are taken up, their teaching testified to, and then burntTM, Feb. 6.

A commission issued, Feb. 8, to Bonner and others, to inquire rigorously concerning "devilish and clamorous persons," who spread seditious reports or brought in "heretical and seditious books;" they had also full power over those who neglected or contemned the Church ceremonies, and "vagabonds and masterless men "."

Osep Napea, the first ambassador from Russia, arrives in London, Feb. 28°, and makes a commercial treaty. St. John's College, Oxford, founded, by Sir Thomas White P, March 5.

The queen declares war against France, in support of her husband Philipa, June 7.

This revolting act seems to have been forced on Pole's commissioners by the bigotry of the bishop of Chester (Cuthbert Scott) and some members of the University.

n

They were empowered to fine, imprison, or "otherwise punish,"at their pleasure; charges of "heretical acts or opinions" they were to remit to the spiritual courts. These commissioners became exceedingly odious, as they were looked on as the precursors of the establishment of the Inquisition.

• He had left Archangel, July 28, 1556, in a ship belonging to the English merchants (see p. 239), but suffered shipwreck on the coast of Scotland, when Richard Chancellor, his conductor, was drowned. P He was a Muscovy merchant, who had been twice lord mayor of London, and was knighted for his services in

suppressing Wyatt's rebellion. His foundation occupies the site of St Bernard's College, an educational establishment of the Cistercians, founded by Archbishop Chicheley. Sir Thomas White died in 1567, and was buried in the chapel of his college; his funeral oration was delivered by Edmund Campion, afterwards the celebrated Jesuit.

Oxford.

a Philip had long before endeavoured to induce the queen to take this step, but she de- Arms of St. John's College, clined it until her states were attacked by a force fitted out by the refugees in France. Thomas Stafford landed with a party in Yorkshire, and seized Scarborough castle, April 25; he issued a proclamation reviling the queen, and styling himself protector of the kingdom. He was soon captured and brought to Lon

The Spaniards defeat the French at St. Quentin, Aug. 10, being assisted by some English troops.

The French incite the Scots to invade England.

The order of knights of St. John of Jerusalem reestablished; Sir Thomas Tresham made lord prior of England, Nov. 30.

A.D. 1558. The French, under the duke of Guise, invest Calais. The castles of Newenham bridge and Ruysbank are abandoned, Jan. 3; the duke then besieges the castle of Calais, which surrenders, Jan. 6; the town capitulates the next days. The French then advance to Guines, which, after a stout defence by Lord Grey, is taken, Jan. 21, and the only remaining fort in Hammes

don, where, with five of his associates, he was tried, May 22 and 25; they all pleaded guilty (one, John Sherlles, a Frenchman, at first pleaded not guilty, but retracted his plea); Stafford was beheaded on Tower-hill, and three others executed at Tyburn (Stowell, Proctor, and Bradford) May 28; Sherlles and Saunders were pardoned. * See p. 190.

Lord Wentworth and fifty others were to remain as prisoners; the rest of the English, about 4,000 in number, were to go where they would. The French at once entered the town, "and forthwith," says Grafton, "all the men, women, and children were commanded to leave their houses, and to go unto certain places appointed for them, there to remain till order were further taken for their sending away. The places appointed for them to remain in were chiefly four, the two churches of Our Lady and St. Nicholas, the deputy's house, and the Staple, where they rested part of that day, the night following, and the next day till the afternoon. And while they were thus in these four places, proclamation was made in their hearings, straitly charging them that were inhabitants of the town of Calais, having about them any money, plate, or jewels, to the value of fourpence, to bring the same forthwith, and lay it on the high altars of the said churches upon pain of death, bearing them in hand they should be searched. By reason of which proclamation there was made a sorrowful offering; and while they were at this offering in the churches, the Frenchmen rifled their houses, where they found inestimable riches and treasure." After this the English were expelled from the town, in several parties, but they were kindly treated by the Scottish horsemen in the duke's army, who guarded them through the French camp, and protected them from the insolence of the victors.

being abandoned the same night, the English are entirely expelled from France.

