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the same primers be blotted or clearly put out of the same; any thing in this Act to the contrary notwithstanding.

VI. Provided always, That this Act, or any thing therein contained, shall not extend to any image or picture set or graven upon any tomb in any church, chapel, or churchyard, only for a monument of any king, prince, nobleman, or other dead person, which hath not been commonly reputed or taken for a saint, but that such pictures and images my stand and continue in like manner and form as if this Act had never been had nor made; any thing in this Act to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding.

(Ed. from Statutes at Large, ed. cited, III, p. 565.

125. Journal of Edward VI.

Records, Burnet

The following extracts from the journal of Edward VI., a mere boy, are pathetic in their evidence of abnormal precocity. They are also important in that they foreshadow the attitude of Mary toward the Protestant religion.

March [1550]

18. The lady Mary, my sister, came to me at Westminster, where, after salutations, she was called with my council, into a chamber; where was declared how long I had suffered her mass, in hope of her reconciliation, and how now being no hope, which I perceived by her letters, except I saw some short amendment, I could not bear it. She answered, "that her soul was God's, and her faith she would not change, nor dissemble her opinion with contrary doings." It was said, “I constrained not her faith, but willed her not as a king to rule, but as a subject to obey; and that her example might breed too much inconvenience."

19. The emperor's ambassador came with a short message from his master of war, if I would not suffer his cousin, the princess, to use her mass. To this was no answer given at

this time.

20. The bishops of Canterbury, London, Rochester, did consider to give license to sin, was sin; to suffer and wink at it for a time might be born, so all haste possible might be used.

23. The council having the bishop's answers, seeing my subjects taking their vent in Flanders, might put the whole realm in danger. The Flemings had cloth enough for a year in their hand, and were kept far under the danger of the papists;

the fifteen hundred cinquetales of powder I had in Flanders, the harness they had for preparation of the gendarmory, the goods my merchants had there at the Woolfleet, decreed to send an ambassador to the emperor, Mr. Wotton, to deny the matter wholly, and persuade the emperor in it, thinking, by his going, to win some time for a preparation of a mart, convenience of powder, harness, etc., and for the surety of the realm. In the mean season, to punish the offenders, first of my servants that heard mass, next of hers.

24. Sir Anthony Brown sent to the Fleet for hearing mass with serjeant Morgan, Sir Clement Smith, which a year before heard mass, chidden.

25. The ambassador of the emperor came to have his answer, but had none, saving, that one should go to the emperor within a month or two to declare the matter.

(Collection of Records, Burnet, ed. cit., clxvi.

CHAPTER XVII

THE REACTION AGAINST PROTESTANTISM

126. Lady Jane Grey's Claim to the Throne

Records, Burnet

The claim of Lady Jane Dudley-or, as she is better known, of Lady Jane Grey to the throne of England is set forth in the following document. The text has been given in full, as it throws light upon a little-understood period, and gives the complete ground of claim of the unfortunate lady whose reign was the briefest of England's queens.

Jane, by the grace of God queen of England, France, and Ireland, defender of the faith, and of the Church of England, and also of Ireland, under Christ on earth the supreme head. To all our most loving, faithful, and obedient subjects, and to every of them, greeting. Whereas our most dear cousin Edward the 6th, late king of England, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith; and on earth supreme head, under Christ, of the Church of England and Ireland; by his letters patents, signed with his own hand, and sealed with his great seal of England, bearing date the 21st day of June, in the seventh year of his reign; in the presence of the most part of his nobles, his counsellors, judges, and divers other grave and sage personages, for the profit and surety of his whole realm, thereto assenting and subscribing their names to the same, hath, by the same his letters patent, recited, forasmuch as the imperial crown of his realm, by an act made in the 35th year of the reign of the late king, of worthy memory, king Henry the 8th, our progenitor, and great uncle, was, for lack of issue by his body lawfully begotten; and for lack of issue of the body of our said late cousin king Edward the 6th, by the same act, limited and appointed to remain to the lady Mary his eldest daughter, and to the heirs of her body lawfully begotten: and for default of such issue, the remainder thereof to the lady Elizabeth, by the name of the

