Page:The Queens of England.djvu/438

 394 THE QUEENS OF ENGLAND. for their reception, at a cost of no less than a tax of fifteen and a half per cent, levied by the common council on the citi- zens — a fact which inclines one to suspect the sincerity of re- joicings that cost them so dear. The king and queen remained but a few days in London, whence they proceeded to Rich- mond, where, dismissing their train of nobility, they returned to Hampton Court. Here it was observed that Mary could hardly suffer Philip from her sight, an injudicious line of con- duct to adopt towards so cold and indifferent a bridegroom. He abated nothing of the haughtiness of his manner, was diffi- cult of access, no one being permitted to approach him but with great ceremony, and after asking an audience, which created considerable disgust in the English nobility. The first measure proposed by Mary after her marriage was little calculated to conciliate the regard of her subjects. She issued a proclamation, directing what persons she wished to be chosen for parliament, and succeeded in having the pope's legate received in England, and the establishing the possession of the church lands by the laity. On the opening of parliament the chancellor recommended the coronation of Philip, and a bill was brought in for the repeal of the attainder of Cardinal Pole. Both measures were passed, and had the royal assent given ten days after the opening of the session, which proves how little opposition Mary and her imperious husband had to dread from their subjects. And now in the fourth month of her marriage, the queen announced her pregnancy. Te Deum was sung, and orders were given for prayers to be offered up for the child's preserva- tion. A household was named for the expected heir, a cradle provided, and ambassadors named to notify its birth to foreign potentates. Nevertheless, had Mary been forty-nine instead of thirty-nine on her marriage, the likelihood of her giving an heir to the crown could not have been more questioned. It was strongly suspected that the report of her being pregnant was spread to induce her people to bestow the crown on Philip, and as they subsequently saw that the report proved incorrect, they became still more convinced of the justness of their sus- picions. Cardinal Pole met the members -of both houses of parliament at Whitehall, on the 28th of November, and having thanked them for repealing his attainder, exhorted them to return to the Church of Rome, their reconciliation with which he was readv to effect, as well as to grant them absolution