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Poem
October 12, 1837
Western Courier
Ravenna, Portage County, Ohio
What is this article about?
A narrative poem recounting Lady Jane Grey's life from her scholarly youth, brief queenship amid political intrigue, to her execution, lamenting her tragic fate and praising her wisdom and piety.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
From the New Yorker.
LADY JANE GREY.
"So early wise."
Lady fair! where lingerest thou?
Hear'st thou not?—they call thee now;
Thy father's park is filled to-day
With noble lords and ladies gay;
A princely band, with horn and spear,
Are out to hunt the fallow deer.
Put on thy graceful green array,
And hie thee to the chase away:
Lord Guilford Dudley waits below—
Lady, close thy book and go!
What! bendest thou still over that page?
Can it thy woman thoughts engage?
Is't ancient Plato's classic lore
Thine eager eye doth thus devour?
Well may old Roger Ascham smile
To see thee sit amid that pile
Of musty tomes, and gravely ask
What study next must be thy task:
Sure he pierced futurity
When he bade thee scorn earth's vanity.
Lady fair go forth to-night—
The royal halls are hung with light;
Quick don the gorgeous robe of state—
Northumberland will on thee wait;
Wreathe the crown-jewels on thy brow,
And deck with pearls thy neck of snow:
Now fasten down this diamond zone—
So—there thou'rt ready, lovely one!
Queen Mary bids thee to her feast—
Lady mingle with the rest.
What! tremblest thou? nay, turn not pale—
Let not thy lofty courage fail;
See England's proudest chivalry
Wait at thy feet and bend the knee—
To raise thee to the Tudor's throne—
Their duty and their heart's thy own!
Even haughty Mary boweth low,
And offers thee her loyal vow!
Noble and prince thy claim have owned—
Lo, there thou standest crowned and throned!
The tower—a cell in yon great tower—
Is the price of Edward's fatal dower!
A bloody doom is on thee cast—
The sentence for thy death has passed!
Ay, death for one so young and fair!
And yet thou wear'st no look of care;
Still on thy book thine eye is bent,
Bespeaking wisdom and content:
Wo, that on cold Ambition's shrine
Is offered up a mind like thine!
Come, lady, come! the muffled bell
Is tolling now thine husband's knell!
Another hour, and there will be
No earthly care for him or thee!
Then go, undimmed in glory, go,
With holiness upon thy brow;
A lot of glittering wretchedness
Is well exchanged for endless bliss:
Thou reck'st no more the world's stern breath;
Joy to thee, peerless bride of Death.
Illinois, April, 1837.
STELLA.
LADY JANE GREY.
"So early wise."
Lady fair! where lingerest thou?
Hear'st thou not?—they call thee now;
Thy father's park is filled to-day
With noble lords and ladies gay;
A princely band, with horn and spear,
Are out to hunt the fallow deer.
Put on thy graceful green array,
And hie thee to the chase away:
Lord Guilford Dudley waits below—
Lady, close thy book and go!
What! bendest thou still over that page?
Can it thy woman thoughts engage?
Is't ancient Plato's classic lore
Thine eager eye doth thus devour?
Well may old Roger Ascham smile
To see thee sit amid that pile
Of musty tomes, and gravely ask
What study next must be thy task:
Sure he pierced futurity
When he bade thee scorn earth's vanity.
Lady fair go forth to-night—
The royal halls are hung with light;
Quick don the gorgeous robe of state—
Northumberland will on thee wait;
Wreathe the crown-jewels on thy brow,
And deck with pearls thy neck of snow:
Now fasten down this diamond zone—
So—there thou'rt ready, lovely one!
Queen Mary bids thee to her feast—
Lady mingle with the rest.
What! tremblest thou? nay, turn not pale—
Let not thy lofty courage fail;
See England's proudest chivalry
Wait at thy feet and bend the knee—
To raise thee to the Tudor's throne—
Their duty and their heart's thy own!
Even haughty Mary boweth low,
And offers thee her loyal vow!
Noble and prince thy claim have owned—
Lo, there thou standest crowned and throned!
The tower—a cell in yon great tower—
Is the price of Edward's fatal dower!
A bloody doom is on thee cast—
The sentence for thy death has passed!
Ay, death for one so young and fair!
And yet thou wear'st no look of care;
Still on thy book thine eye is bent,
Bespeaking wisdom and content:
Wo, that on cold Ambition's shrine
Is offered up a mind like thine!
Come, lady, come! the muffled bell
Is tolling now thine husband's knell!
Another hour, and there will be
No earthly care for him or thee!
Then go, undimmed in glory, go,
With holiness upon thy brow;
A lot of glittering wretchedness
Is well exchanged for endless bliss:
Thou reck'st no more the world's stern breath;
Joy to thee, peerless bride of Death.
Illinois, April, 1837.
STELLA.
What sub-type of article is it?
Elegy
Ballad
What themes does it cover?
Death Mourning
Political
Moral Virtue
What keywords are associated?
Lady Jane Grey
Execution
Throne
Wisdom
Piety
Ambition
Tudor
Northumberland
What entities or persons were involved?
Stella.
Poem Details
Title
Lady Jane Grey.
Author
Stella.
Subject
Lady Jane Grey's Life And Execution
Form / Style
Rhymed Stanzas
Key Lines
Lady Fair! Where Lingerest Thou? / Hear'st Thou Not?—They Call Thee Now;
Ay, Death For One So Young And Fair! / And Yet Thou Wear'st No Look Of Care;
Joy To Thee, Peerless Bride Of Death.