London he hated for the gaiety of his beloved Madrid. Therefore when the marriage settlements were being drawn up he gave his assent to all the conditions demanded of him, and empowered Renard to comply with such requests as the advisers of Mary suggested. The clauses to which the bride and bridegroom put their hands and seals were just and reasonable. The abstract of the agreement was as follows: *

First. He to be intituled King during the matrimony, but she to have the disposition of all benefices, etc.

Second. She to be intituled to his dominions during the marriage.

the lack of attractions her sickly face and | exchange the gloom and opposition of the lean, angular figure displayed, she, like most women sur le retour, tenaciously clung to the lover whom State policy compelled to kneel at her feet, and who, she felt sure, would be the last of his fascinating tribe that the matrimonial market could command for her acceptance. The question had been narrowed to this issue: it was to be Philip or it was to be nobody. And so with the eager longings of an acrid and hysterical woman whose affections for years had been checked and pent up, she yielded all the treasures of her heart to the man whom political considerations had selected, and vowed that she would have none other. Then, like many women who late in life are about to link their fate with a husband younger than themselves, she idealized the man, and painted him in the glowing colors her fond imag-female, shall succeed in her kingdoms accordFourth. The issue of her body, male or ination depicted. To those who knew him, Philip was a prince of a cold and calculating disposition, utterly wanting in principle, miserably mean where all expenditure was concerned, and, even in a lax age and among a loose people, was looked upon as notoriously immoral. To Mary he was, however, all that a loving woman could desire -a man of blameless life, a devoted son of the Church, endowed with talents which made his judgment conspicuous whenever it was exercised, brave, handsome, noble, gener

ous.

To Renard, the Spanish ambassador, who knew the full value of an alliance between England and Spain, and who had essayed all his arts to promote the match, she said, placing in his hand a small vellum parcel," I have signed this parchment, by which I affiance myself in mar riage to Philip, prince of Spain, son of his Imperial Majesty, Charles V. And I further give you, as representative of the prince, my irrevocable promise that I will marry him and none else."

If the course of true love seldom runs smooth, that of marriages of convenience rarely encounters much opposition from the immediate contracting parties. Philip, who was only anxious to avail himself of the revenues of England, would have married Mary had she been twice her age; and twice as plain. Once the ring placed upon her long, bony finger-how differ ent from the beautiful hand of her sister Elizabeth! and himself controller of the

Third. Her dowry, if she survives him, to be three score thousand pounds, after the value of forty groats, Flemish money.

ing to the laws of the same.

Fifth. The Prince to leave to his eldest

son, the Lord Charles [Don Carlos], and his heirs all his right; his land notwithstanding to be liable to the Queen's dowry. And for want of issue in the Lord Charles, then the eldest son of this matrimony should succeed also in all his grandfather's titles.

Sixth. If the Lord Charles should have issue, yet the Low Countries and Burgundy to the other children convenient portions to be are reserved for the heir of this marriage, and allotted out of this kingdom.

been agreed upon the treaty was de When the necessary preliminaries had spatched to Brussels for ratification, and celebrated by high mass in the exquisite the conclusion of the proceedings was Norman chapel in the Tower. When the Host had been returned to its sacred repository Mary stood up, then walked to the altar and, kneeling down, declared before all assembled:

I take God to witness that I have not consented to wed the Prince of Spain from any but solely for the honor and profit of my kingdesire of aggrandisement, or carnal affection; dom, and the repose and tranquillity of my subjects. Nor shall my marriage prevent me from keeping inviolably the oath I have made to the crown on the day of my coronation.

tained that the marriage between Philip
No sooner had the outside public ascer-
and Mary had been definitively settled
than loud and ominous were the murmurs
of the people. In every county and at
discussed, and it was evident from the
every market-town the subject was angrily

receipts of the Exchequer, it would be a
matter of no great difficulty to invent
some excuse which by placing the Pyr-
enees between him and the charms of his
sour-visaged bride, would allow him to Foreign. Mary. Jan.-Mar. 1554. No. 128.

comments on these occasions which fell

*Abstract of the Treaty of Marriage. State Papers.

