Page:The Queens of England.djvu/441

 MARY THE FIRST. 397 of these persons were the same who had, in the preceding reign, been so hot for Protestantism. The queen had resisted all attempts to make her absolute. She restored, on her ac- cession, all the ancient powers of parliament, and she abhorred standing armies. But it was the curse of her reign that she had such sanguinary bigots as Gardiner and Bonner about her — such a husband as Philip — and such ministers as urged her to blood, as in the case of Lady Jane Grey, contrary to her better feelings. These were a race of parvenus, whom the queen herself declared, and to their faces, her father had made out of nothing, and who now were eager in their demonstra- tions of loyal zeal for their own advancement. They were the very same people, too, who after her death were as zealous to ingratiate themselves with Elizabeth, and who, reconciled to Protestantism, cast on popery and "Bloody Mary" the foul terms in which they have come down to our times. Elizabeth was as great a persecutor as her sister, but she has' escaped with comparative impunity, because Protestant pens have chiefly narrated the events of her reign. "Mary had been a worthy princess," says Fuller, "if as little cruelty had been done under her as by her." A report was now circulated that Mary's accouchement might be daily looked for, and on the 30th of April all the bells of London were rung for joy of her delivery of a son. Te Deum was sung at St. Paul's, bonfires were lighted, public f eastings and other demonstrations of satisfaction were made in all parts of the city. One preacher went so far as to give a particular account of the infant prince, whom he described as a prodigy of beauty, strength and good- ness. The intelligence was even conveyed to Antwerp, and produced rejoicings there, the regent having presented one hundred pistoles for the purpose. It turned out, however, that the rumor was utterly void of truth ; and although her physi- cians, desirous to please her, held out hopes that Mary had miscalculated her time, and might look for the event two months later, few, if any, were imposed on, and all that Mary gained was a promise from Philip that he would not leave until she was confined. Her passion for her husband increased until it became a source of positive annoyance to him and a misery to her. It was evident to every one that he desired nothing so much as to leave her, and that he only kept terms with her for the furtherance of his ambitious views on her kingdom. Mary is described as being at this period "very