Admiral and his brother, the Lord Protector, Somerset caused the arrest
of the Admiral, who was imprisoned and died on the scaffold, a victim of
his brother's treachery. At that time, Lady Jane was still at Seymour
Place, but at the arrest of Seymour, returned to Bradgate, but her
parents' ambition for her had not been quenched and at once they began
to have her cultivated to occupy the high position which they were
determined she should some day fill. From that time her education was
entrusted to the celebrated Aylmer, who was not only famous for his
learning, but in close touch with the master minds of the century, and
through him Jane became acquainted with several of the most learned men
of the day. She was soon a fine scholar in science, Greek, Hebrew, and
Latin, as well as various modern languages, and praise of her keen young
mind and brilliant conversation was expressed by all who talked with
her.
Late in the autumn of 1549, six months after Lady Jane had returned to
Bradgate, the celebrated scholar, Roger Ascham, in passing through the
neighbourhood, being an acquaintance of the Dorsets, stopped to call at
the Manor House, but met all the family except Lady Jane, going to the
hunt. After a brief chat with them he inquired for Lady Jane, and being
told that she was at home, asked if he might pay his respects to her,
which request being readily granted, he went on to the house. Standing
outside the open casement of Lady Jane's own sitting-room for a moment,
he watched her as she sat in the window seat, so deeply engaged with her
book that he could look over her shoulder unnoticed and to his
astonishment saw that she was reading the _Phaedon_ of Plato in Greek!
He spoke, and Jane looked up. At once he asked her why she relinquished
such pastime as was then going on in the park for the sake of study?
With a smile Jane answered, "I think all their sport in the park is but
a shadow to the pleasure I find in Plato!"
Interested and delighted, Ascham pursued the subject. "And how attained
you," he asked, "to this true knowledge of pleasure? And what did
chiefly allure you to it, seeing that few women and not many men have
arrived at it?"
"I will tell you," replied Lady Jane. "And tell you a truth which
perchance you may marvel at. One of the greatest benefits that God ever
gave me is that He sent me, with sharp severe parents, so gentle a
schoolmaster (Aylmer). When I am in presence of either father or mother,
whether I speak, keep silent, sit, stand or go, or drink, be merry or
sad, be sewing, playing or dancing or doing anything else, I must do it
as it were in such measure weight and number, even as perfectly as God
made the earth, or else I am so sharply taunted, so cruelly threatened,
yea, presently sometimes with pinches, nips and bobs, and other things
(which T will not name for the honour I bear them), that I think myself
in Hell 'till the time comes when I must go with Mr. Alymer who teacheth
me so gently, so pleasantly, that I think nothing of all the time whilst
I am with him, and when I am called from him I fall to weeping because
whatever I do else but learning is full of great trouble, fear and
wholesome misliking unto me."
Poor lonely little fourteen-year-old Lady Jane, what a clear light this
throws on the treatment her parents gave the responsive, sensitive
child, and how it shows up the mental forcing process of that day! Down
through the ages comes to us this picture of a sweet young girl sitting
alone poring over a Greek classic--thankful for that resource which
saved her for the moment from reproaches and taunts, "nips, bobs and
pinches."
From that time Roger Ascham was one of Lady Jane's closest friends, and
doubtless the comradeship was a real stimulus to the brilliant girl, as
letters from her to him show.
On October the eleventh, in 1551, Lady Jane's father was raised to the
peerage, which gave to him and his wife the new titles of the Duke and
Duchess of Suffolk. The family now went to London, to occupy Sheen
Abbey, and Lady Jane was presented at Court, taking her first prominent
part in Court festivities, when she attended the entry into London of
the Scottish Queen Regent, Mary of Guise, who had come on a visit to
King Edward.
When King Edward and Mary met first at Westminster Palace, Mary rode in
her chariot from the city to Whitehall, and with her rode many noble
ladies, among them Lady Jane, to whom the brilliant pageant must have
been a great diversion, after the seclusion of Bradgate.
