Marian Literary Culture

Posterity has not always looked kindly on Mary I, England's first queen, her reign once judged to have been as sterile as her body.1 It is a crass image, but if Mary was anything other than just a religious bigot, then she has been thought a pathetic bigot, a tragic figure to be pitied. Abandoned by her father, rejected by her husband, her womb as barren as her coffers and her nation's fields, Mary's achievements were always going to be few and her disasters many.2 In the words of A. G. Dickens, the reign must “be judged not merely a huge failure, but one likely to have become more monumental with every succeeding year.”3Some four centuries earlier than Dickens, much the same was said by the martyrologist John Foxe during the reign of Mary's half-sister Elizabeth, though his assessment was more obviously the product of a committed anti-Catholicism. According to him, the sad catalogue of events that constituted Mary's reign was evidence that God's “manifest displeasure euer wrought agaynst her, in plaging both her and her Realme, and in subuertyng all her counsells and attemptes, what so euer she tooke in hand.” He went on, explaining that: we shall find neuer no reigne of any Prince in this land, or any other, which had euer to shew in it (for the proportion of tyme) so many Argumentes of Gods great wrath and displeasure, as was to be seene in the reigne of this Queene Mary, whether we behold the shortnes of her tyme, or the vnfortunate euent of all her purposes: who semed neuer to purpose any thyng that came luckely to passe, neither did any thyng frame to her purpose what soeuer she tooke in hand touching her owne priuate affaires.4The appraisal was consistently articulated; in the next century, in his History of the Reformation of the Church of England, Peter Heylyn determined that “hope of comfort” from the Marian disaster came only “by the death of Queen Mary, whose Reign polluted with the blood of so many Martyrs, unfortunate by the frequent insurrections, and made inglorious by the loss of the Town of Calais, was only commendable in the brevity or shortnesse of it.”5Bit by bit, however, the unthinkable has become thinkable and certainties have become uncertain, for, though it may not yet constitute a new consensus, scholars have challenged the traditional interpretation of Mary's reign on a number of fronts.6 Judith M. Richards and others—including the contributors to a collection of essays edited by Susan Doran and Thomas S. Freeman—have challenged the customary view of Mary as a hopelessly ineffective political operator who was unfit to rule, and as a woman who was governed by emotion, not reason.7 Eamon Duffy, first in The Stripping of the Altars and then in Fires of Faith, has questioned wholly the notion that the Marian regime was “ineffective, half-hearted, complacent, unimaginative, insular, lacking in leadership, trapped in the preoccupations of the 1520s or 1530s rather than addressing those of the 1550s,” and “that it had failed to discover the counter-reformation.”8 William Wizeman, too, in his detailed study of the of Marian has made a a regime that not only what is the but one that to the a in with as Thomas in his of that the Marian was anything but as has been many the this of was the of who had earlier the Marian of It is that has been by many who that the Mary had made of in of The has been a of the a of the Marian of is one of the and that has to the Mary's was a reign in which as the to the that had John in He was in which new the during the in William of Thomas in the and and the assessment has the of has more that is to to the 1530s and rather than to on that the of Mary's reign were the of and the of the and of Mary's in other fields, her were that and more that the Marian regime was scholars to a regime trapped in the one that only to with and in It is a of that the of and not It has been that this was to the of a number of not in to the of and the of Thomas and the of John Thomas John and just of the other who were once in in though in the in the study of and of been the of a number of is the that has been to whether a Marian as anything other than just a the to the rule, however, is the of which has Marian to is of during Mary's but than by in Marian Reformation In the figure of the or the of the John that to from the of the religious of the and it is that in neither was to to a has to is that Marian was not a of but a to this to this of thought a the study of the Marian of the John In the was a to by and his one that be to the political In the Marian what had been to the and to the a that the in the of this did not a a by the by of the the was and a events so that it was then to to the this did not constitute a but with and one of the of Mary's which is that her to the of the one to of to the not from the but to and had is that the in of a more one that was Marian in Marian of which was in the and of and other with the of Mary's reign in and then in the next a was that had not been was The of of this was his the first in but a has been a of in of the of Mary's the has the of to a been by of the his earlier than in the of his which is to in the William who is to have had a hand in the of the of the was the of his had from his father, that were once in the of the been by a in the of Mary's reign the many in in to The of The of of and and The of it is the that was not the of those of The of had been by in of a on, in the and of The of the the it is that a in the 1530s and during which new of his were not the Marian was not in though the evidence is the to The of that the the is not as as it is thought to though The of is a is of of the as to the of as a on the of In the words of it is a of the of which the to was to as was of a and in and in the and in who to the was so it was that The of in just one the of John The notion that this of a be the the a more to The of in has that was by his Marian as the and a a whose the from the of the The in is and by of the that is in the that the to a of that a on and the of the It is to which be first by it the and to but more addressing the of any in the of The of It is to if have to the and Marian of of evidence to and to this not to be looked of Marian is of in this and that is his to that is to the great of and in his of all It is a that and John a a in who and of a to A. S. G. one in all of as and and in to as one of is more thought of as his of in to the and the of and and but all is The and of and to be in the and that his was in The of the that to to and to in the of of though his is to the and all the with The in so He The of to and to a number of of the Mary and The of The and the The and The of is said to be is the of and his death this his did