XL. 1563. CHA P. in the universities or in common law; all schoolmasters, officers in court, or members of parliament: And the penalty of their fecond refufal was treafon. The first offence, in both cafes, was punished by banishment and forfeiture. This rigorous ftatute was not extended to any of the degree of a baron; because it was not fuppofed, that the queen could entertain any doubt with regard to the fidelity of perfons poffeffed of fuch high dignity. The lord Montacute made vigorous oppofition to the bill; and afferted, in favour of the catholics, that they disputed not, they preached not, they difobeyed not the queen, they caufed no trouble, no tumults among the people B. It is, however, probable, that fome fufpicions of their fecret confpiracies had made the queen and parliament encrease their rigour against them; though it is alfo more than probable, that they were mistaken in the nature of the remedy. THERE was likewife another point, in which the parliament, this feffion, thewed more the goodness of their intention than the foundness of their judgment. They paffed a law against fond and fantastical prophecies, which had been obferved to feduce the people into rebellion and disorder C: But at the fame time they enacted a ftatute, which was most likely to increase these and suchlike fuperftitions: It was levelled againft conjurations, enchantments, and witchcraft D. Witchcraft and heresy are two crimes, which commonly increase by punishment, and never are fo effectually fuppreffed as by being totally neglected. After the parliament had granted the queen a fupply of one fubfidy and two fifteenths, the feffion was finished by a prorogation: The convocation likewife voted the queen a fubfidy of fix fhillings in the pound, payable in three years. WHILE the English parties exerted these calm efforts against each other, in parliamentary votes and debates, the French factions, enflamed to the highest degree of animofity, continued that cruel war, which their intemperate zeal, actuated by the ambition of their leaders, had kindled in the kingdom. The admiral was fucceffful in reducing the towns of Normandy, which held for the king; but he frequently complained, that the numerous garrison of Havre remained totally unactive, and Strype, vol. i. p. 260. C © 5 Eliz. c. 15. was D Ibid. c. 16. pre XL. 1563, was not employed in any military operations against the CHA P. common enemy. The in taking poffeffion of that queen place, had published a manifesto E, in which she tended, that her concern for the interefts of the French king had engaged her in that meafure, and that her fole intention was to oppofe her enemies of the house of Guife, who held their prince in captivity, and employed his power to the deftruction of his best and most faithful fubjects. It was chiefly her defire to preferve appearances, joined to the great frugality of her temper, which made her, at this critical juncture, keep her foldiers in garrison, and restrain them from committing farther hoftilities upon the enemy ". The duke of Guise, meanwhile, was aiming a mortal blow at the power of the hugonots; and had commenced the fiege of Orleans, of which Andelot was governor, and where the constable was detained prifoner. He had the profpect of speedy fuccefs in this undertaking; when he was affaffinated by Poltrot, a young gentleman, whofe zeal, inftigated (asit is pretended, though without any certain foundation) by the admiral and Beza, a famous preacher, led him to attempt that criminal enterprize. The death of this gallant prince was a fenfible lofs to the catholic party; and though the cardinal of Lorraine, his brother, still supported the interests of the family, the danger of their progrefs appeared not fo imminent either to Elizabeth or to the French proteftants. The union, therefore, between these allies, which had been cemented by their common fears, began thenceforth to be lefs intimate; and the leaders of the hugonots were perfuaded to hearken to terms of a feparate accommodation. Condé and Montmorency held conferences for fettling the peace; and as they were both of them impatient to relieve themfelves from captivity, they foon came to an agreement with regard to the conditions. The character of the queen-regent, whofe ends were always violent, but who endeavoured, by fubtility and policy, rather than force, to attain them, led her to embrace any plaufible terms; and in fpite of the admiral's proteftations, whofe fagacity could eafily difcover the treachery of the court, the articles of agreement were finally fettled between the parties. A toleration, under some restrictions, was E Forbes, vol. ii. F Ibid. p. 276; 277. anew XL. CHAP. anew granted to the proteftants; a general amnesty was published; Condé was reinftated in his offices and governments; and after money was advanced for the payment of arrears due to the German troops, they were dismissed the kingdom. 