The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-12-29
GREAT LOVE
STORIES
of HISTORY
LADY JANE GREY AND
GUILFORD DUDLEY
By Albert Payson Terhune

kSoPySa8AA Ne AoIoos1
A schoolgirl and = mere boy, who
loved her. were once used rs pawns
in the merciless game OF politics.
They suffered the usual fate Of pawns.
And that fate forms one of the saddest
little love stories in all history.
The girl was Lady Jane Grey. daugh-
ter of the duke of Suffolk. She was
wonderfully well educated. but had the
innocent charm and simplicity OF
child. She was a cousin Of England's
boy king, Edward VI. son of Henry
VIII. and Jane Seymour. Edward was
a sickly lad; quite under the influence
of his chief councillor. the duke Of
northumberland. The duke was a willy
politician, and sketched out q decided
ly clear plan for his own familys ad-
vancement. He bullied Edward into
bequeathing the English crown to
Lady Jane. Then he married Jane to
his own son, Lord Guilford Dudley.
The young couple were very much in
love with each other and were unusu
ally happy in their brief married life.
But their love and happiness did not
greatly interest Northumberland. He
had other matters to think of.
Soon after making Lady Jane his
heir the boy king pinned away and
died. 1t was wills
o' 'o| pered that North
INV S'o""' cumberland was
more or less responsible for his fatal
illness. At Edwards death the duke
forced the royal council to proclaim
Jane queen of England. This was
rank injustice. For the two daughters
of Henry VIII-Mary and Elizabeth
we're still living. The crown belonged
by right to Mary, the daughter OF
Catherine Of Aragon, and elder of the
two half-sisters. Jane realized this
and tried to refuse the unwelcome
honor of becoming queen. On her
knees she begged to be allowed to re-
main In private life. But Northumber-
land explained away her scruples. He
persuaded her young husband that
Jane was the rightful heir to the
throne: and Dudley added his argu.
msnts to tho dukes. So 1t was that
Lady Jane unwiliingly consented to
her husbands plea. She tearfully left
her country home and permitted her
self to be crowned queen. Gentle and
obsdient in all things, she thought that
If Dudley wished her to take such 4
step 1t could not be wrong
On July 10. 1853, the girl began her
reign-a reign that lasted just ten
days. She was Is years old and had
NO knowledge Of statecraft. North
cumberland did the actual ruling. Jane
-
While the two lovers played At royal
ty, the old duke and his council ran af-
fairs to suit themselves. Meantime,
Mary collected a large army and
marched upon London to claim her
rights. Northumberland could raise no
sufficient force to oppose her. He was
captured and executed, leaving Jane
and Dudley to bear the consequences
of his treason. Mary entered in tri-
umph and was crowned queen Of Eng
land.
Jane was over1oyed at being able to
lay aside the crown and scepter she
hated. She reJoiced at the idea of re-
firing to her country homo with the
young husband she adored. and set
thing down as a quiet rustic matron
But Mary would not allow this. She
felt 50 insecure upon her new throne
that she dared not leave Lady Jane
and her husband at liberty. So the
girl and Dudley we're arrested and cast
into prison. There for months they
remained.
1t is possible that Mary-merciless
as she afterward proved herself to be
might have spared these two inno-
cent children's lives. But a revolt.
headed by Sir Thomas Wyatt and
James father. SO frightened her that
she ordered the young prisoners be-
headed. Her orders were carried out
with needless brutality. A kindly Of
fcer, however. offered to grant Jane a
last interview with Dudley. The girl
refused.
Since We must die" she said, I'VE
must do nothing to weaken our cour-
III. p.;.. =, age. Tell my
"s se loved one that I
OF farewell should like to receive it
from his lips. but I could not endure
the grief of the parting. Our enemies
must not be able to say we were
afraid to die
Accordingly. the lovers did not meet
again. Dudley's head was struck on
and his lifeless. bleeding body was car
ried past the window OF his wife's cell
Jane kissed her hand to 1t, through
the bars. crying:
Farewell! The best part Of you is
already in Heaven, where shall soon
Join you. never more to leave you."
An hour later she herself was led
forth to die. To those around her she
said:
If England's welfare demands my
death it is better that an innocent per
son should suffer than that the state 8
safety should be risked.''
Thus, ON February IL. 1854, this l6-