The Marrow of Ecclesiastical History Part 2, Book 2 · Biography 5
J. GRAY
The Life of the Lady Jane Grey, who dyed, Anno Christi, 1554.
DUring the languishing sickness of King Edward the Sixth, the Duke of Northumberland, who bore all the sway at Court, marryed his fourth Son, the Lord Guilford Dudley, to the Lady Iane Grey, eldest daughter to the Duke of Suffolk: her Mother the Lady Frances, was daughter to Charls Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, and Mary, younger Sister to King Henry the Eighth; and then studying how to advance his family; he came to the weak King, and inculcated to him in what danger the state of the Church would be, if he chose not such a pious successor, as would maintain Northumberlands policy.the now established Religion: He told him, that it was well known how the Lady Mary stood affected: Indeed of the Lady Elizabeth there were better hopes, but their causes were so strongly connexed, that they must either be both excluded, or the Lady Mary admitted: That it was the part of a religious and good Prince, to set apart all respects of blood, where Gods glory, and the Subjects weal might be endangered, and that doing otherwise, they were in danger of eternall death: That the Duke of Suffolk had three daughters neer of blood to him, that they were such as their vertues, and birth did commend, and from whom the violation of Religion, or the danger of a Forraign Yoak by any match was not to be feared, forasmuch as their education had been religious, they had as it were with their milk, sucked in the spirituall food of true Religion and Doctrine, and were also matched to Husbands as zealous for the truth as themselves: He desired therefore that the Crown might be left to the eldest of them, the Lady Jane, with this proviso, that she should maintain the now established Religion, her self and her husband being sworn thereunto: These reasons so prevailed with this sick godly King, that by his last Will he excluded both his Sisters, and left the Crown to the Lady Jane: This Will was read in the presence of the Counsel, & all the Judges of the Realm, who were required to subscribe unto it, and by the power of the Duke of Northumberland, most of them were The Councel, and Judges corrupt.either perswaded, or overawed to do it: only Arch-Bishop Cranmer would by no means consent therunto, and withall, he went to the King to know of him the reason why he disinherited his Sisters: the King told him how he was advised to it for the safety of Religion, and that the Lawyers had told him, that he might lawfully do it; and therefore entreated him as he tendered the peace and Humane frailty.propagation of the Gospel, that he would consent to it: So after much debate, and many perswasions, the facile Arch-Bishop was at last drawn to subscribe it. There was also one Judge Hales, an upright man, and lover of the Gospel, that would A just Judge.not by any perswasions be drawn to subscribe unto it: Presently after the good King dyed, and the Lords perswaded the Lady Jane to take the Humility.Crown upon her, but she with many tears intreated her Father in Law, and the rest of them not to lay such an unwelcome burthen upon her; yet by their Arguments and importunity, they at last drew an unwilling consent from her, and thereupon proclaimed her Queen. Between King Edward and this young Lady there was little difference in years, but in learning & knowledg of the tongues, she was far his superiour, being trained up under Her learning admirable.a godly and learned man, Mr. Elmar, and her self being of a most fine, and rare wit, but this worthy Lady having personated a Queen but ten days, the Lords of the Counsel hearing that many flocked to the Lady Mary, and that she was coming towards London, they presently in Cheap-side Proclaim Queen Mary proclaimed.her Queen: the Duke of Suffolk being at this time in the Tower with his daughter: the Lords seized on the Tower, and commanded the Duke to render himself Prisoner, who submitting to them, went strait to his Daughters chamber, forbidding her the farther use of any Royal Ceremonies, and wishing her to be content to return to her former private state; whereunto with a setled countenance, she answered; Sir, I better brook this Message then my former advancement to Royalty: Out of obedience to You, and my Mother I have grievously sinned, and offered violence to my self: Queen Jane willingly leaves the Crown.Now I do willing, and as obeying the motions of my Soul, relinquish the Crown, and endeavour to salve those faults committed by others; if at least so great a fault can be salved by a willing relinquishment, and ingenuous acknowledgement: So soon as Q. Mary came to London, she caused the Lady Jane to be committed to safe custody in the Tower, and not long after at Guild-hall she was arraigned, and condemned for Treason, together with her Husband, and returned to the Tower again Prisoner: She is imprisoned and condemned.some few days after she was set upon by one Fecknam, a Priest, with whom she held a godly and learned disputation about many points of Religion, and when he saw that he could not prevail with her, to alter her opinion, he took his leave, saying, I am sorry, for I perceive that we two shall never meet: to whom she replyed, True it is, we shall never meet, except God turn your heart: For Christian courage and charity.I am sure except you repent, and turn to God, you are in an evil case: and I pray God in the bowels of his mercy to send you his holy Spirit; for he hath given you a great gift of utter ance, if it please him also to open the eyes of your heart: Her Father being Prisoner at the same time in the Tower, she wrote this Letter to him.