1563. By the agreement between Elizabeth and the prince of Condé it had been ftipulated G, that neither party fhould conclude peace without the consent of the other; but this article was at present but little regarded by the leaders of the French proteftants. They only comprehended her fo far in the treaty, as to obtain a promise, that, on her relinquishing Havre, her charges and the money which she had advanced them, fhould be repaid her by the king of France, and that Calais, on the expiration of the term, fhould be reftored to her. But the difdained to accept of these conditions; and thinking the poffeffion of Havre a much better pledge for obtaining her purpose, the fent Warwic orders to prepare himself against an attack from the now united power of the French monarchy. THE earl of Warwic, who commanded a garrison of fix thousand men, befides feven hundred pioniers, had no fooner got poffeffion of Havre, than he employed every means for putting it in a posture of defence ; and after expelling the French from the town, he encouraged his foldiers to make the moft defperate defence against the enemy. The conftable commanded the French army; the queen-regent herself, and the king, were prefent in the camp; even the prince of Condé joined the king's forces, and gave countenance to this enterprize; the admiral and Andelot alone, anxious ftill to preferve Elizabeth's friendship, kept at a distance, and prudently refused to join their antient enemies in an attack upon their allies. FROM the force, and difpofitions, and fituation of both fides, it was expected, that the fiege would be attended with fome memorable event; yet did France make a much easier acquifition of this important place, than was at first apprehended. The plague crept in among the English foldiers; and being encreased by their fatigue and bad diet (for they were but ill fupplied with provi G Forbes, vol. ii. p. 79. fions) H Ibid. vol. ii. p. 158. 1563. fions) it made fuch ravages, that fometimes a hundred CHA P. men a day died of it, and there remained not at last fif- XL. teen hundred in a condition to do duty K. The French, meeting with fuch feeble resistance, carried on their attacks fuccessfully; and having made two breaches, each of them fixty feet wide, they prepared for a general affault, which must have terminated in the flaughter of the whole garrifon L. Warwic, who had frequently Havre luft. warned the English council of the danger, and who had 28th July. loudly demanded a fupply of men and provisions, found himfelf obliged to capitulate, and to content himself with the liberty of withdrawing his garrifon. The articles were no fooner figned, than lord Clinton, the admiral, who had been detained by contrary winds, appeared off the harbour with a reinforcement of three thousand men ; and found the place furrendered to the enemy. To encrease the misfortune, the infected army brought the plague with them into England, where it fwept off great multitudes, particularly in the city of London. Above twenty thousand perfons there died of it in one year M. ELIZABETH, whofe ufual vigour and forefight had not appeared in this tranfaction, was now glad to compound matters; and as the queen-regent defired to obtain leifure, in order to prepare measures for the extérmination of the hugonots, the readily hearkened to any reasonable terms of accommodation with England N. It was agreed, that the hoftages, which the French had given for the reftitution of Calais, fhould be restored 2d April. for 220,000 crowns; and that both fides should retain all their claims and pretenfions. THE peace ftill continued with Scotland; and even a Scotch afcordial friendship feemed to have been cemented between fairs. Elizabeth and Mary. These princeffes made profeffion of the most entire affection; wrote amicable letters every week to each other; and had adopted, in all appearances, the fentiments as well as ftyle of fifters. Elizabeth punished one Hales, who had published a book against Mary's title; and as the lord keeper, Bacon, was thought to have encouraged Hales in this undertaking, he fell under her difpleafure, and it was with fome diffiVOL. V. culty F 1 Forbes, vol. ii. p. 377, 498. L Ibid, p. 498. N Davila, lib. 3. o Keith, p. 252. K Ibid. p. 450, 458. XL. 1563. CHA P. culty he was able to give her fatisfaction, and recover her favour. The two queens had agreed in the foregoing fummer to an interview at York ; in order to remove all difficulties with regard to Mary's ratification of the treaty of Edinburgh, and to confider of the proper method for settling the fucceffion of England: But as Elizabeth carefully avoided touching on this delicate fubject, the employed a pretence of the wars in France, which, the faid, would detain her in London; and she delayed till next year the intended interview. It is alfo probable, that, being well acquainted with the beauty and addrefs and accomplishments of Mary, fhe did not choose to stand the comparison with regard to thofe exterior qualities, in which she was eclipsed by her rival; and was unwilling, that a princefs, who had already made great progrefs in the esteem and affections of the English, fhould have a farther opportunity of encreasing the number of her partizans. MARY'S close connections with the house of Guise, and her devoted attachment to her uncles, by whom she had been early educated and conftantly protected, was the ground of just and unfurmountable jealousy to Elizabeth, who regarded them as her mortal and declared enemies, and was well acquainted with their dangerous character and ambitious projects. They had made offer of their niece to Don Carlos, Philip's fon; to the king of Sweden, the king of Navarre, the archduke Charles, the duke of Ferrara, the cardinal Bourbon, who had only taken deacon's orders, from which he might easily be abfolved; and they were ready to marry her to any one, who could strengthen their interefts, or give inquietude and disturbance to Elizabeth R. Elizabeth, on her part, was equally vigilant to prevent the execution of their schemes, and was particularly anxious, left Mary fhould form any powerful foreign alliance, which might tempt her to revive her pretenfions to the crown, and to invade the kingdom on the fide where it was weakest and lay most exposeds. As the believed, that the marriage with the archduke Charles was the one most likely to have place, fhe ufed every expedient to prevent it; and befides remonftrating against it to Mary herfelf, she endeavoured P Keith, p. 253. Haynes, p. 388. R Forbes, vol. ii. p. 287. Strype, vol. i. p. 400. Keith, p. 247, 284. |