still more powerful claims on her gratitude. She sought to satisfy both classes, by admitting them into her council; and to these she successively added a few others, among whom the chief were the bishops Gardiner and Tunstall, who, under her father, had been employed in offices of trust, and had discharged them with fidelity and success. The acknowledged abilities of the former soon raised him to the post of prime minister. He first received the custody of the seals, and was soon afterwards appointed chancellor. The next to him, in ability and influence in the council, was the lord Paget. Though the queen found herself unexpectedly in debt from the policy of Northumberland, who had kept the officers and servants of the crown three years in arrears of their salaries, she issued two proclamations, which drew upon her the blessings of the whole nation. By the first she restored a depreciated currency to its original value, ordered a new coinage of sovereigns and halfsovereigns, angels and half-angels, of fine gold, and of silver groats, half-groats, and pennies of the standard purity; and charged the whole loss and expense to the treasury. By the other she remitted to her people, in gratitude for their attachment to her right, the subsidy of four shillings in the pound on land, and two shillings and eight pence on goods, which had been granted to the crown by the late parliament. As the time of her coronation approached, the queen introduced, within the palace an innovation highly gratifying to the younger branches of the female nobility, though it foreboded little good to the reformed preachers. Under Edward, their fanaticism had given to the court a somber and funereal appearance. That they might exclude from it the pomps of the devil, they had strictly forbidden all richness of apparel, and every fashionable amusement. But Mary, who recollected with pleasure the splendid gaieties of her father's reign, appeared publicly in jewels and colored silks; the ladies, emancipated from restraint, copied her example; and the courtiers, encouraged by the approbation of their sovereign, presumed to dress with a splendor that became their rank in the state. A new impulse was thus communicated to all classes of persons; and considerable sums were expended by the citizens in public and private decorations, preparatory to the coronation. That ceremony was performed after the ancient rite, by Gardiner bishop of Winchester, and was concluded in the usual manner, with a magnificent banquet in Westminster Hall. The same day a general pardon was proclaimed, with the exception, by name, of sixty individuals who had been committed to prison, or confined to their own houses, by order of the council, for treasonable or seditious offences committed since the queen's accession. But though Mary was now firmly seated on the throne, she found herself without a friend to whom she could open her mind with freedom and safety. Among the leading members of her council there was not one who had not, in the reigns of her father or her brother, professed himself her enemy; nor did she now dare to trust them with her confidence, till she had assured herself of their fidelity. In this distress she had recourse to the prince who had always proved himself her friend, and who, she had persuaded herself, could have no interest in deceiving her. She solicited the advice of the emperor on three very important questions: the punishment of those who had conspired to deprive her of the crown, the choice of her future husband, and restoration of the ancient worship. It was agreed between them that the correspondence on these subjects should pass through the hands of the imperial ambassador, Simon de Renard, and that he, to elude suspicion, should live in comparative privacy, and very seldom make his appearance at court. 1. To the first question Charles replied, that it was the common interest of sovereigns that rebellion should not go unpunished; but that she ought to blend mercy with justice; and, having inflicted speedy vengeance on the chief of the conspirators, to grant a free and unsolicited pardon to the remainder. In compliance with this advice, Mary had selected out of the list of prisoners seven only for immediate trial: the duke of Northumberland, the contriver and executor of the plot, his son, the earl of Warwick, the marquess of Northampton, Sir John Gates, Sir Henry Gates, Sir Andrew Dudley, and Sir Thomas Palmer, his principal counsellors and constant associates. It was in vain that the imperial ministers urged her to include the lady Jane in the number. Were she spared, the queen, they alleged, could never reign in security. The first faction that dared would again set her up as a rival. She had usurped the crown, and policy required that she should pay the forfeit of her presumption. But Mary undertook