only man who had boldly shown his hand, who had permitted no timorous resistance, who had suffered no delay, and who was resolved if the country was only waiting for a leader to come himself to the front, was the impetuous Wyatt. Dealing with an excitable and impulsive people he had unfurled his standard at Maidstone, and the inflammable Kentish men had come up from their farms in hundreds, crying, "A Wyatt! a Wyatt!" "Down with the Spaniard!" "No foreigner!" and "Long life to the Princess Elizabeth!" Quitting Maidstone with some two thousand men, Wyatt marched to Rochester, where, through his ranks being swelled by deserters from the royal cause, the castle easily fell into his hands, and he at once made himself master of the Medway.

from the lips of both speakers and bystanders, that there only wanted opportunity and organization for the agitation to break out in open rebellion. These soon presented themselves. The leaders of the disaffected formed themselves into a confederacy, the object of which was to create a revolt throughout the country, depose the unpopular Mary, and place in her stead the popular Princess Elizabeth. The Earl of Courtenay, who was to wed Elizabeth, was to travel west, where his name and influence were all-potent, and rally the counties of Cornwall and Devonshire to the cause of Protestantism, and England for the English. The Duke of Suffolk, with his three brothers, Lord Thomas, Lord John, and Lord Leonard Grey, were to sow sedition in the midland counties. Sir James Crofts, who had been deputy of Ireland, and was accustomed Meanwhile Mary had not been idle. to the ways of agitation, was to stimulate Lack of courage had never been attrib revolt in the district of the Severn. Last-uted to those in whose veins ran the hot, ly, Sir Thomas Wyatt, the son of the arrogant Tudor blood, and the queen, poet, a bold soldier, who had seen much whatever her faults, did not belie the bold service in the recent wars with France, race from which she sprang. Foiled in but whose courage and ability were se- her attempt to obtain regular troops by verely handicapped by his rash and head- her suspicious advisers, who did not know strong disposition, was to raise Kent. to what end she might apply the services These arrangements completed, the forces of a trained soldiery, she appealed to the assembled at Exeter, Bristol, Warwick, city of London, which answered her and Maidstone were to march upon Lon- prayer by sending five hundred men, undon, then as disaffected as the other parts der the command of one Captain Bret, to of the country; the citizens and soldiery her assistance. These levies were at would declare for the good cause, the once marched to Rochester by the Duke Tower would fall an easy prey to the in- of Norfolk, who enjoyed the fullest confivaders, and Mary would either fly the dence of his sovereign, and who had been realm, or of her own will transfer the appointed generalissimo of the forces to crown to the head of her sister. "It resist the rebels. On arriving at Graveswould be," said Wyatt, a bloodless re-end the duke resolved not to delay his volt."

attack, but forthwith to lay siege to RochSuch was the plan on paper. When it ester Castle, and deal out to its traitorous began to be put into execution obstacles defenders the punishment they so richly occurred which, as is always the case, had deserved. Limbering up his artillery, he not been anticipated. Courtenay was a gave orders for the city bands to advance craven, and at the last moment declined upon the bridge. No sooner had the word to go west to raise the standard of rebel- of command issued from his lips than lion. Deprived of his inspiring presence, Captain Bret drew his sword, and placing Devonshire and Cornwall, though sullen himself in front of the London volunand seditious, yet refused to move or to teers, cried out, "Masters, we go about take any active steps without orders from to fight against our native countrymen of their acknowledged leader. The Duke of England and our friends in a quarrel unSuffolk had ridden down into Warwick-rightful and partly wicked, for they, conshire, and had met with a reception which, sidering the great and manifold mysteries if not enthusiastic, was at least encourag. which are like to fall upon us if we shall ing; but the midland farmers and their be under the rule of the proud Spaniards hinds were prudent men; they would take or strangers, are here assembled to make part in a general insurrection when it resistance of the coming in of him or his once openly declared itself, but they would favorers; and for that they know right not be the first to revolt and lead the van well that if we should be under their subof rebellion. Sir James Crofts, busy injection they would, as slaves and villains, Wales, met with the same difficulty. The spoil us of our goods and lands, ravish

