d the lady Catharine Gray,
younger sister to the lady Jane, was now the heir of that family. This
lady had been married to Lord Herbert, son of the earl of Pembroke; but
having been divorced from that nobleman, she had made a private marriage
with the earl of Hertford, son of the protector; and her husband, soon
after consummation, travelled into France. In a little time she appeared
to be pregnant, which so enraged Elizabeth, that she threw her into
the Tower, and summoned Hertford to appear, in order to answer for his
misdemeanor. He made no scruple of acknowledging the marriage, which,
though concluded without the queen's consent, was entirely suitable to
both parties; and for this offence he was also committed to the Tower.
Elizabeth's severity stopped not here: she issued a commission to
inquire into the matter; and as Hertford could not, within the time
limited, prove the nuptials by witnesses, the commerce between him and
his consort was declared unlawful, and their posterity illegitimate.
They were still detained in custody, but by bribing their keepers, they
found means to have further intercourse; and another child appeared to
be the fruit of their commerce. This was a fresh source of vexation to
the queen; who made a fine of fifteen thousand pounds be set on Hertford
by the star chamber and ordered his confinement to be thenceforth more
rigid and severe. He lay in this condition for nine years, till the
death of his wife, by freeing Elizabeth from all fears, procured him his
liberty.[*] This extreme severity must be accounted for, either by the
unrelenting jealousy of the queen, who was afraid lest a pretender
to the succession should acquire credit by having issue; or by her
malignity, which, with all her great qualities, made one ingredient
in her character, and which led her to envy in others those natural
pleasures of love and posterity, of which her own ambition and desire of
dominion made her renounce all prospect for herself.

* Haynes, vol. i. p. 369, 378, 396. Camden, p. 389. Heylin,
p. 154.

There happened, about this time, some other events in the royal family
where the queen's conduct was more laudable. Arthur Pole and his
brother, nephews to the late cardinal, and descended from the duke of
Clarence, together with Anthony Fortescue, who had married a sister of
these gentlemen, and some other persons, were brought to their trial
for intending to withdraw into France, with a view of soli