strumental in inflicting them. Even Sir Richard Banefield, in whose custody she had been for a time, and whom she had found a most severe and churlish jailer, experienced no other punishment or rebuke than that of her telling him that he should have the custody of any state prisoner whom she wished to have treated with peculiar severity.

5. The cruel Bonner was the only one of her sister's ministers to whom she showed any marked dislike. When he came to make his obeisance to her, she turned from him with horror, and would neither speak to him nor look at him. The first great anxiety of the Protestants was to have a settlement of the affairs of the Church. Elizabeth proceeded with great prudence and caution, and soon restored the state of things which had existed at her brother's death, and all without one drop of blood being spilled, or a single estate confiscated.

6. At the same time the queen was busily employed in arranging the other affairs of her kingdom. The coins, though nominally of the same value as heretofore, had been debased during the three last reigns, by an undue mixture of inferior metals. Elizabeth called in this base money, and issued coin of the standard value. She filled her arsenals with arms, and introduced the manufacture of gunpowder into England; the militia were well disciplined; and, in short, the country was put in a complete state of defence.

7. She encouraged agriculture, trade, and navigation, and increased her navy so much that she has been called “the queen of the northern seas." Her wise government was respected abroad and prosperous at home. She was extremely sagacious in the choice of ministers; Lord Burleigh, her treasurer, and Walsingham, her secretary, were men of extraordinary abilities and integrity.

8. While affairs were managed with so much vigor and success, the people were scarcely aware in how great a degree their sharpwitted queen kept enlarging her prerogatives, nor how much their liberties were infringed. In all cases in which her own authority was concerned, she was decided and peremptory; and she had generally such good reasons to give for all she did, and was so frugal of expense, that the mass of the people, though kept in great subjection, were enthusiastically fond of her.

of the character of Elizabeth? 4. What of her person? 5. How did she treat her ene zies? What of the Church? 6. What measure did she adopt in state affairs? 7. What of her conduct in general? Who were her chief ministers? 8. What of the people?

A GLIMPSE AT THE COURT OF ELIZABETH.

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CHAPTER CXLIV.

A Glimpse at the Interior of Elizabeth's Court.—Robert Dudley.— Many Suitors for the Queen's hand.-She declares that she will never marry.

1. THE interior of the court of Elizabeth presented a most extraordinary scene. The rivalries and jealousies of the courtiers were a continual source of discord. The queen herself encouraged their rivalries in order to retain them in more subservience to herself; and certainly the awe of her, which they seem to have felt, and the flattery they offered up to her, appear to us quite unaccountable and ridiculous.

2. But though she liked and required adulation, she had too much sense to be wholly blinded by it. She saw the follies of those about her, and turned them to her own purpose, and seemed to manage her courtiers much like puppets, by wires that were out of sight. She intrusted all affairs of state to men of sense, but she filled her court with frivolous characters, with whom she could unbend from the cares of royalty.

3. Having a gay and lively disposition, she sometimes treated them with an extraordinary degree of familiarity, or, as it would appear to us, strange rudeness, such as slapping them on their back, and patting their cheeks. But if any of them presumed upon this freedom, she could instantly resume her dignity, and by a severe look, or a cutting word, check all further frowardness.

4. She knew very well how to keep up her own dignity. One writer thus speaks of her: "She is the very image of majesty and magnificence." He goes on to say, "She is accustomed to march with leisure, and with a certain granditie rather than gravity, unless it be when she walketh apace for her pleasure, or to catch a heat in cold weather."

5. Her chief favorite was Robert Dudley, whom she created Earl of Leicester. His handsome person and pleasing address gained for him the queen's favor, and his assiduous attentions, which were pleasing to her vanity, retained it for him. He was guilty of many infamous crimes, but he had the art of deceiving the queen, both as to his merits and his abilities, and continued in favor till his death, in 1588.

6. As we may suppose, there were many suitors for the hand of Elizabeth. No sooner did Philip hear of Mary's death than he proposed himself in marriage to her successor. Elizabeth delayed giving an answer as long as she could, and when she sent her refusal, she took the opportunity of declaring to her parliament a determination to lead a single life.

7. Notwithstanding this declaration, she some time afterwards admitted the addresses of the Duke of Anjou, brother to the King

CXLIV.-1. What of the state of Elizabeth's court? 3 How did she treat her courtiers?

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ELIZABETH'S COSTUME.

of France. After keeping him a long time in suspense, she at last broke off the match, probably through fear of lessening her own authority if she admitted another to share it.

8. In the year 1563, Elizabeth caught the small-pox, and for some days her life was considered to be in danger. Upon her recovery, the parliament besought her either to marry or to name her successor. Both these requests were very displeasing to Elizabeth. She gave them encouragement, however, that at some day or other she would marry.

9. Immediately on this declaration she was beset with princely suitors; but, either from coquetry or policy, she always avoided, as long as possible, the giving a decisive answer, and kept all persons, both friends and enemies, in entire suspense as to her real intentions.

1. THE courtiers of Elizabeth would fain have persuaded her that she was free from all the bad qualities and above all the weaknesses incident to human nature; but we, who are safe from her capricious

5. Who was her chief favorite? What declaration did she make?

What of Robert Dudley? 6, 7. What suitors had she? 8, 9. Did she modify this at all?

MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS.-1542-1587.

267

and vindictive temper, may venture to declare that she possessed some of them in no ordinary degree.

2. Her excessive personal vanity led her to encourage painting, because she was never tired of seeing portraits of herself. A pale Roman nose, a head of hair loaded with pearls, and powdered with diamonds, a large ruff, and a still larger fardingale, are the features by which we may recognize Elizabeth.

3. This was, perhaps, a harmless exhibition of vanity, but the weakness, with the consequent jealousy, led her to the commission of a crime which has left an indelible stain on her character. This was her savage treatment, and murder, under the forms of law, of the beautiful and unfortunate Mary, Queen of Scots.

4. This princess, at the age of sixteen, was married to the dauphin, afterwards King of France, by the title of Francis II. The exquisite beauty and graceful manners of Mary, gained for her unbounded influence over her husband, to the great disappointment of her ambitious and wicked mother-in-law, Catharine de Medicis, who aspired to rule.

5. For seventeen months Mary presided over the most brilliant and polished court in Europe, and entered eagerly into all its amusements. At the end of that period the death of her husband put an end to her happiness. Although she was now subjected to all the mortifications that the malice of Catharine could invent, she yet lingered in France; her attachment to that country and her early associations making her reluctant to return to her native country.

6. At length the impatience and clamors of her subjects compelled her to return. When she was in the ship that was to carry her over, she fixed her eyes on the coast of her beloved France till the darkness of evening would not allow her to see it any longer. She then had a couch brought on deck, on which she lay down to sleep, giving orders that if, on the return of daylight, the French coast should be still in sight, she should be awakened.

7. During the night the vessel made little progress, so that in the morning she had another parting view of the country which she loved so well. Her regret at leaving it she expressed in some pathetic French verses, very expressive of her feelings at the time. The contrast between the country she left, and that which she now came to inherit, increased her melancholy, and the rude and savage manners of the Scots filled her with disgust.

8. This disgust was increased by difference of religion. Mary had been brought up a strict Catholic; and the Reformation, which had now made great progress in Scotland, was not marked there with the same mild spirit which had distinguished it in England. The Scotch reformers were men of rigid zeal, and were shocked at the gayety and amusement so becoming and natural in a girl of nineteen. 9. Though Elizabeth was as much superior to Mary in political abil

CXLV.-1, 2. What evidence of weakness in Elizabeth? 3. What crime did her vanity lead her to commit? 4, 5. What of Mary Queen of Scots' life in France? 6. Why did she return to Scotland? What were her feelings at leaving France? 7. How did she express them? How did she feel after her arrival in Scotland? 8. What increased her disgust? What of the Reformation in Scotland? 9. What were Elizabeth's feel

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MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS.-1542-1587.

ities as she was inferior to her in beauty and gracefulness of person, she was weak enough to envy and hate her as a rival by whom she was eclipsed. This hatred was increased by the fear of Mary's pretensions to the crown of England, which were founded upon Henry VIII.'s declaration of her own incapacity to inherit it.

10. Mary had never attempted to enforce these pretensions; on the contrary, contenting herself with her undoubted right to succeed upon the death of Elizabeth, she affected to treat that princess with the greatest respect. Both queens, indeed, pretended extraordinary regard for one another, and styled themselves, in their letters, “loving sister." But Elizabeth was all the while secretly exciting the Scots to rebellion.

CHAPTER CXLVI.

Continuation of the Story of Mary.

1. MARY, having been urged by her council to a second marriage, paid Elizabeth the compliment to apply to her to choose a suitable match for her. Elizabeth's wish was that her “loving sister” should remain a widow. Indeed, it was one of the weaknesses of this great queen to have the utmost dislike of any person's marrying; and she plagued and persecuted many of her own subjects, for no other reason than because they did not choose to live single like herself.

2. Having proposed two or three matches for Mary, which she knew she would not accept, she pretended to be exceedingly displeased with her when she at last chose for herself, and married her cousin, Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley. He was the grandson of Margaret, sister to Henry VIII., and her second husband, Lord Angus. 3. Darnley was a papist, and on that account the marriage was opposed by the reformers, at the head of whom was John Knox, who gave just cause of offence to the queen, by the violence with which he inveighed against it at a personal interview. It would have been fortunate for Mary, had she listened to the remonstrants. She had been captivated by the beauty and exterior accomplishments of Darnley, and quite overlooked the qualities of his mind.

4. These by no means corresponded with the excellence of his outside figure. He was violent, fickle, insolent, and ungrateful, and soon came to treat his wife with great indifference and neglect. This conduct deprived him of that influence over her, which, in the early period of their marriage, had made him the source from whence flowed all honors and preferments, and which had gained for himself the title of king.

ings towards Mary? What increased Elizabeth's hatred? 10. How did they publicly treat each other?

CXLVI.-1. What compliment did Mary pay to Elizabeth? What were Elizabeth's wishes about Mary's marrying? What her feelings about marriage in general? 2. Whom did Mary marry? 3. Why was the marriage opposed? 4. What of Darnley!