There is a fine elegy of Lady Jane Grey by Sir Thomas Chaloner, one of the best Latin writers of the reign of Elizabeth, the original of which is preserved in the Bodleian Library. It is contained in the collection called the Illustrium, Jan. II. 68. p. 33.
“Jana luit patriam profuso sanguine culpam,
Vivere Phœnicis digna puella dies.
Illa suit Phœnix, merito dicenda manebat;
Ore placens Venerio, Palladis arte placens.
Culta fuit, formosa fuit: divina movebat
Sœpé viros facies, sœpé loquela viros.
Vidisset faciem? porterat procus improbus un:
Audisset cultæ verba? modestus era,” etc.
Lady Jane Grey’s tragic fate has been several times dramatised:—John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, a tragedy, by Scriptor Ignotus. London, 1686. Lady Jane Grey, by J. W. Ross, 1882.
Independently of Rowe’s tragedy, Lady Jane Grey, there is the German tragedy of Von Sommer, entitled Johanna Grey; and Jane Grey, an opera-epilogue, acted 25th February, 1723, for the benefit of Mrs. Sterling at Dublin.
The literary works attributed to Lady Jane Grey are:—
1. Four Latin epistles—three to Bullinger, and one to Lady Katherine Grey. The originals of the first three are preserved at Zurich, the other is in the King’s Library, British Museum.
2. Her conference with Feckenham (probably apocryphal), although quoted by such early writers as Foxe and Florio.
3. A letter to Harding (doubtful).