Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-25
ace of King Edward VI with regal pomp

ace of King Edward VI with regal pomp
and magnificence.
Within seven weeks Edward was dead
after having signed a deed of settlement
throne. Edwards death left possession OF
the throne Of England in controversy Tor
the moment. All claimants to it were
women; the late kings sisters. Mary
Tudor, daughter of Catherine Of ARA
gon. later known as Bloody Mary" and
Elizabeth. daughter OF Anne Boleyn
could alone raise pretensions against Lady
Jane. But these two had been explicitly
declared illegitimate by their father.
Henry VIII. Accordingly Northumber-
land set about urging Lady Jane to &C
cept the crown. To this. she was much
averse. In a letter showing wonderful
foresight for one so young. and which in
the light of the events which followed
her coronation seems uncannfly prophetic,
she said: = =
in the guiles of fortune as to suffer my
self to be taken by them. II
now permit her to adorn and crown me
must tomorrow suffer her to, tear me tn
pieces. Nay. with what crown does she
present me? A crown which hath been
violently and shamefully wrested from
Catherine of Arragon, made more unfor-
tunate by the punishment OF Anne b.
leyn. And why. then, would you
have me add my blood to theirs and De
the blind victim from whom this fatal
crown may be ravished, with the head
that wears ft?' :, 49,
Northumberland Deserts Her.
But clear as was her foresight and right
her position, she was overpersuaded by
her ambitious relatives, and July 10 was
proclaimed queen IN London's gray tower
which has seen many pomps OF pride and
more martyrdoms.
4. v~yt,> %f14 a.
full predictions of Lady Jane began to be
fulfilled: The friends Of Mary Tudor
who had groomed her for the throne a.
assiduously-and as selfishly-as North
cumberland had pressed Jane prepared fol
war. Their armies grew rapidly: those OF
Northumberland rapidly wasted away
Like politicians of every day. he swift!
deserted the queen, whom he had lurec
from a satisfied privacy into a turbulent
public position, and himself proclaimed
Mary Queen Of England. Within few
hours Queen Jane was prisoner IN the
Tower, to which she had come as q
queen.
. 1t was a ruthless day and age. Mary
with possession of the throne and ar
army to aid her in holding 1t. might well
have spared the child-Wife. the nine days
queen, whom she had consigned to Lon
don's grimmest stronghold. Instead she
permitted Lady Jane and her boyish hus-
band to be prosecuted for high treason
Both pleaded guilty and were sentenced
to death. 1t Is believed that Mary, cruel
as her later career showed her to be-
had no intention Of permitting this SEN
tence to be executed, but James father
the Duke of Suffolk, who had been all his
life a blunderer, entered into plot
against the queen which aroused her
wrath and sent him as well as his daugh-
ter and son-in-law to the block.
All the incidents surrounding the un-
timely death on the scaffold of this girl
queen are inexpressibly pathetic, and al
the same time indicative of the firm will
and quiet dignity which she had at
tanned through sore tribulation even al
her early age. Lord Guilford had begged
Of Queen Mary the boon of seeing his
wife ere he preceded her to the scaffold
But though the favor was granted by the
queen, 1t was refused by the wife. She
wrote to Lord Guilford that 1t was te
be feared her presence would rather
weaken than strengthen him: that he
ought to take courage from. his reason
and derive constance from his heart; that
If his soul were not firm and settled she
could not. settle it by. her, eyes nor. con-
firm 1t by her. words. and that he would
do well to remit the interview till they
met in a better world. where friendships
were happy and unions indissoluble and
theirs she hoped would be eternal"
.Begs for a Quick Death.
She saw her husband pass below her