XXXVI. CHAP. mons, in order to fupport the emperor in his war against France, proved fruitless: The ufual animo1554. fity and jealoufy of the English against that kingdom feemed to have given place for the present to like paflions against Spain. Philip, fenfible of the prepoffeffions entertained against him, endeavoured to acquire popularity by procuring the release of several prifoners of diftinction; lord Henry Dudley, fir George Harper, fir Nicholas Throgmorton, fir Edmond Warner, fir William St. Lo, fir Nicholas Arnold, Harrington, Tremaine, who had been confined from the fufpicions or refentment of the court *. But nothing was more agreeable to the nation than his protecting the lady Elizabeth from the fpite and malice of the queen, and reftoring her to liberty. This measure was not the effect of any generofity in Philip, a fentiment of which he was wholly deftitute; but of a refined policy, which made him foresee, that if that princefs were put to death, the next lawful heir was the queen of Scots, whofe fucceffion would for ever annex England to the -crown of France. The earl of Devonshire also reaped fome benefit from Philip's affectation of popularity, and recovered his liberty: But that nobleman, finding himself expofed to fufpicion, begged permiffion to travel; and he foon after died at Padua, from poifon, as is pretended, given him by the Imperialifts. He was the eleventh and laft earl of Devonshire of that noble family, one of the most luftrious in Europe. THE queen's extreme defire of having iffue, had made her fondly give credit to any appearance of pregnancy; and when the legate was introduced to her, fhe fancied that fhe felt the embryo ftir in her womb. Her flatterers compared this motion of the infant to that of John the Baptift, who leaped Heylin, p. 39. Burnet, vol. ii. p. 287. 2 Depeches de Noailles, Stowe, p. 626. Y Heylin, p. 40. vol. iv. p. 25. in XXXVI. 1554. in his mother's belly at the falutation of the Virgin. CHAP. Dispatches were immediately fent to inform foreign courts of this event: Orders were iffued to give public thanks: Great rejoicings were made: The family of the young prince was already fettled"; for the catholics held themfelves affured that the child was to be a male: And Bonner, bishop of London, made public prayers be faid, that Heaven would please to render him beautiful, vigorous, and witty. But the nation ftill remained fomewhat incredulous; and men were perfuaded that the queen laboured under infirmities which rendered her incapable of having children. Her infant proved only the commencement of a dropfy, which the difordered ftate of her health had brought upon her. The belief, however, of her pregnancy was upheld with all poffible care; and was one artifice by which Philip endeavoured to fupport his authority in the kingdom. The parliament paffed a law, which in cafe of the queen's demife, appointed him protector during the minority; and the king and queen, finding they could obtain no further conceffions, came unexpectedly to Weltminster and diffolved them. 1555 THERE happened an incident this feffion which 16th Jan, muft not be paffed over in filence. Several members of the lower houfe, diffatisfied with the meafures of the parliament, but finding themselves unable to prevent them, made a feceffion in order to show their difapprobation, and refufed any longer to attend the houfe. For this inftance of contumacy they were indicted in the king's-bench after the diffolution of parliament: Six of them fubmitted to the mercy of the court, and paid their fines: The reft traversed; and the queen died before the affair was brought to an iffue. Judging of the b Heylin, a Burnet, vol. ii. p. 292. Godwin, p. 348. P. 46. c Coke's Inftitutes, part iv. p. 17. Strype's Memor. vol. i. p. 165. Dd 2 matter XXXVI. 1555. CHAP matter by the fubfequent claims of the house of commons, and, indeed, by the true principles of free government, this attempt of the queen's minifters must be regarded as a breach of privilege; but it gave little umbrage at the time, and was never called in queftion by any house of commons which afterwards fat during this reign. The count of Noailles, the French ambaffador, fays, that the queen threw feveral members into prifon for their freedom of fpeech". Vol. v. p. 296. CHA P. XXXVII. Reafons for and against toleration-Perfecutions The emperor refigns his crown- Execution of queen. *555 HE fuccefs which Gardiner, from his cautious CHA P. Tand THE and prudent conduct had met with in goXXXVII. verning the parliament, and engaging them to concur both in the Spanish match, and in the reestablishment of the ancient religion, two points to which it was believed they bore an extreme averfion, had fo raised his character for wifdom and policy, that his opinion was received as an oracle in the council; and his authority, as it was always great in his own party, no longer fuffered any oppofition or controul. Cardinal Pole himself, though more beloved on account of his virtue and candour, and though fuperior in birth and station, had not equal weight in public deliberations; and while his learning, piety, and humanity were extremely refpected, he was represented more as a good man than a great minister. A very important question was frequently debated before the queen and council by these two ecclefiaftics; whether the laws lately revived against heretics fhould be put in execution, or fhould only be employed to restrain by terror the bold attempts of thefe zealots? Pole was very fincere in his religious principles; and though his moderation had made him be fufpected at Rome of Dd 3 a ten 1555 CHAP. a tendency towards Lutheranifm, he was feriously XXXVII. perfuaded of the catholic doctrines, and thought that no confideration of human policy ought ever to come in competition with fuch important interefts. Gardiner, on the contrary, had always made his religion fubfervient to his fchemes of fafety or advancement; and by his unlimited complaifance to Henry, he had fhewn that had he not been pushed to extremity under the late minority, he was fufficiently difpofed to make a facrifice of his principles to the established theology. This was the wellknown character of thefe two great counfellors; yet fuch is the prevalence of temper above fyftem, that the benevolent difpofition of Pole led him to advile a toleration of the heretical tenets which he highly blamed; while the fevere manners of Gardiner inclined him to fupport by perfecution that religion which at the bottom he regarded with great indifference. This circumftance of public conduct was of the highest importance; and from being the object of deliberation in the council, it foon became the fubject of difcourfe throughout the nation. We fhall relate, in a few words, the topics by which each fide fupported, or might have fupported, their fcheme of policy; and fhall difplay the oppofite reafons, which have been employed with regard to an argument that ever has been and ever will be fo much canvaffed. Reafons for and against THE practice of perfecution, faid the defenders of Pole's opinion, is the fcandal of all religion; and toleration. the theological animofity, fo fierce and violent, far from being an argument of men's conviction in their oppofite fects, is a certain proof that they have never reached any ferious perfuafion with regard to these remote and fublime fubjects. Even those who are the most impatient of contradiction in other controverfies, are mild and moderate in comparifon of Heylin, p. 47. polemical |