The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-02-08
4OOth Anniversary of
Birth of England's
Bloody Mary"

To-day marks the quadricentenary
of the birth of Queen Mary of Eng
land but it is not likely that the Brit
ish people will manifest much enthu-
siasm in celebration of the day. 1.-THE
to really reign over England, her pre-
decessor, Queen Jane, having been rU-
Ter in name only for ten days.
Mary was the daughter of Henry
VIII, and the first Of his ha1f-dozen
spouses, Catherine of Aragon. She
was a, precocious child according to
her biograph ers, who attempt to prove
their contention by saying that when
only four years old 'she entertain
ed some visitors by a performance on
the Virginals.'' The latter instru-
ment, it may be well to explain was
so called because it was played prin-
cipally by young ladies. 1t was a key
ed musical instrument, and was the
precursor of the harpsich ord, which in
turn gave way to the piano. At the
age of nine, we are assured little Mary
spoke Latin with great ease and as
suranCe,'' much to the delight of her
proud papa, who had given her an ex-
cellent education.
Mary was only two years old when
she was affianced to the dauphin, son
of Francis I. of France. AT five the
the French alliance having been bro
ken off she was promised to her cou-
sin the young Emperor Charles ".
When she was ten the matrimonial
plans underwent another change and
she was proposed as the bride Of
Francis I. father of her first f1ance.
This proposed alliance however was
soon broken off Wolsey having used
the princess only as a bait to furth er
his political ends. The French Kings
second son, Henry was then suggest
ed as a husband for the Princess.
Mary sided with her mother in the
controversy incident to dfenry's at
! tempt to divorce his first wife, but
| after Catherine died the Princess,
then twenty, made peace with her
] father, who forced from Mary the ad-
| mission that the marriage between her
father and mother was by Gods law
| incestuous and unlawful" While in
the eyes of all Europe Mary was then
| the only legitimate child of Henry
VIII, the latter compelled her to pass
an unjust stigma on her on birth and
| her mothers good name:
| When Mary was thirty her father
/ died and was succeeded on the throne
! by her half brother. Edward VI, the
son of Henry and Jane Seymour. Ed
ward tried to force her to abandon
| Catholicism, but he failed in the eff
! fort. When Edward died in 1853, he
/ bequeatfled the crown to Lady Jane
Grey, the young wire OF LORD Gu1id-
ford Dudley and a daughter Of the
! Duke of Suffolk. Jane was proclaim
ed queen, but after a reign Of ten
days she retired, and Mary ascended
the throne, and was royalty received
/ by the populace.
In beginning her reign she mani
tested the spirit of c1emency. and fully
meant to spare the life Of Jane. Wy
| ats insurrection caused her to ex-
ercise the feminine prerogative of
changing her mind, and Jane and her
husband lost their heads.
| Although so often bethrothed, Mary
| had no husband, and she had scarce
| Iy seated herself on the throne when
she decided to marry Philip of Spain,
| although he was eleven Naars her jul
! nior. This matrimonial project was
! rebellion, which the Queens forces
| quickly suppressed. She then com
menced a cruel persecution which
| earned for her the title of "the Bloody
! Mary When she dieds after a reign
of five years. the event was hailed with
/ joy by the popdlace. Mary's half
sister, Elizabeth, .tGood Queen Bess,' -
who had been confined in the Tower
| during Mary's reign, Skinned up into
the vacant throne before it had time
| to get colds"-to quote a Kansas his
torian, land held it down for forty
five years of the most eventfu1 reign
! ing ever reigned by an English. reign
| err"