indever yourself in all things to the uttermost of your powre, not only to defend our just title, but also assist us in our rightfull possession of this kingdome, and to disturbe, repell, and resist the fayned and untrue clayme of the Lady Mary basterd daughter to our grete uncle Henry the Eight of famous memorya; wherein as you shall doo that which to youre honor, truthe, and dutie aperteyneth, so shall we remembre the same unto you and yours accordingly. And our further pleasure is that you shall contynue, doo, and execute every thinge and things as our Lieutenant within all places, according to the tenor of the Commission addressed unto you from our late Cousen King Edward the vjth in such and like sorte as if the same hadd byn, as we mynde shortely it shal be, renued, and by us confirmed under our grete Seale unto you. Yeven under our Signet at our Tower of London the xjth of July, the furst yere of our Reign.

To our right trusty and right welbeloved Cousyn and Counsaillor the Marquiss of Northampton our Lieutenant generall of our County of Surrey and to our trusty and welbeloved the Deputes of that Lieutenancy, and the Sheriff, the chief Justices of Peace and the worshipfull of that Shire.

This was in allusion to the Act of Parliament which Henry the Eighth had passed in the 28th, year of his reign, declaring the issue of his two first marriages illegitimate. See the Stat. of the Realm, vol. iii. p. 658.

LETTER CLXXVIII.

Second Letter from the Lady Jane as Queen to the

Lieutenancy of Surreya.

[FROM THE MUNIMENTS AT LOSELY HOUSE. Orig.]

JANE THE QUENE.

By the Quene.

TRUSTIE and wilbiloved we grete you well. Albeit that our estate in this imperiall Crowne wherof we be actually and really possessed, as partely may appere by our Proclamacion wherin our tytle is published, is not ne can be in any wise doubtfull to all suche our good faithfull subjects as, setting blynd affection apart, do with reason and wysdom consider the very foundacion and grounde of our tytle, with the grete commodities therby coming thorough Gods providence to the preservacion of our Comon Weale and polycie; yet for that we undrestande the Ladye Marye dothe not cease by Lettres in hir name, provoked therto by hir adherents, enemyes of this realme, to publishe and notiefie sklanderously to dyverse of our subjects matter derogatorye to our title and dignitie royall, withe the slandre of certen of our Nobilitie and Counsell, We have thought mete to admonishe and exhorte You, as our true and faithfull subjects, to remayne fast in your obeysaunce and duetie to the imperiall Crowne of this Realme, whereof we have justely the possession; and not to be removed any wise from your duetie by

The Seal used for this Letter was the signet of King Edward the Sixth. The Arms of France and England quarterly, crowned; with the Letters E. R. at the sides.

sklanderous reports or lettres, dispersed abrode either by the said Lady Marye, or by hir adherence; for truelye like as the Nobilitie of our Realme, our Counsell, oure Prelats, oure Judges, and lerned men, and others good wise men, godly and naturall subjects, do remayne fast and surelye in their Allegiance towards us, redy to adventure their lives, landes, and goodes for our defence, so can a greate numbre of the same Nobilitie, Counsailors, and Judges truely testifye to all the worlde, with savetye of their conscience, howe carefully and ernestly the late King of famous memorye our dere Cousen King Edward the Sixt from tyme to tyme mentioned and provoked them partelye by perswasion, partely commandements, to have suche respecte to his succession if God shuld call him to his mercye without issue, as might be the preservacion of the Crowne in the hole undefyled English bloud; and therfore of his owne mere motion, both by graunt of his Lettres patents, and by declaration of his Will, established the succession as it is declared by our Proclamacion. And for the testimonye herof to the satisfaction of suche as shall conceyve any doubt herin, We understand that certen of our Nobilitie have written at this present, in some parte to admonishe You of your duties, and to testifie their knowledge of the truethe of our tytle and right. Wherfore we leave to procede further therin, being assured in the goodnes of God that your harts shalbe confirmed to owe your duetye to us your soveraigne Lady, who

meane to preserve this Crowne of England in the royall blound, and out of the a of straungers

and papists, with the defence of all you our good subjects, your lieves, lands, and goods, in our peace agaynst the invasions and violence of all forein or inward enemies and rebells. Yeven under our Signet at our Tower of London the xvjth day of July, in the first yere of our reigne.

To our Trustie and welbeloved

the Shirieff, Justices of Peace, and other Gentilmen of our Countie of Surrey, and to every of them.

AMONG the Harleian Manuscripts in the British Museum is a small Manual of Devotions in English, which if not written for, was at least in the possession of the Lady Jane Gray, while prisoner in the Tower. It contains three Notes, or short Epistles, in the lower margins of different pages. One, a wish of long life to his father from the Lord Guilford Dudley, signed with his name. The other two from the Lady Jane Gray, signed JANE DUDDELEY: one addressed to Sir John Gage the lieutenant of the Tower, exhorting him to a religious life; the other to her father the Duke of Suffolk, assuring him that as she honoured him in this life she will pray for him in anotherb.

LETTER CLXXIX.

John Hopton Bishop of Norwich to Lord Sussex.

[MS. COTTON. TITUS B. II. fol. 160. Orig.]

The principal fact mentioned in this Letter will be best illustrated by a short extract from Grafton's Chronicle, under the year 1555.

This space is left in the original. EDIT.

b See MS. Harl. 2342.

"In the month of March next following, there was in maner none other talk but of the great preparation that was made for the Queen's lying in childbed, who had already taken up her chamber, and sundry Ladies and Gentlewomen were placed about her in every office of the Court. In so moche that all the Court was full of Midwives, Nurses, and Rockers, and this talk continued almost half a year, and was affirmed true by some of her Physicians, and other persons about her, which seemed both grave and credible. Insomuch that divers were punished for saying the contrary. And moreover commandment given in all Churches for procession with supplications and prayers to be made to almighty God for her safe delivery, yea and divers prayers were specially made for that purpose. And the said rumor continued so long, that at the last report was made that she was delivered of a Prince, and for joy thereof bells were rung, and bonfires made, not only in the City of London, but also in sundry places of the realm. But in the end, all proved clean contrary, and the joy and expectation of the people utterly frustrate. For shortly it was fully certified (allmost to all men) that the Queen was as then, neither delivered of child, nor after was in hope to have any. - Of this the people spake diversely. Some said 'that the rumor of the Queen's conception was spread for a policy. Some affirmed that she was with child, but it miscarried. Some other said that she was deceived by a tympany or other like disease, whereby she thought she was with child and was not. But what the truth was I refer the report thereof to other that knoweth more" a.

Dispatches announcing this pregnancy were even sent to foreign courts. Fox and Holinshed have further details on this subject, together with three Forms of Prayer which were ordered to be used; one of them that the Infant might be " a male child, well favoured, and wittie."

RYGHTE honorable and my singulier good Lorde after myne humble commendacions wyth lyke thankes for your honorable and gentle Lettres send to me towchyng the behavior of the Curate of olde Bokenham, and the reformacion of other enormytyes there. It may plese you t'undrestond that I dyd sende ymedyatlie for the sayd Curate, the churche wardeyns, and the questmen there, and uppon their apperaunce,

Graft. Chron. edit. 1569. p. 1350.