The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1912-07-03

tlnt heaven DCs
-HIs scurrlous, nock-ephAp Apn'
written by s political foe, fi1es
I'D the character Of Robert Duc-
= lev earl Q. Leicester, far better
than do the stately lines OF lis iono'
But neither O. the two tel ioe most
,rnportsut thing about hin: nancy
that he probably came Vltsin Al Ace
OF being prince coaso-t Of kns.Eno.
husband Of Queen Elizabeth Ano VI
the laws could have been !1ss'ea W
ft the case even ElE
Leicester. only claims 10 success
were good lookt. caA-o O. manner
and to-El lknk 0. conscience. Ie'
,hes. th-e. Qualities lifted him high
e. thku Amos, any other man OF his
oEr. Ee hat he sall further handl-
cap ?. bsr1r-lng LIS political career in
--is-- TIE siK-t vss not favorable
b. -. usrs luek quickly made up
.o- .e-s GrEEo&ck
Eis tE;he-. he duke Of Northum-
se-.ap5. plotted 10 make unlucky lit
Le Lady Jane Gray this daughter-in-
law queen Of England Queen Mary,
daughter o. Henry VIII, crushed the
blot. mounted the throne herself, and
condemned 10 death Lady Jane, her
young husband. and Northumberland
himself. Robert Dudley (Northumber-
lands second son and Lady James
protheriu-law), was also thrown INTO
jail, accused Of a share in the con-
.pirscy and was sentenced to death.
Bu, De WAS soon set free and given
& court position
When Elizabeth came to the throne
n 1853, her fckle fancy was caught
by young Dudley. He was suikingly
SEu6some-and she loved handsome
men He was clever fatterer-and
she sdored fattery. She gave Lei
cestey one high ofice after another,
heayi1g rank and honors upon him to
the scandal Of all Europe.
4 There can be no doubt the queen
was deeply in love with him. 1t was
rumored that this capricious sover-
eign, who had stubbornly refused to
marry any European prince or king.
meant 10 bestow her hand on Dudley.
/ But there was hitch in this plan.
/ He was already married. When he
was a mere youth he welded Amy
/ Robsart, daughter Of rich old knight.
| For years Amy had been kept away
/ from court in an obscure Berkshire
( country house, Cumnor hall, There
/ Dudley, once in a great while, visited
| hr. But for the most part she lived
! a wretchedly lonely life. Now that
he was an aspirant for Elizabeth
hand, it became necessary for the
neglectful husband to get rids OF his
wife. Accordingly, Amy was found
one day lying dead In Cumnor hall,
her neck broken.
1t was soon after this tragedy that
the queen raised Dudley TO the rank
Of Earl of Leicester" She also sug'
gested him as a suitable husband for
the unfortunate Mary Queen OF Scots
| (This was thought 10 be a blind to
hide her own love for him. Leicester
afterward proposed that Mary, who
was then a prisoner OF Elizabeth's, be
put out of the way by poison.) Eliza
| beth gave Leicester the magnificent
| castle Of Kenilworth and other rich es
tates in Warwickshire. At this castle
! in 1875, he entertained the queen for
some days with a series OF gaudy spec
tacles and revels that cost him $500,
900, which sum his various court Of
ficers doubtless permitted him to gain
back from the people.
At this time his coming marriage to
the queen was a matter OF common
talk. Just what wrecked the plan nc
one knows. In any case, something
occurred TO destroy Leicester's hopes
and to turn him, in a moment, from
possible prince consort to mere
might have been"
He revenged himself by marrying
the countess OF Essex, whose husband
he was suspected Of poisoning. Eliza
beth could never bear to have hel
courtiers look at any other woman ex
eept herself She few into mad rage
at news Of Leicesters marriage and
swore he should die in the Tower o1
London. But she soon forgave him
and even afforded him new chancei
for OH cial incompetency.
In 1888, in his nfty-seventh year
Leicester died. II was at the time
rumored that he met death by drink
ing a cup of poison he had prepared
for his wife. This may have been
bit Of malicious court gossip; or, Il
true, It may have implied that he still
believed be could win Elizabeth'i