The History of Mary I, Queen of England / as found in the public records, despatches of ambassadors, in original private letters, and other contemporary documents

The cover image was created by the transcriber and is placed in the public domain.
THE HISTORY OF MARY I., QUEEN OF ENGLAND

THE PRINCESS MARY. From the original portrait in the Gallery of the University, Oxford.
AS FOUND IN THE PUBLIC RECORDS, DESPATCHES OF AMBASSADORS IN ORIGINAL PRIVATE LETTERS, AND OTHER CONTEMPORARY DOCUMENTS
BY J. M. STONE
LONDON SANDS & CO. 12 BURLEIGH STREET, STRAND, W.C. 1901

At a time when prejudiced historical verdicts are being largely revised, and when it is universally admitted that history must be studied on broader and more discriminating lines than heretofore, the restatement of the case for our first Queen Regnant scarcely needs an apology.
Two books, one The Privy Purse Expenses of the Princess Mary , with an Introductory Memoir by Sir Frederick Madden, some time Keeper of the Manuscripts in the British Museum, and the other, The Life of Jane Dormer, Duchess of Feria , edited by the Rev. Joseph Stevenson, from the original manuscript in the possession of Lord Dormer, first revealed Queen Mary to me as an attractive and sympathetic personality. Subsequent diligent examination of documents relating to her life and reign, scattered about the various archives of Europe, has not belied that impression, but has further shown that more interest attaches to her dire struggle with the difficulties which beset her than has generally been supposed.
This material has proved to be extremely rich and abundant, especially as regards the archives of Venice, Austria, Belgium and England. The valuable papers formerly at Brussels have, it is true, disappeared, but fortunately we are provided with transcripts of them in the Record Office. And where the despatches of ambassadors, those of Giustinian, Chapuys, Renard, Michiel, de Noailles, Surian and others, drop the thread of the story, our own chroniclers, Stowe, Holinshed, Machyn, Wriothesley, Foxe, etc., take it up, so that an almost continuous narrative is formed, reaching from Mary’s earliest childhood to her death.