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FRANCIS LANCELOTT, ESQ. Queens of England. Vol.1.

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FRANCIS LANCELOTT, ESQ.
Queens of England. Vol.1.
page 516



tuons assemblies, and told them, "although her own religious faith "was firm and unalterable, ehc moaned graciously not to compel or strain other men's consciences otherwise than God should, as she trusted, put in their hearts a persuasion of the truth through the opening of His word unto them," As this admonition failed of its purpose, and to put a stop to the increasing religious warfare, Mary, after the example of the two last reigns, published a proclamation forbidding preaching in public without license, " until such time as further order by common consent [act of parliament], may be taken therein." A measure which at once changed tbe ministration of the clergy throughout the realm, annulled the Protestant church of Edward the Sixth, and re-established the antipapal Catholic church of flenry the Eighth; a preparatory step to the restoration of the supremacy of the Pope. Mary never forgot the services of her old friends ; whatever were her weaknesses or vices, sincerity and gratitude were prominent features in her character. She released Rochester, Walgrave and Inglefield, her three faithful attendants, who, in the last reign, had been imprisoned for not opposing her will, and gave them lucrative offices at court. The Duke of Norfolk she restored to his rank and possessions. His grandson, Thomas, heir to the accomplished Earl of Surrey, she appointed one of her pages of honour. Sussex being an invalid who dreaded to uncover his head, received gracious permission to wear one, or even two, night caps in the royal presence. Courtenay received the wealth and dignity to which be was justly entitled as heir to the Earl of Devonshire. She, of her own free will, restored Somerset's heir to bis rights, appointed his daughters, the Ladies' Jane, Margaret, and Mary Seymour, maids of honour; and even reinstated in their property the heirs of the three unfortunate protestant nobles who had suffered with the Protector, whilst Gardiner, Bonner, Tunstal, Heath and Day, recovered the possession of their respective sees ; and Gardiner was raised to the post of prime minister on the twenty-third of August, and appointed chancellor on the twentyfirst of September. As instances of Mary's love of justice and mercy, may be mentioned the cases of Judge Hales, and of Edward Underbill. Before the laws of Edward the Sixth had been repealed, Judge Hales, from the church, charged tbe people of Kent to observe these laws. Eor this, the privy council, in their zeal to atone for their crime in supporting the pretensions of Jane Grey, imprisoned and treated him with such severity, that in a frenzy of despair he attempted his own life. The Queen, however, on being informed of his unmerited sufferings, immediately sent for him, consoled him, assured him of her desire to rectify the intolerable wrong he had suffered without her knowledge or consent, and honourably released him. But the royal compassion, although gratifying, evidently came too late ; for a short time afterwards he drowned himself. Underbill was an erudite scholar, a skilful lutanist, and for his zealous attachment to the Calvinistic doctrine, was called the Hot Gospeller, He was imprisoned for satirizing the papists a few days before Mary's triumphant entry into London. Being respected for his talents by several nobles, he found means to petition the Queen, who, despite his anticatholic tenets, released him, restored him to his place in the band of the gentleman pensioners, and even caused his salary to be paid for the period he was under arrest. Many other instances of Mary's interference to save individuals from the cruelty of her privy council, might be adduced, did our space permit. The Catholic cause now reigned triumphant, and to increase the gloom of the Reformers, tho Princess Elizabeth, after the example of Mary in Edward's reign, and to assuage that sister's wrath, turned hypocrite, and on the second of September, publicly adjured the Reformed worship, and embraced the religion of her fathers. On the same dav, Cranmer was sent to the Tower, and, on the thirteenth, Latimer was also shut up in the same prison.


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