Father, Although it pleaseth God to hasten my death by you, by whom my life should rather have been Her Letter to her Father.lengthened: yet can I so patiently take it, as I yield God more hearty thanks for shortening my wofull days, then if all the world had been given into my possession, with life lengthened to my will: and albeit I am well assured of your impatient dolors, redoubled many ways, both in bewayling your own woe, and also (as I hear) especially my unfortunate state: Yet, my dear Father (if I may without offence rejoyce in my mishaps) me thinks in this I may account my self blessed, that washing my hands with the innocency of my fact, my guiltless blood may cry before the Lord, mercy to the innocent: and yet, though I must needs acknowledg, that being constrained and (as you well know) continually assaied, in taking the Crown upon me, I seemed to consent, and therein grievously offended the Queen and her Laws: yet do I assuredly trust that this my offence towards God is so much the less, in that being in so Royal an estate as I was, my inforced honor never mixed with my innocent heart: & thus good Father, I have opened my state to you: whose death at hand, although to you perhaps it may seem right wofull, to me there is nothing that can be more Death desired.welcome, then from this vale of misery, to aspire to that heavenly throne of all joys, and pleasure with Christ our Saviour: In whose stedfast faith (if it be lawful for the daughter to write so to her father) the Lord that hitherto hath strengthened you, so continue you, that at last we may meet in heaven, with the Father, Son, and holy Ghost, &c.
In the raign of King Edward the sixth, There was one Master Harding, Chaplain to her Father, and a zealous Preacher, and professor of the Gospel, who in the beginning of Queen Maries Raign, turned Papist, swiming down the stream with the Time, which coming to the ears of the Lady Jane in prison, her righteous soul was so grieved, that she wrote this Letter to him.
So oft as I call to minde that dreadful and fearful Her Letter to Master Harding.saying of Christ, That he that putteth his hand to the Plough, and looks back, is not meet for the Kingdom of heaven; and on the contrary, those comfortable words which he speaketh to those that forsake all, and follow him; I cannot but marvel at thee, and lament thy case, who seemedst sometimes to be a lively member of Christ, but now the deformed Imp of the Devil: Sometimes the beautiful Temple of God, but now the stinking, and filthy kenel of Satan: Sometimes the unspotted Spouse of Christ, but now the shameless Paramour of Antichrist: Sometimes my faithful brother, but now a stranger, and an Apostate: Sometimes a stout Christian The danger of Apostasie.souldier, but now a cowardly runaway: Yea, when I consider these things, I cannot but cry out, and say to thee, thou seed of Satan, whom the Devil hath deceived, the world hath beguiled, and the desire of life subverted, and made thee of a Christian, an Infidel: Wherefore hast thou taken the Law of the Lord into thy mouth? Wherefore hast thou preached the Will of God unto others? Wherefore hast thou instructed others to be strong in Christ, when thou thy self dost now so shamefully shrink away, and so horribly dishonour God? Thou preachest not to steal, and yet most abominably thou stealest, not from men, but God, committing most hainous sacriledge, robbing Christ of thy body and soul, chusing rather to live with shame, then to die, and glor…ously to raign with Christ, who is life in death unto his? Why dost thou shew thy self most weak, when thou shouldst be most strong? The strength of a Fort is unknown before an assault, but thou yieldest up thy hold before any battery be made against it: And so she goes on to discover the danger of his present condition, the terrible threatenings out of the Word of God against backsliders, and Gods severe judgements executed upon them: And lastly, she sweetly sets before his eyes Gods mercies, His gracious promises, many examples of his readiness to forgive, and embrace true penitents, and so concludes with this pathetical exhortation: Let, I pray you, the lively remembrance of the last day be alwayes before your eyes, remembring that Runagates, and Fugitives from Christ shall be cast out at that day, who setting more by the world then by heaven, more by their life then by him that gave them their life, did shrink, and fall from him that forsook not them: And on the contrary, the inestimable joys prepared for them, that fearing no peril, nor dreading death, have manfully fought against, and victoriously triumphed over all the powers of darkness, hell, death, and damnation, through their most redoubted Captain Christ Jesus, who now stretcheth out his arms to receive you, is ready to fall upon your neck, and kiss you, and last of all, to feast you with the dainties, and delicates of his own most precious blood, which undoubtedly if it might stand with his own determinate purpose, he would be ready to shed again, rather then you should be lost: To whom with the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, be all Honour, &c.
