obvious idea is to hark back to the comparison with which this lengthy chapter opened, comparison that is, between the events in the lives of Edward, Earl of Hertford and his grandson William. Except that one suffered under the tyranny of Elizabeth, and the other under that of James, and that the younger man suffered a shorter time, the comparison between the two men holds good. Each lived the best years of his life after the unhappy event that cost the life of a woman. Between the women the contrast is this, that however Katherine Grey suffered, she yet had her children and the knowledge of the love of the husband from whom she was separated. Moreover, she was allowed to spend the last days of her life in comparative freedom in the country. Arabella Stuart was denied all this. She barely saw her husband after their secret marriage, and she was kept in a constant gnawing doubt as to whether, in the face of his silence, he remained faithful to her; and it was this doubt that killed her. Finally, the last days of her life were spent in close and merciless confinement in the grim atmosphere of the Tower.

We may perhaps end this story by telling it in the words of an almost contemporary ballad, entitled 'The True Lovers' Knot Untied: Being the right Path whereby to advise Princely Virgins how to behave themselves by the example of the Renowned Princess the Lady Arabella and the 2nd son of the Lord Seymer late Earl of Hartfort.'

I drew more near and saw more plain
Lady Arabella in distress,

She wrung her hands and wept amain,
Bewailing of her heaviness.

When near fair London Tower she came
Whereas her landing-place should be,
The king and queen with all their train
Did meet this lady gallantly.

"And now, Arabella," said our king,
Unto this lady straight did say,

Who hath first tyed ye to this thing,

That you from England took your way?"

"None but myself, my gracious Liege,
These ten long years I've been in love
With the Lord Seymor's second son,
The Earl of Hartfort, so we prove

Though he be not the mightiest man
Of goods and livings in the land,
Yet I have lands us to maintain,
So much your Grace doth understand.

My lands and livings are well known
Unto your Books of Majesty
Amounts to twelve score pound a week,
Besides what I do give," quoth she.

"In gallant Darbyshire likewise

I nine score beadsmen maintain there,
With Hats and Gowns and House rent free,

And every man 5 marks a year.

I never raised Rent," said she,

Nor yet opprest the Tennant poor;
I never took no Bribes for fines,
For why, I had enough before.

I would I had a milkmaid been,

Or born of some more low degree,

Then I might have loved where I like[d],

And no man could have hindred me.

Once when I thought to have been Queen, But yet that still I do deny,

I knew your Grace had right to the Crown Before Elizabeth did dye.

You of the eldest sister came,

I of the second in degree,

The Earl of Hartfort of the third,

A man of royal blood was he.

Once more to prison must I go,"
Lady Arabella then did say,

"To leave my love breeds all my Woe,

The which will be my Life's decay.

Love is a knot none can unknit,

Fancy a liking of the Heart,

Him whom I love I cannot forget

Though from his presence I must part.

The meanest People enjoy their mates,
But I was born unhappily,

For being crost by cruel Fates

I want both Love and Liberty.

But Death I hope will end the strife.
Farewel, farewel, my Love," quoth she,
"Once I had thought to have been thy wife,
But now am forc'd to part with thee."

At this sad meeting she had cause
In heart and mind to grieve full sore,
After that time Arabella fair
Did never see Lord Seymor more.

CHAPTER VI

THE SEYMOURS OF TROWBRIDGE

'Common souls pay with what they do; nobler souls with that which they are.'

It is strange that in spite of the many details known of the life of Francis Seymour, first Baron of Trowbridge, he himself should still remain such a faint and indistinct figure. Fuller dubs him a wise and religious knight': Clarendon describes him as a man of interest and reputation who had always been very popular in the country, where he lived out of the grace of the court, while his parts and judgment were best in those things which concerned good husbandry and the common administration of justice to the people.' His religious views are known, his political career is distinct, yet his personality seems always to elude one's grasp. He is one of those of whom one may know much but whom one may never know.

He was, as we have already indicated, the youngest son of Edward, Lord Beauchamp (1561-1612), and was brought up with his brother William, under the care of his grandfather, Edward, Earl of Hertford. Unlike his brother William, he seems to have been of a quiet and amenable disposition, careful always to do nothing to arouse the displeasure of the old earl. Yet he certainly sympathised with, and was probably kind to his brother and Arabella Stuart while they were in captivity. This is witnessed by letters addressed to him by them both, especially by those of Arabella, who addresses him 'Sweet brother Francis,' On

the other hand, fearing for himself, he helped to betray their flight in June 1611, and was profuse in his protestations of innocence as to his knowledge of their escape. In October 1613, James 1. knighted him at Royston. In the spring of 1620, he fought a duel in the Low Countries with John Savage of Worcester, and, in the winter of the same year, he began his public life as member of Parliament for Wiltshire. From 1620 to 1626 Sir Francis Seymour was one of the most zealous opponents of Roman Catholicism in Parliament. In May 1621, he made a memorable speech advocating the infliction of heavy penalties on Edward Floyd, whose crime was nominally that he had spoken slighting words concerning the Elector Palatine and his wife, but in reality that he was a Roman Catholic. 'Let him be sentenced,' demanded Seymour, to go from Westminster at a cart's tail with his doublet off, to the Tower, the beads about his neck, and to receive as many lashes by the way as he has beads.' The whipping was too much, even for a bigoted Parliament, and it was omitted, though the rest of the sentence was carried out. Three years later Seymour advocated war with Spain, deriding the suggestion of the Spanish match, and suggesting that the promised portion might turn out to be merely a pension even as the jewels might be counterfeit. At the same time, he opposed sending a force to the Palatinate on account of the heaviness of the king's debts.

In June 1625, he moved a request to the king for the proper execution of the laws against the Romanists, and, in the following July, proposed to limit the grant to the crown for that year to one subsidy and one-fifteenth, that is to say, about one-tenth of the amount that Charles needed to fulfil his engagements. It was obvious that Seymour was becoming a powerful leader in the House, and the Duke of Buckingham set himself out to win him over to the king's side by showing himself willing to put aside all engagements with France, and to oppose Romanists in England. Seymour