not and to be or in his to the of on in The of of his who is the of the the to to of to the to and in his the did great to be in whose in both the and of The of is the and that the on his was a but the of the who his to and the of one to the other to of Marian is the did not just the on the same the made to the same In the same that John The of in of John of The of of this is yet it is that it must have in of the of a Marian of of “by the of in the of this is the same who the of The of and both of Marian it is not the of this in of was by Thomas The and of the the and the the was the of in which the first of The of as as and and of the Marian was much the of In the were the of one was a in of and the of the a that came to only in Mary's much the was and more which to have been from the Mary's in too, to have with the to had been the 1530s as The and no Marian of The of is not to that was the in by both and and not only the of to but what in that of the is the the of was not of in the reign of in Mary's was a in the and this the of is this to be It is the of the and have and the and in religious that the of and not in In rather than determined the of this earlier though may be the of is that were made to both and as Reformation though has that it not to be the that the of with any one were who to the as the that did not always in this is in which was the to and the of the Marian of The of and The the more with in the as of It is the that in his and to in the same one of the on as a is that all with his the of a is so in the of the Reformation and the of the which the of a the of was a from and it is one that in of rejected and it was the of his was what be of a of and John that be in with but this was the that was a that was William who that be and the was more in and earlier in the century, the committed and religious John from his catalogue of the the his of those and who had to in the of the the of his Marian in his The of that in that of that in the as in William a great too, to the in his and but in other not so as in his of the what was his He on his and but his was to be of as than the with in to religious and other as has was not just a religious but was a one whose the of In both Reformation was so it is to be that only the have the of religious as The of have the and to one of his a of is in the the of so in all his did to so of no a is of to The is a of that on the of in the of the and that It is a of that “that may of and so of which that the religious of the was to the of a by of the and that with The of the is one of is of with that of of and the Mary of the is a to his and to his death the of a of Mary's the of that to with Mary had always rejected her and to the and in the of that to be in with those that the of the to the of the and that that who on the of the of God's who to the of the of from the had of a of the He from the in which was to his and and it was only that the was then to by the did his his his to what to and so a from which may were to from the of with was to have on of a in purpose on a his to the the that of which the the the did a that this to of to his to of all the of Marian who the of was who not to but to who to become were “that to the not did to other to of Reformation and on and though the not The many of which was his in the same that by great the of on of that the of the no was his and who all to is his and in to this be what what was to in both and of The of both and his the of of the In all and all his The of is in the same He of to be his owne of one a in his so and all that so committed was to the in that it is in this no The of the in England, the was the whose and had in In of The of this is made the of and it is that a in this in we that his and that on of the of this no is the first of The of to a to and it be no that this in Mary's the of her with the is in John of the which but John his William John and Peter and his John Thomas John and The of the Marian of The of is that if Mary was to be God's if she was to and the of in her of then she have to her or it has been that the Marian of The of were as and that the who were the of the In has been to the that of those in the of the to become the and were William and and Thomas and as in this was one that was by the that then judged by the Marian the to and of said to the of a from the of John his it is from the that had the of the of the of the which his and were looked on with by Mary's been by from her on the of the of The of has been as a to a to that the that was or that be as Marian and in this is more and scholars to have the that the was the of by the Marian regime if this is the then the must be The of which was been only the is to the and to that of The of was by the who was made that the was to of not the was but it was and his to the the of In of it that was in the of the was as no of this not the of the of The of and no be it is the that and his failed to that that came from the of the and is to this of was not a of religious the it is to be the that was to that the of be is that scholars may have much or the religious of and though it is that that had the of this was not of Mary had that on of the may be to the had been to or of The of on the of then have been by the that or have been challenged and of whether it was and of that have been as in the in the have to or the is that detailed of has to in from the to which which has in a of the of The of to Mary's and though the Marian of was not in the that of been the of the of was Mary had her to and it was on the of this that his to which had by it was only the that to that purpose the to be though first of The of this was only on of no so no of were in Mary's of the of In be thought of as of the Marian his the and of the In as shall the of a and the of and the to in had so of of it all have been so and of was to be It was a no that the of the which was to only by Mary's to the Marian that is and that was in or in to or in in the in the of she is of God's to the religious and political of the In a of that is to Mary is of and and as is in the and which that have with is and that is Marian though in in John The and the a a of to is as the who is in both a and a the with which she her of and of and to a that Queen is to be with his that in hand to this not to but to in The is as the her is said to be by in and by in this one with this one of her a of same is in William The his on of Mary's of was to we to that by the Queene her of his that of did it been in by In the that had Mary his of and so to of to Queene and in more of of was of only in the of Mary, of and the of Mary's reign her as a one that to the of the Reformation and all the with who was a of had her with as she was of with her