The Strife of the Roses and Days of the Tudors in the WestRogers, W. H. Hamilton (William Henry Hamilton)
History
The Strife of the Roses and Days of the Tudors in the West
Rogers, W. H. Hamilton (William Henry Hamilton)
Great Britain -- History -- Tudors, 1485-1603; Great Britain -- History -- Wars of the Roses, 1455-1485
IN CLARISS: DOM: FRANCISCÆ SVFFOLCIÆ QVONDAM DVCISSÆ EPICEDION.
MIL DECVS AVT SPLENDOR, NIL REGIA NOMINA PROSVNT
SPLENDIDA DIVITIIS, NIL JVVAT AMPLA DOMVS;
OMNIA FLVXERVNT, VIRTVTIS SOLA REMANSIT
GLORIA, TARTAREIS NON ABOLENDA ROGIS.
NVPTA DVCI PRIVS EST, VXOR POST ARMIGERI STOKES;
FVNERE NVNC VALEAS CONSOCIATO DEUS.
Below in panels are sculptured the arms of France and England, Brandon
and Stokes with numerous quarterings.
Of this lady says Dean Stanley,--
"She had thrown herself headlong into the Protestant cause. She
had dressed up a cat in a rochet to irritate the bishops; and had
insulted Gardiner, as she passed by the Tower, 'It is well for
the lambs when the wolves are shut up.' Naturally in her own turn
she had to fly after her husband's and her daughter's bloody
death, and lived just long enough to see the betrothal of her
daughter, Catherine Grey to the Earl of Hertford, and to enjoy
the turn of fortune which restored her to the favour of
Elizabeth, and allowed her sepulture beside her royal ancestors.
The service was probably the first celebrated in English in the
Abbey since Elizabeth's accession; and it was followed by the
Communion service, in which the Dean (Dr. Bill) officiated, and
Jewell preached the sermon. Could her Puritanical spirit have
known the site of her tomb, she would have rejoiced in the
thought, that it was the first to displace one of the venerated
altars of the old Catholic saints."
The effigy, a very noble one, clasps a book, presumably intended for
the Bible, in her hands, doubtless another evidence of her
"Puritanical spirit," and which she probably deemed of more importance
than the choicest relics of "saints" preserved in the "venerated
altars" that teemed around.
Adrian Stokes, or Stock, Esq., who married the Duchess of Suffolk, 1
March, 1555, just twelve months after the Duke's death, is said to
have acted as her Master of the Horse. In spite of this disparity of
social position, and also of age (he being about seventeen, and the
Duchess thirty-two years old at the date of their marriage), the union
appears to have been a happy one (she only survived four years), for
at her death in December, 1559, she left him in possession of large
estates in Warwickshire and Leicestershire. In 1571 Stokes was
returned to Parliament for Leicestershire, having under his charge the
Lady Mary Grey, his step-daughter, and about that period, married
secondly, Anne, widow of Sir Nicholas Throgmorton. He died without
issue 30 Nov., 1586. He erected this fine monument to her memory.
His ward the Lady Mary Grey appears to have had no higher ambition in
the selection of a husband, than her mother's second venture, having
married, as previously related, Martin Keys, Groom-Porter to Queen
Elizabeth. It may be, her step-father's social position was against
anything better.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account