garet Douglas a gown of carnation satin, of the Venice fashion. The duchess of Suffolk, (Katharine Willoughby,) a pair of worked sleeves and pullers-out' for an Italian gown. Lady Calthorp, two pair of sleeves, whereof one pair was worked with silver, and the other with gold and parchment lace: this article occurs more than once, and was the first indication of Brussels lace.2 Three Venetians sent the princess a fair steel glass. If this had been a mirror of polished steel, they would not have called it glass; but as Venice was the birthplace of looking-glasses, the accountant has supposed the quicksilver was polished steel put under glass. Another article occurs of the same kind directly after:-" My young lady of Norfolk, two pair of worked sleeves, half-a-dozen handkerchiefs, and a steel glass." Lady Anne Gray presented two artificial flowers; and her aunt, lady Kildare, mother of the fair Geraldine, a comb-case set with pearls. The fair Geraldine herself, under the designation of Lady Browne, of London,3 sent a new year's gift to her patroness; its nature this year is not mentioned, but next year it was a fuming box, of silver. Sir Antony Browne, the ancient bridegroom of this young lady, drew the princess for his Valentine, 1543, and received from her a gift of a brooch set with four rock rubies round an agate, enamelled black, with the story of Abraham. There is a previous instance of the princess being drawn as a Valentine by George Montjoy, one of the gentlemen of her household, who received, in consequence, a present of

1 These were the supporters to the ugly points worn on the shoulders of robes at that time, rivals in deformity to the stuffed sleeves recently the fashion.

Among the stores of old families are still to be seen rolls of parchment, with Brussels lace flowers and figures, worked in point-stitch with the needle; they were thus prepared previously to being transferred to trimmings or lace.

'There is another lady Browne, probably sir Antony's mother, who sent presents to Mary, both before and after lady Elizabeth Fitzgerald's marriage.

money. The high collars with little ruffs, often seen in the portraits of this time, are described as being set on capes, and are called partletts. Partletts were often presented as new year's gifts. Likewise worked chemises, probably similar to the modern chemissette, are sent to the princess from many of her female friends; they are, however, registered by an old English word which looks homely enough everywhere excepting in Shakspeare's enchanting spring lyric,-but who objects to "ladies' smocks all silvery white?"

Several domestic animals are mentioned: Boxley, a yeoman of the king's chamber, was given by the princess, 15s. for bringing her a present of a little spaniel. Previously, Sir Brian Tuke had sent her "a couple of little fair hounds;" a woman of London had 5s. for bringing her a "brid (bird) in a cage ;" and the woodman of Hampton Court took charge of a white lark the princess had left there, and he received 3d. for bringing it to her at Westminster, in April, 1543.

Mary was present at her father's marriage with Katharine Parr; this fact, and the circumstances connected therewith, have already been narrated in the biography of that queen. She accompanied her father and his bride on a summer progress to Woodstock, Grafton, and Dunstable; but being seized with a violent return of her chronic illness, she was carried in the queen's litter to her mother's former abiding place, the Honour of Ampthill. From thence, after several removes, she was finally carried to Ashridge, where her brother and sister were sojourning, and with them she spent the autumn. Many of her attendants were at this time suffering under the influence of a sickly season, and were as ill as their mistress; for her slender income was taxed for lodging, nursing, and medicine for them at a distance from the bustle of the royal residences. Her faithful old servant, Randal Dod, was very sick, and one of her

women, called Bess Cressy, was long chargeable during illness. Jane the Fool was indisposed in health, and on recovery was taken with a fit of industry, since a solitary article appears in the accounts of the princess Mary of ld. expended for needles for "Jane the Fole." A chair was worked for king Henry in the autumn by Mary and her maidens, as a new year's gift for the king; it was of such ample dimensions, that the materials cost twenty pounds. When king Henry and his bride returned to Westminster, the princess Mary joined them there at Christmas. She must have been greatly distressed for money, owing to her bounty to her sick servants, and the expenses of her own long affliction, for she sold a pair of gilt-silver pots' for £37. 19s. 4d., and a fur of budge for £19. 15s. Soon after she received a very seasonable token of her stepmother's kindness, in the substantial form of a gift of £40. The income of Mary was so small and precarious, that every one of her numerous benefactions must have been attended with some degree of self-sacrifice.

