Page:The Queens of England.djvu/432

J°° i'-Hli QUEENS OF ENGLAND. The evil consequences of this revolt died not with its de- feat, and one of the most grave was the suspicion to which it gave birth in the breast of Mary against her sister Elizabeth lo sooner had Wyatt rebelled than Mary summoned Eliza- beth to join her without delay; and this summons, on the plea of sickness not being complied with, three members of the privy council, with a troop of horse amounting to two hundred and fifty men, were sent to enforce her obedience to the queen's wishes 1 hough the commissioners found her ill in bed they insisted on her accompanying them to town The harshness of this measure was hardly to be justified by the rumors in circulation, that Elizabeth and Lord Courtenav were implicated m Wyatt 's insurrection, and it is probable that ff^'T <w- h l Ve had reCOUrse to k had not Gardiner, the Lishop of Winchester, instigated and urged her to it xNo step could be more calculated to serve Elizabeth's popularity for the sight of the princess, pale and suffering, and surrounded by guards, excited the deep commiseration of the people in every place through which they passed. And although she was brought to the palace, she was not admitted to the pres- ence of the queen, but was in all respects treated as a prisoner and for fourteen days subjected to a solitary confinement see- ing only those appointed to guard her. At the expiration of that time Gardiner, and nine of the council, entered her prison and charged her with having taken part in Wyatt's conspiracy, as well asm Sir Peter Carew's insurrection in the west of Eng- land. Elizabeth denied the charge with great firmness, but when told that she must forthwith be sent to the Tower she evinced considerable alarm, and said she hoped her maUtv would not commit to that place a true and innocent woman that had never offended her in thought, word or deed and requested the lords to intercede fo? her with th queen Whether they fulfilled this request is doubtful, but in an horn after, Gardiner and others returned to dismiss all her attend- ants, saye her gentleman-usher, three ladies and two grooms of her chamber. A strong guard was placed in the room ad- joining hers two lords, with men, to watch in the hall with two hundred men in the garden-preparations that prove the importance Mary attached to the safe keeping of her prisoner ihe next day two lords of the council came to her and stated he queens pleasure that she should instantly be conveyed to the Tower, that the barge for her conveyance was ready and