and the
execution Of Seymour. Elizabeth became
almost SYSTEMATICALLY saintly and strait
laced until the accession OF her sister
Mary made her the heiress presumptive to
the Crown. and the hope OF the Protestant
party, now that Northumberland nominee,
Lady Jane Grey. had been disposed Of.
1t Is well known that thereafter Elizabeth's
band was sought in marriage by the brothers
De Valois. or rather by their intriguing
mother, Catherine de- Medici. and that
matrimonial overtures were also made
to her by Philip II. and other princes
Of the House OF Austria, and not by them
alone. There is no doubt. either, that
good deal of gossip touching the relations OF
Elizabeth to the Earl of Leicester and other
Englishrnen was current during her reign.
In the chapters Of the book before us
which aim to throw light upon the inner
character of the Queen. Mr.. Hume lays
down the safe rule that one should regard
as only auxiliary indications the unsup-
ported assertions, favorable or otherwise
made by the accused person or by her
friends or foes Outside of such asser-
lions, there are usually extant and veri-
fable in the case Of great historical per-
sonages numherless small circumstances,
details of conversation and demeanor
and scraps OF correspondence which,
pieced together and considered critically
In the light Of worldly experience, form a
much more trustworthy guide to iudg-
ment than any interested protestations.
There are times when the critical onlooker
Is disposed to murmur sotto roce; Me-
thinks the lady doth protest too much.
Queen Elzabeths own proclamations of her
spotless virginity were so constant and
vocifero,ls that their emphatic repetition.
while perhaps serving the political pur-
pose aimed at. positively added to the
social obloquy that was cast upon her by
the malicious gossip about her which
circulated throughout Europe. On the
other hand the gross accusations of habitual
immortality launched at the Queen by
Father Parsons and his followers, acc,isa-
lions which from the very nature Of things
could only rest on assumption not only
ranged the opposite political party strongly
on her side as Queen, but raised up count
less friends for her who resented what
seemed an unfair attack upon a woman.
Between these two extremes of irnmacu
virtue and abandoned viciousness opinion
had to choose. Obviously. both descriptions
OF EGzabeth's character could not he true,
and belief in the one carried with it total
rejection of the other. The people of her
own day. with the exception of few con-
fldants were in Q worse position than we
are for the formation of a sound opinion on
the subject and Mr.. Hume justly says
that the fact that even in her own court,
and much more abroad, the scandals
against her were generally believed should
not be allowed to bias our judgment If the
differences drawn from evidence now ac-
oessible, but not in the possession Of the
Queens contemporaries, seem to point in an
opposite direction. ,,...
III
Mr. Hume submits that the facts now
known, many OF which were cited in the
earlier chapters OF the first edition Of this
book, seem to prove beyond doubt that
the Queen was az much in love with