“Marye.
”Item.—I do freely, frankly and for the discharge of my duty towards God, the King’s Highness and his laws, without other respect, recognize and acknowledge that the marriage heretofore had between his Majesty and my mother, the late Princess dowager, was by God’s law and man’s law incestuous and unlawfull.
“Marye.”[189]
Thus was the great renunciation made. It was probably the worst thing that Mary did in her whole life, for there is nothing in her history on record to compare with this violation of her conscience, and of all that she held most sacred. To excuse her on the score that she never gave interior consent to the sacrifice of her mother’s honour and her own faith would be but a miserable apology. She yielded indeed less to Cromwell’s threats, than to the Emperor’s specious arguments, and to the wretchedness of her own forlorn condition; but her intellect and mental and moral training were such that she was able to appreciate to the full the extent of her fall, and it would be doing her a poor service to attempt to palliate her guilt.
Cromwell prepared yet another letter for the hapless victim to copy, for having drunk the bitter cup to the dregs, she was now required to thank her father humbly for the boon. The passionless utilitarian mind of the Chief Secretary was not bent on causing Mary more pain than was necessary to bring about and perfect the reconciliation which he had set himself to accomplish. He was not wantonly cruel; but he understood Henry, and knew that neither his own head nor Mary’s was safe, until the royal vanity was fed to repletion. He therefore caused her to write the following letter to her father on the 15th June, after having signed the articles:—
“Most humbly prostrate before the feet of your most excellent Majestie, your most humble, faithfull and obedient subject, which hath so extremely offended your most gracious Highness that mine heavy and fearfull heart dare not presume to call you father, ne your Majesty hath any cause by my deserts, saving the benignity of your most blessed nature doth surmount all evils, offences and trespasses, and is ever mercifull and ready to accept the penitent calling for grace in any convenient time. Having received this thursday at night certain letters from Mr. Secretary, as well advising me to make mine humble submission immediately to your self, which because I durst not without your gracious licence presume to do before I lately sent unto him, as signifying that your most mercifull heart and fatherly pity had granted me your blessing, with condition that I should persevere in that I had commenced and begun, and that I should not eftsones offend your Majesty by the denyal or refusal of any such articles and commandments as it may please your Highness to address unto me for the perfect tryal of mine heart and inward affection. For the perfect declaration of the bottom of my heart and stomack, first I knowledge my self to have most unkindly and unnaturally offended your most excellent Highness, in that I have not submitted myself to your most just and vertuous laws, and for mine offence therein, which I must confess were in me a thousand fold more grievous, than they could be in any other living creature. I put my self wholly and entirely to your gracious mercy, at whose hand I cannot receive that punishment for the same that I have deserved. Secondly, to open mine heart to your Grace in these things which I have hitherto refused to condescend unto, and have now written with mine own hand sending the same to your Highness herewith. I shall never beseech your Grace to have pity and compassion of me, if ever you shall perceive that I shall prevyly or apertly vary or alter from one peice of that I have written and subscribed, or refuse to confirm, ratifie or declare the same where your Majesty shall appoint me. Thirdly, as I have and shall, knowing your excellent learning, virtue, wisdom and knowledge, put my soul into your direction, and by the same hath and will in all things from henceforth direct my conscience, so my body I do wholly commit to your mercy and fatherly pity; desiring no state, no condition nor no manner degree of living, but such as your Grace shall appoint unto me; knowledging and confessing that my state cannot be so vile as either the extremity of justice would appoint unto me, or as my offences have required and deserved; and whatsoever your Grace shall command me to do, touching any of these points, either for things past, present or to come, I shall as gladly do the same as your Majesty can command me. Most humbly therefore, beseeching your mercy, most gracious soveraign Lord and benign father, to have pity and compassion of your miserable and sorrowfull child, and with the abundance of your inestimable goodness to overcome mine iniquities towards God, your Grace, and your whole realm, as I may feel some sensible token of reconciliation, which, God is my Judge, I only desire without any respect. To whom I shall dayly pray for the preservation of your Highness, with the Queen’s grace, and that it may please him to send you issue. From Hownsdon at 11 of the clock at night. Your grace’s most humble and obedient daughter and handmaid,
“Marye.”[190]
Henry was now pleased to accept Mary’s holocaust, and intimated to her his forgiveness. Cromwell’s hand is again evident in her reply. Even now, if left to her own expressions of affection, she might fail to attain to the proper degree of servility. On the 26th June she wrote:—
“Most humbly, obediently and gladly, lying at the feet of your most excellent Majesty, my most dear and benigne soveraigne Lord. I have this day perceived your gracious clemency and mercifull pity to have overcome my most unkind and unnatural proceedings towards you and your most just and vertuous lawes; the great and inestimable joy, whereof I cannot express ne have any thing worthy to be again presented to your Majesty for the same your fatherly pity extended towards me, most ingrately on my part abandoned, as much as in me lay; but my poor heart, which I send unto your Highness, to remain in your hand, to be for ever used, directed and framed, whiles God shall suffer life to remain in it, at your only pleasure; most humbly beseeching your Grace to accept and receive the same, being all that I have to offer, which shall never alter, vary or change from that confession and submission which I have made unto your Highness in the presence of your council and others attending upon the same; for whose preservation with my most gracious mother the Queen, I shall daily pray to God, whom eftsones I beseech to send you issue, to his honour and the comfort of your whole realm.
“From Hounsdon the 26 day of June.