The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-01-24
GREAT LOVE
STORIES
of HISTORY
LEICESTER AND AMY
ROBSART
lCepyrlxAS ~ Iss AasAsr ,


of the crafty duke of Northumberland.
The duke worked hard for his own
familys Advancement He arranged
a marriage between one Of his sons.
Guilford Dudley, and Lady Jane Grey.
cousin to King Edward vi. OF England.
In this series the story OF Lady Jane
Grey has been told. As result Jane.
Guilford and Northumberland were all
three beheaded. Northumberland
father had already been beheaded by
Henry VIII. for unlawful use OF power.
1t was while trying to arrange for
his family's welfare that the duke ar
ranged the marriage between his hand
soonest. cleverest son. Robert, and rich
Sir John Robsart's daughter. Amy. 1t
seemed at the time a good match. for
Robert did not then dream Of the
rank that was later to be his. Amy
loved him devotedly. and he seems to
have been fond of her in his own self
ish way. The early years OF their
married life-they were scarcely more
than boy and girl-were passed hap
PLY in quiet Berkshire. Amy was
more than con.
eoS sno o'' tent to lead a SIM
Se ~"~F' pie country exis-
tence with her handsome young hus-
band. But political temptations soon
drew them apart.
Robert received an ONCE at court
under Queen Mary. Then Mary died.
and her sister. Elizabeth. came to the
English throne. Elizabeth, though
she never married. had an eye for
handsome, clever men, and often gave
them higher positions at court than
she bestowed on persons of real merit.
Dudley knew this trait Of the queens
and resolved to profit by it. Leaving
his lonely little wife at Gunner Hall
in Berkshire. he took up his residence
at London and devoted himself to win
ming tickle Elizabeth's favor. He sue
ceeded. She loaded him with wealth
and titles. and undoubtedly fell deeply
in love with him. Then it WAS that
Roberts ambition took a new and
audaciously high fight.
Elizabeth was unmarried. She loved
Robert. and he had more influence
over her than any other living man.
Why not marry her and rise at a
bound to the dazzling rank Of prince
consort? The idea was daring. yet 1t
seemed plausible. Only one obstacle
appeared to block Roberts path ia
greatness. He already had q wife.
Amy meanwhile lived on. lonely and
neglected. at Gunner Hall. hoping ever
that her adored husband would tire
of court life and come back to her
She suspected nothing of his new
plans. not even when one or two un
successful attempts were made to
poison her. These attempts failing. IL
was necessary to use surer means
Such means were employed. and the
finger of suspicion points strongly to
Robert as instigator of the whole
crime.
One morning in 1860 Amy was found
dead. her neck broken. The report
was given out that she had faller
down a flight of stairs. A story thai
Is more generally believed is that she
was told her husband was at last com
ing to see her, and that as she rar
delightedly to the stairway to gree
him a trap door previously loosenet
by some of Roberts servants) gave
way under her feet, hurting her Il
the floor below and killing her. II
. any case the faithful, trusting girl va!
dead. and Robert was left free to mar
~ Elizabeth-if he could.
But often the best laid plans NEE
with an unexpected hitch. For SOM
reason Elizabeth refused to wed thi
| man she protested to love above al
the world Strong as was her affection
| for Robert. her selfishness was prob
Grim. 1h., ably stronger. ant
1''me '"e' she did not relisl
was ose'e's' the idea of shar
ing her royal power with any one. A
any rate, she remained single, an,
! Amy Robsart's vile murder was all IL
/ vain. Yet Elizabeth continued I,
/ shower favors on Robert. She mad
him a Knight of the Garter. gave hin
the great castle OF Kenilworth. AM
in 1864 created him earl Of Leicester
AS years went on she raised him coz
tinually to higher and higher posts O
| honor. Robert had ambition withou
ability. Therefore he made more o
less of failure of every enterprise o
diplomatic task allotted to him an
was hated by the people. All Of whicl
did not dim Elizabeth's affection no
open her eyes to the mans true chal
| acter. In 1876 the earl of Leiceste
secretly married a widow whose hus
band he was said to have poisoned
Elizabeth at last was aroused agains
her favorite. She threatened to hav
him cast into prison-not on suspicion
Of poisoning. but for daring to prefe
another woman to herself. Yet sh
later forgave him. and he rename
one of her foremost advisers until hi
death in 1857.
In Sir Walter SCOTS novel. "Keni
worth" Amy Robsart 10 representa-
as confronting Elizabeth at Leicester
castle in 1875. The chief flaw i
Scott's version is that Amy had bee
killed Is years earlier and that Eliz;
beth in all probability never saw tn
unlucky girl.