Year: 1869

!
for the less horrible martyrdom Of the
body! Could its history be written, truth
fully and without prejudice, what volume
it would be! But no English pen eve
did, ever could treat the subject faithfully
and none but Englishmen know its horrors


The bright sun Of an October day wa
shining over London, in the year 1858
The young King Edward was dying, in th'
very flower of his youth, and at the mo
ment of his death, she who afterwards at
tanned to the terrible and most unwomanl,
titles Of Bloody Mary and Scarlet Queen
was on her way to take his place as reign
ing sovereign. One chance in many brough
about the result she so much desired ant
she passed onward to the throne which sh'
stained by her after deeds. The few goot
acts which she performed stand out bright
ly from the dark back ground of her reign
like stars from midnight sky. The
daughter Of Henry VIII must needs have
within her reckless and selfish disregard
Of others, save in a few instances. She
did not belle her parentage.


Mary had a triumphal entry into the
tower, which was then the gloomy abode
Of Gardiner, Bonner and Tonstall. The
three bishops were allowed to meet hel
on Tower green and implore her grace and
protection. They were then, with others
restored to liberty.


There was another inmate there's
bright-eyed youth, whose handsome face
brought a strong throb to the heart of the
unlovely queen, whose own youth had long
since passed away. This was the young
Courtney, son of the attainted Marquis Of
Exeter, whose childhood, pure and guiltless
as it was, had known no other shelter. As
he knelt beside the venerable bishop, Mary
forgot that she might have been his mother
so great was the discrepancy in their ages
forgot everything save that she was Queen
Of England and might be also Queen o.
Hearts.


Courtney was not only released from
confinement but raised to honors at once
He was created Earl of Devon. At court
he was distinguished for grace and accom-
plishments, as we'll as for the perfection Of
that manly beauty that had so speedily
touched the heart of his sovereign. One
would have deemed that he had always
breathed the charmed atmosphere of a
court instead Of that of prison. Mary
was proud of the treasure she had rescued
Alas she could not reach that youthful
heart. There was another attraction in
her train--her young and beautiful sister
inheriting the spirit of her father and the
beauty Of her unfortunate mother and to
her the young earl turned as naturally as
the sunt1ower to his god.


The queen sat in her own apartment
somewhat apart from her ladies. Her sal
low face i'll accorded with the rich apparel
which she wore, and which, though superb
in material, was tasteless in form and col
oring. The pearls she wore were in strong
contrast to the yellow and withered neck.
BY curtained window, in whose deeI
shadow one might have been easily screen
ed from an observation less keen, Mary haG
caught glimpse, now of fair white neck
shaded by golden tresses, now cf a beauti
full arm cleaning through its Transparent
hanging sleeve Beside her own chair
which was raised single step from the
floor, knelt Courtney, Earl of Devon. Hel
penetrating eye marked the wishful glance
that was so often directed to the fair girl al
with Unsurpassed indignation.


Within brief half hour she had whis.
pered words that, had they fallen from
Elizabeth's lips, would have made tha
young hearts pulse quiver with delight
He had heard and understood them, but he
had been wise enough to conceal his knowl
edge; and Mary, half vexed that he could
not appreciate the honor which she woulc
gladly bestow upon him, and half mac
with rage that he should prefer, as he evi
IDENTIFY did, the princess to the queen, sud
denly dismissed him from her presence.


The look which passed between the two
as he passed out was not observed by the
jealous queen. Elizabeth craved permis
sion to withdraw, but was refused with g
flash of the eye that spoke the daughter o
Henry VIII. She bade her draw nigh, an(
then and there she administered a volley o
invectives to the young princess which vice
10 quality with those that Elizabeth so ofteI
afterwards bestowed upon all who awaken
ed her frequent jealousics. She did no
spare her any more than she would have
spared the meanest Of her attendants. Ever
then the young princess had within her the
germ of that strong and bitter sarcasm
that ungovernable thirst for love, and tina
passion for coquetry that distinguished hel
after years. She replied wittily and saucily
to the jealous sister forgetting for the mo
ment that she was her queen; and Mary
who had ever hated the daughter of Anne
Boleyn, resolved that hence forth, she would
exclude her from those interviews which
she had intended should take place with the
young earl and herself.


Elizabeth's life was therefore one of per
petual restraint. She was sedulously KEEP
from seeing Courtney, except for few
hurried chance meetings i'll the galleries Or
upon the staircase of the royal abode
Then, indeed, the rupturous love of the two
fond hearts found amends for absence in the
pressure of hands or the thrilling kisse!
which they contrived to give when the at
tendants were called another way, ano
which had Mary seen or suspected, woult
have caused not only banishment, but per-
haps death.


Once indeed they met, and, strangely
enough, their interview was neither watch
ed nor forbidden. At the end of long
gallery there was a deeply arched window