Be constant, be constant, fear not for any pain,
Christ hath redeemed thee, and heaven is thy gain.
The night before she suffered, she sent her sister, the Lady Katherine her Greek Testament, in the Her token, and letter to her sister.end whereof she wrote thus: I have here sent you (good sister Katherine) a book, which although it be not outwardly printed with gold, yet inwardly it is more worth then precious stones. It is the Book (Dear Sister) of the Law of the Lord. It is his Testament, and last Will which he bequeathed unto us wretches, which shall lead you to the path of eternal joy; and if you, with a good mind read it, and with an earnest heart purpose to follow it, it shall bring you to an immortall and everlasting life, it shall teach you to live, and learn you to die: It shall win you more then you should have gained by the possession of your woful fathers lands, which if God had prospered you, you should have inherited: So that if you apply diligently this book, seeking to direct your life after it, you shall be an inheritour of such riches, as neither the covetous shall withdraw from you, neither thief shall steal, nor the moth shall corrupt: Desire with David (good sister) to understand the Law of the Lord God, live still to die, that by death you may purchase eternal life: And trust not that the tenderness of your age shall lengthen your life, for as soon (if God call) goeth the young as the old, labour therefore always to learn to die: Defie the World, deny the Devil, and despise the Flesh, and delight your self only in the Lord: Be penitent for your sins, and yet despaire not: Be strong in faith, and yet presume not, and desire with Paul to be dissolved, and to be with Christ, with whom, even in death there is life: Be like the good servant, and even at midnight be waking, lest when death comes, and steals upon you like a thief at midnight, you be with the evil servant found sleeping, and least for lack of oyl you be found like the five foolish Virgins, and like him that had not on the wedding Garment, and so you be shut out from the Marriage: Rejoyce in Christ, as I do: Follow the steps of your Master Christ, and take up his Cross, lay your sins on his back, and always embrace him: And as touching my death, rejoyce, as I do (good sister) that I shal be delivered of this corruption, and put on incorruption: For I am assured that I shal for losing of a mortal life, win an immortal life, the which I pray God to grant you, and send you of his grace to live in his fear, and to die in the true faith of Christ, from the which (in the name of God) I exhort you, that you never swerve, neither for hope of life, nor for fear of death: For if you deny his Truth to lengthen your life, God will deny you, and withall shorten your days: and if you cleave unto him, he will prolong your days to his glory, and your comfort: To the which glory God bring me now, and you hereafter, when it shall please him to call you. Fare you well (good sister) and put your onelyonly trust in God, who onelyonly must help you.
During this her imprisonment, she made sundry Divine, and heavenly prayers; which she uttered with much affection, faith, and fervency: The Prayer.morning before she suffered, her husband the Lord Guilford Dudly, was carried out to the Scaffold Her husband beheaded.on Tower Hill, where, with prayers, in a most penitent manner, he ended his life, whose body all bloody laid in a Cart, together with the head wrapped in a cloth, was brought to the Chappel within the Tower, even in the sight of this sorrowful Lady, a spectacle more deadly then was the Axe of her death: And now her own part was next to be acted: The Stage of her Tragedy was raised upon the Green within the Tower, upon which she mounted with a chearful countenance, and looking upon the people, with great constancy, she spake thus unto them: Good people, I Her speech on the Scaffold.am come hither to die, and by a Law I am condemned to the same: My offence against the Queens Highness was onelyonly in consenting to the devise of others, which now is deemed Treason, yet it was never of my seeking, but by counsel of those who should seem to have further understanding of things then I, which knew little of the Law, and much less of titles to the Crown: But touching the procurement, or desire thereof by me, or on my behalf, I do here wash my hands in innocency before God, & the face of you all this day: And therewith she wrung her hands, wherein she had her book: Then she said further: I pray you all good Christian people to bear me witness that I die a true Christian woman, and that I do look to be saved by no other means, but onelyonly by the mercy of God in the blood of his onelyonly Son Jesus Christ: And I confess, that when I did know the Word of God, I neglected the same, loved my self and the world, and therefore this plague and punishment is justly befaln me for my sins: And yet I thank God of his goodness, that he hath thus been pleased