Mary Tudor - Anna Whitelock [152]
The next morning, the funeral Mass was sung and John White, bishop of Winchester, preached the funeral sermon.12 He had been present at Mary’s death and related how “if angels were mortal, I would rather liken this her departure to the death of an angel, than of a mortal creature.” He then delivered an oration, praising Mary’s virtues:
She was a King’s daughter, she was a King’s sister, she was a King’s wife. She was a Queen, and by the same title a King also…. What she suffered in each of these degrees before and since she came to the crown I will not chronicle; only this I say, howsoever it pleased God to will her patience to be exercised in the world, she had in all estates the fear of God in her heart … she had the Love, Commendation and Admiration of all the World. In this church she married herself to the realm, and in token of faith and fidelity, did put a ring with a diamond on her finger, which I understand she never took off after, during her life … she was never unmindful or uncareful of her promise to the realm.
He continued:
She used singular mercy towards offenders. She used much pity and compassion towards the poor and oppressed. She used clemency amongst her nobles…. She restored more noble houses decayed than ever did prince of this realm, or I did pray God ever shall have the like occasion to do hereafter.
The bishop said little about Mary’s religious policies but defended her sincere faith. “I verily believe, the poorest creature in all this city feared not God more than she did.”13
It was a powerful speech based on two verses from Ecclesiastes: “I praised the dead which are already dead more than the living, which are yet alive” and “for a living dog is better than a dead lion.” He sought to disguise his words with apparently harmless analogies, but his meaning was clear: a dead Mary was better than a living Elizabeth. After this encomium, the best that White could say of Elizabeth was that she was royal like Mary and held the realm “by the like title and right.” He concluded by “wishing her a prosperous reign in peace and tranquillity”—“if it be God’s will.”14 The next day the bishop was informed that “for such offences as he committed in his sermon at the funeral of the late Queen,” he was to be confined to his house at Elizabeth’s pleasure.15
At the offertory of the Mass that followed, the regalia was offered at the altar, one by one, and the queen’s coat of armor, sword, shield, and banner of arms returned symbolically to God. The effigy and other tokens of royalty were removed from the coffin, which was carried to the chapel of Mary’s grandfather Henry VII. A vault had been opened in the north aisle of Henry VII’s chapel into which the coffin was lowered. After earth had been cast on top, Mary’s household officers broke their white staffs of office and threw them into the grave. The heralds cried, “The queen is dead, long live the queen!” and people tore down the banners and cloth hangings for souvenirs. With trumpets blowing, the mourners and peers, officiating clergy, and Mary’s officers all departed to dine at the abbot of Westminster’s lodging, the last act of the regime.16
EPILOGUE
VERITAS TEMPORIS FILIA
… Witness (alas!) may Marie be, late Queen of rare renown
Whose body dead, her virtues live, and doth her fame resowne….
She never closed her ear to hear the righteous man distress
Nor never spared her hand to help, when wrong or power oppress
Make for your mirror (Princes all) Marie, our mistress late….
Farewell, O Queen! O pearl most pure! that God or nature gave,
The earth, the heavens, the sprites, the saints cry honor to thy grave.
Marie now dead, Elizabeth lives, our just & lawful Queen,
In whom her sister’s virtues rare, abundantly are seen.
Obey our Queen, as we are bound, pray God her to preserve,
And send her grace life long and fruit, and subjects true to serve.
—“EPITAPH UPON THE DEATH OF QUENE MARIE, DECEASED” (CA. 1558)1
THE FORGING AND RECASTING OF MARY’S REPUTATION BEGAN immediately upon her death. One Richard Lante was imprisoned