That is, notwithstanding the sufferings of the young Elizabeth with her teeth, if the king wishes to exhibit her for a short time in public, Lady Bryan will answer for her discreet behaviour, but after the drilling requisite for such ceremonial, it will be necessary for her to revert to the unconstrained playfulness of childhood. Lady Bryan concludes with this remark:

"I think Mr. Shelton will not be content with this. He need not know it is my desire, but that it is the king's pleasure and yours that it should be so. Good, my lord, have my lady's grace, and us that be her poor servants, in your remembrance; and your lordship shall have our hearty prayers by the grace of Jesu, who ever preserve your lordship with long life, and as much honour as your noble heart can desire. From Hunsdon, with the evil hand (bad writing) of her who is your daily bead-woman. MARGT. BRYAN."

"I beseech you, mine own good lord, be not miscontent that I am so bold to write thus to your lordship. But I take God to my judge, I do it of true heart, and for my discharge, beseeching you, accept my good mind. Endorsed to the right noble and my singular good lord, my lord Privy Seal, be this delivered."

This letter affords some insight into the domestic politics of the nursery-palace of Hunsdon at this time. It shows that the infant Elizabeth proved a point of controversy between the two principal officials there, Margaret lady Bryan and Mr. Shelton; both placed in authority by the recently immolated queen Anne Boleyn, and both related to her family. Her aunt had married the head of the Shelton or Skelton family in Norfolk, and this officer at Hunsdon was probably a son of that lady, and consequently a near kinsman of the infant Elizabeth. He insisted that she should dine and sup at a state table where her infant importunity for wine, fruit, and high-seasoned food could not conveniently be restrained by her sensible governess, lady Bryan. Shelton probably wished to keep regal state as long as possible round the descendant of the Boleyns; and, in that time of sudden change in royal destinies, had perhaps an eye to ingratiate himself with the infant, by appearing in her company twice every day, and indulging her by the gratification of her palate with mischievous dainties. Lady Bryan was likewise connected with the Boleyn family-not so near as the Sheltons, but near enough to possess interest with queen Anne Boleyn, to whom she owed her office as governess or lady mistress, to the infant Elizabeth. There can scarcely exist a doubt, that her lamentation and invocation for the soul of some person lately departed, by whose death she was left succourless, refer to the recent death of Anne Boleyn.' It is evident that if Lady Bryan had not conformed to king Henry's version of the Catholic religion she would not have been in authority at Hunsdon, where she was abiding not only with her immediate charge, the princess Elizabeth, but with the disinherited princess Mary. Further there may be observed a striking harmony between the expressions of this lady and those of the princess Mary, who appealed to her father's paternal feelings in behalf

1 For some reason best known to himself, Strype has omitted the opening clause of this letter. Perhaps on account of the invocation for the soul of lady Bryan's friend, which proves that Elizabeth's governess belonged to the Catholic church. She was, indeed, the same person under whose care the princess Mary had imbibed that faith with such extraordinary fervency.

of her sister the infant Elizabeth, a few weeks later, almost in the same words used by lady Bryan in this letter. A coincidence which proves unity of purpose between the governess and the princess Mary, regarding the motherless child.

Much of the future greatness of Elizabeth may reasonably be attributed to the judicious training of her sensible and conscientious governess, combined with the salutary adversity, which deprived her of the pernicious pomp and luxury that had surrounded her cradle while she was treated as the heiress of England. The first public action of Elizabeth's life was her carrying the chrisom of her infant brother, Edward VI., at the christening solemnity of that prince. She was borne in the arms of the earl of Hertford, brother of the queen her step-mother, when the assistants in the ceremonial approached the font; but when they left the chapel, the train of her little grace, just four years old, was supported by Lady Herbert, the sister of Katharine Parr, as, led by the hand of her elder sister, the princess Mary, she walked with mimic dignity, in the returning procession, to the chamber of the dying queen.'

At that period the royal ceremonials of Henry VIII.'s court were blended with circumstances of wonder and tragic excitement, and strange and passing sad, it must have been, to see the child of the murdered queen, Anne Boleyn, framing her innocent lips to lisp the name of mother to her, for whose sake she had been rendered motherless, and branded with the stigma of illegitimacy. In all probability the little Elizabeth knelt to her, as well as to her cruel father, to claim a benediction in her turn, after the royal pair had proudly bestowed their blessing on the newly-baptized prince, whose christening was so soon to be followed by the funeral of the queen his mother.

