Page:The Queens of England.djvu/411

 MARY THE FIRST. 369 mathematics, and astronomy, yet found time for practicing on the virginals and lute. Though no longer looked on as heiress to the crown, this change in her position did not prevent the question of Mary's marriage with Henry, Duke of Orleans, being again brought on the tapis by France. But, as formerly, it was suffered to die away without any satisfactory Jesuit, for the king took little trouble at that period about the future position of his daughter, who, not being yet permitted to enter his presence, notwithstanding her entire submission to his will, occupied little of his thoughts. When she was admitted to court, it may have been through the interference of the queen in her favor, and her first appearance there is said to have been at Christmas, 1536. From this period Henry not only relaxed in his severity towards her, but evinced a return of his former affection, and the queen treated her with unvaried kindness. It is infinitely to her honor that, when she was restored to favor she did not neglect her sister Elizabeth, to whom she took especial care that some portion of the sunshine permitted her should extend ; for mention is made of the presence of Elizabeth with Mary at the baptism of Prince Edward, and of her retaining the child with her in her apartments in Hamp- ton Court Palace. The dress of Mary at the christening was so rich as to prove that Henry must have bestowed on her some, if not all, of the fine jewels of her mother, and the large- ness 'of the pecuniary gifts she presented to the different persons appertaining to the queen on that occasion, as well as the extent of her charities, testify that her allowance must have been greatly increased. The baptismal ceremonies of Prince Edward were soon followed by the funeral ones of Jane Sey- mour, his mother, at which Mary enacted the part of chief mourner, after which she took up her abode with the king at Windsor Castle, until the court removed to Richmond Palace for the celebration of the Christmas festivities. Several en- tries in the "Privy-purse Expenses" contain notices of the sums lost by Mary at cards during her residence at court, — entries which confirm the reports of the love of gaming at- tributed to Henry. In 1537, the hand of Mary was solicited by the Prince of Portugal, but this treaty, like others of a similar nature, produced no result, and Mary herself not only evinced perfect indifference towards her suitors, but often expressed her desire of leading -a single life. Mary incurred great danger in the following year, owing to the Catholic insur-