our daughters in our presence, have now for the avoiding of so great mischiefs and inconveniences likely to light not only upon themselves but on every one of us and the whole realm, taken upon them now, in time before his coming, this their enterprise, against which I think no English heart ought to say, much less by fighting to withstand them. Wherefore I and these [his troops] will spend our blood in the quarrel of this worthy cap tain Master Wyatt and other gentlemen here assembled."*

our wives before our faces, and deflower | could do nothing to help her, for when a sovereign set the wishes of a nation at defiance, of what avail, they asked, was the help of a few individuals? It was useless again to appeal to the city, for it was evident that the Londoners sympathized with the revolt; she had no money, she had no troops. She had, they suggested, only two courses open before her. She could abandon all idea of the Spanish marriage, and thus reconcile herself with her subjects, or she could carry out her resolve to marry Philip of Spain, and have to look to Flemings and a Spanish At the conclusion of this speech loud soldiery to support her determination. If were the cries of "A Wyatt! a Wyatt!" Wyatt marched upon London and the city and the Londoners waved their caps in declared in his favor, she would have to the air as a signal to the rebels in the beat a hasty retreat and her life even castle. Hereupon. Wyatt, accompanied would be in jeopardy. In reply, Mary, by several of his partisans, rode out on with all the tenacity of an enamored elthe bridge and cried aloud, "So many as derly spinster, vowed that nothing would will come and tarry with us shall be wel-induce her to throw over the man of her come." In reply to this invitation, "all choice. She would be dethroned first; the Londoners, part of the guard, and ay, she would rather prefer death than more than three parts of the retinue, went such an ignoble repudiation. Still she into the camp of the Kentish men.' Nor- thought a third course presented itself, folk had no alternative but to hurry back and she hastened to avail herself of it. to London with the news of the desertion She was ignorant of what might be in of his men. "At this discomfiture," we store for her in the future, but in her are told,f "the duke lost eight pieces of present hour of difficulty she wanted time brass, with all other munition and ord- above all things. She wanted time to nance, and himself, with the Earl of Or- plan, to organize, to scheme for succor, mond and others, fled to London. You and at all hazards she wanted time to hinshould have seen some of the guard come der Wyatt from marching upon London. home, their coats turned, all ruined, with- She summoned Sir Edward Hastings, out arrows or string in their bows, or the master of the horse, and Sir Thomas. swords, in very strange wise, which dis- Cornwallis to her presence, and bade them comfiture, like as it was a heartsore and hasten with all speed to Dartford to hold very displeasing to the queen and Coun- an interview with Wyatt. She wished to cil, even so it was almost no less joyous know, she said, of what grievances he to the Londoners and most part of all complained, and if it were in_her_power others." she would have them redressed. To prevent mistakes she drew up, in her own hand, full instructions as to the course to be adopted in dealing with Wyatt. They ran thus:

This unexpected addition to his ranks encouraged Wyatt to further efforts. Cowling Castle, the seat of Lord Cobham, who was hesitating between the royal cause and rebellion, was stormed and taken, and its owner carried off prisoner. This feat accomplished, the rebels marched to Gravesend; there they halted the night, and on the following day reached Dartford.

The situation of Mary was now fraught with no little danger. She saw that she was practically deserted, and had to maintain her cause alone. Her advisers, who had strenuously opposed her marriage, now coldly told her that the evils they had predicted had come to pass. They The Chronicle of Queen Jane, edited by J. G.

Nichols, F.S.A. Canden Society. † The Chronicle of Queen Jane.

