Several persons of condition declare for queen Mary.

CRAN private station. But being solicited to accept the crown by MER, Abp. Cant. the two dukes, her mother, and her husband, she forced her inclination, resigned to their importunities, and was dragged, as it were, into treason; and since a young lady had so much authority to mislead her, since she was so earnestly pressed by such near relations,—it is no wonder to find her understanding surprised; and that she should surrender to their disposal. On the other side, the queen, having a fair intelligible title, gained upon the country, several persons of condition immediately declared for her, and went to her court. Amongst these were the earl of Bath; sir Thomas Wharton, son to the lord Wharton; sir John Mordaunt, son to the lord Mordaunt ; sir William Drury, sir John Shelton, sir Henry Benningfield, Henry Jerningham, John Sulierd, Richard Higham, &c. The lady Jane's council were likewise informed, that the earl of Sussex, and his son Henry Ratcliff, esq., were marching into the same interest with their forces. These things presaged a contest, and made a formidable appearance. It was therefore thought advisable to levy an army with all expedition, to seize the lady Mary, as they called her, and bring her to London. The duke of Suffolk was pitched upon for the general. His being the lady Jane's father, it is likely, recommended him to this post. But those of the council, who wished well to queen Mary, found their endeavours would be clogged unless the duke of Northumberland was sent off. They persuaded, therefore, the pretended queen to keep her father at court, and give the duke of Northumberland the command of the army; that no man was better qualified for this employment than that the army for duke; that an insurrection in Norfolk having been lately supthe ludy pressed by him, his name would dishearten the mutineers, and bring them to submission; and, in case they proved obstinate, a nobleman so remarkable for conduct and courage was most likely to reduce them. The lady Jane, being solicitous for her father, closed with this wrong advice, and desired the duke of Northumberland to undertake the expedition. The duke, who was apprehensive of the consequence, would gladly have declined the charge; but this being not within his choice, he immediately set forward with a body of six thousand,-Newmarket being appointed for the general rendezvous. As he marched through London, he was not saluted with any acclamations, or signs of countenance. The people gazed at him,

Northum

berland commands

June.

but gave no mark of their affection. He took notice of their MARY. coldness to the lord Grey. "The people," says he, “crowd after us; but I do not find any of them cry, God speed.'

The queen had a strong interest in London, notwithstanding the lady Jane was in possession and managed the administration in the regal style: but no show of the nobility, no compliance of the judges, no sovereign figure, or pretence of religion, were thought a counterpoise to a legal title. The duke of Northumberland, who was a man of reach, had taken all the precaution imaginable, and made use of the best disguises. He knew queen Mary's religion was a very unacceptable circumstance. To harangue strongly upon this topic, and awaken the people's fears, must therefore be serviceable business. This was the most likely way to perplex the cause, to steal on the blind side of the subject, and debauch them from their duty. To this purpose he had engaged a great many of the London clergy to declaim against the queen, and frighten the audience with fears of persecution. Bishop Ridley was so Bishop Ridunhappy as to engage in this service. He was ordered by the ley preaches council to preach at Paul's-cross upon this occasion. And here Jane's he employed his rhetoric against queen Mary: he dilated upon the misfortunes of living under her government; that they must expect a foreign power would be brought in upon them; and, more than that, the established religion would be destroyed. And here he acquainted them with the conversation already mentioned, which passed between the queen and himself in the late reign; that she was unalterably fixed in her misbelief; and that nothing could be looked for from her reign but an utter subversion of the true faith, and overthrowing all that had been brought about with so much difficulty by the king her brother.

Now it must be said, that this bishop, though in other respects a worthy person, mistook his point lamentably, and began at the wrong end of the business: he ought first to have disproved the queen's title, before he had prepossessed the people against her government. If she had a right by descent or act of parliament, a different religion could be no bar to her claim: there was not so much as any law pretended for that purpose'. To preach against the queen from arguments of interest and convenience, was altogether foreign and indefensible: to recom

A similar argument was subsequently applied by the Non-jurors to the case of James II.

for the lady

interest.

343.

Fox, p. 16.

CRAN- mend injustice from the pulpit, was no good expedient to serve / Abp. Cant. the reformation. But as it happened, the bishop's unfortunate

MER,

The fleet comes into the queen's

service.

harangue signified not much. The audience was not to be imposed on they knew that unless they betrayed their faith, and threw their religion up, no power on earth could take it from them; that Christianity obliged them to be just, and "render unto Cæsar the things that are Cæsar's."

:

To go on the people's inclination lay on the right side, and the queen now was reinforced with four thousand foot, commanded by sir Edward Hastings, brother to the earl of Huntington. These men were raised for the lady Jane, at the instance of the duke of Northumberland; and that which gave a farther advance, and seemed to turn the scale, was the coming in of six men of war into Yarmouth haven, and declaring for the queen. These ships were ordered by Northumberland to cruise upon the coast of Suffolk and Norfolk, and to intercept the queen in case she endeavoured an escape beyond sea. But being driven by storm into Yarmouth, Jerningham prevailed with them to take service under queen Mary. This was a lucky accident and now the queen being furnished with artillery and ammunition, resolved to march against NorthumberShe promises land. Another circumstance which increased her forces, was the Suffolk a promise she had given the Suffolk men, not to make any alteration in religion. If this promise came free and undereligion. manded, it was an encouragement to their duty: but if they engaged upon condition, and articled with their sovereign, their caution went too far. For either she had a right, or she had none: if she had none, their correspondence was criminal: if they believed she had a right, they ought to have run the risk of her government, served her without terms, and rested the event with Providence. The queen was now at Framlingham castle, near the sea in Suffolk; she marched hither for the better security of her person: for, from hence she might have transported herself, in case her affairs had miscarried.

men not to

make any

change in

July 15.

