1897.]
My lord, Percy’s father, came soon after as Wolsey had inti
mated, and after a long secret communication with his grace he
called his son to him and in the presence of the servants soundly
rated him and informed him that he should marry the lady Grace
or be disinherited. Poor, weak Percy. Plis love could not with
stand that and he gave in. Oh, faithless one, thy Anne feared
thy constancy with reason. Hadst thou but had the firmness to
remain true to thy beloved Anne thou might have pleased thyself.
Unhappily for thee thou wert weak, and could not see far enough
into the future to know that in three short years thou mightest
have pleased thyself. But happily for England the future was
veiled and thou wert weak. Else Britannia were not queen
of the waters, the glorious Elizabeth had never reigned and Eng
land were to-day a papal fief.
And now the tale of these sixteenth century lovers is nearly
ended. Percy died a broken-hearted man after a heartless mar
riage and a miserable life. v
Of Anne we need say little. How at last overcome by the
defection of her lover, Percy, and opportuned by her father and
brothers, she finally became Queen of England and the mother of
the great Elizabeth.
One scene'only is needed to complete the picture. It is a
Friday morning in early May. Spring has just come to refresh
the earth. The birds are singing gaily, the grass is springing up,
the trees are budding, and .all nature seems bursting into new life
and gladness. A strange day for a strange deed. A tall frown
ing scaffold has been erected on the green in front of the church
of St. Peter ad Vincula. Few people are about, for few know the
hour of the tragedy. Soon the doors through which she is to
pass are thrown open, and the royal victim comes forth. Never
had she looked so beautiful before. She was dressed in a robe of
black damask with a deep white cape falling over her neck. She
wore a small hat with ornamented coifs under it. Slowly and
with dignity she mounted the steps of the scaffold. When she
had looked round she turned to the lieutenant of the tower and
asked permission to address the witnesses, which being accorded,
she spoke:
‘ 1 Good Christian people, I am come hither to die according to
law, for by the law I am adjudged to die, and therefore I will
speak nothing against it. lam come hither to accuse no man nor
to speak anything of that whereof I am accused, as I know full
Down Hie Vista of Years.