I, being defiled with sin, encumbered with affliction, unquieted with troubles, wrapped in cares, overwhelmed with miseries, vexed with temptations, and grieviously tormented with the long imprisonment of this vile mass of clay, my sinful body, do come unto thee, O merciful Saviour, craving thy mercy and help, without the which so little hope of deliverance is left, that I may utterly despair of my liberty. Albeit, it is expedient, that seeing our life standeth upon trying, we should be visited some time with some adversity, whereby we might both be tried whether we be of thy flock or no, and also know thee and ourselves the better; yet thou that saidst thou wouldst not suffer us to be tempted above our power, be merciful unto me, now a miserable wretch, I beseech thee; which, with Solomon, do cry unto thee, humbly desiring thee, that I may neither be too much puffed up with prosperity, neither too much depressed with adversity; lest I, being too full, should deny thee, my God; or being too low brought, should despair and blaspheme thee, my Lord and Saviour. O merciful God, consider my misery, best known unto thee; and be thou now unto me a strong tower of defence, I humbly require thee. Suffer me not to be tempted above my power, but either be thou a deliverer unto me out of this great misery, or else give me grace patiently to bear thy heavy hand and sharp correction. It was thy right

hand that delivered the people of Israel out of the hands of Pharoah, which for the space of four hundred years did oppress them, and keep them in bondage; let it therefore likewise seem good to thy fatherly goodness, to deliver me, sorrowful wretch, for whom thy son Christ shed his precious blood on the cross, out of this miserable captivity and bondage, wherein I am now. How long wilt thou be absent?-for ever? Oh, Lord! hast thou forgotten to be gracious, and hast thou shut up thy loving kindness in displeasure? wilt thou be no more entreated? Is thy mercy clear gone for ever, and thy promise come utterly to an end for evermore? why dost thou make so long tarrying? shall I despair of thy mercy? Oh God! far be that from me; I am thy workmanship, created in Christ Jesus; give me grace therefore to tarry thy leisure, and patiently to bear thy works, assuredly knowing, that as thou canst, so thou wilt deliver me, when it shall please thee, nothing doubting or mistrusting thy goodness towards me; for thou knowest better what is good for me than I do; therefore do with me in all things what thou wilt, and plague me what way thou wilt. Only, in the meantime, arm me, I beseech thee, with thy armour, that I may stand fast, my loins being girded about with verity, having on the breast-plate of righteousness, and shod with the shoes prepared by the gospel of peace; above all things, taking to me the

shield of faith, wherewith I may be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked; and taking the helmet of salvation, and the sword of thy spirit, which is thy most holy word: praying always, with all manner of prayer and supplication, that I may refer myself wholly to thy will, abiding thy pleasure, and comforting myself in those troubles that it shall please thee to send me; seeing such troubles be profitable for me, and seeing I am assuredly persuaded that it cannot but be well all thou doest. Hear me, O merciful Father, for his sake, whom thou wouldest should be a sacrifice for my sins; to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory. Amen!

Execution of Lady Jane Grey.

The fatal morning at length arrived it was originally intended that Lady Jane and Lord Guildford should suffer together on Tower Hill, but the Council dreading the effect of their youth and innocence on the populace, changed their orders; and it was therefore determined that Lord Guildford only should be executed on that spot, and that Lady Jane's death should take place within the verge of the Tower. Guildford, on the morning of his execution, urgently requested to be allowed to bid a last adieu to the cherished partner of his heart, and although his wishes were not refused by the Queen, the gratification of them was denied him by Lady Jane:

her strong judgment at once dreaded the effects of an interview, that was likely to overwhelm them with unavailing sorrow, and thus to destroy that firmness, which was so necessary to enable them to bear the trying scene with composure: she reminded him that their separation would be but for a moment, and that they would soon rejoin each other, where their affections would be united for ever, and where neither misfortunes, disappointments, nor death, could reach them, but where their felicity would be eternal! Lord Guildford was first led to his fate, and when passing under the window of his wife, obtained one last token of her love and remembrance. What tale of sorrow, it may be asked, has ever equalled this heart-rending scene? But her cup of bitterness was not yet full; for, besides her own bodily sufferings, she experienced the agony of seeing the headless corpse of her husband conveyed from the place of his execution. The manner in which this appalling sight met her view has been differently stated: in the narrative inserted in the tract before noticed*, it is said that she encountered it on her way to the scaffold; whilst Mr. Howard, her latest biographer, follows those writers who assert that when sitting in her apartment awaiting the awful summons, she heard the cart pass under her window, and

Life, Death, and Actions of the Most Chaste, Learned, and Religious Lady, the Lady Jane Grey.

rose, notwithstanding the efforts of her attendants to restrain her.

So soon as the closing scene of Lord Guildford's life was over, the Sheriffs announced to Lady Jane that they were ready to attend her to the scaffold nor did this awful summons shake the fortitude which she had displayed throughout her imprisonment. The pamphlet which has been frequently cited*, describes her conduct on the occasion in the following words: "And being come down and delivered into the hands of the Sheriffs, they might behold in her countenance so gravely settled with all modest and comely resolution, that not the least hair or mote either of fear or grief could be perceived to proceed either out of her speech or motions, but like a demure body going to be united to her heart's best and longest beloved; so shewed she forth all the beams of a well mixt and temporal alacrity, rather instructing patience how it should suffer, than being by patience any way able to endure the travel of so grievous a journey: with this blessed and modest boldness of spirit, undaunted and unaltered she went towards the scaffold." She was conducted to the place of execution by Sir John Brydges, the Lieutenant of the Tower, and was entirely occupied in the perusal of a

* "Life, Death, and Actions of the Most Chaste, Learned, and Religious Lady, the Lady Jane Grey," and which appears to have been copied in the "Phoenix," No. xviii.