lady Elizabeth his second daughter, and to the heirs of her body lawfully begotten; with such conditions as should be limited and appointed by the said late king of worthy memory, king Henry the 8th, our progenitor, and great uncle, by his letters patent under his great seal, or by his last will in writing, signed with his hand. And forasmuch as the said limitation of the imperial crown of his realm being limited, as is aforesaid, to the said lady Mary, and lady Elizabeth, being illegitimate, and not lawfully begotton, for that the marriage had, between the said late king, king Henry the 8th, our progenitor, and great uncle, and the lady Katherine, mother of the said lady Mary; and also the marriage had between the said late king, king Henry the 8th, our progenitor, and great uncle, and the lady Ann, mother of the said lady Elizabeth, were clearly and lawfully undone, by sentences of divorce, according to the word of God, and the ecclesiastical laws; and which said several divorcements have been severally ratified and confirmed by authority of Parliament, and especially in the 28th year of the reign of king Henry the 8th, our said progenitor, and great uncle, remaining in force, strength, and effect, whereby, as well the said lady Mary, as also the said lady Elizabeth, to all intents and purposes, are, and been clearly disabled, to ask, claim, or challenge the said imperial crown, or any other of the honours, castles, manours, lordships, lands, tenements, or other hereditaments, as heir or heirs to our said late cousin king Edward the 6th, or as heir or heirs to any other person or persons whatsoever, as well for the cause before rehearsed, as also for that the said lady Mary, and lady Elizabeth, were unto our said late cousin but of the half-blood, and therefore by the ancient laws, statutes, and customs of this realm, be not inheritable unto our said late cousin, although they had been born in lawful matrimony; as indeed they were not, as by the said sentences of divorce, and the said statute of the 28th year of the reign of king Henry the 8th, our said progenitor, and great uncle, plainly appeareth, and forasmuch also, as it is to be thought, or at the least much to be doubted, that if the said lady Mary, or lady Elizabeth, should hereafter have or enjoy the said imperial crown of this realm, and should then happen to marry with any stranger born out of this realm, that then the said stranger, having the government and the imperial crown in his hands, would adhere and practice not only to bring this noble, free realm into the tyranny and servitude of the

bishops of Rome, but also to have the laws and customs of his or their own native country or countries, to be practised and put in use within this realm, rather than the laws, statutes, and customs here of long time used; whereupon the title of inheritance, of all and singular the subjects of this realm to depend, to the peril of conscience, and the utter subversion of the common-weal of this realm: whereupon our said late dear cousin, weighing and considering within. himself which ways and means were most convenient to be had for the stay of the said succession, in the said imperial crown, if it should please God to call our said late cousin out this transitory life, having no issue of his body; and calling to his remembrance, that we, and the lady Katherine, and the lady Mary, our sisters (being the daughters of the lady Frances, our natural mother, and then, and yet, wife of our natural and most loving father, Henry duke of Suffolk; and the lady Margaret, daughter of the lady Elianor, then deceased, sister of the said lady Frances, and the late wife of our cousin Henry earl of Cumberland) were very nigh of his grace's blood, of the part of his father's side, our said progenitor, and great uncle; and being naturally born here, within the realm; and for the very good opinion our said late cousin had of our said sisters' and cousin Margaret's good education, did therefore, upon good deliberation and advice herein had, and taken, by his said letters patents, declare, order, assign, limit, and appoint, that if it should fortune himself, our said late cousin, king Edward the Sixth, to decease, having no issue of his body lawfully, begotten, that then the said imperial crown of England and Ireland, and the confines of the same, and his title to the crown of the realm of France; and all and singular honours, castles, prerogatives, privileges, preeminencies and authorities, jurisdictions, dominions, possessions, and hereditaments, to our said late cousin, king Edward the Sixth, or to the said imperial crown belonging, or in any-wise appertaining, should, for lack of such issue of his body, remain, come, and be to the eldest son of the body of the said lady Frances, lawfully begotten, being born into the world in his life-time, and to the heirs males of the body of such eldest son lawfully begotten; and so from son to son, as he should be of vicinity of birth of the body of the said lady Francis, lawfully begotten, being born into the world in our said late cousin's life-time, and to the heirs male of the body of every such son lawfully begotten. And for default of such son born into the world

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