ons of Lady Jane Grey to the crown,
civil war would inevitably break out. In a few more days or weeks the
child would be in arms against the {p.019} father, the brother
against the brother; the quarrels of religion would add fury to the
struggle; the French would interfere on one side, the Spaniards on the
other, and in such a conflict the triumph of either party would be
almost equally injurious to the honour, unity, freedom, and happiness
of England. The friends of the commonwealth, in the face of so
tremendous a danger, would not obstinately persist in encouraging the
pretensions of a faction. It was for them where they sate to decide if
there should be peace or war, and he implored them, for the sake of
the country, to restore the crown to her who was their lawful
sovereign.

Pembroke rose next. The words of Lord Arundel, he said, were true and
good, and not to be gainsaid. What others thought he knew not; for
himself, he was so convinced, that he would fight in the quarrel with
any man; and if words are not enough, he cried, flashing his sword out
of the scabbard, "this blade shall make Mary Queen, or I will lose my
life."[46]

[Footnote 46: E quando le persuasioni del conte
d'Arundel non habiano luogo appresso di voi, o
questa spada fara Reina Maria, o perdero io la
vita.--Baoardo.]

Not a voice was raised for the Twelfth-day Queen, as Lady Jane was
termed, in scornful pity, by Noailles. Some few persons thought that,
before they took a decisive step, they should send notice to
Northumberland, and give him time to secure his pardon. But it was
held to be a needless stretch of consideration; Shrewsbury and Mason
hastened off to communicate with Renard;[47] while a hundred and fifty
men were marched directly to the Tower gates, and the keys were
demanded in the queen's name.

[Footnote 47: Renard had been prepared, by a
singular notice, to expect their coming, and to
suspect their good faith. Ce matin, he wrote,
relating the counter-revolution to the Emperor; ce
matin, a bonne heure, il y a venu une vieille femme
de soixante ans en nostre logis pour nous advertir
que l'on deust faire scavoir a madicte dame Marie
qu'elle se donna garde de ceulx de conseil car its
la vo