church of England, and have deservedly immortalised its authors, and the name of the king under whom so much was, with his assent and approbation securely established. His education and attainments have been already noticed. The possession of the crown did not abate his love of study, 152 tho he also indulged in the recreations of the day. From writing and speaking Latin he proceeded to Greek, till he could translate with ease his Roman authors into the attic tongue, in which he read Aristotle's Ethics, and afterwards his Rhetoric.153 He notices his amusements in his own Journal. He won at a challenge of base or running, and at rovers; but lost in a contest of shooting at rounds, 154 with a party of his gentlemen, in black silk coats; he ran at the ring in emulous contest with others, in yellow taffety, but unsuccessfully.155 He banqueted at Deptford, to see two ships lanched.156 He indulged the French ambassador with an exhibition of his hunting, shooting, and musical talent. 157 He went on several 152 He would sequester himself from all companies, into some chamber or gallery, to learn his lessons without book, with great alacrity and cheerfulness. If he spent more time in play and pastime than he thought was convenient, he would find fault with himself, and say, 'We forget ourselves. We should not lose the substantia for the accident.'' Strype's Eccl. v. 2, part 2, p. 49. 153 Ib. part 3. p. 426. 154 Edw. Journ. on 1 April 1553. p. 34. 155 Neither side seems to have been very dexterous, for The yellow band took it thrice in 120 courses, and my band touched often, but never took, which seemed very strange.' 3 May. p. 36. A tournay followed, between six and six. ib. 156 Journ. p. 42. 157 The next morning he came to me to mine arraying, and saw my bedchamber, and went a hunting with hounds; and saw me shoot, and saw all my guards shoot together. He dined with me, and heard me play on the lute; ride; came to me to my study, supped with me, and so departed to Richmond.' Journ. p. 44. CHAP. X. 158 BOOK progresses thro the country, and reviewed some When the queen II. splendid musters of his troops.' 159 dowager of Scotland visited his court, on being driven by tempest to Portsmouth, in her return from France, he treated her with magnificent courtesy, and great personal attentions.100 159 See a full description of one, in their different costumes, in May 1552, Strype's Eccl. v. 2. p. 584. 160 He describes these in his diary, p. 56. CHAP. XI. THE BRIEF REIGN OF QUEEN JANE, USUALLY CALLED XI. MOST usurpations have been as unhappy to the CHAP. invader of another's rights, as they have been injurious to public principle, and calamitous to their abettors. The attempt of the great nobility to force lady Jane upon the throne of her elder cousins was no exception to the usual course of such transactions, either in consequences or character.' If any thing like legal right had been at all cared for in this transaction, the mother of Jane would have been the person selected. Lady Frances was the daughter of Henry's sister, and the first cousin of Edward VI.; but as she was an elderly, she was, as such, a less governable woman; and her husband, the duke of Suffolk, was a powerful nobleman himself. Her exaltation would have placed an effective sovereign on the throne, who might have become more independent of all aristocratical dictation than it was intended he should be. Therefore she was laid aside, that her young daughter Jane, only eighteen at Edward's death, might be made to assume the Some idea of the power of the chief nobility at that period may be inferred from Michele's report of his visit to England in 1557. Speaking of the gentry and barons, he remarks, 'There is not one of them, who, in proportion to his retinue and the facolta he possesses, has not a store of arms for a considerable number of people; so that it is said, some of them together might arm thousands. As for example, the earls of Derby, Shrewsbury and Westmoreland; but above all, the earl of Pembroke.' Ellis, New Series, v. 2, p. 222. BOOK II. crown in her stead. To give some semblance of legality to this selection of the daughter in preference to the parent, lady Frances was compelled or persuaded to relinquish her hereditary precedency in favor of her eldest child.2 Grand-daughter of Henry's beautiful sister,3 lady Jane grew up with a person and countenance that pleased the gazing eye; and by the care of her parents had been led to that extensive classical education which the old king's love of literature had made the taste, and the delight of all his family. Never did the female mind more fairly, yet unassumingly, assert its equality to our own, in the attainment and use of both the dead and living languages, and in the comprehension and enjoyment of their richest compositions, than at this period of their emulous cultivation. We have the knowlege and authority of one of the ablest judges, in our venerable Ascham, to justify our admiration of this distinguished girl, for her talents and acquisitions, when we find him describing her to his friend Sturmius as mastering, at the age of 2 This dereliction is stated by Heylin, p. 151, and others; but I have not met with any formal act of such a cession. See Hist. Henry VIII. v. 1, p. 133-5. Heylin's description of Jane is exaggerated. Born with those attractions which seat a sovereignty in the face, yet was her mind endowed with more excellent charms. Modest, and mild of disposition, courteous of carriage, she was also of such an affable deportment as might intitle her to the name of queen of hearts, before she was designed for queen over any subjects.' Hist. p. 148. Sir Tho. Chaloner, who knew her well, thus intimates her beauty both of form and mind: Ore placens Veneris: Palladis arte placens. Culta fuit: formosa fuit. Divina movebat Sæpe viros, facies: sæpe loquela, viros.' His Elegy or Deploratio, in Strype's Eccl. v. 3, Ap. 190. XI. sixteen, both the profundity of Plato, and the elo- CHAP. quence of Demosthenes, and as being fond of the learned works of his German correspondent. It is more extraordinary still to read, that calling unexpectedly the year before at her father's seat at Leicester, when she was only fifteen, he found her in her chamber reading for her amusement the celebrated Phædon in Greek, and so understanding it as to excite his highest admiration." She had then also obtained the power, not only of writing but of speaking Greek, and offered to correspond with him in Greek, if he would write to her in that language from the imperial court, to which he was departing." But these invaluable acquirements did not satisfy her. In her seventeenth year she began to study Hebrew; and this venerable tongue she not only learnt, but was led by it to its Ascham's lett. of 21 Aug. 1551, 'Lectissimæ virgini: tui semper, quod ego novi, et tuorum studiosissimæ. Cujus est cultior animus doctrina Platonis et eloquentia Demosthenis, quam fortuna illustrior.' p. 41. 5 Ut mihi ipsi summam admirationem injiceret.' Asch. Ep. 34. With as much delight as some gentlemen would read a merry tale in Boccace.' Asch. Schoolm. p. 37. Her master was Dr. Elmer, whom Ascham highly praises for his 'humanitatem, prudentiam, usum et rectam religionem,' as well as for his knowlege in Greek and Latin. This letter is the best authority which remains, for the age of Jane. It is dated the 14 December 1550, and he says she was in her 15th year. 'Annum nata est decimum quintum.' p. 34. She was therefore born about 1535, and not 1537, as some of her biographers make her. 6 He tells Sturmius, I expect daily her Greek letters: When they come, I will immediately send them to you.' ib. 34. On 18 January 1552, he wrote to her from Augustæ, in which he reminds her that he had seen her reading sedulously Divinum Divini Platonis Phædonem Græce;' and that she had promised him to write Græcas literas,' which he had agreed to shew his friend Sturmius, and he urges her for them. p. 237, 8. 7 So she wrote to Bullinger in 1552, and asked his advice and assistance. Hebraicari jam incipienti mihi.' Lett. ap. Nicolas Mem. App. p. 5. Ellis, Second Series, v. 2, p. 183. In this letter she quotes the Hebrew of part of Proverbs, c. 11, v. 14. He gave her the suggestions she desired; and in her reply, she assures him, ad Hebraicæ linguæ studium, eam ingrediam viam, quam mihi fidelissime monstras.' Nic.11. |