The History of Mary I, Queen of England: as found in the public records, despatches of ambassadors, in original private letters, and other contemporary documentsStone, J. M. (Jean Mary)
History
The History of Mary I, Queen of England: as found in the public records, despatches of ambassadors, in original private letters, and other contemporary documents
Stone, J. M. (Jean Mary)
Great Britain -- History -- Tudors, 1485-1603; Mary I, Queen of England, 1516-1558
“The Queen died two hours after midday, and eight hours afterwards, she
was opened, by command of those who had charge of it, on the part of
the King, and no one was allowed to be present, not even her confessor
or physician, but only the candlemaker of the house, and one servant
and a ‘compagnon,’ who opened her; and although it was not their
business, yet they have often done such a duty, at least the principal,
who on coming out, told the Bishop of Llandaff, her confessor, but in
great secrecy, as a thing which would cost his life, that he had found
the body and all the internal organs as sound as possible, except the
heart, which was quite black and hideous, and even after he had washed
it three times, it did not change colour. He divided it through the
middle, and found the interior of the same colour, which also would not
change on being washed, and also some black, round thing which clung
closely to the outside of the heart. On my man asking the physician if
she had died of poison, he replied that the thing was too evident, by
what has been said to the bishop, her confessor, and if that had not
been disclosed, the thing was sufficiently clear from the report and
circumstance of the illness.
“You could not conceive the joy that the king and those who favour the
concubinage have shown at the death of the good Queen, especially the
Earl of Wiltshire and his son, who said it was a pity the Princess did
not keep company with her. The King, on the Saturday he heard the news,
exclaimed: ‘God be praised that we are free from all suspicion of war,’
and that the time had come that he would manage the French better than
he had done hitherto, because they would do now whatever he wanted,
from a fear lest he should ally himself again with your Majesty,
seeing that the cause which disturbed your friendship was gone. On
the following Sunday, the King was clad all over in yellow, from top
to toe, except the white feather he had in his bonnet; and the little
Bastard was conducted to Mass with trumpets and other great triumphs.
After dinner, the King entered the room in which the ladies danced, and
there did several things, like one transported with joy. At last he
sent for the little Bastard, and carrying her in his arms, he showed
her first to one and then to another. He has done the like on other
days since, and has run some courses at Greenwich.[147]
“This,” added Chapuys, “has been the most cruel news that could come
to me, especially as I fear the good Princess will die of grief, or
that the Concubine will hasten what she has long threatened to do,
_viz._, to kill her, and it is to be feared that there is little help
for it. I will do my best to comfort her, in which a letter from your
Majesty would help greatly.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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