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356 THE QUEENS OF ENGLAND. deserting in crowds. On reaching Cambridge, the cause grew still more hopeless ; and the final blow to Dudley's courage was given by the arrival of the news that the privy-council in London had deserted to Queen Mary ; that the lord mayor and aldermen had been sent for, and that Mary had been pro- claimed amid the most vehement acclamations. On hearing this, the heart of Dudley, that genuine son of Belial, died in him, like that of Nabal of old, and his base and craven nature displayed itself most contemptibly. He flung his cap up in Cambridge market-place, proclaiming Queen Mary himself while the tears ran down his cheeks. To Dr. Sandys, who was standing by, he said whisperingly, that "Queen Mary was a merciful woman, and that doubtless they should all receive a pardon." But Dr. Sandys bade him not flatter himself with any such thing ; that however the queen might be inclined, those about her would destroy him, whoever else were spared. Then was this base Dudley arrested by Sir John Gates, one of his own most guilty agents, as he was sitting with his boots half on and half off. The Earl of Arundel arrived with a body of the queen's troops, and seizing Dudley, Gates, and Dr. Sandys, regardless of Dudley's pitiful kneeling to him and craving pardon, sent them all to London, and to the Tower, where, on the 18th of August, Northumberland and two> of his most guilty associates were beheaded. Mary, now firmly seated on the throne, showed no vindictive desire to punish her enemies. On the contrary, although Lady Jane and her husband, Lord Guildford Dudley, with two of his brothers, were formally arraigned and condemned to death, there was no haste made to execute the sentence. The Duke of Suffolk was liberated after three days' imprisonment ; and so little was Mary disposed to severity, that she afterwards in- tended to employ Suffolk to suppress the insurrection of Sir Thomas Wyatt. Nothing can more clearly demonstrate how thoroughly Mary relied on Suffolk's professions of regret for having opposed her claims. She was well aware that Dudley had been the grand mover and compeller of the attempt to set up Lady Jane Grey. She was well aware of the real character of Lady Jane — of the repugnance she had shown to being made the instrument of Northumberland's treason, and of the gen- eral sympathy of the people in Lady Jane's unmerited position. There can, therefore, be no doubt but that, had the national affairs now subsided into a calm, the life of Lady Jane would