turbulence previously imported from Germany, and domestic insubordination slumbered but for a short time, to burst forth with renewed virulence and hate, involving perennial shame and sorrow for the nation. To govern or manage the so-called Reformers appears to have been almost impossible. The latent communistic spirit which pervaded all their proceedings "required to be met with strong repressive measures."* Party writers have styled those measures of repression "religious persecution." To make the judicious believe in the aptitude of this description-Reformation and Revolution, Protestantism and Confiscation, Communism, and the changes of that ill-omened epoch, may fairly be regarded as convertible terms. Never were religious sentiments so perverted. The marriage, as might have been expected, from many circumstances, proved to be an unhappy one.† In the words of a writer upon those times, "the Queen saw in Philip the ideal of her imagination, and in Philip's feelings the reflex of her own; but the dream passed away—her love for her husband remained; but it remained only to be a torture to a sensitive heart." Whilst the unhappy Queen remained suspended between life and death, only animated by a hope which every day became fainter, the conduct of her comparatively young husband was by no means edifying to her Court. Fortunately the Queen had chosen maids of honour whose correctness of life was unimpeachable; who were not only * Queens of England, vol. iii. (late edit.) Mary and Philip were second cousins "at her mother's side." Philip was a widower at the time of his marriage with Mary Tudor, and the father of the noted Don Carlos, about whom English writers have circulated so many absurd narratives. ladies of approved virtue, but ready to do battle, if any audacious offender essayed acts of indecorum. Of this praiseworthy spirit, the beautiful Lady Magdaleine Dacre afforded a signal instance. One day, as she was at her toilette, King Philip, who had observed a small window which lighted her dressing-room, from a corridor at Hampton Court Palace, contrived to open it far enough to put in his arm; when the fair maid of honour, indignant at a liberty she never encouraged, took up a staff which stood near, and gave the intruding arm so sound a rap that Philip was glad to draw it back in a hurry, and to make a speedy retreat. He took no offence at this specimen of an English lady's spirit, but was ever afterwards observed to treat the heroine of the staff with remarkable deference. This young lady was of so stately a presence, that she towered above all the ladies of the Court in height.* She was subsequently maid of honour to Queen Elizabeth,† and at a later period married Lord Montague, the faithful friend of Queen Mary. The father of Lady Magdaleine had been a formidable chief of the Northern Border in the reign of Henry VIII., and sometimes told his royal master truths that no one else dared speak. On one occasion he * Latin Life of Lady Magdaleine Dacre. + About forty years previous to the time of the above incidents, there lived another Lady Magdaleine Dacre, who accompanied the Princess Mary, sister of Henry VIII., to France, on the occasion of the Princess's marriage with Louis XII. The old French monarch quarrelled with his beautiful young bride as to the number of her maids of honour. A scene took place between the King and the "English beauties," in which Lady Magdaleine Dacre and little Nan de Boleyne were the most noted in "rating" the monarch for his parsimony. If the reader has not read the first vol. of this work, I refer him to the chapter headed "La Reine Blanche,” pp. 127-129, for a lively and a novel scene between King Louis and the English maids of honour. said, "your Highness will find when too late, that a man has small chance of peace, let his rank be what it may, who has more than one wife, and more than one faith in his heart. Remember, my words will prove true." It is a curious historical fact, that at the time of Queen Mary's accession to the English throne there were eight young ladies living who were of " royal blood," and according to the old law of Legitimacy, "in order of succession," from Henry VIII.'s two sisters-Margaret and Mary. Two of the ladies in question perished upon the scaffold, and the remainder suffered imprisonment and malicious persecution at the hands of Queen Elizabeth. Apart from all factious considerations at this time, the English nation had a strong objection to a female Sovereign. If they did not style their monarchs as the Hungarians did theirs, "King Mary;" the English Council and Parliament insisted on their Queen being "dressed with long spurs, and a formidable looking sword." This arrangement did not meet with the approval of the out-spoken women of London; but, nevertheless, they felt proud of having in the midst of them a "Queen Regnant," who would sooner or later grant extensive privileges to her own sex.* * Shortly before her death, Queen Mary granted some privileges to the women of London, which were withdrawn by her successor. Elizabeth did not approve of giving her own sex many advantages over their masters." * Baoardo's Life of Queen Mary; Queens of England, vol. v. (first edit.). CHAPTER XXXIV. THE MISSION OF CARDINAL POLE. The Or Pole's reception in Paris, when on his route to England, we have an account in a private despatch of Dr. Watton to Queen Mary.* The people of France, hearing that the newly created English Cardinal had come on a mission. of peace, hailed him with enthusiasm, as he passed through the towns and cities of the "Premier Kingdom." people came forth in crowds to meet him, and the women and children strewed flowers on his path. The clergy and the religious orders advanced in grand procession to welcome the Legate to Paris. Henry II. and Catharine de Medicis hesitated as to the reception they would give him.† Catharine de Medicis could not disentangle herself from the political intrigues with which she was always surrounded. After a fortnight's delay, Pole was admitted to an interview with the King and Queen, when his reception "was very flattering," as stated. The Spanish marriage was by no means agreeable to the French Sovereign. Upon this subject Pole remained silent. In fact he failed in his attempt, as in all his diplomacy, to mediate between the Emperor Charles and the French monarch. The Legate took leave of Henry II. and * State Papers (foreign) of Mary's reign. his Queen with a profusion of compliments and good wishes, which, coming from the lips of such a man as King Henry II. of France, meant nothing friendly; whilst Catharine de Medicis was true to her nature-treacherous and false-a malign and fearful woman. So the struggle for Catholicity in England had little to expect from the politicians of the French Court, who did so much to promote rebellion and discontent amongst Queen Mary's subjects. Vast crowds attended Cardinal Pole from Dover to Canterbury. In the procession there were nearly two thousand gentlemen on horseback. The nation was now divided The reception given to the Cardinal, on the part of the Queen, King Philip, the nobles, and the laity, was most respectful, but there was no enthusiasm from the people of London as on the occasion of the arrival of Cardinal Campeggio in the reign of Henry VIII. upon the question of religion, and, sad to think, all parties seemed to look upon "persecution of conscience" as a natural adjunct to the practice of a pure Gospel. The Legate could not agree with either party-a dissidence which formed one of the causes of his unpopularity. Whilst Pole was detained in Flanders, by the political intrigues and jealousy of Charles V., a correspondence took place between the Cardinal and Philip, then married to Queen Mary. I select one of those letters, which are all more or less difficult to understand, the style varying so much. "Considering the time the letter was written," observes one of the distinguished biographers of Pole, "I regard it as a piece of pleasantry, though mildly sarcastic." "It is just a year since Reginald Pole knocked at the door of |