The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-01-28
HENRY HOWARD, EARL OF
 SURREY.

"A man no less valiant than learn ed, and of excellent hopes"
 Thus said history of the dashing young Earl of Surrey, doomed to be beheaded on Tower Hill at the age of 37, in the year 1517.
 To Surrey, soldier, scholar, poet, we are indebted for the first English sonnets and blank verse.
 They said he was guilty of high treason.
 It was the age of Henry VIII. the royal Bluebeard who yet had a strange love for arts and letters. It was the Age of the Reformation. John Knox was illuminating in the North. But the beheading-axe of the Tower was daily crimsoning deeper with every dying sun. Henry How ard, Earl of Surrey, was of the great family of thu Norfolks, g. Catholic family.
 In his youth Surrey had made the tour of Europe. At Florence he had signanlized his courage and romantic spirit by publishing, in the style of a knight-errant, a lyrical challenge to a tournament, to all comers-Chris- tian;- Saracen, Jew, Turk, Infdel, in defense of his mistress to the claim of surpassing loveliness - the fair Geraldine.
 The Grand Duke of Tuscany, there fore of Florence, was, at that period A1lessandro de- Medici of the re- nowned de- Medici family. He ac- cepted Surrey's gallant challenge, and instituted tournament-in which Surrey in the shock of knightly com bat was victorious.
 Let the reader picture the scene the arena; Geraldine in the quaint dress of cloth of gold and the shin- mering evil; and the victorious knight Howard Earl Surrey with the pearl strewn sleeve of his faire ladye at tached to his helmet, winning out against the flower of Europe's chtv- airy.
 Could he have foreseen only a few short years ahead when again he would kneel-but before a beheadins- block and bright axe raining blood
 Surrey served in the army sent by Henry VIII. against Scotland in 1542 For, Scotland was an independent monarchy in those days, under James ", father of Mary Stuart afterwards Queen of Scots. James lost the battle of SoIway Firth = and died; the 1 daughter, Mary Stuart. Scotland under the Stuarts was Catholic. Surrey was accused to as piring to the hand of the little Prin. cess, Mary Stuart---the gir1ie. had beer , sent to Catholic France to be edu cated.
 Woman-Mary Stuart-how was i that from babyhood you brough : doom to gallant gentlemen? It is al | almost uncanny. Here stands Surrey 1 daring, gifted, high-souIed, who wa!
 sent by Henry VIII. himself tt | France where you, Mary Stuart were l toddling about, and Surrey fell undel | your spell.
 1 And there was Chaste1ard who diet ! for you when you grew to woman hood; and there was poor Rizzie
 murdered in Ho1yrood Palace, nur dered at the very door of your beG
 chamber, murdered in your yer. 1 presence; and there was Lord Darn 1 ley, your second husband, murdere, ] by orders of the grim Bothwell-Ear | Boutwell,.
 1 Surrey died on Tower Hill, on1, | 27! Accused by a flippant, common | jury of high treason. Surrey was Catholic; and there as Baby Mar. 1 Stuart who had imprisoned him with
 in her golden curls. Had Surrey for gotten hrs Geraldine? Mary Stuar
 was a CathS1ic, we remember. Anc there was the Reformation stalking | through the land.