292

PARLIAMENT MONOPOLIES.

[1601⚫ all preambles of subsidies were looked upon, he should find it were of free gift. And although her majesty requireth this at our hands, yet it is in us to give, not in her to exact of duty." Hume compares the government of England, under Elizabeth, to that of Turkey. "The sovereign possessed every power except that of imposing taxes: and in both countries this limitation, unsupported by other privileges, appears rather prejudicial to the people. In Turkey, it obliges the sultan to permit the extortion of the bashas and governors of provinces, from whom he afterwards squeezes presents or takes forfeitures: in England, it engaged the queen to erect monopolies, and grant patents for exclusive trade; an invention so pernicious, that had she gone on during a tract of years at her own rate, England, the seat of riches, and arts, and commerce, would have contained at present as little industry as Morocco, or the coast of Barbary." * There was one difference between England and Turkey which the historian does not point out in this commentary upon the English government. Public opinion, expressed to herself in person, and through the House of Commons, led Elizabeth, with true wisdom, entirely to reform that system which many members of her Council had an interest in upholding. On the 20th of November a bill was brought in by Mr. Lawrence Hyde, entitled, “An Act for the explanation of the Common Law in certain cases of Letters Patent." Bacon, as attorneygeneral, opposed the bill, saying, "the use hath been ever to humble ourselves unto her majesty, and by petition desire to have our grievances remedied, especially when the remedy toucheth her so nigh in point of prerogative." Many independent members used strong language in support of the bill, for considering which a committee was formed. On the 25th of November, the Speaker stood up, the House wondering at the cause, and said that he had been commanded to attend upon the queen, and had a message to deliver. She thanked them, he said, most heartily for the subsidy; and then added, "that partly by the intimation of her Council, and partly by divers petitions that have been delivered unto her both going to the chapel and also to walk abroad, she understood that divers patents, which she had granted, were grievous to her subjects; and that the substitutes of the patentees had used great oppressions." She concluded by declaring, said Mr. Speaker, "that further order should be taken presently, and not in futuro;' and that some should be presently repealed, some suspended, and none put in execution but such as should first have a trial according to the law, for the good of the people." Then Mr. Secretary Cecil stood up, and in a speech as important as amusing, declared that no new patents should be granted, and that the old ones should be revoked: "I say, therefore, there shall be a proclamation general throughout the realm, to notify her majesty's resolution in this behalf. And because you may eat your meat more savoury than you have done, every man shall have salt as good and cheap as he can buy it or make it, freely without danger of that patent which shall be presently revoked. The same benefit shall they have which have cold stomachs, both for aquavitæ and aqua composita and the like. And they that have weak stomachs, for their satisfaction, shall have vinegar and alegar, and the like, set at liberty. Train-oil shall go the same way; oil of blubber shall march in equal

"History of England," vol. v. Appendix iii.

1601.] THE QUEEN YIELDS TO THE OPINION OF THE COMMONS.

293

rank; brushes and bottles endure the like judgment." The proclamation against the growth of woad was to be revoked, only the queen "prayeth thus much, that when she cometh on progress to see you in your countries, she be not driven out of your towns by suffering it to infect the air too near them. Those that desire to go sprucely in their ruffs, may at less charge than accustomed obtain their wish; for the patent for starch, which hath so much been prosecuted, shall now be repealed." The patents for calf-skins and fells, for leather, for cards, for glass, should also be suspended, and left to the law. From this speech we may judge how extensive was the evil of monopolies ; and although Cecil disclaimed a desire to yield to popular clamour, he was not insensible to the words which he says he heard as he came along in his coach," God prosper those that further the overthrow of these monopolies ! God send the Prerogative touch not our Liberty." The House was in a fever of rapture at the declaration of the queen; and it was moved that the Speaker should convey their thanks to her majesty. On the 30th, a hundred and forty members of the House were received by Elizabeth; and, after the Speaker's address, he, with the rest, knelt down, and the queen gave her answer. Having spoken a few sentences she begged them to rise, and then proceeded: "Mr. Speaker, you give me thanks, but I doubt me, I have more cause to thank you all, than you me: and I charge you to thank them of the House of Commons from me: for had I not received a knowledge from you, I might have fallen into the lap of an error, only for lack of true information. Since I was queen, yet never did I put my pen to any grant, but that upon pretext and semblance made unto me that it was both good and beneficial to the subjects in general, though a private profit to some of my ancient servants who had deserved well; but the contrary being found by experience, I am exceeding beholding to such subjects as would move the same at first. I have ever used to set the last judgment-day before mine eyes, and so to rule as I shall be judged to answer before a higher judge. To whose judgment seat I do appeal, that never thought was cherished in my heart that tended not to my people's good. And now if my kingly bounty hath been abused, and my grants turned to the hurt of my people, contrary to my will and meaning; or if any in authority under me have neglected or perverted what I have committed to them, I hope God will not lay their culps and offences to my charge. Though you have had, and may have, many princes more mighty and wise, sitting in this seat, yet you never had, or shall have, any that will be more careful and loving." This was the last address of Elizabeth to the Commons of England.

