Grey].1
______
The heroine of this drama possessed every grace of person, every adornment of mind,
the attraction of youth, and the dignity of royalty.—She was hurled from a
throne to mount upon a scaffold; and this lamentable story is here told by one of
our
most pathetic dramatists; and yet neither reader nor auditor ever sheds a tear for
the unhappy fate of Lady Jane Grey!
All surprise will cease, that this illustrious female wants power to move the
passions, when it is recollected, that she had no passions of her own with which to
affect those of mankind.
The very virtues of Lady Jane seal up the
heart against pity. Perfection must be admired, not undervalued by compassion.
Could the dramatic author have descended to paint Jane's childish years, before every tender sensation had been hardened by
parental cruelty, and ere patient fortitude had elevated her above her sex's
weakness, he then might have made his readers share in her sorrows; for at that early
age she was alive to them herself.
The famous Roger Ascham, who was tutor to
the Princess, afterwards Queen, Elizabeth, relates—that going to the Duke of Suffolk's country seat
in Leicestershire, he found the Duke and Duchess, with all
their household, gentlemen and gentlewomen, hunting in the park, whilst this, their
blooming daugh-
b 2[Page 4]ter Jane was shut up in her own chamber,
reading "Phædo Platonis,"2 in
Greek: and that a conversation upon her love of books and retirement, drew from her
the following words:— When I am in the presence of either my father or
mother, whether I speak, keep silence, sit, stand, or go; eat, drink, be merry or
sad; be sewing, playing, dancing, or doing any thing else, I must do it, as it
were, in such weight, measure, and number, even so perfectly as God made the
world; or else I am so sharply taunted, so cruelly threatened, yea, presently
sometimes with pinches, nips, and bobs, and other ways, which I will not name, for
the honour I bear them, so without measure misordered, that I think myself in
hell; and fall a weeping when I am called from my studies, because whatsoever I do
else but learning, is full of grief, trouble, fear, and whole misliking unto
me.3
All this rigour was, no doubt, employed, to form her mind, and fashion her manners,
to dignify a throne, which Suffolk and his Duchess had
long formed the design to obtain for her. But in all those infantine griefs which
the
poor Lady Jane, from their ambition,
experienced, Providence was, in mercy, fortifying her with strength to relinquish,
not to enjoy, a crown; and was preparing her to die with firmness as an usurper,
instead of reigning with glory as a lawful sovereign.
Awed by her domestic tyrants, she accepted the title of a queen; and, weary of the
slavery exacted by these her subjects, unmoved and undaunted, laid down her regal
honours and her forfeited life.
[Page 5]
The extreme youth of Lady Jane at the time
of her death,4 her sober propensities, her erudition
and philosophic mind, render her one of the most curious women in all history, though
not the most interesting. In the similar catastrophe of Mary Queen of Scots, her failings,
abating her supposed crimes, endear her to erroneous creatures like herself, and they
weep for the misfortunes attending indiscretion, because they are ills which may
probably fall upon themselves. But whilst it is scarcely possible to be heroical like
Lady Jane, her calm contempt for either
living or dying, places her above sympathy; and though she must ever be honoured,
she
will never be tenderly bewailed.
Rowe, who melted every heart at the
sufferings of the low-born and guilty Shore, has not here even touched the strings of commiseration, notwithstanding
he has softened the real character of Lady
Jane, in hopes of producing that effect.
The approvers, for there can be few admirers, of this Tragedy, prefer the scenes
between Guilford and Pembroke, Gardiner's description of the illustrious prisoner
on
her trial, and her execution scene, to the rest. They also prefer the part of
Pembroke to that of Guilford.5
In comparing one scene and one character with another in this Tragedy, some will,
of
course, have superiority; but the whole drama, when opposed to any one of the
author's present acting plays—sinks into a decided inferiority.
b 3