The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1917-04-17
A Forgotten
Edict
Historical Story of the Six
tenth Century
BY F. A. mitchell

BY F. A. mitchell
EU>~~~1~%>~4~~
Harry, the great king, the bluff king,
he who married six wives and behead-
ed two Of them, was dead, and his son
Edward, a 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 supplanted 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 in her veins, before the young
Edward died In 1868, the duke per-
suaded Edward to name his daughter
in-law to succeed him.
1t was on May day of this year that
a number Of young persons were dane
/
county of Essex Among them was
young Robert Woodville, son of Sir
Thomas Woodville, young man much
beloved by all who knew him. Many
a lass cast oovetOus eyes upon him,
but they were all forced to give way
to Mary Edmonson, who was the most
comedy, and withal, modest and amia-
| BILE.
These two were swinging round the
! circle hand In hand when a man rode
up to Woodville and asked to have
speech with him apart from the 9TH
ers. The dancing stopped, for there
was grave look on the strangers face,
and all waited while Woodville and he
talked earnestly, but In low tones. The
newcomer appeared to be endeavoring
to persuade the young man to some
thing which he did not approve. Pres
emily Woodville broke away from him,
beckoned Mary Edmonson aside and
said to her:
and has named Lady Jane Grey to be
his successor. There will be other
claimants-Mary, the late kings |
daughter by his first wife, Catherine |
of Arragon, and Elizabeth, his daugh- |
ter by his second wife, Anne Boleyn. |
This man is an emissary of the Duke |
of Northumberland, beating up adher- |
ents for his daughter-in-law, the Lady |
Jane Grey. He offers me a commits |
sion in the army and when Jane Is |
firmly established on the throne a po- |
sition at court. am persuaded to &C.
cept his offer"
Il beg that you will not" replied the |
girl. 1.-THE rightful sovereign is Mary. |
the daughter of the only rightful wife
of the late King Henry The Duke of |
Northumberland will bring sorrow on
the poor girl, on whose head he is en-
deavoring to place a crown. More
likely he will set an ak to her neck.
She is too young to decide such a mat,
ter for herself or she would refuse to
be made the dupe of her father-in-
law"
mo one," replied Robert, "can tell
where the crown will eventually rest.
II on the head of the Princess Mary, I
gain nothing; if on the head of Lady
wedding, instead of taking place
among rustics, will be celebrated with
in palace"
"Say, rather, in a dungeon"
mo, no, sweetheart. 1 have conf
dence In the duke. Think of the place
l shall be able to offer you as one of
the supporters of the successful claim
ant"
Ambition proved stronger than the
pleadings Of the girl, and the end of
the matter was that Woodviie went
of to London to report In person to
Lord GutlfOrd Dudley, who had 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 be-
trothed. The Lady Jane Grey at first
refused to accept crown to which
she knew she was not entitled, but
was at last persuaded by the entreaties
of her father-in-law and her husband
to accept it. She was queen but nine
days when her adherents were over
powered, and the Princess Mary, after
ward called Bloody Mary, became SOW
ereign. The Duke of Northumberland,
Lord Guilford Dudley and Lady Jane
Grey were imprisoned in the Tower of
London and later suffered death on
Tower hill
News came to Mary Edmonson of
the collapse of the scheme her lover
had supported and that he was a pris-
oner in the Tower of London. Mary
was a ward in chancery to a man Of
the law named Roger Bradford. To
Bradford she went and implored him
to go with her to London and defend
her lover when he should be tried for
high treason. But when the lawyer
learned that Woodville had been one
Of Lord Guilford Dudley's heutenants
in the conspiracy he told Mary that
any defense was useless. The queen
was very bitter against the conspira-
tors and was resolved to punish all
who were concerned in the plot.
But" added Bradford, 81 will try
and think up a plan by which Robert
Woodville may escape death. Come to
me on the morrow, and If my knowl-
edge Of the law serves me 1 will tell
you"
When Mary went to him the next
day he told her that the only way he
could get her lover out Of the Tower
was to accuse him of having commit
ted a crime against the church. The
government might consider sacrilege
of more Importance than high treason.
II he could bring Woodville to his
home to be tried for an offense against
religion he would have an advantage.
But If he were acquitted the sovereign
would claim him to be tried as q
traitor
what propose" added the lawyer
in conclusion, "is to bring him here II
possible, try him for sacrilege and con-
Wet him."
Convict him?" exclaimed Mary.
Eyes He must be convicted"
"And the punishment"
HE will be hanged"
Mary could see no advantage In be-
ing hanged over dying at the block.
but Bradford, who knew more law
than most of his craft, told her that
there was royal edict ON the records
which might help him to save her low
er's life. 1t was a hundred years old,
belonging to a period when matters of
justice were very crude. With more
civilized methods of court procedure 1t
had become obsolete, but had never
been repealed.
A church near by where Robert