learning, of which (with herself) there were no less than four authoresses in three descents, as will appear by this short table, and by the subsequent account of those illustrious ladies. [Lord Orford was afterwards induced to think, that the lady Bergavenny he has here described was not Joanna Fitz-Alan, but her daughter-in-law, lady FRANCES Manners, daughter of Thomas earl of Rutland, and wife of Henry lord Bergavenny." Herbert inclined lord Orford to this opinion, from having stated that the following work was licensed to Hugh Jackson the printer, in 1577:2 "Precious Perles of perfect Godlines, &c. begun by lady Frances Aburgauenny, and finished by John Phillip." See Works, vol. i. p. 535. Typogr. Antiq. vol. ii. p. 1134. The noble earl might have collected from the same volume of our typographical historian, p. 954, that lady FRANCES, and not Joanna, was the undoubted author of certain pieces in Bentley's Monument of Matrones, 1582. Those pieces consist of prayers for various occasions, "committed at the houre of her death to the right worshipfull ladie Marie Fane, her onlie daughter, as a jewell of health for the soule, and a perfect path to Paradise, verie profitable to be used of everie faithfull Christian man and woman." One of these prayers deciphers "in alphabet forme" the name of lady Mary Fane. The following devout apostrophe follows the letter F: Give "Faith is to be embraced of all those, that hope for felicitie and blessednesse in Jesus Christ. me therefore such wisdome from above, that I may be dailie desirous to learne thy sacred precepts, and walke in the path-waie of thy glorious statutes; that by the exercise of thy will, sinfull vice and iniquitie may be vanquished, and vertue may have the dominion and sovereigntie in me." P. 209. An acrostical hymn concludes the pious legacy of lady Fraunces Aburgavenny, and may suitably close this article: "From sinfulnesse preserve me, Lord! And let my tongue therewith accord, Uttering all goodnesse for his part. This lady Fane was the only child of Henry lord Bergavenny by Joanna Fitz-Alan, and carried the barony of Le De No thought let there arise in me Still for to praise thy name: Amen. "As of my soule, so of my bodie, Remove from me thy furious rod. All things that pleasing be to thee; spenser into the Fanes, by her marriage with Thomas Fane of Baddishall, in Kent. She died June 28, 1626. Sce the case in Collins's Baronies in Fee. 4 Monument of Matrones, p. 213. LADY JANE GREY. THIS admirable young heroine should perhaps be inserted in the Royal Catalogue rather than here, as she was no peeress; but having omitted her there, as she is never ranked in the list of kings and queens, it is impossible entirely to leave out the fairest ornament of her sex. It is remarkable that her mother (like the countess of Richmond before mentioned) not only waved her small pretensions2 in favour of her daughter, but bore her train 2 It is very observable how many defects concurred in the title of this princess to the crown. 1. Her descent was from the younger sister of Henry the eighth, and there were descendants of the elder living, whose claim indeed had been set aside by the power given by parliament to king Henry to regu late the succession: a power which, not being founded on national expedience, could be of no force; and additionally invalidated by that king having, by the same authority, settled the crown preferably on his own daughters, who were both living. 2. Her mother, from whom alone Jane could derive any right, was alive. 3. The mother was young enough to have other children (not being past thirty-one at the death of king Edward *), and if she had borne a son, his right prior to that of his sister was incontestable. 4. Charles Brandon, father of the duchess of Suffolk, had married one woman while contracted to another; but was divorced to fulfil his promise: the repudiated wife was living when he married Mary queen of France, by whom he had the ⚫ See Vertue's print of this duchess and her second husband, where her age is said to be thirty-six, in 1559, |