THE LIFE OF THE Lady
JANE GRAY.
WITH SOME REMARKS ON THE PLAY. In a LETTER to a FRIEND.
By
William Rufus Chetwood.
DUBLIN:
Printed for
G. Risk,
Bookseller, at the
London
in
Dames-street,
over-against the
Horse-Guard;
where New Plays and Novels are to be Sold. And the Tragedy of
Jane Grey,
1715.
THE LIFE OF THE Lady
JANE GRAY, &c.
SIR,
YOU desired me to send you the Life of the Lady
Jane Gray.
I do assure you, my Friend, (and hope to be believ'd) that I spent a whole Day in the search, and to as little purpose, as he that carry'd a lighted Torch at Noon-day, to look for an honest Man. But however, you shan't altogether lose your Longing: For you may, if you please, read this following Account, Collected out of the best, and most exactest, Historians.
THis Incomparable Lady was Eldest Daughter to
Henry
Lord
Grey,
Duke of
Suffolk.
She was born in the Year 1534. She was Endow'd with all the Graces both of Mind and Body. She gave in her earliest Infancy, many Proofs of her growing Piety, and her Veneration for Holy Writ. For once being diverting herself with her Companions, one had an occasion to have something that was above her reach, and taking a large Bible to tread on to get it; the young Lady seeing her, wou'd not suffer her, and exprest her Resentment: She was so taken with it, that she broke off their sport, and retir'd to her Closet, more than ordinary Melancholly.
She was a Lady indeed that seem'd cut out by Heaven for Greatness. As She was a Beautiful and a Graceful Person, so she was Endow'd with all those Virtues that are esteem'd by Heaven, and all good Men, as is express'd in the Tragedy of her, by the Poet.
Candour with Goodness, Fortitude with Sweetness,
Strict Piety, and love of Truth, with Learning,
More than the Schools of
Athens
ever knew,
Or her own
Plato
taught—
When she came to years of more solid Understanding, Dr.
Elmer
(afterwards Bishop of
London)
was her Tutor: And from him she learn'd Latin and Greek, to a Perfection, and wou'd Discourse in those Language upon any Subject, and wou'd give her Sentiments to Admiration. Nay, she delighted in such Conferences: For when others of her Sex and Age were taking their Diversion abroad, she employ'd her time in Reading. The Lady
Elizabeth
's Tutor
(Roger Ascham)
coming once to wait on her at her Father's House in the Country; was surpriz'd to find her alone reading of
Plato
's Works in Greek, while the rest of the Family were diverting themselves with Hunting, (in her Father's Park) and other Rural Diversions. He ask'd her how she could lose the share of such Diversion: She answer'd, Those were but faint Shadows of what she enjoy'd in Contemplation there—
[pointing to
Plato's Phoedon
that lay before her]
And added she, I esteem it one of the greatest Blessings of my Life, that I have had severe Parents, and a Milder Master, which have made me delight with those Companions, which were not like Mankind; for when I find my self weary, I can lay by their Company without commiting a Soliecism against good Manners.
The young King was ever fond of her Company, and as their Ages were much the same, so was their Fancies and Desires. As the Poet has it.
From their first early Days of Infant Life,
A gentle Band of Friendship grew betwixt 'em;
As Brother, and as Sister, bred together,
Beneath one Common Parents Care they liv'd.
In every Innocent Delight they shar'd,
They Sung, and Danc'd, and Sat, and Walk'd together:
She left the shining Courts to share his Toil,
To turn with him the Grave Historian's Page,
And taste the Rapture of the Poets Song.
She was well read in Sacred, as well as Prophane History, and had attain'd to a large Knowledge in Divinity: And at the Age when others were but tasting the Notions of Philosophy, she had Capacity enough to make a full Feast. And with all these Advantages of Birth and Parts, she was so Humble, so Meek, and Pious, that all People both Admir'd and Lov'd her. She had a Mind wonderfully rais'd above the World, and the Pleasures of it she call'd Vanities.
Lord
Guilford,
Son to the Aspiring Duke of
Northumberland,
by his Father's Politick means, was Marry'd to her on the Third of
June
1553, and as well as I can make out in the Twentieth Year of her Age. She exprest all the sorrow imaginable at the King's Death, and in his Sickness gave him most constant Attendance, which is finely exprest in the Poets Lines by
Northumberland
on the occasion.
All desolate, and drown'd in flowing Tears,
By
Edward
's Bed, the Pious Princes sits;
Fast from her lifted Eyes, the pearly Drops
Fall trickling o'er her Cheek, while strong Devotion,
And fervent Zeal pour forth her lab'ring Soul,
And every sigh is wing'd with Prayers so potent,
As strive with Heaven to save her dying Lord.
When her Father, the Duke of
Northumberland,
with the rest of the Privy Council, came to attend, and hail her Queen, she exprest a great deal of Reluctancy, and was rather forc'd to take it, out of an Obedience to her Parents, than any desire of her own. She said the Crown, by Right of Inheritance, was to descend to the Sisters of the late King, and that she was unwilling to burden her Conscience to enrich herself with the spoils of others. At last, for the Safety of the People, and the Maintaining and Preserving the Reformation, she was won upon to accept the Crown. The Author of the Tragedy of Lady
Jane,
has exprest her unwillingness in this manner.
Take me, Crown me;
Invest me with this Royal Wretchedness:
Let me not know one happy Minute more,
Let all my sleepless Nights be spent in Care,
My Days be vex'd with Tumults and Alarms,
If only I can save you; if my Fate
Has mark'd me out to be the Publick Victim,
I take the Lot with Joy.—Yes, I will Die
For that Eternal Truth my Faith is fix'd on,
And that dear Native Land which gave me Birth.