To take a view of the course of matters on the other side. The duke of Northumberland marched from London to Cambridge, where he came in on Saturday the fifteenth, his being chancellor of the university, and high steward of the town, gave him fair expectations here. In the evening he sent for Dr. Edwyn Sandys, master of Catherine-hall, and vice-chancellor, and desired him to preach before him the next day. This was a touchy motion, considering the juncture; for the doctor could

neither decline nor comply, without apparent hazard. Besides, MARY. the warning was short upon so critical an occasion. However, the vice-chancellor, concluding it his best way to appear in the pulpit, took a text, which looked on the duke's side, and seemed Josh. i. 16. July 16. to favour the enterprise. But he hovered so much in generals, managed with such caution, and left so much room for a neutral construction, that he satisfied the audience, and yet kept a reserve for defence with the other party. On Monday, the duke of Northumberland marched with his troops to St. Edmondsbury but here, instead of receiving intelligence of the reinforcement and rendezvous at Newmarket, letters of very unacceptable contents were brought him, from some of the lords of the council. And being disappointed in his succours, and finding matters perplexed and going backward, he countermarched to Cambridge the next day. From hence he wrote pressing letters to the lords of the council to send him more forces. Those lords who were in the queen's interest, taking a handle from this message, moved for the levying men with all expedition but then they were of opinion, that some of the board ought to be employed in this commission: to trust any body else might prove of ill consequence, and carry the forces to the enemy, of which they had an instance already, in the revolt of sir Edward Hastings. Upon this pretence, they prevailed with the duke of Suffolk to open the Tower gates, and give them their liberty. And now the marquess of Winchester, lord treasurer, the earl of Pembroke, the earl of Arundel, the lord Paget, and sir Thomas Cheyney, lord warden of the Cinque Ports, began to discover themselves, and make a party for the queen. To this purpose, they engaged as many of the council as they could find, to meet at Baynard's castle: they pretended dispatching some matters of state with Lavall, the French ambassador; but their business was to set aside the lady Jane, and bring on a revolution. And here, the earl of Arundel, who had been sent to the Tower by Northumberland's contrivance, opened the design, and fell upon the mal-administration in the late reign. He told the lords, "that all the instances of injustice, cruelty, and miscarriage, were to be charged upon Northumberland: that this nobleman, contrary to all law and conscience, had put by king Henry's issue from succeeding to the crown: that he was strangely surprised, men of such quality and character, as their lordships, should suffer themselves

MER,

344.

CRAN to be governed by that duke, and assist him in his wicked Abp. Cant. practice: that it was by their countenance, a daughter of the house of Suffolk had taken the state of a queen, and appeared a royal pageant but though this lady had the title, the power would be lodged with her father-in-law, Northumberland; and by this means he would have an opportunity of gratifying his ambition, of playing his humour at the full stretch, and disposing of their lives and fortunes at pleasure. It is true, religion,' says he, "is made the great motive of these extraordinary proceedings; but this is nothing but pretence, and holy grimace. For, as to religion, if we are in earnest, that will not allow us such unwarrantable latitude. I am so much a divine, as to remember the apostle forbids us doing ill, that good may come of it: and that we ought to be subject even to ill princes, Rom. iii. 8. not only for wrath, but for conscience-sake.' Besides, how is it certainly known that the princess Mary intends a change in religion? I am assured her answer to the Suffolk men implies a kinder resolution. Now what distraction is it to run upon inevitable ruin, only to avoid what may never happen? I heartily wish this had been considered at first, and no false steps made in the matter: but since misbehaviour can only be retrieved by counter-practice, I conceive the best thing we can do, is to quit the usurpation, and proclaim queen Mary."

Rom.xiii. 5.

Godwin,
Annal.

claimed in London.

The earl of Arundel's speech was seconded by the earl of Pembroke, who, clapping his hand to his sword, declared boldly that he was ready to fight any man of a contrary sentiment. The rest concurring in the same opinion, the lord mayor and aldermen were sent for, who, joining with the lords, She is pro- went in a body to Cheapside, and proclaimed queen Mary with sound of trumpet; from hence they made a cavalcade to St. Paul's, where Te Deum was sung upon the occasion. The next business was to secure the Tower, which some would have thought they should have done in the first place; but, it is The council likely, they concluded the city's declaring for the queen would declare for the queen. strike a terror into the duke of Suffolk, and frighten him to a surrender. This happened accordingly, for when the duke received a summons to join himself with the rest of the council, he went to the lady Jane's apartment, ordered her to lay aside the state of a queen, and content herself with the fortune of a subject. The lady, not at all discomposed, told her father she