The loss of Calais occasions great discontent. Philip offers to assist in recovering it, but the queen's council plead inability to bear the expense of the attempt.

The parliament meets, Jan. 20, and sits till March 7. The French defeated at Gravelines, July 13, by the Spaniards, assisted by an English fleet.

A fleet sent against France, under Lord Clinton, burns Conquet, in Britanny, (July 29,) but though joined by some Spanish ships, does not venture, as was intended, to attack Brest.

Conferences for peace between England, France, and Spain opened at Cambray, in October.

The queen, who had been long in bad health, dies at St. James's, Nov. 17; she is buried in Henry VII.'s chapel, Westminster abbey, Dec. 13.

The bishop of Winchester (John White) preached her funeral sermon; his text was, "I praised the dead which are already dead more than the living which are yet alive;" and giving offence by speaking warmly in her praise, and condemning the projected altera tions in religion, he was confined to his house until the meeting of the parliament.

ELIZABETH, the only surviving child of Henry VIII. by Anne Boleyn, was born at the palace of Placentia (Greenwich), September 7, 1533. In her third year she was deprived of her mother, and was also declared illegitimate; but in 1544 she was conditionally restored; and from that time until the death of Edward VI. she was apparently well treated. She joined her sister Mary in opposing the usurpation of Lady Jane Grey, and accompanied the queen on her entry into London. Little cordiality, however, could be expected to subsist between them; Elizabeth was looked upon as the hope of the Protestant party, and, being suspected of favouring the rebellion of Wyatt, she was sent to the Tower, but after a short time was released, probably by the desire of Philip of Spain; she was, however, soon placed under restraint again, and dwelt in a confinement more or less

rigorous, according to the various tempers of her different keepers, until called to the throne by the death of Mary, Nov. 17, 1558.

It was the general expectation of both friends and foes that Elizabeth would restore the public profession of Protestantism, and she at once proceeded to do so. Her principal adviser was William Cecil (afterwards Lord Burghley b), who took his measures with so much address that all opposition was borne down, and an apparent conformity brought about with very little trouble. The Protestant Church was re-established, but it needed all the firmness of three successive primates (Parker, Grindal, and Whitgift), to prevent it being reduced to a mere creature of the State,‚—a scheme most agreeable

a Of these, Sir Thomas Pope is said to have been the most indulgent, and Sir Henry Bedingfield the most severe.

be

He remained her prime minister until his death, and to him is due more properly than to the queen, the praise or blame of the most important transactions of her reign. He was born in 1520, his father being master of the robes to Henry VIII. He was educated at Cambridge, and was a diligent student; he was intended for the law, but attracted the attention of the king, and became a courtier. Cecil served in the Scottish war under the protector Somerset ; came secretary of state to Edward VI.; so temporized in the matter of Lady Jane Grey, as not to be committed with either party; and complied with the change of religion under Mary. On Elizabeth's accession he again professed Protestantism, and drew up "a device for alteration of religion," in which he recommended a systematic discouragement of all who had been in authority under Queen Mary, and supplying their place with "men meaner in substance and younger in years," the involving the clergy in a præmunire, and "a sharp law" against popular assemblies. The plan was adopted, and at first seemed successful; but many men were found, both Romanists and Puritans, who refused to follow his example of sacrificing their consciences to every change of government; nor could the many "sharp laws" that were devised by him bring them to conformity. In the midst of the cares of state, Cecil was not neglectful of his own interest. He was ennobled, as Lord Burghley, in 1571, and afterwards made lord high treasurer; and he succeeded in raising a vast estate, great part of it, as was too usual with the courtiers of the Tudors, wrung by way of inequitable exchange from the Church. He died Aug. 4, 1598.