Lady Jane took part too in all the other festivities connected with this
state visit of the Scottish Queen, but when that was over went back to
quiet Bradgate and her studies again, and remained there until the
middle of November, when she went with her family to Tylsey, an estate
belonging to her father's young cousins and wards, the Willoughbys. From
there the Greys went to pay one of their many visits to Princess Mary
at her town house, and that they were in high favour then is shown by an
old account book of Princess Mary's in which is set down these items:
"Given to my cousin Frances a rosary of black and white mounted in gold.
To my cousin, Jane Grey, a necklace of gold, set with pearls and small
rubies."
In return Jane gave Mary a pair of gloves!
Although the other members of her family left London for Tylsey during
the following week, Lady Jane evidently remained with the Princess until
the 16th of December, when she too returned to Tylsey, where the whole
party had a merry Christmas. The house was thrown open to all such of
the country gentry as cared to accept its hospitality, and those who
accepted were royally entertained, as a company of players came from
London for the occasion, also a wonderful boy who is said to have sung
like a nightingale; also a tumbler, a juggler, and another band of
players who acted several pieces, with great applause. Open house was
kept until the 20th of January when the party broke up and went on to
make another visit, returning to Tylsey for another week, all of which
journeying about must have been too hard for delicate Lady Jane, as
travelling was not the easy matter that it is in our day, and in
February we hear that she had had a dangerous sickness but had fully
recovered.
Some months later we find her making another visit to Princess Mary at
Newhall, Mary's country seat. Giving presents being one of Mary's strong
points, she presented Lady Jane with a very handsome new gown, and with
delicious Puritan simplicity Jane asked Mary what she was to do with it.
"Marry," exclaimed the Princess, "wear it, to be sure!"
Another incident of that visit of Lady Jane's at Newhall shows how much
at variance the two cousins were on vital issues. Lady Wharton, a
devout Catholic, crossing the chapel with Lady Jane when service was not
being said, made her obeisance to the Host as they passed the altar.
Lady Jane, looking up, asked if "the Princess were present in the
chapel?" Lady Wharton answered that she was not.
"Then why do you curtsey?" demanded Jane.
"I curtsey to Him who made me," replied Lady Wharton.
"Nay," retorted Lady Jane, "but did not the baker make him?" which
remark shows a depth of thought and a cleverness of retort rarely found
in one so young, and the remark being repeated to the Princess Mary, to
whom it was a sacrilege, she was never again as fond of Lady Jane as
before--but it seems doubtful whether her affection for the staunch
little Puritan could ever have been more than skin-deep at any time.
Lady Jane was now sixteen years old and truly one of the most beautiful
young women in all England, with a type of beauty somewhat rare in that
age, as it was connected with the most exquisite loveliness of
character, and she was very popular throughout England.
At that time, the young King was rapidly nearing his end, and the Duke
of Northumberland, whose city home was directly opposite the residence
of the Duke of Suffolk, realising this, saw that the time had come to
carry out his daring scheme of snatching the crown away from the
Princess Mary, whose it would lawfully be on the death of Edward, and to
gain it for his own family by marrying his son, Lord Guilford Dudley, to
Lady Jane Grey. It was not customary in those days for parents to
consult a child in regard to a matrimonial project, and probably this
scheme was entirely arranged by the Dukes of Suffolk and
Northumberland. Nor does history give any evidence that Lady Jane loved
the tall handsome youth chosen for her, but she made no objection to the
marriage,--and so prospered one part of Northumberland's plan.
For the other part, Edward was in such a feeble state of mind and body
that he was completely dominated by Northumberland, who diplomatically
forced the dying man to do his bidding, but carefully concealed his
intentions in regard to the crown from Lady Jane, whose proud and
innocent nature he knew would revolt from such treachery to her cousin,
and so he did his work in secret. If only his popularity and talent had
equalled his ambition, he might have carried out his plans, for the
cause of the Reformation, for which Lady Jane stood, was dear to a large
part of the people, and she herself was beloved everywhere.
