her the fucceffor: That no expedient could be worfe CHA P. imagined for cementing friendship than fuch a declara- XXXIX. tion; and kings were often found to bear no goodwill to their fucceffors, even though their own children; much 1561 more when their connexion was lefs intimate, and when fuch cause of disgust and jealousy had already been given, and indeed was ftill continued, on the part of Mary: That though fhe was willing, from the amity which the bore her kinfwoman, to ascribe her former pretenfions to the advice of others, by whofe direction she was then governed; her present refusal to relinquish them could proceed only from her own prepoffeffions, and was a proof that she still harboured some dangerous proje& against her: That it was the nature of all men to be difgufted with the prefent, to entertain flattering views of futurity, to think their fervices ill rewarded, to expect a better recompence from the fucceffor; and she should esteem herself scarcely half a fovereign over the English, if they faw her declare her heir, and arm her rival with authority against her own repose and safety; That she knew the inconftant nature of the people; fhe was acquainted with the present divifions in religion; fhe was not ignorant, that the fame party, which expected greateft favour during the reign of Mary, did alfo imagine, that the title of that princefs was fuperior to her own: That for her part, whatever claims were advanced, she was determined to live and die queen of England; and after her death,, it was the business of others to examine who had the beft pretenfions, either by the laws or by right of blood, to the fucceffion: That the hoped the queen of Scots's claim would then be found folid; and confidering the injury, which the herself had received, it was fufficient indulgence, if the promised, in the mean time, to do nothing which might, in any respect, weaken or invalidate it: And that Mary, if her title was really preferable, a point, which, for her own part, fhe had never enquired into, poffeffed all advantages above her rivals, who, deftitute both of prefent power, and of all fupport by friends, would only expofe themfelves to inevitable ruin, by advancing any weak, or even doubtful pretenfions z. THESE Z Buchanan, lib. xvii. c. 14-17. Cambden, p. 385. Spotfwood, p. 180, 181. СНАР. 1561. THESE views of the queen were fo prudent and judi→ XXXIX. cious, that there was no likelihood of her ever departing from them: But that she might put the matter to a fuller proof, fhe offered to explain the words of the treaty of Edinburgh, fo as to leave no fufpicion of their excluding Mary's right of fucceffion A; and in this form, the again required her to ratify that treaty. Matters at last came to this iffue, that Mary agreed to the proposal, and offered to renounce all prefent pretenfions to the crown of England, provided Elizabeth would agree to declare her the fucceffor B. But fuch was the jealous character of this latter princefs, that the never would confent to ftrengthen the intereft and authority of any claimant, by fixing the fucceffion; much less would she make this conceffion in favour of a rival queen, who poffeffed fuch plausible pretenfions for the present, and who, though the might verbally renounce them, could easily refume her title on the first opportunity. Mary's proposal, however, bore fo fpecious an appearance of equity and justice, that Elizabeth, fenfible that reafon would be deemed to lie entirely on that fide, made no more mention of the matter; and though farther conceffions were never made by either princess, they put on all the appearances of a cordial reconciliation and friendship with each other. Wife goTHE queen obferved, that, even without her intervernment pofition, Mary was fufficiently depreffed by the mutinous of Eliza- fpirit of her own fubjects; and instead of giving Scot betb. land, for the present, any inquietude or difturbance, she employed herself, more usefully and laudably, in regulating the affairs of her own kingdom, and promoting the happiness of her people. She made fome progress in paying those great debts which lay upon the crown; she regulated the coin, which had been much debafed by her predeceffors; the furnished her arfenals with great quantities of arms from Germany and other places; engaged her nobility and gentry to imitate her example in this particular; introduced into the kingdom the art of making gun-powder and brass cannon; fortified her frontiers on the fide of Scotland; made frequent reviews of the militia; encouraged agriculture by allowing a free exportation of corn: promoted trade and navigation; and fo A Ibid. p. 181. B Haynes, vol. i. p. 377. den, p. 388. Strype, vol. i. p. 230, 236, 337. C Camb 1561. so much encreased the shipping of her kingdom, both by CHA P. building veffels of force herself, and fuggefting like un- XXXIX. dertakings to the merchants, that she was justly stiled the restorer of naval glory, and the queen of the northern feas C. The natural frugality of her temper, fo far from incapacitating her for thefe great enterprizes, only enabled her to execute them with greater certainty and fuccefs; and all the world faw in her conduct the happy effects of a vigorous perfeverance in judicious and well-concerted projects. IT is eafy to imagine, that so great a princess, who enjoyed fuch fingular felicity and renown, would receive proposals of marriage from every one, that had any likelihood of fucceeding; and though fhe had made some public declarations in favour of a single life, few believed, that the would perfevere for ever in that refolution. The archduke Charles, fecond fon of the emperor