All that I ask, is, tho' my Fortune frown,
And bury me beneath this Fatal Crown;
Let this one good be added to my Doom,
To save this Land from Tyranny and
Rome.
She was neither lifted up when she wore the Crown, nor cast down, when her Palace became her Prison, but carry'd herself in an even Temper of Mind in those great inequalities of Fortune, that so suddenly exalted, and depress'd her. All the Passion she exprest was, that her Father, Mother, and Husband were involv'd in her ill Fortune. When she had notice that her Sentence of Death was past, she did not express the least concern, but bore it with a Constancy of Mind beyond thought. The Queen sent Dr.
Fecknam
Three Days before to prepare her for Death: He had a long Conversation with her, and answer'd to all his Questions, with that calmness of Mind, and clearness of Reason, that it was a Wonder to hear, how so Young a Person of her Sex, cou'd look on Death so nigh her with so little concern. She sent a Letter to her Father, to mitigate his Sorrow for her Unhappy End. She rejoyced at aproaching Death, and thought the nigher it appear'd it look'd less dreadful. She exprest a great deal of tenderness, when she saw her Husband led out first to Execution: He had desir'd to take leave of her before he dy'd, but she declin'd it, since (she said) it wou'd rather be an Addition to her Grief: And she hop'd to meet shortly, and be united in a much happier State. She saw her Husband's Headless Trunk carry'd by her without any outward concern, or Woman's Wailings, and consol'd herself in knowing she shou'd soon follow him. When she was brought to the Scaffold (which for fear of the People was built within the Tower) she confest she had Sin'd in taking the Crown when it was proffer'd her, but she took it to a good end. She declar'd she dy d a true Christian in the reform'd Faith, but hoped to be sav'd only, thro the Merits and Sufferings of her Blessed Lord and and Saviour Jesus Christ. Then having desir'd the Peoples Prayers, she repeated the 51st
Psam,
when after some private Devotion, she undress'd herself, put her Hankerchief herself upon her Eyes, then laying her Head upon the fatal Block, she resign'd her Breath to him who gave it her.
Thus fell this Great, this Good, and Pious Lady, which seem'd by Virtue to be form'd for Greatness, which may be as an Example to the World of the Mutability of Fortune: And I think our Poet has been very exact in his Characters in following the truth of History. Nothing can Describe the Haughty Ambitious
Northumberland
better than himself, in the following Lines, where he seems to have laid the Scheme of his designs even before the King's Death.
She must be here, and lodg'd in
Guilford
's Arms
E're
Edward
Dyes, or all we have done is Marr'd,
Ha!
Pembroke!
that's a Bar that thwarts my way;
His fiery Temper brooks not opposition,
And must be met with soft and subtile Arts,
With crouching Courtesie and Hony'd Words,
Such as Asswage the fierce and bend the Strong.
See
Baker
's Chronicle, in giving an account of
Northumberland,
Marching with his Troops out of
London.
The 14th of
July
he March'd thro'
Shoreditch
with 2000 Horse and 6000 Foot, and tho' there were many Spectators in the Streets as he pass'd, none wish'd him Success. Now judge how high the Poet comes, where he makes
Pembroke
a Spectator.
I saw him Marching at his Army's Head,
I mark'd him Issuing thro' the City Gates;
And (for he wore his Beaver up) cou'd read
Upon his Visage Horror and Dismay.
No Voice of friendly Salutation cheer'd him,
None wish'd his Arms might thrive, or bad Heaven speed him:
But thro' a Staring ghastly looking Croud,
Unhail'd, Unblest, with heavy Heart he went.
The Duke of
Northumberland
went back to
Cambridge
to wait for more Succours from
London;
but hearing how Matters were carry'd, he dismist his Troops, and went to the Market-place, only Accompanied with the Mayor, and himself, for want of a Herald, flung up his Cap (for Joy) and cry'd, God Save Queen
Mary.
But the Earl of
Arundel
came with orders from the Queen to apprehend him, as one guilty of Treason, and brought him from
Cambridge
to the Tower on the 25th of
July,
and on the 22d of
August
1553 was Beheaded. This passage is describ'd by the Duke of
Suffolk
to his Daughter the Lady
Jane.
With some sew Followers he arriv'd at
Cambridge,
But there, even they forsook him, and himself,
Was forc'd with heavy Heart, and watry Eye,
To cast his Cap up with dissembled Chear,
And cry, God save Queen
Mary:
But alass!
Little avail'd the Semblance of that Loyalty;
For soon thereafter by the Earl of
Arundel,
With Treason was he charg'd, and there Arrested:
And now they bring him Prisoner up to
London.
I must confess in my Judgment there is a great many fine thoughts in this Play, but I leave 'em to yours; only I must beg leave to point you out one, and so conclude, for I reckon by this time you're as tir'd with Reading, as I with Writing.
It is in the Conclusion of the 4th Act, where
Guilford
is bewailing the Loss of each other in Death: But she endeavours to comfort him, by telling him they shall meet again.
Behold the Universal Works of Nature,
Where Life still Springs from Death. To us the Sun
Dies every Night, and every Morn revives.
The Flow'rs, which Winter's Icy Head destroy'd,
Lift their fair Heads, and live agen in Spring.
Mark with what Hopes upon the furrow'd Plain,
The Careful Ploughman casts the pregnant Grain▪
There hid as in a Grave, a while it lies,
Till the revolving Season bids it rise,
Till Natures Genial Pow'rs Command a Birth,
And potent call it from the teeming Earth;
Then large increase the buried Treasures yeild,
And with full Harvest Crown the plenteous Field.
I shall trouble you no farther, and I shall think my Pains amply required if this Succinct (but true) Account can give any satisfaction to the entire Frend of▪
Sir
Your Humble Servant, W. R. C.
FINIS.