cheering language. She told them, that though she had but the body of a feeble woman, she had the heart of an English king, and would herself bear arms, rather than see her realm dishonoured by any prince in Europe.

It pleased God to scatter this vain-glorious Armada by a storm, in which many ships were lost; and the rest were chased by the English fleet, even to the Northern seas. A small remnant only returned to Spain. The queen

gave thanks in St. Paul's for the deliverance of her kingdom from this danger; and the English afterwards attacked the Spanish coasts. The city of Cadiz was taken and burnt by an armament, in which the Earl of Essex and Sir Walter Raleigh bore command. The latter had at one time been much noticed by the queen, and led an expedition to South America, of which he published a remarkable account.

On Leicester's death, the Earl of Essex succeeded to his place in Elizabeth's affections. He was young, popular, and high-spirited; and ventured to behave with greater liberty towards the queen than any other had presumed to take. Having once turned his back on her in contempt, Elizabeth gave him a box on the ear; on which he laid his hand on his sword, and swore he would not have borne such usage from her father. Her affection soon disposed her to forgiveness, and she entrusted him with the government of Ireland, where a rebellion had broken out under the Earl of Tyrone. The weakness of his conduct exposed him to Elizabeth's censure, and she was further displeased when he returned from his government and appeared at court without her permission. Mortified by his reception, he was persuaded to head a foolish insurrection in the streets of London, for which he was committed to the Tower and condemned to death. The mind of Elizabeth long wavered between her lingering affection and just indignation. It has been said that she had given him a ring, to be sent to her whenever he needed her protection; and that the carl entrusted this token to the Countess of Nottingham, who was secretly his enemy, and never delivered it to the queen. Elizabeth was indignant at his neglecting to send the ring, and signed the warrant for his execution. Whatever truth there be in this account, it is certain that the queen fell into a deep melancholy after the death of Essex, and her powers of mind and body gave way. She lay for

ten days on the ground supported by cushions, and died in the 70th year of her age, A.D. 1603, after indicating (as was said) that the King of Scots was to be her successor.

Like all the sovereigns of the Tudor family, she ruled both court and kingdom with a sway little less arbitrary than the rule of Eastern despots. The power of the nobles had been much broken in the wars of the Roses, and the influence of the Commons had not yet reached its full growth. Her reign is however one of the most glorious periods of English history. Commerce and agriculture revived under her wise enactments, and towards the close of her reign the law for the maintenance of the poor was passed, which must ever be viewed as a great national provision for the destitute and afflicted. The literature of England blazed forth with unexampled brightness during this and the early part of the next reign. Shakspere, Ben Jonson, Massinger, Beaumont and Fletcher, Ford, Webster, Sir Philip Sidney, and Edmund Spenser, among our poets; Jewel and Hooker among our divines; Ascham among our scholars; John Stow among our antiquaries; and Lord Bacon among our philosophers, are still names ever to be held in honour. The domestic architecture also of England never flourished so much as in the reign of Elizabeth. She was accustomed to make royal progresses in all parts of her dominions, which served greatly to preserve her popularity; and on these journeys she visited those stately mansions of her nobles, so many of which are still the ornaments of our sylvan scenes. On these visits she was entertained with pageants, in which the quaintness of the prevailing taste was oddly blended with the chivalrous feeling, which still cast a lingering lustre on the habits of society. With many weaknesses, and faults of personal character, the memory of Elizabeth has yet come down to us, as entitled to the reverence and gratitude of Englishmen; and she will ever be recorded in our annals as a great and glorious queen.

109.

CHAPTER XXIX.

JAMES I.

Born at Holyrood Palace, Edinburgh. Buried at Westminster. Reigned 22 years. From A.D. 1603 to A.D. 1625.

Archbishops of Canterbury.

Richard Bancroft, A.D. 1604-1611.
George Abbott, A.D. 1611-1633.

By the accession of James, the two kingdoms which had so long divided the island were united under the same prince, of the royal house of Stuart. The new king was possessed of considerable learning, and often showed much shrewdness and sagacity; but these qualifications, as well as his unquestionable kindness of heart, were spoilt by a childish vanity and want of moral courage. Slovenly in his own person, he was yet greatly captivated by splendour of apparel and personal beauty in his courtiers, and suffered himself to be led by favourites, who had no better qualifications than these. He had imbibed very lofty notions of the kingly power, and was on this account inclined to the English Church, which has ever favoured the principle of monarchy, rather than to the presbyterian system, in which he had been brought up, and which in the course of this and the following reigns became more and more infected with a levelling and republican spirit. Before he reached London he had received from the Puritans a petition for redress of what they considered grievances in the Established Church; and a conference was soon appointed at Hampton Court between several bishops and the chief puritan divines. In this discussion James himself took part with singular sagacity, and its result was wholly favourable to the Church. The demands of the Puritans were far too unreasonable to be granted, and very soon set aside the hope of agreement; but their objections may have contributed to produce some of the alterations which were soon afterwards made in the Book of Common Prayer. Among these may be mentioned the appointment of forms of thanksgiving upon several occasions; the addition of