and ceremonies, and to worship God in strict purity. Among other things, they thought it sinful for clergymen to wear surplices, and waged especial war against the square caps, such as are still worn by students in the universities, saying that these were a sinful remnant of popery!

It is always much to be lamented when those who are appointed as shepherds to God's people waste time and cause bitterness of feeling and disputes by thus dwelling on matters of no real importance, instead of preaching the Gospel in the spirit of the apostles. St. Paul says, in his epistle to Timothy, "Foolish and unlearned questions avoid, know that they do gender strifes, and the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves.”

Queen Elizabeth, thinking that the hostility of the Puritans was directed quite as much against her authority as that of the church, constantly endeavoured to keep them down. Much of evil necessarily sprang out of the divided state of the church at this period; but, as is always the case, the great and merciful God, who permits evil for his own wise purposes, overruled it to good eventually. From thinking so constantly about religion many people became really pious; the

manners of the age improved, the Sabbath was more strictly observed, and the people in general became more serious and thoughtful. Much of this is undoubtedly to be attributed to the preaching and writings of the Puritans, which taught a purer and more spiritual doctrine than had been inculcated since the earlier ages of Christianity, before Romanism had reared her proud head so high, and corrupted the pure and simple faith of the Gospel.

Many persons of eminence lived in this reign, among whom, Shakspeare, the greatest uninspired poet the world has ever produced, stands foremost. Edmund Spenser, the author of the "Fairy Queen," also lived and died. The East India Company was established, and sir Francis Drake made his celebrated voyage round the world.

Knitted stockings were invented in the reign of Elizabeth, before which time people used to wear them of cloth, laced or buttoned, so as to fit tightly. Watches became common in this reign, though they had been invented some time before. The oldest watch now existing is one which belonged to Robert Bruce, king of Scotland, who lived in the reign of our Edward the second.

Sir Thomas Gresham, called "the prince of English

merchants," built the Royal Exchange at his own expense, and conferred many other public benefits on the country. The navy was greatly improved, and the internal peace of the kingdom preserved throughout the reign of Elizabeth, which was productive of greater and more lasting prosperity to the nation than that of any sovereign since Alfred the Great; and it is for this reason that we are willing to lose the remembrance of her private failings in that of the wisdom and vigour of her government, and to talk of her familiarly as "the good queen Bess."

CHAPTER XXVII.

JAMES THE FIRST-FROM 1603 to 1625.

So well had Cecil, lord Salisbury, (son and successor of the celebrated lord Burleigh,) taken measures for the peaceable accession of James of Scotland to the English throne, that no opposition was made to it, and from this time the two countries have always been governed by the same sovereign. But James the first was never a popular king. He had not that frank cordiality of manner, and love of show and noise which had made the people so warmly attached to Elizabeth; and he much offended them by always speaking ill of the late queen, because, you know, she had caused his mother, Mary queen of Scots, to be put to death. It was then very natural that he should entertain different feelings towards her, but imprudent to express those feelings as he did.

The character of James was a strange mixture of sagacity and folly. So far as books were concerned, he was unusually learned, but had such an odd manner of showing off his knowledge, that people could not

help laughing at him. He had also a natural awkwardness and timidity which contrasted ill with Elizabeth's bravery; and instead of being often amongst his subjects, and entering into their occupations and amusements, he liked better to avoid crowds and pageantry, and to shut himself up at Theobald's Park, Cheshunt, and amuse himself with field-sports. He also built a small house at Newmarket, and set on foot the races which are still held there annually.

In the first year of James's reign, a conspiracy was formed against him, for which no satisfactory reason has ever been given. Sir Walter Raleigh, lords Grey and Cobham, sir Griffin Markham, and one or two others of less note, attempted to dethrone him in favour of his cousin, lady Arabella Stuart, a beautiful and amiable young lady, who was not even aware of their wishes, and was very far from desiring the honour they designed her. It was soon discovered, and all the conspirators condemned to die; but the sentence was not executed, though Grey, Cobham, and Markham were actually brought to the scaffold, and made to lay their heads on the block, before the king's pardon was announced to them. They might have said, like Agag, "Surely the bitterness of death is past." Sir Walter Raleigh was neither pardoned,