New-York tribune., 1912-04-06
Literary News and Criticism

bered. She was the youngest and IA
vorite sister of Henry VIII: she was very
pretty, very sprightly; she had good
manners and some accomplishments, but
no special intelligence. At thirteen she
was married by proxy to the Prince oi
CASTLE the boy who was to become the
great Emperor Charles V, and for five
wears she was called Princess OF CASTLE
at her brothers court. Not far off was
the day when the young husband ana
wife were to meet for the first time,
when the mutable current Of international
politics and royal alliances change%
again. King Henry and his Wolsey per-
suaded Mary to renounce her marriage
with Charles in favor of French BRIDE
groom, and the Tilted Castllan got no
more satisfaction when he complained,
than the response of his councillors;
you are young, but the King OF France
is the first King in Christendom, ana
having no wife, it rests with him t. take
for his queen any woman he plcases.
The pretty English princess was elgh-
teen and King Louis was feeble, sick
old man when Henry suddenly told ms
sister what her fate was to be. Whether
il was at that moment that the King
discovered that she had given her heart
TO his chosen friend, Charles Brandon
Duke OF Suffolk, we do not know; at
any rate he gave her 10 understand that
the old Frenchman could not live long
and that when widowed he would leave
her free to marry as she pleased. 'Once
she had allowed herself to be dazzled
into consenting, things were hurried on
and she had not a chance for reflection.
She was almost buried in jewels, and a
marvellous trousseau kept her busy When
she was not dancing and dining. me
old King waited for his bride with seven
Golfers Of jewels beside him. She should
not have them all at once, he is quoted
as saving with a laugh, but at divers
times, for he would have many, and at
divers times, kisses and thanks for them.
For three months the young wife sat
beside the ailing mans bedside. talking
havior that he wrote 10 her brother that
he loved and honored her more and
more each day. Then he ed;-and while
formally mourning for him in Paris, she
secretly married her fascinating Duke
Of Suffolk. The duke hesitated, as well
he might, for he had not King Henry's
permission TO take his sister to wife;
and weeping sorely, the headstrong young
Queen exclaimed that unless he mar
ried her before they went to England
she would neither marry him nor go to
England" What could Suffolk do but
yield? King Harry stormed-it is not
said that he concerned himself with the
fact that the duke had previously mar
ried and deserted several wives-but he
finally bridled his wrath and consented
TO a ceremonious remarriage when the
pair returned to England Mary's after
life was more or less happy-often less
| perhaps. for Suffolk was not particu-
/ larly good husband. She was thirty-siX
when she died, and three months after
ward her duke married a girl of fifteen.
Such is the story Of Mary Tudor, told
! by her latest biographer with much de-
tail and amplified description. The book
| is an excellent specimen Of the modern
fashionable memoir-a thing which, for
many readers, serves to agreeably sugar
coat the history of the past.