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THE

HISTORY

O F

ENGLAND.

ELIZA BET H.

CHA P. XXXVIII.

Queen's popularity.

Re-establishment of the pro

Peace with

teftant religionA parliament

FranceDifguft between the Queen and Mary
Affairs of Scotland-Reform-

queen of Scots

ation in Scotland- Civil Wars in ScotlandInterpofal of the Queen in the affairs of Scotland. Settlement of Scotland

French affairs

Arrival of Mary in Scotland-Bigotry of the Scotch reformers Wife government of Elizabeth.

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1558.

Na nation fo divided as the English, it could CHAP fcarcely be expected that the death of one fove- XXXVIII. reign, and the acceffion of another, who was generally believed to have embraced oppofite principles to those which prevailed, could be the object of univerfal fatisfaction: Yet fo much were men difpleafed VOL. V. B

with

Queen's popula

rity.

CHAP. with the prefent conduct of affairs, and fuch appreXXXVIII. henfions were entertained of futurity, that the people, overlooking their theological difputes, expreffed a general and unfeigned joy that the fceptre had paffed into the hand of Elizabeth. That princess had discovered great prudence in her conduct during the reign of her fifter; and as men were fenfible of the imminent danger to which she was every moment exposed, compaffion towards her fituation, and concern for her fafety, had rendered her, to an uncommon degree, the favourite of the nation. A parliament had been affembled a few days before Mary's death; and when Heathe, archbishop of York, then chancellor, notified to them that event, scarcely an interval of regret appeared; and the two houfes immediately refounded with the joyful acclamations of "God fave queen Elizabeth! Long and happily may fhe reign!" The people, lefs actuated by faction, and lefs influenced by private views, expreffed a joy ftill more general and hearty on her proclamation; and the aufpicious commencement of this reign prognofticated that felicity and glory which, during its whole courfe, fo uniformly attended it".

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ELIZABETH was at Hatfield when fhe heard of her fifter's death; and, after a few days, fhe went thence to London through crowds of people, who ftrove. with each other in giving her the strongest teftimony of their affection. On her entrance into the Tower, fhe could not forbear reflecting on the great difference between her prefent fortune, and that which a few years before had attended her, when he was conducted to that place as a prisoner, and lay there expofed to all the bigoted malignity of her enemies. She fell on her knees, and expreffed her thanks to Heaven for the deliverance which the Almighty had granted her from her bloody perfecutors; a deliverance, fhe faid, no lefs miraculous than that which

a Burnet, vol. ii. p. 373.

Daniel

Daniel had received from the den of lions. This CHAP. act of pious gratitude feems to have been the laft XXXVIII. circumftance in which the remembered any paft 1558. hardships and injuries. With a prudence and magnanimity truly laudable, fhe buried all offences in oblivion, and received with affability even thofe who had acted with the greatest malevolence againft her. Sir Harry Bennifield himfelf, to whose custody fhe had been committed, and who had treated her with severity, never felt, during the whole courfe of her reign, any effects of her refentment. Yet was not the gracious reception which fhe gave proftitute and undiftinguishing. When the bishops came in a body to make their obeifance to her, the expreffed to all of them fentiments of regard; except to Bonner, from whom she turned afide, as from a man polluted with blood, who was a juft object of horror to every heart fufceptible of humanity.

AFTER employing a few days in ordering her domeftic affairs, Elizabeth notified to foreign courts, her fifter's death, and her own acceffion. She fent lord Cobham to the Low Countries, where Philip then refided; and fhe took care to exprefs to that monarch, her gratitude for the protection which he had afforded her, and her defire of perfevering in that friendship which had fo happily commenced between them. Philip, who had long foreseen this event, and who still hoped, by means of Elizabeth, to obtain that dominion over England, of which he had failed in efpoufing Mary, immediately difpatched orders to the duke of Feria, his ambaffador at London, to make proposals of marriage to the queen; and he offered to procure from Rome a difpenfation for that purpose. But Elizabeth foon came to the refolution of declining the propofal. She faw that the nation had entertained an extreme averfion to the Spanish alliance during her fifter's reign; and that c Ibid. Heylin, p.102.

Burnet, vol. ii. p. 374.

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CHAP. one great cause of the popularity which the herfelf XXXVIII. enjoyed, was the profpect of being freed, by her

1558.

means, from the danger of foreign fubjection. She was fenfible that her affinity with Philip was exactly fimilar to that of her father with Catharine of Arragon; and that her marrying that monarch was, in effect, declaring herself illegitimate, and incapable of fucceeding to the throne. And, though the

power of the Spanish monarchy might ftill be fufficient, in oppofition to all pretenders, to fupport her title, her mafculine fpirit difdained fuch precarious dominion, which, as it would depend folely on the power of another, must be exercifed according to his inclinations. But, while thefe views prevented her from entertaining any thoughts of a marriage with Philip, fhe gave him an obliging, though evafive, answer; and he ftill retained fuch hopes of fuccefs, that he fent a meffenger to Rome, with orders to folicit the difpenfation.

THE queen too, on her fifter's death, had written to fir Edward Carne, the English ambassador at Rome, to notify her acceffion to the pope; but the precipitate nature of Paul broke through all the cautious measures concerted by this young princefs. He told Carne, that England was a fief of the holy fee; and it was great temerity in Elizabeth to have affumed, without his participation, the title and authority of queen: That being illegitimate, fhe could not poffibly inherit that kingdom; nor could he annul the fentence pronounced by Clement VII. and Paul III. with regard to Henry's marriage: That were he to proceed with rigour, he fhould punish this criminal invafion of his rights by rejecting all her applications; but, being willing to treat her with paternal indulgence, he would ftill keep the door of grace open to her: And that, if fhe would renounce all pretenfions to the crown,

• Camden in Kennet, p. 370. Burnet, vol. ii. p. 375.

and

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