“The duchess [of Bedford] was still second lady in England, yet her rank was many degrees more exalted than her fortune; therefore, as her children grew up, she was glad to provide for them at the court of her friend, queen Margaret. Her eldest daughter, the beautiful Elizabeth Woodville, was appointed ‘maid of honor’ to that queen, little deeming that she was one day to fill her place on the English throne.
While yet in attendance on her royal mistress, she captured the heart of a brave knight, sir Hugh Johns, a great favorite of Richard duke of York. Sir Hugh had nothing in the world wherewithal to endow the fair Woodville but a sword, whose temper had been proved in many a battle in France; he was, moreover, a timid wooer, and, very unwisely, deputed others to make the declaration of love which he wanted courage to speak himself. Richard duke of York was protector of England when he thus, in regal style, recommended his landless vassal to the love of her who was one day to share the diadem of his heir.
Right trusty and well-beloved, we greet you well.
Forasmuch as we are credibly informed that our right hearty and well-beloved knight sir Hugh John, for the great womanhood and gentleness approved and known in your person–ye being sole [single], and to be married–his heart wholly have; wherewith we are right well pleased.
Howbeit your disposition towards him in that behalf as yet, is to us unknown. We therefore, as for the faithful true, and good lordship we owe unto him at this time (and so will continue), desire and heartily pray ye will on your part be to him well-willed to the performing of this our writing and his desire.
Wherein ye shall do not only to our pleasure, but, we doubt not, to your own great weal and worship in time to come; certifying, that if ye fulfil our intent in this matter, we will and shall be to him and you such lord as shall be to both your great weal and worship, by the great of God, who precede and guide you in all heavenly felicity and welfare.
written by RICHARD, DUKE of York.”
Even if Elizabeth’s heart had responded to this earnest appeal of her lover’s princely master, yet she was too slenderly gifted by fortune to venture on a mere love-match. She probably demurred on this point, and avoided returning a decisive answer, for her delay elicited a second letter on the subject of sir Hugh’s great love and affection.
This time it was from the pen of the famous Richard Neville, earl of Warwick. It is not written as if by a stranger to a stranger; at the same time, by his promises of ‘good lorship’ (patronage) to Elizabeth and her lover, it is very evident he considers himself as superior of both.
‘To DAME ELIZABETH Wodevile.
‘Worshipful and well-beloved, I greet you well. And forasmuch my right well-beloved sir Hugh John, knight (which now late was with you unto his full great joy, and had great cheer, as he saith, whereof I thank you), hath informed me how that he hath, for the great love and affection that he hath unto your person, as well as for the great sadness [seriousness] and wisdom that he hath found and proved in you at the same time, as for your great and praised beauty and womanly demeaning, he desireth with all haste to do you worship by way of marriage, before any other creature living (as he saith).
I (considering his said desire, and the great worship that he had, which was made knight at Jerusalem, and after his coming home, for the great wisdom and manhood he was renowned of, was made knight-marshal of France, and after knight-marshal of England, unto his great worship, with other his great and many virtues and desert, and also good and notable service that he hath done and daily doth to me), write unto you at this time, and pray you effectuously that ye will the rather (at this my request and prayer) to condescend and apply you unto his said lawful and honest desire, wherein ye shall not only purvey [provide] right notably for yourself unto your weal and worship [profit and honor] in time to come, as I hereby trust, but also cause me to show unto you such good lordship [patronage] as ye by reason of it shall hold you content and pleased, with the grace of God, which everlastingly have you in his bliss, protection, and governance.
Written by the EARL of Warwick.”
[…] Nevertheless, sir Hugh met with the usual fate of a lover who has not the spirit to speak for himself, and deputes his wooing to the agency of friends,–he was rejected by the fair Elizabeth. He married a nameless damsel, and in course of time died posssessor of a single manor.
[…]The foregoing letters could not have been written till some time in 1452. Elizabeth was that year seventeen, and she was then, as Richard of York says, ‘sole and to be married’, that is, she was single and disengaged; […]. Some worldly considerations, besides her duty to her royal mistress queen Margaret, seem to have led Elizabeth to reject the Yorkist partisan Sir Hugh Johns, and accept the hand of the heir of the illustrious and wealthy lordship of Ferrers of Groby, a cavalier firmly attached to the house of Lancaster.
The time is not distinctly specified of the marriage of Elizabeth Woodville with John Gray; it probably took place soon after her rejection of the Yorkist champion in 1552. This wedlock was certainly a great match for the penniless maid of honor, for Gray was son and heir to lord Ferrers of Groby, possessor of the ancient domain of Bradgate, which was hereafter to derive such lustre from being the native place of Elizabeth’s descendant, lady Jane Gray.
[…] Elizabeth, after she was married, became one of the four ladies of the bedchamber of her royal mistress, Margaret of Anjou, in whose wardrobe-book, preserved in the office of the duchy of Lancaster, she is mentioned as “lady Isabella Gray, in attendance on the queen’s person”–the name of Isabella being, until she became queen, usually written instead of Elizabeth. Tradition declares that her marriage with the heir of Groby was a happy one.”
From: “The True Story of the White Queen”, by Agnes Strickland.
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