march by night to Kingston, cross the Thames, and then hasten to Westminster, hoping to secure the queen by an unexpected attack on the palace at daybreak. But a sufficient force was collected to meet him, while he delayed his march by stopping to repair the carriage of a piece of artillery, so that he did not arrive at the time his friends expected. The queen's forces allowed him to pass the Haymarket after a short contest. He reached Ludgate, which he found closed against his little band, then reduced to eighty, and being encompassed by a considerable force he surrendered. The other attempts at insurrection were more easily suppressed, and their failure assisted to discourage the followers of Wyatt.

These attempts forwarded the plans of the papists. The queen was now stimulated to give full scope to the cruelty of spirit fostered by the dark and gloomy superstitions of Rome. Lady Jane Grey and her husband were the first victims. They were beheaded on February 12, after an ineffectual attempt to induce lady Jane to profess herself a convert to popery. It was a dismal week in London. The queen acted up to the exhortation given her by Gardiner in his sermon on the Sunday, to proceed with the utmost severity. Gibbets were set up in the streets of London; on the Wednesday forty-eight of Wyatt's followers were executed, some of them being quartered while yet alive. Many others also suffered. The French ambassador states, that above four hundred had been hanged, besides fifty of the leaders. The emperor approved and urged on this severity. Even if the number of sufferers has been exaggerated, it exceeded any list of executions that can be pointed out in the reigns of Henry and Elizabeth. The duke of Suffolk was beheaded a few days afterwards. Wyatt was executed on April 11.

An attempt was made to involve Elizabeth in this plot, but it failed. Wyatt at first expressed himself as though she had been aware of his proceedings, but afterwards fully declared her innocence. She was,

however, taken from a bed of sickness, brought to London at the hazard of her life, kept a close prisoner at court for a fortnight; and when the attempt to involve her with the conspirators had failed, she was sent to the Tower. Her feelings were expressed in the words she uttered, when landed at the Traitor's Gate, after a dangerous passage through the fall of London bridge: "Here lands as true a subject, being prisoner, as ever landed at these stairs. Before thee, O God, I speak it, having no other friend but thee alone." Mary would have proceeded to severe measures; Charles v. urged that Elizabeth should be put to death, if plausible grounds for her condemnation could be found; or, if this could not be done, he recommended that she should be sent a prisoner to his court at Brussels. But the lords of the queen's council remembered that Elizabeth was next heir to the throne, and cautioned each other only to use such dealing as they might answer to hereafter. Nor did Mary countenance any illegal violence, though she did not hesitate to endeavour to find her sister guilty on any charge that might be considered treason.

Renard, the Spanish envoy, wrote to the emperor, that if they did not punish with death Courtney and the lady Elizabeth, now the occasion offered, the queen would never be secure. And Gardiner, though at first he seemed disposed to protect Elizabeth, told the queen, "that as long as Elizabeth was alive, there was no hope that the kingdom could be tranquil; and that if every body went as roundly to work in providing the necessary remedies as he did, things would go on better." Renard, who was present, urged that Elizabeth should be tried and executed before the arrival of Philip.

Elizabeth remained some time in the Tower, in a state of anxious suspense. But the persecuting queen was under still deeper feelings of anxiety. She summoned another parliament, which was ordered to meet at Oxford, on account of the dissatisfaction of the

Londoners. Fifteen hundred horse, besides artillery and foot, were levied to attend her; while, in addition to her usual guards, more than twenty gentlemen slept in the hall near her apartment. These precautions were deemed necessary, though the insurrection had been wholly suppressed, and the leaders either put to death or banished. Yet popish writers tell us, that Mary was popular on account of her religion! The parliament had been ordered to assemble at Oxford, but this intention was changed; it met at Westminster in April. Spanish gold helped to procure a more subservient assemblage. The marriage with Philip was approved, but the queen was refused permission to dispose of the succession as she should see fit: it was expressly provided, that Philip should have no right or claim to the throne of England, though the title of king was allowed him during the queen's life. An attempt to revive the old laws against heresy, in all their former force, also failed at this time, whereby, as the Spanish ambassador wrote, "the heretics were encouraged, and the catholics thrown into alarm:" but a darker day for the former was at hand.

