guard, bullied the Princess Mary (who was the natural head of the Catholic party), thrust all the leading Catholics into prison, and tossed the remaining Church lands to his fellow nobles.
Edward VI very ill.But Edward, who had always been very delicate, began early in 1553 to draw near his end. Mary's succession was sure, and, though no one knew exactly what line she would take in religious matters, it was certain that she would stop the violent progress of the Reformation, and quite certain that she would kill Northumberland. His death, 1553.So the Duke persuaded the dying boy-king, now sixteen, to make a will, passing over both his sisters, and leaving the crown to his cousin, Jane Grey.Lady Jane Grey, heiress of the Suffolk line and recently married to one of Northumberland’s sons. When Edward died in July, Jane was actually proclaimed Queen in London.
But not a cheer was raised by the crowd, and the whole nation rose as one man for the injured Princess Mary. Within nine days Jane was a prisoner in the Tower, where a few months afterwards she was executed, and Mary rode into London with her sister Elizabeth at her side.
Mary I, 1553–8; her character.Mary’s reign of five years and four months is the greatest tragedy in our history. She was a good woman, passionately attached to the Catholic faith and to the memory of her mother. She was learned, clever and of lofty courage. But she was a Spaniard at heart and never an Englishwoman. Like a Spaniard she was vindictive, and, unfortunately, she had deep wrongs to avenge.
The Reformation in danger.Yet, if Protestantism were to triumph in the long run, something of the fearful cruelty she was going to inflict upon it was necessary; for moderate men had hitherto mainly seen it as the religion of a gang of selfish nobles seeking to divide all the riches of England among