The remaining events of this reign may be briefly told. Lord Mountjoy was more fortunate than Essex in his Irish administration. The Spaniards had landed in Ireland to assist the Roman Catholic insurgents. They took up a strong position at Kinsale, with four thousand troops. Tyrone came to the assistance of the Spanish commander, with six thousand Irish, and some foreigners. Mountjoy defeated him; and the Spaniards capitulated. Tyrone, in 1602, surrendered, upon a promise of life and lands.

In March, 1603, Elizabeth was fast sinking. Some have held that she looked back with poignant anguish to the fate of Essex, and hence "the deep melancholy visible in her countenance and actions," noticed by Beaumont, the French ambassador. But he more justly ascribed her dejection to "the

294

DEATH OF ELIZABETH.

[1603.

sufferings incident to her age." She died at three o'clock in the morning of the 24th of March. On the night before, she was entreated to name a successor. Her reply was equivocal. Cecil, however, affirmed that she declared by signs that the king of Scots should succeed her; holding her hands joined over her head, in manner of a crown, when his name was mentioned,

1603.]

NOTE ON THE STORY OF ESSEX'S RING.

295

NOTE ON THE STORY OF ESSEX'S RING.

THERE is, in the State Paper Office, an Account, written in French, by Dudley Carleton, "of the death of queen Elizabeth, as caused by melancholy on the death of the earl of Essex."* This paper, which bears the date of April 4th, 1603, to a certain extent confirms the court belief which the French ambassador refers to, but to which he reasonably gives little credit. The story of the ring which Essex sent to Elizabeth, as the token that he asked her mercy, but which token was never delivered, has been circumstantially told by Hume. We have not inserted a similar narrative in our text, believing, with a very competent judge of evidence, that "it is of too doubtful authenticity."+ But as we are unwilling entirely to omit so,romantic a story, we here give it, as related by Dr. Birch :—

"The following curious story was frequently told by lady Elizabeth Spelman, great-grand-daughter of Sir Robert Carey, brother of lady Nottingham, and afterwards earl of Monmouth, whose curious Memoirs of himself were published a few years ago by lord Corke :-When Catherine, countess of Nottingham, was dying (as she did, according to his lordship's own account, about a fortnight before queen Elizabeth), she sent to her majesty to desire that she might see her, in order to reveal something to her majesty, without the discovery of which she could not die in peace. Upon the queen's coming, lady Nottingham told her that while the earl of Essex lay under sentence of death, he was desirous of asking her majesty's mercy in the manner prescribed by herself during the height of his favour; the queen having given him a ring, which, being sent to her as a token of his distress, might entitle him to her protection. But the earl, jealous of those about him, and not caring to trust any of them with it, as he was looking out of his window one morning, saw a boy with whose appearance he was pleased; and, engaging him by money and promises, directed him to convey the ring, which he took from his finger and threw down, to lady Scroop, a sister of the countess of Nottingham, and a friend of his lordship, who attended upon the queen; and to beg of her, that she would present it to her majesty. The boy, by mistake, carried it to lady Nottingham, who showed it to her husband, the admiral, an enemy of lord Essex, in order to take his advice. The admiral forbade her to

carry it, or return any answer to the message; but insisted upon her keeping the ring. The countess of Nottingham, having made this discovery, begged the queen's forgiveness; but her majesty answered, 'God may forgive you, but I never can,' and left the room with great emotion. Her mind was so struck with the story, that she never went into bed, or took any sustenance from that instant; for Camden is of opinion that her chief reason for suffering the earl to be executed was his supposed obstinacy in not applying to her for mercy."

* "Calendar of State Papers of the reign of James I.," edited by Mrs. Green, 1857. Jardine, "Criminal Trials," vol. i. p. 370.

296

NOTE ON THE STORY OF ESSEX'S RING.

[1603.

A sequel to this story was communicated by a trustworthy correspondent to the editor of "Old England." The substance of this communication is, that when Mary, queen of Scots, married Darnley, she sent Elizabeth a ring, being a plain gold circle, to fit the thumb, having a rose diamond, in the form of a heart; that Elizabeth gave this ring to Essex; that it passed into the hands of king James; that it was given by him to sir Thomas Warner; and has remained in the possession of his descendants to the present time. It must be clear to every reader that the existence of such a ring does not in the slightest degree add to the authenticity of the original story. In the relation as given by Dr. Birch there is manifest exaggeration. The countess of Nottingham died, according to lord Corke, "about a fortnight before queen Elizabeth." It has been ascertained that she died on the 25th of February; Elizabeth died on the 24th of March. The death of the queen must have been even more remarkable than her life, if, upon this fatal disclosure, "she never took any sustenance from that instant." A drawing of the "Warner" ring was engraved in "Old England."