EEV. DR. GEE — FAMOrS TREES IN HERTFORDSHIRE. 



11 



morning or afternoon of November 17th, 1558, for poor Mary- 

 died between 4 and 5 a.m., Elizabeth -was sitting under this tree 

 when a deputation arrived from the Council to apprise her of her 

 sister's demise and to offer her their homage. She fell on her 

 knees, and exclaimed in Latin, "A Domino factum est istud et est 

 mirabile in ocuUs nostris." "It is the Lord's doing, and it is 

 marvellous in our eyes." (Ps. cxviii.) And this motto she took as 

 the stamp upon all her gold plate. '^ It must not be supposed, 

 however, that this formal intimation was a surprise to Elizabeth. 

 My informant (Miss Strickland) says that Queen Mary had already 

 sent her the Crown jewels and her dying request in behalf of her 

 servants, and that Throckmorton, her confidential agent, had 

 prematurely informed her of her sister's death even before the 

 event took place. Elizabeth, fearing some snare, had answered 

 his news with a requirement that, if true, the black enamelled 

 ring should be sent her which Mary was known to wear night and 

 day. Afterwards — 44 years later — when pressed to name her 

 successor, she declared that she would not send him such visitors as 

 came to see her at Hatfield, numbers having for some days been 

 passing and repassing on that "Great jS'orthem Road." Most 

 likely the burst of pious thankfulness was genuine, and was the 

 expression of relief at the termination of a season of suspense, 

 the tension of which " 'Twixt Axe and Crown" had become un- 

 bearable. 



Fig. 2.— Oak in Hatfield Park, measuring 33 feet in circumference. 



We shall return presently to Hatfield, but let me say here that 

 there is a wonderful group of hoary ancients near the keeper's 

 lodge, not far from the trees of the Queens. They are hollow and 

 decaying but of considerable size. From this group the oak repre- 

 sented in Pig. 2 has been selected for illustration. I could not 

 hear of any in the park larger than these. 



* This motto had previously been on Mary's coins. 