D, as well as Cafimir, fon of the elector palatine, made applications to her; and as this latter prince profeffed the reformed religion, he thought himself, on that account, better entitled to fucceed in his addreffes. Eric, king of Sweded, and Adolph, duke of Holftein, were encouraged by the fame views to become fuitors. And the earl of Arran, heir to the crown of Scotland, was, by the states of that kingdom, recommended to her as a fuitable marriage. Even fome of her own fubjects, though they did not openly declare their pretenfions, entertained hopes of fuccefs. The earl of Arundel, a perfon declining in years, but defcended from an antient and noble family, as well as poffeffed of great riches, flattered himself with this profpect; as did alfo Sir William Pickering, a man much efteemed for his perfonal merit. But the perfon most likely to fucceed, was a younger fon of the late duke of Northumberland, lord Robert Dudley, who, by means of his exterior qualities, joined to addrefs and flattery, had become, in a manner, her declared favourite, and had great influence in all her counfels. The lefs worthy he appeared of this diftinction, the more was his great favour afcribed to fome violent affection, which could thus feduce the judgment of this penetrating princefs; and men long expected that he VOL. V. would E C Cambden, p. 388. Strype, vol. i. p. 230, 336, 337D Haynes, vol. i. p. 233. 1561. CHAP, would obtain the preference above so many princes and XXXIX. monarchs. But the queen gave all these suitors a gentle refufal, which still encouraged their purfuit; and the thought, that she should the better attach them to her interefts, if they were still allowed to entertain hopes of fucceeding in their pretenfions. It is also probable, that this policy was not entirely free from a mixture of female coquetry; and that, though fhe was determined in her own mind never to fhare her power with any man, fhe was not displeased with the courtship, folicitation, and profeffions of love, which the defire of acquiring so valuable a prize procured her from all quarters. power, WHAT is moft fingular in the conduct and character of Elizabeth, is, that, though the determined never to have any heir of her own body, the was not only very averse to fix any fucceffor to the crown; but feems alfo to have refolved, as far as it lay in her that no one, who had any pretenfions to the fucceffion, should ever have any heir or fucceffors. If the exclufion given by the will of Henry VIII. to the pofterity of Margaret, queen of Scotland, was allowed to be valid, the right to the crown devolved on the house of Suffolk; and the lady Catharine Gray, younger fifter to the lady Jane, was now the heir of that family. This lady had been married to lord Herbert, fon of the earl of Pembroke ; but having been divorced from that nobleman, she had made a private marriage with the earl of Hertford, fon of the protector; and her husband, foon after confummation, travelled into France. In a little time fhe appeared to be pregnant, which fo enraged Elizabeth, that The threw her into the tower, and fummoned Hertford to appear, in order to answer for his misdemeanor. He made no fcruple of acknowledging the marriage, which, though concluded without the queen's confent was entirely fuitable to both parties; and for this offence he was alfo committed to the tower. Elizabeth's feverity stopped not here: She iffued a commiffion to enquire into the matter; and as Hertford could not, within the time limited, prove the nuptials by witneffes, the commerce between him and his confort was declared unlawful, and their pofterity illegitimate. They were ftill detained in cuftody; but by bribing their keepers, they found means to have farther intercourfe; and another child appeared to be the fruit of their commerce, This was a fresh fource 1561. fource of vexation to the queen; who made a fine. of CHA P. fifteen thousand pounds be fet on Hertford by the Star- XXXIX. Chamber, and ordered his confinement to be thenceforth more rigid and fevere. He lay in this condition for nine years, till the death of his wife, by freeing Elizabeth from all fears, produced him his liberty E. This extreme severity must be accounted for, either by the unrelenting jealousy of the queen, who was afraid that a pretender to the fucceffion would acquire credit by having iffue; or by her malignity, which, with all her great qualities, made one ingredient in her character, and which led her to envy in others those natural pleasures of love and pofterity, of which her own ambition and defire of dominion made her renounce all profpect for herself. THERE happened, about this time, fome other events in the royal family, where the queen's conduct was more laudable. Arthur Pole, and his brother, nephews to the late cardinal, and descended from the duke of Clarence, together with Anthony Fortescue, who had married a fifter of these gentlemen, and fome other perfons, were brought to their trial for intending to withdraw into France, with a view of foliciting fuccours from the duke of Guife, of returning thence into Wales, and of proclaiming Mary queen of England, and Arthur Pole duke of Clarence. They confeffed the indictment, but afferted, that they never meant to execute thefe projects during the queen's life-time: They had only deemed fuch precautions requifite in cafe of her death, which, fome pretenders to judicial aftrology had affured them, they might with certainty look for before the year expired. They were condemned by the jury; but received their pardon from the queen's clemency F. Cambden, p. 389. E Haynes, vol. i. p. 369, 378, 396. Heylin, p. 154. F E 2 CHA P. |