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In "Osborne's Memoirs of Queen Elizabeth," is related a remarkable anecdote, on the authority of Sir Dudley Carleton, the English Ambassador in Holland, with which we shall conclude the eventful life of one of the most extraordinary women in ancient or modern times "The Countess of Nottingham, who was a relation, but no friend, of the Earl of Essex, being on her death - bed, entreated to see the Queen, declaring that she had something on her mind of which she was anxious to disburthen herself before she could leave this world. On this being communicated to the Queen, she immediately resolved to comply with the wish of the dying Countess. On her Majesty's arrival, and being conducted into her apartment, the Countess produced a ring, which she said the Earl of Essex had sent to her after his condemnation, with an earnest request that she would deliver it to the Queen in person, as the token by which he implored her mercy; but which, in obedience to her husband, to whom she had communicated the circumstance, she had hitherto withheld; for which cruel act of treachery she now humbly entreated the forgiveness of her Majesty.' On sight of the precious ring, Elizabeth instantly recognized it as one which she had herself presented to her unhappy favourite, on his departure for Cadiz, with the tender promise, that of whatsoever crimes his enemies might have accused him, or whatsoever offences he might actually have committed against her, on his returning to her that pledge of her affections, she would either pardon him, or, at least, admit him to justify himself in her presence! Transported with grief and rage, on learning the barbarous infidelity of which her beloved Essex had been the victim, and herself the dupe, the Queen shook in her bed the dying Countess, and exclaimed with vehemence, that God

'Returning to her palace in a state of mind terrible to behold, Elizabeth surrendered herself, without a ray of comfort, to the despair which seized her heart on this fatal disclosure. Hence the intensity of her mental sufferingsher obstinate silence, interrupted only by sighs, groans, and broken indications of a deep-felt sorrow which she could not reveal; hence the days and nights passed by her on the floor, reclining on cushions, afraid to go to bed, from an inward consciousness that if she did so she would never rise again-sleeplessher eyes fixed, and her finger pressed upon her mouth; hence all those heartrending symptoms of incurable and mortal anguish, which gradually led, in the space of twenty days, to the lamentable termination of a long life of power, prosperity, and national glory. She expired on the twentyfourth of March, 1603, in the seventieth year of her age, and the forty-fifth of her reign."

By order of Cecil, and contrary to Elizabeth's express commands, her body was embalmed. It was then conveyed by water to Whitehall, where it was nightly watched by six ladies, till the preparations were completed for the funeral, which was solemnized with royal splendour on Thursday, the twentyeighth of April. "The royal corpse, says Stowe, "embalmed, lapped in lead, and covered with purple velvet, was laid on a chariot, drawn by four great horses, trapped in black velvet; on the body was placed a wax effigy of Elizabeth in her parliament robes, with a crown on her head, and a sceptre in her hand. The mourners, in black, were about one thousand, and consisting of the nobility, the honourable of estate, the officers and servants of the royal household, the gentlemen of the Royal Chapel, the choir of the college, and many others, conveyed the body, in so

*Lingard rejects the story of the ring, because it has not been mentioned by any of those who have related the occurrences of the Queen's malady; and, indeed, as it rests only on historical tradition, its authenticity must be deemed doubtful.

lemn state, from Whitehall to Westminster Abbey, where, after Anthony Wood, Bishop of Chichester, had preached a learned funeral sermon, it was interred with the usual ceremonies in the vault of her grandfather, Henry the Seventh, in his most beautiful chapel; and in the same grave with her sister, Mary, Queen of England. "As the funeral procession passed through Westminster," proceeds the quaint chronicler, "the City was surcharged with multitudes of all sorts of people in the streets, houses, windows, leads, and gutters, that came to see the obsequie. And when they beheld her statue, or picture, lying upon the coffin, set forth in royal robes, having a crown upon the head thereof, and a ball and sceptre in either hand; there was such a general sighing, groaning and weeping, as the like hath not been seen or known in the memory of man; neither doth any historian mention any people, time, or state, to make like lamentation, for the death of their sovereign." Her successor, James the First, erected a noble monument to her memory, in Westminster Abbey. Amongst the complimentary epitaphs hung up in her honour, in numerous churches, throughout the realm, occur the following:

If royal virtues ever adorned our crown:
If ever mildness shined in majesty:
If ever honour, honoured true renown:
If ever courage dwelt in clemency:
If ever Princess put all Princes down:

For temperance, prowess, prudence, equity:
This, this was she, that in dispite of death,
Lives still admired, adored Elizabeth."

