"thankes, befechinge God long to preserve you "to his honour, to your comfort, & to the "realms profitt & to my joy.

"From Hatfelde this 18th day of May.

"Your Majestie's most humbly

"Sifter and Servant

"ELIZABETH."

Of the extent of Queen Elizabeth's abilities, the following teftimony was given by her Trea furer Lord Burleigh.

"No one of her Councillors could tell her "what she knew not; and when her Council "had faid all they could, fhe could find out a "wife counsel beyond theirs; and thus there 66 never was anie great consultation about her country at which fhe was not present to her great profitte and prayfe."

હર

Scot, in his " Philomathologia," fays, << that a Courtier, who had great place about her Majeftie, made fuite for an office belonging to "the law. Shee told him he was unfitt for the "place. He confeffed as much, but promised "to find out a fufficient deputy. Do so, faith "fhe, and then I may bestow it upon one of my "ladies; for they, by deputation, may execute "the office of Chancellor, Chief Juftice, and "others, as well as you. This (faid the author) "answered him: and (adds he) I would that it ❝ would

"would anfwer all others, that fit men might be placed in every office, and none, how great "foever, fuffered to keep two."

"I find," fays Puttenham, " none example "in English metre fo well maintayning this "figure (Exargafia, or the Gorgeous) as that "dittie of her Majestie Queen Elizabeth's own making, paffing sweete and harmonical; which figure being, as his very original name purporteth, the most beautiful and gorgeous of all "others, it afketh in reason to be reserved for a "laft compliment, and dischiphred by the arte "of a ladies penne (herself being the most beau"tifull or rather beautie of Queens). And this

was the occafion: Our Sovereign Lady per"ceiving how the Queen of Scots refidence "within this realme at fo great libertie and ease

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"(as were fcarce meete for fo great and dan

66

gerous a prisoner) bred secret factions amongst "her people, and made many of the nobility in"cline to favour her partie (fome of them de"firous of innovation in the State, others afpiring "to greater fortunes by her libertie and life); "the Queene our Sovereigne Lady, to declare "that she was nothing ignorant of those secret "practices, (though fhe had long, with great "wisdom and patience, diffembled it,) writeth "that dittie, most sweet and fententious; not "hiding from all fuch afpiring minds the danger

❝ of

"of their ambition and difloyaltie, which after"wards fell out most truly by the exemplary "chastisements of fundry perfons, who, in favour "of the faid Queen of Scots, declining from her "Majeftie, fought to interrupt the quiet of the "realm by many evill and undutifull practyses.

"The ditty is as followeth :

The doubt of future foes exiles my present joy,

And Wit me warns to fhun fuch snares as threaten

mine annoy;

For falsehood now doth flowe, and subject faith doth

ebbe,

Which would not be, if reafon rul'd, or wisdom weav'd the webbe.

But clouds of tois untried do cloake afpiring mindes, Which turne to raigne of late repent by course of changed windes.

The toppe of hope fuppos'd, the root of ruth will be, And fruitless all their graffed guiles, as fhortly ye fhall

fee.

Then dazzled eyes with pride, which great ambition blindes,

Shall be unfeel'd by worthy wights, whofe forefight falfehood finds.

The daughter of debate, that eke difcord doth sowe, Shall reap no gaine, where former rule hath taught still peace to growe,

No forreine banish'd wight fhall ancre in this port; Our realme it brooks no strangers' force, let them elfewhere refort.

Our rufty fword with rest shall first his edge employ, To polle their toppes that feeke fuch change, and gape

for joy.

"In a Prince," fays Puttenham, "it is decent to go flowly, and to march with leifure, and έσ with a certain granditie, rather than gravitie; as our Soveraine Lady and Miftreffe, (Queen "Elizabeth,) the very image of majestie and magnificence, is accustomed to do generally, "unlefs it be when fhe walketh apace for her 66 pleafure, or to catch her à heate in the colde mornings.

66

"Nevertheless," adds Puttenham, "it is not fo decent in a meaner perfon, as I have ob* ferved in fome counterfeit ladies of the country, which use it much to their own derifion. This "comeliness was wanting in Queen Marie, (of England,) otherwise a very good and honour"able Princeffe, and was fome blemish to the "Emperor Ferdinando, a most noble-minded

แ

•

man, yet so careleffe and forgetfulle of himself. «in that behalf, as I have feen him runne up a *pair of stairs so swift and nimble a pace, as

almost had not become a very meane man, "who had not gone in fome haftie bufineffe. "And in a noble Prince, nothing is more decent " and well-beseeming his greatneffe than to spare

foul fpeeches, for that bredes hatred, and to "let none humble fuitors depart out of their *presence (as near as may be) discontented."

VOL. I.

L

Whilft

Whilft the celebrated Spanish Armada hovered about the coaft of England in 1588, Queen Elizabeth made the following speech to the officers and foldiers that compofed the camp at Tilbury, which may now be adverted to in the prefent pofture of affairs, when this country has to dread an invafion from the moft infidious and most formidable foe with which any country whatever, either from the fatality of human affairs, or from the wretched policy of its Governors, was threatened *:

cc MY LOVING PEOPLE,

"We have been perfuaded by fome that are "careful of our safety, to take heed how we "commit ourselves to armed multitudes, for fear "of treachery; but affure you, I do not defire "to live to distruft my faithful and loving people. "Let tyrants fear; I have always fo behaved "myself, that under God I have placed my "chiefeft ftrength and fafeguard in the loyal

hearts and good-will of my fubjects. And "therefore I am come amongst you at this time, "not as for my recreation or sport, but being "refolved in the midst and heat of the battle to "live or die amongst you all, and to lay down, "for my God, and for my kingdom, and for

* In the fummer of the year 1795.

"my