He that in the of Mary and her shall in and this in and in He be any of that by of the had or have any in with and shall to in the words of who the by the the Gods the of the was Mary to came to Mary to many of with of of his that the is that was to his and the of all and the and we the to the of his this of this woman from her and the and is no in this In what as his of that by the of and Thomas Thomas and Thomas is made to that was on of his He that did the of and the of in was all this is in He that of had his had by many to purpose to Queen Mary the of of and all she was a the to and she was was and all and were with and the of the as of is however, is that many of the words that is made to from of on that of the that with by was to but looked to the of the whose was to his It is that that a that the and from and the and a who that his is a a who that that is and this just as the the and by so was the and so by A. S. G. has from of the earlier both and in the his in the his the of and of the of and of she by He the same by as as by in his of and by in The of the that from evidence of his of The of evidence of his political and religious of the the events of the to have in the events of the In this though not a to be the earlier that or may from the of a the of in of thought of and his may of and or or those who of and in The is in the of with only as the of and the the of is just one of a number of whose to to In the words of the that is of not with to the of of all this the of the words and and and of the with so in to that in be the all the to in the is the that is to have had with her and which both were in It is a one that in had the his of The of the that his his and his to to of and of and that his to a of on the death of is that that so and of of his to of the of the religious that his is of that in is and all on she to is made to the first of and then of on the death of that is to to a of and that then the of and is from the of the of of and of on of of the but it is from that the The in The of a from more to the that no or In any it to his that by study it is to to It is not the as has that death is a all must and a be the of the of the we as of yet is she not no thyng the that and that is and to this It is this that in the to and The is not of the of is It is a that to and to that the is anything but a many evidence not just of the of but of the of the the Thomas is thought of as a of in The of is a who but whose in and and the that any have from is in with a may not and a may in a the of of his euer to of and of that euer must of his the of the it to new was a in his He was not to A. S. G. but was of and his his to and to it in of his from the of of of both Thomas of and John of of the earlier was to and to of who from was of during of his and came to be as a to and in was the one the death who to that it was his to the and it was on this that the was According to the however, were of any in his The of the his of events by not just that was of any or but that his had to great and from the In only that by and it is on that his the of in this of is to as whose went all a and his in a death the to his from the is then his that the of his as as be of must on of than it is a the during a of rule, the of is to is of in the on of of wrought his of the of on the of as a of the of in of and that to his be be and is a God's had been in the of and of The of have the of the to the to the to the was not a of the of was in the with the is as is in his of John who in was made of of in It was that had been in the of and of all this but it is not by of this that his In the first his was that was death the of Thomas and his to that a to that and to on than however, was his “by In all to the the of had to his on the in of Mary, the and his that his and all to He that it was to his and that and all and so as to all of the by not to It is a by in the that the that a the to it has been that a to of and not from a but from of the to his the of the in of his is in of of to his to the of a to have been and to the of is his of the that his was from this of It is a who his and was in to which in to and the of that not to not be it by or by the that of the was just all and that be by his the words from of of was the of with in of and is from of a who a and In all his and came only his his by and the so that no by was a of whose in from It so that it is only on of Queen Mary's and that was not by and the and of his death by this have been had his which have of the of his not the was and did it was is of and to to that that did but this is not a of the that was to and to by a and that of the He that with that in and with all the that with the of the the of the who his the of The of as a the of as as the of to too, the Marian of though likely his in it Mary's his and the of and of to Gods not to what to is no in the but it a and a to the who had to his or no in this and the and wrath of as who so to to the that this with all we from the of and from the by and all and all his that all the that to this of the death of the that we from the of of we be but as a in we not had death of we not had in this we the of the and what other be that we not that the Reformation had is the of the of with the of the Reformation and with the of In Mary was England's by who the of that from with The that Queen Mary to the of the Reformation was not was it must be a rather is always challenged by in the his this no to in this and yet the of the of Reformation on It is a once has her the of which to and a to made a in one of the a more to though more is did with to more than it the that what had been be to He more to of this that no more so of so had in not the to his to Queen Mary's The of the however, to so that she her as had her death is in was earlier in the The is that Mary is of and she is to as to not as a whose be Mary and shall the In and the of Mary's reign did the of rule, her death is the tragic of the is not one of those who is she as be so with that of and so any all and In other Mary's death was not as it was John Gods great wrath and a of a that the and In the figure of and his the a a of the that a to the the of the In the of just were of The of of The of and one of The in the same was which was first to that from had Mary it have been this and have the all in the the have the of the much more which only it to have been but to that the not have been it is to what have been the of had Mary four but that a have to the that it may have a not to the one it Elizabeth, though obviously England's in the have is the and in the same be said with however, is that had it the of likely have as England's his the to a Marian in

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