Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 5.djvu/206

186 guard, rode into the city, and at the cross in Cheapside, Paul's Cross, and Fleet-street they proclaimed 'that the Lady Mary was unlawfully begotten, and that the Lady Jane Grey was Queen.' The ill-humour of London was no secret, and some demonstration had been looked for in Mary's favour; but here, again, there was only silence. The heralds cried 'God save the Queen!' The archers waved their caps and cheered, but the crowd looked on impassively. One youth only, Gilbert Potter, whose name for those few days passed into Fame's trumpet, ventured to exclaim, 'The Lady Mary has the better title.' Gilbert's master, one 'Ninian Sanders,' denounced the boy to the guard, and he was seized. Yet a misfortune, thought to be providential, in a few hours befell Ninian Sanders. Going home to his house down the river, in the July evening, he was overturned and drowned as he was shooting London Bridge in his wherry; the boatmen, who were the instruments of Providence, escaped.

Nor did the party in the Tower rest their first night there with perfect satisfaction. In the evening messengers came in from the eastern counties with news of the Lady Mary, and with letters from herself. She had written to Renard and Scheyfne to tell them that she was in good hands, and for the moment was safe. She had proclaimed herself Queen. She had sent addresses to the peers, commanding them on their allegiance to come to her; and she begged the ambassadors to tell