Wyatt with others be assembled.
First, they shall repair to the place where
At their
to him and such other gentlemen as be with
coming they shall say to the said Wyatt aloud,
him, in such wise as follows:

First, that we do not a little marvel that they, being born our subjects, and bound to the laws of this our realm, have, contrary to the same, enterprised to raise our people and levy war without our commission. We do understand that they pretend to be and continue our true subjects, and that they have assembled our people for the empechement of the marriage concluded between us and our dear cousin the Prince of Spain, alleging the same to tend to the prejudice of the commonwealth of this our realm.

was sure her confidence would not be | citizens. The queen was in the Tower, misplaced.

anxious, but calm and collected. Several members of the Council entered her apartment, and implored her before it was too late to take boat and fly. She sent for Renard and asked for his advice. He bade her, unless she wished to lose her crown, not to stir from London. Her departure would lead at once to a revolt in her capital, the Tower would be attacked and captured, the vile heretics would fall upon the priests, and Elizabeth would to a certainty be proclaimed queen. ". Things," he said, “must come to a worse pass before she resolved upon abandoning her position." Pembroke and Clinton,

Her hopes were realized. Men were freely enlisted to protect the crown; there was no lack of money; and the city again came forward with volunteers and supplies. At the same time Mary took every precaution to avoid hurting the feelings of her subjects. She avoided the society of Renard, and she advised several of the Spaniards who were attached to the embassy to quit the kingdom. Towards the beginning of the last year certain ambassadors Egmont, De Lalaing, De Courières, De Montmorency, and Philip Nigri had been despatched by Charles V. as special envoys to treat of the approaching who commanded the royal troops, were of marriage. These high personages Mary the same opinion, and assured their sov. now recommended to return to Flanders; ereign that in the forthcoming struggle their numbers, she wisely remarked, were God would give her the victory. Their too small to be of service in the hour of advice was accepted, and every precaution danger, yet large enough to irritate her adopted to oppose the advance of the rebsubjects by their presence; she would els. Pembroke and Clinton drew up their only be content when they had exchanged cavalry and infantry on the fields in front the Thames for the Scheldt. Meanwhile of St. James's, infantry were massed toshe stationed before the doors of the Im-gether at Finsbury, the guns of the Tower perial envoys a guard of thirty men. Nor were loaded and were prepared to open were these distinguished diplomatists loth to take their departure. They feared that if Wyatt were victorious, London, which was full of "une infinité de bannis, héré tiques, homicides, et autres malfacteurs de toutes nations y refugiés," would rise against the inhabitants and a general massacre ensue.* Finding some Flemish shipping at anchor below London Bridge, they went on board and were soon safely at rest in the port of Antwerp.

In spite, however, of the revived loyalty of the English people, the situation to Mary was still full of danger. Wyatt had quitted Dartford with two thousand men and was marching straight upon London. Before he halted his troops upon the broken ground which intervenes between Woolwich and Blackheath, his ranks had been swelled by a large following drawn from the yeomen of Kent, Surrey, and Middlesex, who were anxious to come to close quarters with the hated Spaniard, and whose cries of "A Wyatt! a Wyatt!" and "Out with the foreigner!" were taken up by the sailors at Greenwich and reechoed by the shipping up the river till they burst forth in ominous cheers and groans below London Bridge. Wyatt was now but six miles from Westminster, and it was feared that his nearer approach to the capital would be the signal for a general rising of the disaffected London

• Transcripts, Feb. 5, 1554.

upon Southwark. Wyatt was proclaimed a traitor, and a large reward offered for his capture dead or alive. A free pardon was also granted to all who would desert his cause.

These measures failed to deter the Kentish leader from his purpose. As he came up on the Surrey side intending to march his men over London Bridge, the guns from the White Tower opened fire upon him, but without effect. London Bridge was, however, impassable. At the approach of Wyatt orders had been issued by the mayor and sheriffs for the drawbridge which was in the middle of the bridge to be cut down, the bridge gates to be closed, and every man to shut in his shop (which in those days lined London Bridge on either side), to put on his harness, and to stand at his door ready to resist any attack that might be made.

Then [writes the chronicler]† should ye have seen taking in wares of the stalls in most hasty manner; there was running up and down in every place for weapons and harness; aged men were astonished, many women wept for fear; children and maids ran into their houses shutting the doors for fear; much noise and tumult was everywhere; so terrible and fearful at the first was Wyatt and his army's coming dom or never wont before to hear or have any to the most part of the citizens, who were sel such invasions to their city.

Ibid. Renard to the Emperor, Feb. 8, 1554 † The Chronicle of Queen Jane.