Page:Entertaining life & death of the amiable Lady Jane Gray (1).pdf/18

 been supposed, 'that if Wiat’s rebellion had not happened, the Queen would have, spared their lives. It is at least evident, that this rebellion, in which Lady Jane's father had engaged, hastened their deaths.

The day first appointed for the execution of Lady Jane, was Friday the 9th of February, 1554. This news she had long expected; and the innocence of her life, as well as the misfortunes to which she had been hitherto exposed, rendered it the less unwelcome to her. The Queen sent Dr. Feckenham to attend her, in order to prepare her for death, and to endeavour to prevail on her to be reconciled to the Church of Rome: And it is certain that he was a very proper person for this purpose; for he had an acute wit, a very plausible manner of speaking, and much tenderness in his nature. Lady Jane received him with great civility, and behaved towards him with so much calmness and sweetness of temper, that he could not help being overcome with her distress so that either mistaking, or pretending, to mistake her meaning, he procured a respite of her execution till the 12th.-