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was likewise godmother to one of Somerset's gifted daughters, Mary Seymour, who was baptized by Archbishop Cranmer.

Taylor," the Poet of the Needle," makes some interesting allusions to the Queen's tapestry work for Windsor Castle and Hampton Court.

It is stated by a contemporary that Queen Mary felt a pleasure in elevating women of education and exalted virtue. She made Lady Berkley a justice of the peace for Gloucestershire, and Lady Rous was appointed justice of quorum for Suffolk; and the latter sat on the bench at assizes, as a justice of the peace in attendance upon the judges. Several cases in which women were wholly concerned were investigated by ladies, and their decisions gave satisfaction to the English judges.*

Amongst Queen Mary's personal friends were several of the wives and daughters of leading Reformers-such as the Duchess of Somerset, and Lady Bacon. The correspond

ence between the Queen and those ladies proves that religious differences did not go far in unbinding the ties of private friendship. I have already alluded to the relations which existed between the mother and sister of Jane Dudley and the Queen, which may appear strange to those "obstinate thinkers" who have faith still in Foxe and such annalists.

Among the distinguished ladies of Mary's Court the granddaughter of Sir Thomas More and the daughter of that illustrious English matron, Margaret Roper, stood in the front rank. The name of the lady in question was

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Margaret Basset; her husband was also attached to the Queen's Court. Mrs. Basset was a most learned and amiable woman; at an early age she translated Eusebius from the Greek into English.

*

Like her father, Mary Tudor was an excellent musician. She also understood Italian; spoke Latin, Spanish, and French. At eleven years of age, she translated the prayer of St. Thomas Aquinas from the Latin. The construction of her head and throat gave a peculiar tone to her voice, which was that of " a large able-bodied man." Those who were much about the person of Queen Mary affirm that she never used the unbecoming language so frequent at the time in high circles. She was easy of access, and particularly kind to the poorer classes of her own sex. The Duchess of Somerset relates many interesting anecdotes of the early life of Mary Tudor, and her intimacy with Jane Seymour, and the family of Lord Crumwell. Crumwell entertained a high respect for the Princess; who was frequently his guest at the magnificent entertainments given by him. He made her most costly presents; and it was bruited for a time, that Crumwell, who was then a widower, intended to procure the King's sanction for a marriage with Mary. But, notwithstanding all his ambition, Crumwell had far too much common sense to seriously contemplate such a perilous union.

Soranzo, the Venetian Ambassador, writing to the Doge, remarks "The Queen of England is not of a strong constitution. She suffers from headache and affection of the heart, and has to be blooded, perhaps, too often. The Queen

* Michel's Despatches to the Doge of Venice.

is of very spare diet, and never eats any food until one of the clock, but drinks some warm milk. She attends in her private chapel every morning at an early hour. Her attention to public business is praiseworthy; often engaged with her Ministers till midnight. She will speak to her subjects, and is quite willing to hear everybody's grievance."

Queen Mary was small in stature; of a good figure, delicate-looking, and, as a courtier remarked, "moderately pretty." She was short-sighted, but her eyes were expressive and bright. Her portraits as a girl and a young woman vary much from each other, on account of the many fluctuations of her health. Her early portraits are often taken for those of Lady Jane Gray, to whom, in early youth, she had a family resemblance. The portrait of Queen Mary, by Sir Antonio More, is very much like Henry VIII. about the mouth and eyes. This picture is now amongst the Duke of Bedford's valuable collection of paintings.

The Venetian Envoy describes Elizabeth at the period of her sister's accession as "very popular with the people. The figure and face of the Princess Elizabeth," he says, "are very handsome, and such an air of dignified majesty pervades all her actions that no one can fail to suppose she is a royal lady." Elizabeth was about twenty-one years age at this time.

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FATHER PETO, who outlived the storms of Henry's reign, and was then in Rome, wrote a letter to the Queen advising her "against a marriage with a young husband at her time of life." His letter was not over-courteous, but it was what might be expected from the cleric who had the courage to tell her father to his face that he was a wicked and an immoral man, and that the time would come when the dogs would lick his blood, as in the case of Ahab." "Do not marry," writes Peto to the Queen, "or you will be the slave of a young husband." However Mary might have felt chagrined at this mode of conveying an advice which was really honest, she expressed no displeasure in reference to the old confessor and friend of her mother. She had made up her mind to marry Philip of Spain, and neither Father Peto nor her Council could change her resolve. Dr. Gardyner repeatedly expressed opposition to the marriage, and placed many restrictions upon the privileges to be accorded to Philip as the Queen's husband. Mary wished to have King Philip crowned at Westminster Abbey; the Bishop of Winchester and the Council decided otherwise.* The proposed mar

See Martin's Chronicle; State (Domestic) Papers of Mary's reign; Queens of England. vol. v. (first edit.).

riage gave satisfaction to no party in the State. Catholic and Reformer were united on that point. In the meantime the preparations for the reception of Philip at Southampton, and the wedding which was to follow in a few days subsequent, were proceeded with on a striking scale of splendour.

In

The early matrimonial alliances made for Queen Mary when a child, took a strange turn in after years. July, 1523, upon the departure of Charles V. from Windsor, he took leave of his affianced bride, the Princess Mary, then in her seventh year. Notwithstanding the emerald love-token worn on his little finger, Charles had no intention of marrying the Princess. The match, which had no other basis than political interest, fell through in time-artful Charles never dreaming that little Mary was destined not to marry till she became the wife of his son, Philip.*

Now to return to the incidents of some thirty years later. His Imperial Highness, the "High and Mighty Philip," accompanied by the combined fleets of England and Spain, arrived off Southampton from Corunna, on Friday, the 20th of July, 1554. The Council, the nobles, and the people of every shade of opinion, gave the illustrious bridegroom a respectful, but by no means a warm reception. There are several letters extant descriptive of Philip's person. One writer states that "Philip's complexion was cane-coloured; his hair sandy and scanty; his eyes small, blue, and weak, with a gloomy expression of face, which is not pleasing in a person of light complexion; a mighty

Brewer's State Papers, vol. iii.

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