It was deemed an especial mark of the favour of her royal father, that Elizabeth was considered worthy of the honour of being admitted to keep company with the young prince her brother. She was four years older than he, and having been well trained and gently nurtured herself, was "better able," says Heywood, "to teach and direct him, even from the first of his speech and understanding." Cordial and entire was the affection betwixt this brother and sister, insomuch that he no sooner began to know her but he seemed to acknowledge her, and she, being of more maturity, as deeply loved him. On the second anniversary of Edward's birth, when the nobles of England presented gifts of silver and gold, and jewels, to the infant heir of the realm, the lady Elizabeth's grace gave the simple offering of a shirt of cambric worked by her own hands. She was then six years old. Thus early was this illustrious lady instructed in the feminine accomplishment of needle-work, and directed to turn her labours in that way to a pleasing account.

From her cradle, Elizabeth was a child of the fairest promise, and possessed the art of attracting the regard of others. Wriothesley, who visited the two princesses, when they were together at Hertford castle, December 17th, 1539, was greatly impressed with the precocious under

1See Life of Queen Mary, vol. v. of this work. See the Memoir of Jane Seymour, vol. iv. VOL. VI. -2

Ellis. Royal Letters.

standing of the young Elizabeth, of whom he gives the following pretty

account:

"I went then to my lady Elizabeth's grace, and to the same made his majesty's most hearty commendations, declaring that his highness desired to hear of her health, and sent his blessing; she gave humble thanks, inquiring after his majesty's welfare, and that with as great a gravity as she had been forty years old. If she be no worse educated than she now appeareth to me, she will prove of no less honour than beseemeth her father's daughter, whom the Lord long preserve.'

"1

The feelings of jealous dislike, which the princess Mary naturally felt towards her infant rival, were gradually subdued, by the endearing caresses of the innocent child, when they became sisters in adversity. When Mary again incurred the displeasure of her capricious sire, and was forbidden to come within a certain distance of the court, Elizabeth became once more the associate of her little brother's sports, and afterwards shared his studies. The early predilection of these royal children for their learning was remarkable. "As soon as it was light they called for their books; so welcome," says Heywood, "were their hora matutine that they seemed to prevent the night's repose for the entertainment of the morrow's schooling." They took no less delight in the practice of their religious exercises and the study of the Scriptures, to which their first hours were exclusively devoted. "The rest of the forenoon," continues our author, "breakfast, alone, excepted, they were instructed in languages and science, or moral learning, collected out of such authors as did best conduce to the instruction of princes, and when he was called out to his more active exercises in the open air, she betook herself to her lute or viol, and when wearied with that, employed her time in needle-work."

On the marriage of the king, her father, with Anne of Cleves, in 1540, the young Elizabeth expressed the most ardent desire to see the new queen, and to be permitted to pay her the homage of a daughter. When her governess made this request, in the name of her royal pupil, to the king, he is said to have replied, "That she had had a mother so different from the queen, that she ought not to wish to see her, but she had his permission to write to her majesty.” On which, the following letter, probably the first ever written by Elizabeth, was addressed by her to her new step-mother.

"Madame,

"I am struggling between two contending wishes -one is my impatient desire to see your majesty, the other that of rendering the obedience I owe to the commands of the king my father, which prevent me from leaving my house till he has given me full permission to do so. But I hope that I shall be able shortly to gratify both these desires. In the meantime, I entreat your ma jesty to permit me to show, by this billet, the zeal with which I devote my respect to you as my queen, and my entire obedience to you as to my mother. I am too young and feeble to have power to do more than to felicitate you with all my heart in this commencement of your marriage. I hope that your majesty will have as much good will for me as I have zeal for your service." "

1 State Papers, 30th Hen. VIII.

2 Leti's Life of Elizabeth.

'Leti's Elizabeth. Leti always modernizes not only the orthography but the phraseology of the documents he quotes.

This letter is without date or signature, and Leti, who rarely gives his authorities, does not explain the source whence it was derived; but there is no reason to dispute its authenticity. He tells us that Anne of Cleves, when she saw Elizabeth, was charmed with her beauty, wit, and endearing caresses-that she conceived the most tender affection for her—and when the conditions of her divorce were arranged, she requested, as a great favour, that she might be permitted to see her sometimes-adding, "that to have had that young princess for her daughter would have been greater happiness to her than being queen." The paternal pride of Henry was gratified at this avowal, and he agreed that she should see Elizabeth as often as she wished, provided that she was only addressed by her as the lady Anne of Cleves.'