The marriage of Lady Jane and Guilford Dudley took place in the last
week in May at Durham House, London, and the young King was so much
pleased with the match that he ordered the master of the wardrobe to
give the bride much wedding finery as well as many jewels, and the
wedding was exceptionally magnificent in every detail. We are told that
Lady Jane's headdress on the morning of her marriage was of green velvet
set round with precious stones. She wore a gown of cloth of gold, and a
mantle of silver tissue, and her hair hung down her back, combed and
plaited in a curious fashion of her own devising. She was led to the
altar by two handsome pages with bride lace and rosemary tied to their
sleeves, and sixteen young girls dressed in pure white preceded her to
the altar, while a profusion of flowers were scattered along the bridal
route; the church bells rang, and the poor received beef, bread and ale
enough for a three days' feast.
Especially beaming and resplendent at the ceremony were Northumberland
and his family, but almost as soon as it was over the bride's life seems
to have begun to be unhappy, for she says, "The Duchess of
Northumberland disregarded the promise she had made at our betrothal,
that I might live at home with my mother, but, my husband being present
observed to the Duke of Northumberland, that 'I ought not to leave her
house, for when it pleased God to call King Edward to his mercy, I ought
to hold myself in readiness, as I might be required to go to the Tower,
since his Majesty had made me heir to his dominions.'" Poor little Jane
adds, "These words told me offhanded and without preparation agitated my
soul within me." On further thought she decided that the statement was
hasty, and not important enough to keep her from her mother. The
Duchess, however, became so enraged that the young bride dared not
disobey her, but remained with her four or five days, then obtained
leave to go to Chelsea House, a country seat of the Dudleys', which Jane
reached just before falling into an acute sickness from which she barely
escaped with her life, and where she was evidently without her husband.
Northumberland, meanwhile, was indifferent as to where his new
daughter-in-law resided,--she was his son's wife, which was all he
wanted for the present. He saw that the young King was at the point of
death, and his immediate efforts must be turned in another direction. So
artfully did he lay before the sick monarch all the reasons for setting
aside the claims of Mary and Elizabeth, that Edward was induced to
sketch with his feeble hand a will, setting aside the rights of Mary and
Elizabeth and leaving the succession to Lady Jane Grey.
Of course there were some who refused to sign this will at all, and
others--among them Archbishop Cranmer--who for a long time refused, but
finally yielded on the urgent petition of the King, who was now as eager
as even Northumberland could wish.
Then on the 6th of July, 1553, King Edward died, and the tragedy of Lady
Jane's life began in earnest. No sooner was his death a fact than
Northumberland, concealing this, sent a crafty letter to the Princess
Mary saying that her brother was at the point of death, and wished to
see her. He did so knowing that Mary would hasten to London, and was
prepared to seize her on the road to the city, and take her a prisoner
to the Tower, while Lady Jane should be proclaimed Queen. As he had
supposed, Mary hurried towards the city, but being met on the way and
warned of the plot against her, instantly left the London road and
galloped towards her own Manor House of Kenninghall, which she reached
after a hard two days' trip, and found that the report of the King's
death was true, whereupon she at once sent to the Council a confirmation
of her own right to the throne, and so Northumberland's first move in
his game of chance was blocked.
Lady Jane meanwhile remained at Chelsea until Northumberland's daughter
arrived to escort her to Sion House, where she was to appear before the
Council in order to hear what the King had ordained for her. One can
imagine the flutter of heart with which Jane made ready for the journey,
and her still greater excitement when on her arrival the noblemen
present began to make her complimentary speeches, bending the knee
before her, "their example," says Lady Jane in her own account of the
scene, "being followed by several noble ladies, all of which ceremony
made me blush. My distress was still further increased when my mother
and mother-in-law entered and paid me the same homage."
Poor little Queen-to-be, this was her first intimation of the plan for
her future greatness, and on discovering it, and hearing that for her
sake the rights of her cousins were to be set aside, Lady Jane firmly
refused to accept the crown. Northumberland, who had expected this
refusal, then insisted that the crown was rightfully hers and her father
begged her to take it. To these appeals the young husband added his, and
Jane says: "On hearing all this I remained stunned and out of myself. I
call on those present to bear witness, who saw me fall to the ground,
weeping piteously, and dolefully lamenting not only my own insufficiency,
but the death of the King. I swooned indeed . . . but when brought to
myself, I raised myself on my knees and prayed to God that if to succeed
to the throne was my duty and my right, that He would aid me to govern
the Realm to His Glory. The following day, as everyone knows, I was
conducted to the Tower."
