mour's schemes.--Seymour's arrest.--His trial and
attainder.--Seymour beheaded.--Elizabeth's trials.--Elizabeth's
firmness.--Lady Tyrwhitt.--Elizabeth's sufferings.--Her fidelity to
her friends.

Elizabeth was about three years old at the death of her mother. She was
a princess, but she was left in a very forlorn and desolate condition.
She was not, however, entirely abandoned. Her claims to inherit the
crown had been set aside, but then she was, as all admitted, the
daughter of the king, and she must, of course, be the object of a
certain degree of consideration and ceremony. It would be entirely
inconsistent with the notions of royal dignity which then prevailed to
have her treated like an ordinary child.

She had a residence assigned her at a place called Hunsdon, and was put
under the charge of a governess whose name was Lady Bryan. There is an
ancient letter from Lady Bryan, still extant, which was written to one
of the king's officers about Elizabeth, explaining her destitute
condition, and asking for a more suitable supply for her wants. It may
entertain the reader to see this relic, which not only illustrates our
little heroine's condition, but also shows how great the changes are
which our language has undergone within the last three hundred years.
The letter, as here given, is abridged a little from the original:

My Lord:

When your Lordship was last here, it pleased you to say that
I should not be mistrustful of the King's Grace, nor of your
Lordship, which word was of great comfort to me, and
emboldeneth me now to speak my poor mind.

Now so it is, my Lord, that my Lady Elizabeth is put from
the degree she was afore, and what degree she is at now[A] I
know not but by hearsay. Therefore I know not how to order
her, nor myself, nor none of hers that I have the rule
of--that is, her women and her grooms. But I beseech you to
be good, my Lord, to her and to all hers, and to let her
have some rayment; for she has neither gown, nor kirtle, nor
no manner of linen, nor foresmocks, nor kerchiefs, nor
sleeves, nor rails, nor bodystitchets, nor mufflers, nor
biggins. All these her Grace's wants I have driven off as
long as I can, by my troth, but I can not any longer.
Beseeching you, my Lord, that you will see that her Grace
may have that is needful for her, and that I may know from
you, in writing, how I shall orde