Élizabeth found no less favour in the eyes of her new step-mother, the young and beautiful Katharine Howard, who being cousin-german to her unhappy mother, Anne Boleyn, took the young princess under her especial protection, and treated her with every mark of tenderness and consideration. On the day that she was publicly acknowledged by Henry as his queen, she directed that the princess Elizabeth should be placed opposite to her at table because she was of her own blood and lineage. It was also observed that at all the fêtes and public shows which took place in honour of her marriage with the king, queen Katharine gave the lady Elizabeth the place of honour nearest to her own person, saying "that she was her cousin."2 It was supposed that this partial step-mother intended to use her powerful influence with the king for the repeal of the act of parliament which had pronounced Elizabeth to be illegitimate, and thus would she have been given a second time the preference to her elder sister in the succession. Notwithstanding the favour which was shown to Elizabeth by the Howard queen, she was always entreating the king her father to allow her to remain with the lady Anne of Cleves, for whom she ever manifested a very sincere regard. The attachments formed by Elizabeth in childhood and early youth were of an ardent and enduring character, as will be hereafter shown.

After the disgrace and death of queen Katharine Howard, Elizabeth resided chiefly with her sister Mary, at Havering Bower. In the summer of 1543, she was present when Mary gave audience to the imperial ambassadors; she was then ten years old. Soon after, king Henry offered her hand to the earl of Arran for his son, in order to win his cooperation in his darling project of uniting the crowns of England and Scotland by a marriage between the infant queen, Mary Stuart, and his son prince Edward. Perhaps the Scottish earl did not give Henry credit for the sincerity of a proposal so derogatory to the dignity of the princess Elizabeth, for he paid little attention to this extraordinary offer, and espoused the interest of the French court. According to Marillac, Henry had previously mentioned his intention of espousing Elizabeth to an infant of Portugal, but all Henry's matrimonial schemes for his children were doomed to remain unfulfilled, and Elizabeth, instead of being sacrificed in her childhood in some political marriage, had the good fortune 2 Leti's Elizabeth.

'Leti.

'State Paper MS. See Memoir of Mary, vol. v.

to complete a most superior education under the auspices of the good and learned Katharine Parr, Henry's sixth queen and her fourth stepmother. Katharine Parr was well acquainted with Elizabeth before she became queen, and greatly admired her wit and manners. On her mar

riage with the king she induced him to send for the young princess to court, and to give her an apartment in the palace of Whitehall, contiguous to her own, and bestowed particular attention on all her comforts. According to Leti, Elizabeth expressed her acknowledgments in the following letter:

"Madame,

"The affection that you have testified in wishing that I should be suffered to be with you in the court, and requesting this of the king my father, with so much earnestness, is a proof of your goodness. So great a mark of your tenderness for me obliges me to examine myself a little, to see if I can find anything in me that can merit it, but I can find nothing but a great zeal and devotion to the service of your majesty. But as that zeal has not yet been called into action so as to manifest itself, I see well that it is only the greatness of soul in your majesty which makes you do me this honour, and this redoubles my zeal towards your majesty. I can assure you also that my conduct will be such that you shall never have cause to complain of having done me the honour of calling me to you; at least, I will make it my constant care that I do nothing but with a design to show always my obedience and respect. I await with much impatience the orders of the king my father for the accomplishment of the happiness for which I sigh, and I remain, with much submission, your majesty's very dear

"ELIZABETH.”1

There is no date to this letter, and as Elizabeth certainly was present at the nuptials of her royal father with Katharine Parr, it is more probable that it was written after the return of Henry and Katharine from their bridal progress, as she addresses the latter by her regal title. Elizabeth at that time was a child of extraordinary acquirements, to which were added some personal beauty and very graceful manners. She had wit at command, and sufficient discretion to understand when and where she might display it. Those who knew her best were accustomed to say of her, "that God, who had endowed her with such rare gifts, had certainly destined her to some distinguished employment in the world." At the age of twelve she was considerably advanced in sciences, which rarely, indeed, at that era, formed part of the education of princesses. She understood the principles of geography, architecture,

'This and the preceding, addressed to Anne of Cleves, are the earliest letters ever written by Elizabeth. There is another, two or three years later, addressed by her to sir Thomas Carden, who was one of her father's gentlemen of the privy chamber, a great favourite of his, and a very greedy recipient of church property. This person had the care of the castle and lands of Donnington, once belonging to Chaucer, and afterwards part of the spoils confiscated to the crown on the attainder of De la Pole, and at this time an appanage presented to Elizabeth by her father. She afterwards, by her own account, forgot she had such a house as Donnington, nevertheless she was perfectly well informed as to its minutest details before the death of Henry VIII. The letter itself is not worth transcribing, being a perplexed piece of composition, in which the young princess, commencing "Gentle Mr. Carden," proceeds to exonerate herself from having listened to an enemy of his, "one Mansel, a person of evil communication and worse life," she subscribes herself, "Your loving friend, Elizabeth."

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