On the twelfth of July, Jane's second day in the Tower, there were
delivered to her unwilling Majesty, besides the Crown jewels, a curious
collection of miscellaneous articles of jewellery, the contents of
various boxes and baskets found at the Jewel House in the Tower, which
had belonged to Henry's six queens. By this time Jane's loneliness and
anxiety over a situation which she knew to be dangerous, had brought on
an attack of sickness, and she must have been wretched in mind and body,
yet being still little more than a child, she must have had some small
degree of pleasure in examining her new treasures, which included among
the many articles:
"A fish of gold, being a toothpick.
"One dewberry of gold. A like pendant having one great and three little
pearls. A tablet of gold with one white sapphire and one blue one. A
pair of beads of white porcelain with eight gauds of gold and a tassel
of Venice gold. Buttons of gold with crimson work. A pair of bracelets
of flagon pattern. Thirty turquoises of little worth. Thirteen small
diamonds set in collets of gold, etc. etc.," through a long list.
There is also an inventory of the personal belongings of Lady Jane at
this time, which gives a good idea of the contents of her wardrobe. The
following are only a few of its details:
"Item, a hat of purple velvet embroidered with many pearls.
"Item, a muffler of purple velvet embroidered with pearls of damask gold
garnished with small stones of sundry sorts and tied with white satin.
"Item, a muffler of sable skin with a head of gold, with four clasps set
with five pearls, four turquoises, six rubies, two diamonds and five
pearls, the four feet of the sable being of gold set with turquoises and
the head having a tongue made of a ruby.
"Item, Eighteen buttons of rubies.
"Item, Three pairs of gold garters having buckles and pendants of gold.
"Item, Three shirts, one of velvet, the other of black silk embroidered
with gold, the third of gold stitched with silver and red silk," etc.,
etc., etc.
From even these bits of the inventory it is evident that the Lady Jane
was not lacking in goods and chattels, but they gave her little comfort,
poor child, with her swift approaching destiny!
On that same night of the twelfth of July, there were taken to the Tower
a large number of fire-arms and a quantity of ammunition as well as an
army of soldiers who were ready to march against Mary's followers. And
the preparations were made just in time, for on the very next day came
news that the rival Queen was at Kenninghall and that her loyal subjects
were hurrying from all parts of the kingdom to support her cause. In
fact the inmates of the Tower at once discovered that throughout the
kingdom the people were against Queen Jane and for Queen Mary, and a sad
discovery it was!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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