Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 36.djvu/342

Mary I for her at Newhall, Essex. The Countess of Salisbury still attended her, and Mary was much in the society of the countess's son, Reginald Pole. The strong catholic feeling which Mary had inherited from her mother was stimulated by the religious fervour of the countess and her son. Until her death Mary showed marked affection for the latter, but it is unnecessary to infer (with Miss Strickland) that a marriage between them was in contemplation at this period. At the close of 1631 role denounced the divorce to Henry himself in strong terms, and left England, not to return for twenty-three years. Immediately afterwards mother and daughter were parted. Mary was taken to Richmond. Six months la*er she was allowed to rejoin Catherine for a few weeks, but at the conclusion of this visit mother and daughter never met again. With much pathos Catherine wrote to Mary, asking to be allowed occasionally to inspect her Latin exercises. In 1533, when Catherine learned of Henry's private marriage with Anne Boleyn, she wrote bidding her daughter, who was at Newhall, treat her father discreetly and inoffensively, and sent her two Latin books, ' the "De Vita Christi," with the declarations of the gospels, and the other the "Epistles of St. Jerome" that he did write to Paula and Eustochium,'

Naturally proud and high-spirited, Mary stood firmly by her mother. The King's friends sought to discount the effect of her uncompliant attitude by ascribing it to the obstinacy inherent in the children of Spanish mothers. In Anne Boleyn's eyes the princess was her worst enemy, and after the birth of her daughter Elizabeth (7 Sept. 1533) Anne exerted all her influence over the king to secure Mary's humiliation. Parliament at once passed an act regulating the succession to the crown, by which, in view of the alleged nullity of Catherine's marriage, Man' was adjudged illegitimate, and Anne's children were declared to be alone capable of succeeding to the throne.

The privy council at the same time bade Mary lay aside the title of princess. She declined to obey, although warned that her arrogance might involve her in a charge of high treason (Green, Letters, ii. 243-4). In December 1533 the Duke of Norfolk was sent to Newhall to inform her that her household was to be broken up and she was to reside henceforth with her sister at Hatfield (Friedmann, i. 266-7). She signed a formal protest, but set out within half an hour of receiving the message. At Hatfield she was entrusted to the care of Lady Shelton, a sister of Anne's father, who was ordered to beat Mary if she persisted in disobeying the king's commands.

Mary was well aware that her attitude was warmly approved by an influential party at court and in the country. One morning while at Hatfield the neighbouring peasants greeted her on the balcony of the house as their only rightful princess. Anne therefore recommended that steps should be taken to prevent her receiving friends likely to uphold her pretensions. Henry Courtenay, marquis of Exeter, and his wife were forbidden to visit her. Lady Hussey, wife of John, lord Hussey [q. v.], chamberlain of her household, was sent to the Tower for inadvertently addressing her as princess. Her papers were searched by Cromwell's order, and writing' materials were denied her. But Mary's spirit was not easily broken, and she soon recognised that she had a powerful protector in her mother's nephew and her former suitor, Charles V. The imperial ambassador, Chapuys, found many opportunities of offering her advice, and of protesting before the king and the council against the indignities to which she was subjected. He wisely recommended her to submit whenever actual violence was threatened, in the belief that repeated contumacy might cost her her life. In June 1534 he reported that Anne seriously meditated her murder. In the following months rumours on the subject reached Mary herself. She begged Chapuys to arrange for her flight to Flanders, but while the plan was under consideration she fell seriously ill at Greenwich. Henry visited her and allowed Dr. Butts to attend her, but he told Lady Shelton in the presence of the servants that Mary was his worst enemy. Her supporters were spurred to fresh efforts. In April 1535 Mary had recovered sufficiently to be removed to Eltham, and as she left Greenwich she was cheered by a crowd of women of the upper and middle class, including the wives of Lord Rochford and Lord William Howard. At length, even Cromwell, according to Chapuys, inclined to the opinion that her death would best meet the difficulty caused by the popular sentiment in her favour. The wildest reports of her treatment spread abroad, and an impostor — one Anne Baynton — obtained much money and hospitality in Yorkshire by representing herself as the dishonoured princess who had been turned out of house and home and was about to join the emperor in the Low Countries (Greets, ii. 24). Queen Catherine died 7 Jan. 1635-6 at Kimbolton. At the close of 1635, when she was dyin£, she earnestly requested that Mary might visit her, or failing that, that her daughter might take up her residence in the neighbourhood. Both requests were refused. Mary's grief was intense, but her mother's death was