The Life of Sir Thomas Gresham Founder of the Royal Exchange

onceal the young king's death for some days. He commanded the attendance at Greenwich?where the dead body was lying?of the lord mayor of London, six aldermen, and twelve other citizens " of chiefest account." On the 8th of July the mayor, the aldermen, and the citizens, who were half of them merchants of the staple, and half merchant-adventurers like the Greshams, went down to Greenwich, where Northumberland and some of the council secretly revealed to them the death of the king, as also how, by his last will, and by his letters patent, the late King Edward had appointed and ordained that, to the exclusion of his two half- sisters, the princesses Mary and Elizabeth, the Lady Jane Grey, who had been recently married to one of Northumberland's sons, should be his successor in the throne and sovereignty. The city deputation, being shown what was, or was called, King Edward's will, swore allegiance to Lady Jane, and were bound under a great penalty notto divulge these " secret passages," until ,,,they should receive further orders fiom the couUietl. Two days after this, on the 10th of July, Lady Jane Grey was conveyed with great state by water to the Tower of London, and was there publicly received as Queen of England; and in the course of the evening of that day the death of King Edward was publicly divulged for the first time, and Jane was proclaimed as queen in the city. The lords of the council, including the Duke of Northumberland, Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbur...