So soon as this was obtained of him, he might die as soon as he would—the sooner the better—and, to help Matters, the Leeches were dismissed, and a Gentlewoman (thought to have received her Instructions before hand,) set over him; under whose Applications his Pulse presently failed, his Skin changed Colour, and other Symptoms speedily appeared of Mortal Dissolution. Turning his Face then to the Wall like good Hezekiah, he was heard by one that sate behind the Curtain to say, "O Lord God, deliver me out of this miserable and wretched Life! O Lord, thou knowest how happy it were for me to be with thee; yet, for thy Chosen's Sake, if it be thy Will, send me Life and Health that I may truly serve thee!" After a little Space, again he sigheth, "O save thy People England!" Then, turning about, and noting some one behind the Curtain, "I had thought," saith he, "I was alone." "Sir," sayth the Attendant, "I heard you speak, but heard not what you were saying." "Nay," sayth he, "I was but praying to God. Oh! I am faint! faint unto Death! Lord, receive my Spirit!" And forthwith breathed out his white, innocent Soul. Early ripe, early gathered!
Thus we sometimes see the Nation's prime Hope, the Desire of all Eyes, cut off as a sweet Rose snaps its Stalk; and we mourn, thinking the Lord hath forgotten to be gracious and will no more be entreated, and his Mercy is clean gone from us for ever; not knowing that, after he hath tried and purified his own, yea, like Silver over the Fire, till the thick Scum separates and he seeth his own Image reflected in the bright Metal, he will return unto us and be gracious, like as a Father pitieth his Children, and make our latter Day better than our Beginning. Had we not known the early Setting of this young Hesperus, we had not now sunned ourselves in the Light of our bright Occidental Star.
And now, the bright Boy being dead, the Duke of Northumberland took upon him to sit at the Stern, and order all Things according unto his Pleasure. The Demise of the Crown was kept close that Day and the next, he hoping to obtain Possession of the Lady Mary, who, however, learned the Secret, and rode off to the Coast. Meantime, he took heed to occupy and fortify the Tower; and, on the second Day, sent for the Lord Mayor, six Aldermen, not including Master Hewet, six Merchants of the Staple, and as many Merchant Adventurers, to attend the Council at Greenwich, where they were advised of the King's Death and how he had ordained for the Succession by Letters Patent, to the which they were sworn, and charged to keep the Matter secret.
When my Master presently heard of this from one of his brother Aldermen, (for such Secrets are not long kept,) he said, in his own Family, that however he might desire a Protestant Succession, he was persuaded that this would not, nor could not, come to Good. "To say Nothing," quod he, "of the Lady Jane's questionable Birth; for the Duke, though few know it, had, when he married her Mother, a Wife living already."
Howbeit, at Three o' the Clock on the Monday Afternoon, the Lady Jane was conveyed, in Sight of us all, by Water from Syon to the Tower, and there received as Queen. At Five o' Clock, the King's Death and her Accession were proclaimed; but few cried "God save Queen Jane!" A Drawer at a Tavern within Ludgate said in the Hearing of some, that he thought the Lady Mary had the better Title; whereon he was incontinent arrested and set in the Pillory in Chepe, whereto both his Ears were nailed, and then clean cut off.
Meantime the Duke of Northumberland heareth that the Lady Mary's Party makes head, whereon he resolves to send Lady Jane's Father, the Duke of Suffolk, to put it down and seize her Person. Whereon the Lady Jane, who hath all along had no Mind to the Crown, weepeth sore, and begs her Father may be let off that Enterprize and that her Father-in-law will take it on himself; which he, after short Demur and much Flattery of his Bravery and Skill, consenteth to do. But his Heart misgiveth him, both as to what he goes to and what he leaves behind; and, sayth he to the Council, "Should ye in mine Absence waver in your Resolution, it may be ye will contrive your own Safety with my Destruction." Quod they, "Your Grace makes a Doubt of that which cannot be, for which of us all can wash his Hands clean of this Business?" So the Duke set forth with eight Thousand Foot and two Thousand Horse; and, as he rode along Shoreditch, quod he to Lord Grey, "See how the People press forward to see us! but not one of them sayth, 'God speed you!'"
In Truth, Gentle and Simple fell off to the Lady Mary, though Bishop Ridley preached at Paul's, to invite us to stand firm to Lady Jane. The Duke's Party melted away; and the Duke of Suffolk, learning how his Daughter's Partizans had defalked to the Lady Mary or been defeated and captivated, entereth the young Queen's Chamber and telleth her in brief, she must now put off her royal Robes and be content with a private Life. To which the meek young Lady made Answer, that she should put them off with more Contentation than she had put them on; and would never have done so but to please him and her Mother. And so ended her ten Days' Reign.
CHAPTER VIII
The Defence of the Bridge