According to the state ceremonials governing such matters, the custom
had always been for a new sovereign to spend the first few days of a
reign at the Tower, and Lady Jane proceeded at once to Westminster by
water, and from there by the state barge to the Tower, and this
description of the scene has been preserved in a letter written on the
10th of July by an Italian nobleman. He says:
"I saw Donna Jana Groia walking in a grand procession to the Tower. She
is now called Queen, but is not popular, for the hearts of the people
are with Mary. This Jane is very short and thin, but prettily shaped and
graceful. She has small features and a well-made nose, the mouth
flexible and the lips red. The eyebrows are arched and darker than her
hair which is nearly red. Her eyes are sparkling and a sort of light
hazel often noticed with red hair. I stood so long near Her Grace that
I noticed her colour was good, but freckled. When she smiled, she showed
her teeth, which are large and sharp. In all a gracious and animated
person. She wore a dress of green velvet stamped with gold and with
large sleeves. Her headdress was a coif with many jewels. She walked
under a canopy, her mother carrying her train and her husband walking by
her, dressed all in white and gold, a very tall strong boy with light
hair, who paid her much attention. The new Queen was mounted on very
high heels to make her look much taller. Many ladies followed, with
noblemen, but this lady is very much of a heretic and has never heard
mass, and some very great people did not come into the procession for
that reason."
At the Tower Queen Jane was properly received by its Lieutenant and
Deputy Lieutenant, and walked in procession from the landing-place to
the Great Hall, a crowd of spectators lining the way and kneeling as the
new Queen passed, and so began the great drama of which Jane was the
central figure.
As soon as the new Queen entered the royal apartments at the Tower, the
heralds trumpeted, and a few minutes later four of them read her
proclamation, which was an unfortunate, dull, long-winded document,
dealing with the claims of Elizabeth and Mary in such a brutal way as
might well have offended them and the Catholic party as well, and
although Lady Jane was innocent of the document, nevertheless it bore
her signature, and so for that as for the many other deeds done in her
name, the fair young victim was obliged to pay the bitter penalty.
While the young Queen was occupied with her first state duties in the
Tower, Mary and her following were busy inciting the people to remain
loyal to the rightful heir. In several counties the great mass of
citizens detested the Duke of Northumberland and knew that Lady Jane
would be a tool in his hands, so when Mary announced that as Queen she
would make no change in the religion or laws of the land, they at once
pledged themselves to support her cause.
On the twelfth of July, Jane's second day in the Tower, there were
delivered to her unwilling Majesty, besides the Crown jewels, a curious
collection of miscellaneous articles of jewellery, the contents of
various boxes and baskets found at the Jewel House in the Tower, which
had belonged to Henry's six queens. By this time Jane's loneliness and
anxiety over a situation which she knew to be dangerous, had brought on
an attack of sickness, and she must have been wretched in mind and body,
yet being still little more than a child, she must have had some small
degree of pleasure in examining her new treasures, which included among
the many articles:
"A fish of gold, being a toothpick.
"One dewberry of gold. A like pendant having one great and three little
pearls. A tablet of gold with one white sapphire and one blue one. A
pair of beads of white porcelain with eight gauds of gold and a tassel
of Venice gold. Buttons of gold with crimson work. A pair of bracelets
of flagon pattern. Thirty turquoises of little worth. Thirteen small
diamonds set in collets of gold, etc. etc.," through a long list.
There is also an inventory of the personal belongings of Lady Jane at
this time, which gives a good idea of the contents of her wardrobe. The
following are only a few of its details:
"Item, a hat of purple velvet embroidered with many pearls.
"Item, a muffler of purple velvet embroidered with pearls of damask gold
garnished with small stones of sundry sorts and tied with white satin.
"Item, a muffler of sable skin with a head of gold, with four clasps set
with five pearls, four turquoises, six rubies, two diamonds and five
pearls, the four feet of the sable being of gold set with turquoises and
the head having a tongue made of a ruby.
"Item, Eighteen buttons of rubies.
"Item, Three pairs of gold garters having buckles and pendants of gold.