her defence. She could not, she said, find it in her heart or in her conscience to put her unfortunate cousin to death. Jane was not so guilty as the emperor believed. She had not been the accomplice of Northumberland, but merely a puppet in his hands. Neither was she his daughter-in-law; for she had been validly contracted to another person, before she was compelled to marry Guilford Dudley. As for the danger arising from her pretensions, it was but imaginary. Every requisite precaution might be taken, before she was restored to liberty. For the trial of the three noblemen, the duke of Norfolk had been appointed high steward. When they were brought before their peers, Northumberland submitted to the consideration of the court the following questions: Could that man be guilty of treason who had acted by the authority of the prince and council, and under the warrant of the great seal; or could those persons sit in judgment upon him, who, during the whole proceedings, had been his advisers and accomplices? It was replied, that the great seal of which he spoke was not that of the sovereign, but of an usurper, and that the lords to whom he alluded were able in law to sit as judges, so long as there was no record of attainder against them. In these answers he acquiesced, pleaded guilty, together with his companions, and petitioned the queen that she would commute his punishment into decapitation; that mercy might be extended to his children, who had acted under his direction; that he might have the aid of an able divine to prepare himself for death; and might be allowed to confer with two lords of the council on certain secrets of state which had come to his knowledge while he was prime minister. To these requests Mary assented. THOMAS MOORE 1779-1852 Thomas Moore, poet, and writer of songs, was born in Dublin in 1779. Beginning his education in a private school kept by the famous Samuel Whyte, he completed his studies at Dublin University, becoming highly skilled in the languages and in music. In 1799 he went to London, taking with him his Odes to Anacreon, and entered the Middle Temple for the purpose of studying law. Obtaining the patronage, however, of the Prince Regent and achieving a considerable success in the publication of his Odes, he turned from the law to literature, devoting himself to the writing of verse. In 1803 he became Registrar to the Court of Admiralty in Bermuda. Proceeding there, he found the post uncongenial and appointed a deputy to fill it for him. For a time, then, he traveled in America and returned to England, where, in 1806, he published his Odes and Epistles. This volume, which contained political satires upon America and many poems relating to it, was abused by the Edinburgh Review with such severity that Moore challenged its editor, Jeffrey, to a duel. The duel was prevented and Moore and Jeffrey became the best of friends. In like manner the poet became intimate with Byron, who ridiculed him in his English Bards and Scotch Reviewers in such fashion as to provoke a challenge from Moore. Gradually building up a circle of powerful acquaintances, Moore found himself eventually a fashionable figure in London. The success of his writing was assured and his subsequent volumes established firmly his position in the literature. His principal volumes are, besides those mentioned: Irish Melodies, 1811; Lalla Rookh, 1817; Sacred and National Melodies, 1819-1823; Loves of the Angels, 1823; and Rhymes of the Road, 1823. OH, TEACH ME TO LOVE THEE OH, TEACH me to love Thee, to feel what Thou art, Shall all other passions disown; Like some pure temple, that shines apart, Reserv'd for Thy worship alone. In joy and in sorrow, through praise and through blame, In Thy service bloom and decay Like some lone altar, whose votive flame In holiness wasteth away. Though born in this desert, and doom'd by my birth To pain and affliction, to darkness and dearth, On Thee let my spirit rely Like some rude dial, that, fix'd on earth, Still looks for its light from the sky. 5 10 15 A CANADIAN BOAT SONG FAINTLY as tolls the evening chime Our voices keep tune and our oars keep time, We'll sing at St. Ann's our parting hymn. 5 The Rapids are near and the daylight's past. Why should we yet our sail unfurl? There is not a breath the blue wave to curl; Oh, sweetly we'll rest our weary oar. Blow, breezes, blow, the stream runs fast, ΙΟ The Rapids are near and the daylight's past. Utawas' tide! this trembling moon Saint of this green isle! hear our prayers, 15 Oh, grant us cool heavens and favoring airs. Blow, breezes, blow, the stream runs fast, The Rapids are near and the daylight's past. THE TURF SHALL BE MY FRAGRANT SHRINE THE turf shall be my fragrant shrine; My temple, Lord! that Arch of thine; My choice shall be the moonlight waves, I'll seek, by day, some glade unknown, |