to give me a time and respite to repent in: And now good people, while I am alive, I pray you assist me with your prayers: Then she kneeled down, and said in English the one and fifty Psalm in a most devout maner throughout unto the end: Then standing up she gave her Gloves, and Handkerchief to her Maide, and her Book to Master Bruges the Lieutenant of the Tower, then she untied her Gown, and the Hangman pressing upon her to help her off with it, she desired him to let her alone, and turning to her tvvo Gentlewomen, they helped her off therewith, and her other attires, giving her a fair Handkerchief to knit about her eys: Then the Hangman kneeled down, asking her forgiveness: Unto whom she said: The Lord forgive thee, and I do; and I pray thee dispatch me quickly: Then he willed her to stand upon the straw, which doing, she saw the Block: Then she kneeled down, saying: Will you take it off before I lay it down: And the Hangman said, No Madam: Then tied she the Handkerchief about her eyes, and feeling for the Block, she said, What shall I do? Where is it? Where is it? One of the standers by guiding her thereunto, she laid her head down upon the Block, and then stretched forth her body, and said: Lord into Her death.thy hands I commend my spirit; which was scarcely uttered before she received the fatall stroke with the Axe: And so she ended her life Anno Christi, 1554. and of her Age 16. Her death was lamented of all, but not suffered to go altogether unpunished by God: For Judge Morgan, that passed Gods judgment on the unjust Judge.the sentence of condemnation upon her, shortly after fell mad, and in his raving, cryed out continually, Take away the Lady Jane from me, and in that horror ended his wretched life. She was a Her Character.most chast, innocent, and vertuous Lady, of high Birth, yet were not her Parents any whit indulgent to her in her childhood, but rather more severe then needed to so sweet a temper: For what need iron instuments to bow wax: But as the sharpest Winters (correcting the rankness of the earth) cause the more healthful, and fruitful Summers: So the harshness of her breeding, compacted her soul to the greater patience, and piety, whereby she proved the Mirror of her Age: On a time Master Roger Ascham coming to wait upon her at Broadgates in Leicestershe…re, he found her in her Chamber, reading Phaedon Platonis …n Greek, Studious.with much delight, whilst her Father, with the Dutches, and all the houshold were hunting in the Park: He aked her how she could lose such Pastime? Who smiling, answered, I wiss, all the sport in the Park is but a shadow of that pleasure which I finde in this book: Adding further, that it was one of the greatest blessings that God ever gave her, in sending her sharp Parents, and a gentle Schoolmaster, which made her take delight in nothing so much as in her studies: During her imprisonment in the Tower, she made misery it self amiable, by her pious and patient behaviour: Adversity, her nightclothes, becoming her as well as her day dressings, by reason of her gracious deportment: Some said that she was with childe when she was beheaded; the greater cruelty, to cut down the tree with blossoms on it, and that that which saveth the lives of other women should hasten her death: On a time the Lady Jane, when she was very young, was at New-Hall in Essex, the Lady Maries house, where being intreated by the Lady Ann Wharton to walk abroad with her; as they passed by the Chappel, the Lady Wharton made a low courtesie to the Popish Sacrament hanging over the High Altar, which when the Lady Jane saw, she marvelled at it, and asked her why she did it, and whether the Lady Mary was there, or no? She said, no, but I make courtesie to him that made us all: Why (quoth the Lady Jane) how can he be there that made us all, when as the Baker made him: Which speech of hers coming to the Lady Maries ears, she never loved her after, which Malice.well appeared by the sequel: Master Fox concludes his Story of her with these Verses:
Tu, quibus ista legis incertum est, lector, ocellis:
Ipse quidem siccis scibere non potui:
What eyes thou read'st with, Reader, know I not,
Mine were not dry when I this story wrot:
She had a fine vein in Poetry: In her troubles she made these Verses:
Non aliena putes homini quae obtingere possunt:
Sors hodierna mihi, cras erit illa tibi:
Think nothing strange which man cannot decline:
My lot's to day, to morrow may be thine:
Deo juvante nil nocet livor malus:
Et non juvante, nil juvat labor gravis.
Post tenebras, spero lucem:
If God protect me, malice cannot end me:
If not, all I can do will not defend me:
After dark night,
I hope for light,
This Epitaph was also made of her:
Regia stirps, tristi cinxi diademate crines:
Regna sed omnipotens hinc meliora dedit.
My race was Royal, sad was my short raign:
Now in a better Kingdom I remain.
Collected out of the Book of Martyrs, Speeds Chronicle, Stows Annals, Fullers Holy Sate, and Hollands Herωologia Anglica.