coming. Few doubted this, least of all the exiles. Even the traditionalist
Catholic clergy were anticipating an attempt at a change in religion, as
the incident of bishop White at Mary’s funeral makes plain. It is not that
Elizabeth had not made known her mind; rather, she had made known
two of them. Just before her death Mary had sent Jane Dormer, the wife
to be of Philip’s envoy, Feria, to lay on Elizabeth the conditions of Mary’s
recognizing her as her heir. According to Jane in her autobiography the
stipulations were that Elizabeth would pay Mary’s debts, and that she
would not seek to alter England’s religion. According to Dormer
Elizabeth prayed that the earth might swallow her were she not a true
Catholic.^15 As this was undoubtedly conveyed to Mary’s council, which
included the Archbishop of York, Nicholas Heath, who upon Mary’s
death and that of her cousin Cardinal Pole some hours later, became the
leading ecclesiastic in the realm, the Catholics must have had at least
some hope that Elizabeth would keep the realm under the Roman
obedience. Yet Protestants were not without their hope either, as the
narrative of Elizabeth’s confrontation with Mary’s emissary (now
emissaries) had a completely different ending. Elizabeth, though willing
enough to pay her sister’s debts, is said to have responded that ‘to
religion, I promise thus much, that I will not change it, provided only it
can be proved by the word of God, which shall be the only foundation
and rule of my religion’. This account had made its way into a document
that was then sent to the exile community in Strasbourg, and was
reproduced by Edwin Sandys in a letter to Bullinger.^16 No need arises to
wonder which account is true, for undoubtedly Elizabeth told Dormer
just what Dormer relates, but also most definitely she had sent
information otherwise to the exile communities in order to hasten their
returns.^17
But Jewel soon learned that other impediments to the spread of
reform existed, those who should have endeavored for a better state of
English religion, indeed those who should have desired it the most: ‘It
has happened that the mass in many places has of itself ceased, without
any laws for its eradication. If the queen would herself rid her chapel of
it the whole matter might be disposed of easily.’ The blame did not only
devolve to her Majesty, but also extended to those who should have
happily seen to the spread of the truth.
We manage everything with so much deliberation, and prudence and
wariness, and circumspection, as if God himself could scarce retain54 JOHN JEWEL AND THE ENGLISH NATIONAL CHURCH
(^15) In David Starkey, Elizabeth, The Struggle for the Throne(New York: Harper Collins,
2001), pp. 225–26.
(^16) Zurich Letters, I, p. 4.
(^17) Starkey, Elizabeth, p. 226.
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