"Item, Three shirts, one of velvet, the other of black silk embroidered
with gold, the third of gold stitched with silver and red silk," etc.,
etc., etc.
From even these bits of the inventory it is evident that the Lady Jane
was not lacking in goods and chattels, but they gave her little comfort,
poor child, with her swift approaching destiny!
On that same night of the twelfth of July, there were taken to the Tower
a large number of fire-arms and a quantity of ammunition as well as an
army of soldiers who were ready to march against Mary's followers. And
the preparations were made just in time, for on the very next day came
news that the rival Queen was at Kenninghall and that her loyal subjects
were hurrying from all parts of the kingdom to support her cause. In
fact the inmates of the Tower at once discovered that throughout the
kingdom the people were against Queen Jane and for Queen Mary, and a sad
discovery it was!
At once the Council was called together, and a proposal was made that
the Duke of Suffolk should take command of troops to quell the
insurrection, but Jane was insistent that she could not be left in the
Tower without her father for protection, and as his health was not
good, it was finally decided that the Duke of Northumberland himself
should go out to resist the rival forces. But before the Duke went, he
gave Her Majesty into the charge of the Council, and swore with a big
oath that when he returned "Mary should no longer be in England, for he
would take care to drive her into France."
Then with a passionate embrace of his son, Guilford, Northumberland went
to finish his preparations for the resisting of Mary's claim, and on
Friday, the fourteenth, he and his followers rode proudly forth with a
train of guns, and six hundred men, some of them the greatest in the
land. As they passed through the city, they could not but notice the
sullenness and lack of enthusiasm in the great crowds everywhere
gathered to watch them pass, and grew more and more fearful of the
probable defeat of the Duke's project.
Meanwhile Queen Jane, in the Tower, passed the weary hours as best she
could, and executed several minor duties of her royal office, but grew
hourly more depressed with a nameless dread, and at evening came the
news of a great rising in favour of Queen Mary. Still worse tidings came
on Saturday, the sixth day of Jane's disastrous reign. Queen Mary had
already been proclaimed at Framlington and Norwich, and Northumberland
had sent to London for fresh troops, and was speeding as fast as horse
could gallop towards Cambridge, which he reached at midnight, but in
vain! Jane's cause collapsed so completely and so rapidly everywhere
that even such precautions as had been taken for the defence of her
party ended by serving her rivals, and the miserable Duke returned to
the Tower and its comparative safety, a prisoner, in a pathetic plight
brought about by his own wretched ambition.
On the seventh day of Queen Jane's reign, throughout the length and
breadth of England there were again risings for Queen Mary. In all the
streets there were cheering and rioting, and bonfires were lighted,
around which crowds of rough men and women circled, shouting, "Queen
Mary! Queen Mary!" while in the churches the rival queens and rival
creeds were the one subject of discourse.
On the eighth day of Jane's reign there was a violent scene in the early
morning between her mother and mother-in-law concerning the kingship of
Guilford, as Jane's husband. Poor Jane cried herself sick over the
distasteful affair, and tried to calm and reason with the two
disputants, looking more dead than alive as she did so. By this time as
a result of suspense and discouraging news all the occupants of the
Tower were at sixes and sevens, and the general feeling was that a worse
situation was still to come. Again bad news, the peasants,
notwithstanding the threats of their lords, had refused to take up arms
against Mary, and were drawing very near London; also all over the
country the nobility were arming, and marching in the defence of the
rightful queen's person and title, while poor Queen Jane's name was now
only spoken to be scoffed at.
On Tuesday, the eighteenth, it was evident to all that the tragi-comedy
was drawing to a close. Of all Queen Jane's Council only two men,
Archbishop Cranmer and her own father, remained true to her--all the
others having decided to save their own heads by betraying the cause of
that girl to whom nine days before they had pledged undying loyalty. On
Wednesday, the nineteenth, the short reign ended. "Jane the Queen"
became "_Jana non Regina_," and although that morning there was a slight
flicker of interest shown in her cause, yet the conspirators against
her, that evening proclaimed Mary queen in Cheapside, at the very hour
at which only nine days before Jane's accession had been proclaimed!