Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1916-06-06
A Forgotten
Edict

Historical Story Of the Sin, )
{ teenth Century :
BY T. A. mitchell J
Harry. the great k1ng, the Diun King.
be who married sx wives and behead-
ed two Of them, was dead, and his son
Edward, q mere Lad, was on the
throne Of Great Britain. But the boy
being too young to govern, the Duke
Of Somerset, having assumed the title
of lord protector. was sovereign In his
stead In all but In name.
But Somerset was suppianted By
John Dudley, Duke Of Northumber-
land, an ambitious man. and planned
that the crown should rest upon the
heads Of his descendants. Having
married his son. Lord Guilford Dud-
ley, to Lady Jane Grey, who had royal
blood II her veins, before the young
Edward died in 1853. the duke Fer.
suaded Edward to name his daughter
in-law to succeed him.
It was on May day Of this year that
a number Of young persons were dane
ing around pole In a 6sld In the
county Of Essex. Among them was
young Robert Woodvillo, son Of Sir
Thomas Woodville, a young man much
beloved by all who knew him. Many
q lass cast covetous eyes upon him,
but they were all forced to give way
to Mary Edmonson, who was the most
comely. and withal. modest and amia-
BILE.
These two were swinging round the
, circle hand In hand when q man rode
up to Woodvills and asked to have
speech with him apart from the 9TH
efs. The dancing stopped, for there
was q grave look on the strangers face,
and all waited while Woodville and be
talked earnestly, but In low tones. The
newcomer appeared to be endeavor1ng
to persuade the young man TO some
thing which he did not approve. Pres
entity Woodville broke away from hin,
beckoned Mary Edmonson aside and
said to her:
1.-The young King Edward 1s dead
and has named Lady Jane Grey to be
his successor. There VIII be other
claimants-Mary, the late kings
daughter by his first wita Catherine
Of Arragon, and Elizabeth, bis daugh-
ter by his second wife, Anne Bolsyn
This man Is an emissary Of the Duke
OF Northumberland, beating up adher'
Ients for his daughter-in-law, the Lady
Jane Grey. he offers me commit
lsion In the army and when Jane II
firmly established on the throne q po-
sttion at court am persuaded to &C.
cept his offer"
II beg that you VIII not" replied the
Igiri. "The rightful sovereign Is Mary,
the daughter Of the only rightful wife
Of the late King Henry. The Duke OF
Northumberland viii bring sofrow on
the poor girl, on whose head be p en-.
deavoring to place q crown. More
likely be will set an az to her meek
She IL too young to decide such q mat
ter for herself or she would refuse to
be made the dupe Of her father4n'
law"
mo one." replied Robert, -cau ten
where the crown will eventually rsse
Il on the head Of the Princess Mary, ]
gain nothing; # on the head Of Lady
Jane, and I help to place It there, ow
wedding. instead Of taking placs
among rustics, WIN bs celebrated with
in q palace"
'1say, rather, In dungeon"
"No, no, sweetheart. I have enA
,dence in the duke. Think Of the place
I shall be able TO offer you as one OF
the supporters Of the successful claim
ant"
Ambition proved stronger than The
pieadings Of the GIRL and the end OF
the matter was that WoodvflIe went
of to London to report In person b
Lord Guilford Dudley, who bad sent
for him, while the messenger went on
to enlist further recruits.
Well had It been for the young man
had he listened to the advice Of his b.
trothed. The Lady Jane Grey at hr1e
refused to accept crown to which
she knew she was not entitled but
was at last persuaded BY TIE entreada
of her father-in-law and her husband
TO accept It She was queen but nins
days when her adherents were over
powered, and the Princess Mary, aftsr
ward called Bloody Mary. became eov.
.ereign. The Duke Of Northumberland,
Lord Guilford Dudley and Lady Jans
Grey were Imprisoned In the Tower Of
London and later suffered desth on
Tower hill.
News came to Mary Bdmonsoa o.
the collapse Of the scheme her love-
had supported and that he was peas
-oner in the Tower Of London. Mary
was a ward In chancefy to man o.
the law named Roger Bradford 1S
Bradford she went and iDaplored him
to 20 with her to London and defsnd
her lover when he should be tried Ia
high treason. But when the lawya
learned that Woodville had been on
.of Lord Guilford Dudley's lieutemnta
IN the conspiracy he told Mary thaa
any defense was useless. The quses
was very hitter against the conspara
tors and was resolved TO punish q
who were concerned In the plot
.But," added Bradford, II WIN IL
and think up a plan by which Robert
'woodviIle may escape death. Ooms ..
mo on the morrow, and II my knovi
.sdge Of ths law serves me- wiz ~
you"
When Mary went to him the Nh
sday he told her that the only way n
could get her lover out OF the TowS
|, was to accuse him Of having cotnmsl
I'D q erims asatust the chnrch IN
government might consider q sacS0sge
,of more Importance than msh treason
.If he could bring Woodville 10 M
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