The arbitrary proceedings of the queen and Gardiner were checked about this time by the courage of a London jury. Sir Nicholas Throckmorton, an active Protestant, was charged with having recommended several persons to take part with Wyatt. He defended himself with much ability and boldness, and ventured to speak against the queen's proposed marriage. The jury acquitted him-a circumstance very rare in those days, when the accusation was for high treason. The chief justice Bromley desired them to alter their verdict, but they persisted in acquitting sir Nicholas, upon which they were ordered into custody, though respectable citizens of London. After being some months in prison, four implored pardon. The remaining eight were brought before Gardiner in the Star-chamber court, where they still adhered to their verdict, declaring that they had acted according to their consciences.

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They were then sentenced to pay ruinous fines, which, being more than they possessed, were mitigated to smaller amounts, from sixty to two hundred pounds each. These sums were equal in value to twelve or fifteen times the sum in the present day. Such direct interference with the legal administration of justice, made many afraid to withstand the tyrannical proceedings of the queen: but it increased the abhorrence in which Mary was held, and caused serious alarm to reflecting minds. Another instance of injustice was shown in the treatment of sir James Hales. That upright judge firmly refused to sign the instrument by which the late king sought to alter the succession. For this he deserved Mary's especial favour; but soon after her accession, being in his circuit, a popish priest was brought before him on an information, and fined for saying mass-an illegal act in the days of king Edward, whose law had not then been repealed. This was brought against judge Hales; he was imprisoned, and threatened, till he consented to conform to popery. Being then released, he returned home, but was overcome by despair on reflecting upon his apostasy. Shortly after, he was found drowned in a shallow stream, having unhappily given way to the suggestions of the evil one: but there was no doubt that his mental powers had been shaken by the severity exercised towards him.

The efforts to find grounds for charges against the princess Elizabeth having failed, she was removed in May to Woodstock, where she was closely guarded. Foxe gives a minute account of the treatment she received. It was such, that one day, while walking in the garden, hearing a milkmaid singing merrily, she expressed an earnest wish to change places with her. She had severe trials to endure, but they were overruled for good. They increased the firmness of her character, and made popery hateful.

In April, a disputation was held at Oxford, when Cranmer, Ridley, and Latimer argued manfully against the absurd doctrine of transubstantiation, which teaches

that when the priest pronounces four Latin words, the wafer, or bread used in the mass, is changed into the body and blood of Christ, and even includes the soul and bones of the blessed Saviour. This is the doctrine of the church of Rome, relative to the elements of the Lord's supper! Cranmer and his associates were told that they had been overcome; and on their still refusing to admit the doctrines of popery on this subject, they were pronounced obstinate heretics. A similar scene was to have been acted at Cambridge; but the Protestant bishops and clergy selected for that purpose, drew up a statement of the doctrines they held, and refused to dispute, except in writing, on account of the falsehoods the papists circulated respecting the proceedings at Oxford.

The public display of popish ceremonials increased; also the general dislike to the queen's proceedings. So many left the country, that in April the French ambassador wrote, that half the kingdom seemed in motion to proceed to France. A few days later he wrote, that "nothing was commonly spoken of, but of gentlemen stealing over into France." Those esteemed themselves fortunate who could sell their property, and pass thither without danger.

Mary expected Philip with much eagerness, while her subjects openly manifested their dislike to the union. A fleet was prepared to escort the Spanish prince up the English channel; but the seamen showed such discontent, even threatening to deliver up Philip to the French, that the admiral was ordered to reduce the number of ships, and dismiss the most refractory sailors. Philip arrived in England about July 20, was married at Winchester, and made his public entry into London a few days afterwards. A painter having drawn in a pageant Henry VIII. with a book in his hand, on which was written, "The word of God," was severely threatened by Gardiner, and was ordered to efface the words; being affrighted, he obeyed so thoroughly as to take out part of the king's hand also.