66 courage, and by presumption fall to inobedience "and rebellion, by occasion of which premises 66 66 66 great division and dissension may be, and is very likely to arise and spring in this realm, to "the great peril and destruction of us your most "humble and obedient subjects, and of all our posterities, if remedy for the same should not "be provided. For reformation and remedy "whereof, we your most bounden and loving subjects most obediently knowledging that your Majesty most victoriously, prudently, politickly "and indifferently, hath maintained, defended, "governed and ruled this realm in good peace, 66 66 66 rest, quietness and obedience during all the "time of your most gracious reign, which we "most heartily desire might continue for ever, "putting all our whole trust and confidence in 'your Highness, and nothing doubting but that "your Majesty, if ye should fail in heirs of your body lawfully begotten (which God defend), for "the hearty love and fervent affection that ye "bear to this realm, and for avoiding all the ❝occasions of divisions afore rehearsed, so earnestly "mindeth the wealth of the same, that ye can "best and must prudently provide such a governour "for us and this your realm, as shall and will "succeed and follow in the just and right tread "of all your proceedings, and maintain, keep and "defend the same, and all the laws and ordinances 66 "established in your most gracious time for the "wealth of this realm which all we desire, where"by we your said most loving and obedient 'subjects, and our heirs and successors shall and "may live as near as may be in as good peace, unity and obedience after your decease as we "have lived in the time of your most gracious reign, Do therefore most humbly beseech your highness, that it may be enacted for avoiding of "all ambiguities, doubts, divisions and occasions "in that behalf, by your most royal Majesty, by "the assent of us, the lords, spiritual and tem 66 66 66 poral and the commons, in this your present "Parliament assembled, and by authority of the "same, that your highness shall have full and plenary power and authority to give, dispose, appoint, assign, declare, and limit by your "letters patent under your great Seal, or else by "your last will, made in writing and assigned with 66 your most gracious hand, at your only pleasure "from time to time hereafter, the imperial crown "of this realm and all other the premisses there"unto belonging, to be, remain, succeed, and come "after your decease, and for lack of lawful heirs "of your body, to be procreated and begotten as "is before limited by this Act, to such person or persons in possession and remainder as shall 'please your Highness, and according to such "estate and after such manner, form, fashion, order 66 "and condition as shall be expressed, declared, "named, and limited in your said letters patent, For by your said last Will. And we your most "humble and obedient subjects do faithfully 66 66 promise to your Majesty by one common assent, "that after your decease, and for lack of heirs of "your body lawfully begotten as is afore re"hearsed, we our heirs and successors shall accept "and take, love, dread, serve, and all only obey "such person and persons, males or females, as your Majesty shall give your said imperial crown "unto by authority of this Act, and to none other, "and wholly to stick to them as true and faith"ful subjects ought to do to their regal rulers, "governors and supreme heads." Then follows a Clauses as declaration that every attempt, by or on behalf to treason of any of the king's children, or any other person in the line of succession, to interfere with the devolution of the crown, as settled by the Act, should constitute high treason, and after that a clause which subsequently became important. "And over that, as well your said heirs and "children, as every such person and persons to "whom your Highness shall limit your said crown "in form as is aforesaid, and every of their heirs "for every such offence above specified, by them "or any of them to be committed, shall lose and "forfeit as well all such right, title and interest "that they may claim or challenge in or to the and forfeiture. "crown of this realm, as heirs by descent or by 66 reason of any gift or act that shall be done by your highness for his or their advancement by "the authority of this Act, or otherwise by any 66 66 minority. manner of means or pretence whatsoever it be." Another section, which will be more particularly noticed in connection with the Earl of Surrey's trial, made certain offences against the crown high treason. Provisions were made for the case Provisions of the king's lineal heir being a minor at the for king's death. The provisions for the event which actually happened, a son's minority, was that the new king should, until he should come to the age of eighteen years, remain in the governance of such of the king's counsellors and nobles as Henry should appoint by his last will, made in writing and signed with his hand, together with the minor's natural mother or without as Henry should direct. Scots as un The Act evidently points to the young King King of of Scots, then about twenty-four years old, as pointed at the person who would not be acceptable to the by the Act English nation. He had recently, without Henry's acceptable. participation, drawn closer the alliance between Scotland and France, and asked the hand of Francis I.'s daughter, Magdalene, in marriage. There could be little doubt but what, if Henry should exercise at that time. the power of determining the devolution of the crown which was Douglas next to the line of given him by the recent Act, he would disinherit Margaret the Scottish king. The next to James in the hereditary line of succession to the English James in throne was his half-sister Margaret Douglas, mother, Queen Margaret, by the She possessed the advantage of having been born in England, but the drawback that her mother's divorce from the Earl of Angus had thrown her legitimacy into doubt. succession. daughter of his Earl of Angus. Lady Howard themselves. Conse In this critical year, 1536, whilst this Succession Bill was before the Houses of Parliament, the and Thomas Lady Margaret and the Lord Thomas Howard contract entered into a contract for future marriage. The king treated this step as a bid for the succession quence. to the crown, and committed the unfortunate 28 Henry VIII. c. 18. pair to the Tower. Shortly afterwards, a Bill, Royal which received the royal assent on the same day A.D.1536, as the Succession Bill did, was introduced, by which July 18. assent, . Lord Thomas was attainted, and it was made high treason for any man to espouse, marry, or take to his wife, any of the king's children, being lawfully born, or otherwise commonly reputed for his children, or any of the king's sisters or aunts of the part of the father, or any of the lawful children of the king's brethren or sisters, or to contract matrimony with any of them, without the king's license first had under the great seal, or to deflower any of them being unmarried, and the woman so offending was to incur the like |