Her early dignity as the sole offspring of the sovereign, and the great expenses lavished on her household and establishment in her infancy and girlhood, rendered the subsequent privations of a limited and precarious income more embarrassing. Those who sued for her bounty expected her to bestow as munificently as if she were the eldest princess of England; those who supplied her income apportioned it according to the law which had ranked her as an illegitimate and cast-off scion of the royal family. This harassing uncertainty of station, however, ceased with the close of 1543, and the ensuing year brought a favourable change in the prospects of the disinherited princess.

Privy Purse Expenses, 96-152.

This species of fur cannot be traced by our antiquaries; the great price proves that it was a precious material.

238

MARY,

FIRST QUEEN REGNANT OF ENGLAND AND IRELAND.

CHAPTER III.

Mary's restoration to royal rank-Court dress-Her popularity-Influence of Katharine Parr-Mary's translation of the paraphrase of St. John-Her privy purse expenses-Her horticultural importationsHer clocks-Portrait-Wagers-Her jewels-Gifts to her sisterGift to lady Jane Gray-Death-bed charge of Henry VIII. to the princess Mary-Her letter to the duchess and to duke of SomersetLord Thomas Seymour asks her consent to his marriage with the queen-Her letter in reply-Mary's illness-Letter from the princess Elizabeth-Mary's disapproval of the protestant church of England— Controversy with Somerset-Mary's scriptural translation adopted by the church of England-Visit to St. James's Palace-Lord Thomas Seymour sends her a musical teacher-His letter and fall-Mary's long illness-Her death expected-Contest with Somerset on her recusancy-Somerset's fall-Hints of Mary's regency-Her retreat from political agitation-Marriage treaties-Disputes on religion renewed -Her expected elopement-Singular visit to court-Her servants ordered to control her-They prefer imprisonment-Mary's discussion with the chancellor, &c.-Intrigues to disinherit her-Lady Jane Gray's visit-That of bishop Ridley-Mary's Christmas visit to the king-Her last letter to him—His death-Mary disinherited by his will-She approaches London-The Dudley faction deceive herWarned by Throckmorton-Her flight-Received at Sawston Hall— It is burnt in her sight-She promises to rebuild it-Passes through Bury-Reaches Kenninghall-Her dispatch to the council-Lady Jane Gray proclaimed queen-Mary retreats to Framlingham Castle-Assumes the royal title.

An auspicious change took place in the situation of Mary, a few months after the sixth marriage of her father. Although her restoration to her natural place in

the succession was not complete, a strange reservation being made, in favour of the daughters Henry VIII. might have by queen Katharine Parr, or by any succeeding wives, yet Mary was re-instated in royal rank by act of parliament,' passed Feb. 7th, 1544.

On the 17th of the same month, Mary assisted at a grand court held by the queen her step-mother, for the reception of the duke de Najera, a Spanish grandee of the highest rank, whose secretary has preserved minute particulars of the ceremonial. When the noble Spaniard had been presented to the queen, he essayed to perform his homage to the princess Mary by kissing her hand, but she prevented him, and very graciously offered him her lips, a proof that he was her relative, and privileged thus to salute her. Mary danced at a court ball given on the same occasion: her dress was extremely splendid, being a kirtle, or close-fitting under-gown, made of cloth of gold, over which was worn an open robe of threepiled violet velvet; a coronal of large precious stones completed this brilliant costume. Her magnificence of attire, and her public appearance at the reception of a grandee, who was the accredited agent of Charles V., may be considered as the effects of her restoration to royal rank. The Spanish secretary of the duke de Najera wrote, that Mary was pleasing in person, and so popular in England, as to be almost adored. "Among

other praises that I heard of her," adds he, " is, that she knows how to conceal her acquirements, and surely this is no small proof of wisdom."

Either the religious prejudices of Mary were not so invincible as have been supposed, or the influence of Katharine Parr was indeed extraordinary; for by the entreaty of that queen, she undertook the translation of the Latin paraphrase of St. John, by Erasmus. The ! Parliamentary History, vol. iii., p. 179.

"See Marillac's despatches, previously quoted at p. 226.