"In Bohun's Character of Queen Elizabeth," we have the following description of her habits of life, amusements, and magnificence:-" First, in the morning, she spent some time at her devotions; then she betook herself to the dispatch of her civil affairs; reading letters; dictating answers; considering what should be brought before the council, and consulting with her ministers. When she had been thus occupied, she would walk in a shady garden, or pleasant gallery, without any other attendance than that of a few learned men. Then she took her coach, and passed, in the sight of her people, to the neighbouring groves and fields, and sometimes would hunt or

hawk. There was scarce a day but she employed some part of it in reading and study; sometimes before she entered upon her state affairs, sometimes after them. She slept little, seldom drank wine, was sparing in her diet, and a religious observer of the fasts and festivals of the Church. She sometimes dined alone, but generally had some of her friends with her. At supper she would divert herself with her attendants and friends; and if they made her no answer, would put them upon mirth and pleasant discourse with great civility. She would then also admit Tarleton, a famous comedian and pleasant talker, and other such men, to divert her with stories of the town, and the common jests and accidents. She would recreate herself with a game of chess, dancing or singing. She would often play at cards, and if at any time she happened to win, she would be sure to demand the money. She was waited on in her bed-chamber by married ladies of the nobility; the Marchioness of Winchester, Lady Warwick, and Lady Scrope; and here she would seldom suffer any to visit her but Leicester, Hatton, Essex, Nottingham, and Raleigh. Some lady always slept in her chamber; and besides her guards, there was always a gentleman of good quality, and some others, up in the next chamber to wake her if anything extraordinary happened. She loved a prudent and moderate habit in her private apartment, and conversation with her own servants; but when she appeared in public, she was ever richly adorned with the most valuable clothes; set off again with much gold, and jewels of inestimable value; and on such occasions she ever wore high shoes, that she might seem taller than indeed she was. first day of the Parliament, she would appear in a robe embroidered with pearls; the royal crown on her head, the golden ball in her left hand, and the sceptre in her right; and, as she never failed then of the loud acclamations of her people, so she was ever pleased with them, and went along in a kind of triumph, with all the ensigns of majesty. The royal name was ever venerable to the English people; but this Queen's

The

name was more sacred than any of her | ancestors. In the furniture of her palaces she ever affected magnificence and an extraordinary splendour. She adorned the galleries with pictures by the best artists; the walls she covered with rich tapestries. She was a true lover of jewels, pearls, all sorts of precious stones, gold and silver plate, rich beds, fine couches and chariots, Persian and Indian carpets, statues, medals, &c., which she would purchase at great prices.* Hampton Court was the most richly furnished of all her palaces; and here she had caused her naval victories against the Spaniards to be worked in fine tapestries, and laid up among the richest pieces of her wardrobe. When she made any public feasts, her tables were magnificently served, and many side-tables adorned with rich plate. At these times, many of the nobility waited on her at table. She made the greatest displays of her

*No Sovereign was more fond of display than Elizabeth. We are assured, that at her

death, three thousand complete habits were found in her wardrobe, with a numerous collection of jewellery, for the most part presents, which she received from petitioners, from her courtiers, and from those whom she had honoured by visits at their mansions. The following extracts from a MS. in the British Museum, entitled "A Book of Queen Elizabeth's Jewels," taken in July, 1587, may, perhaps, amuse the reader.

Item, One little flower of gold, with a frog thereon, and therein, Monsuier, his phisnamye, and a little pearl pendant. This was probably

a brooch.

ter's device.

"Item, A little bottle of amber, with a foot of gold; and, on the top thereof, a bear with a ragged staff; the bear and staff was Leices"Item, A tooth-pick of gold, like a bittern's claw, garnished with four diamonds, four rubies, and four emeralds; being all but sparks. "Item, A nutcracker of gold, garnished with

sparks of diamonds."

When Hentzner saw Elizabeth, in her sixty-seventh year, she wore false hair, and that red. In the jewel books here mentioned, we have a long list of her Majesty's wigs, or rather head-dresses; they are called at the head of the page "attiers."

"Item, One caul of hair, set with pearls, in number forty-three.

“Item, One caul of hair, set with pearls of sundry sort and bigness, with seed pearl between them, cheveron-wise, one hundred and ninety-one.

"Item, One caul, with nine true-loves of

regal magnificence when foreign ambassadors were present. At these times she would also have vocal and instrumental music during dinner; and after dinner, dancing."

Rapin says, she is accused of not being so chaste as she affected to appear; and that some assert that there are now in England the descendants of a daughter she had by Leicester. Lingard gives credit to a report that she had a son by Leicester, who, under the name of Arthur Dudley, lived for some time at Madrid, and was honoured by the King of Spain with the distinctions due to royalty. Dr. Walker says, it is amazing that Hume should record of Queen Elizabeth such consummate vice and abandonment as he does, and yet struggle to ally all her actions with moral or political virtue. He tells us, she was so passionate and vulgar as to beat her maids of honour. Her avarice, in some measure, he allows, induced her to take one hundred thousand pounds from the booty of Raleigh, and to countenance Drake's pillaging the Spaniards, even during peace; and the same passion prevented her love for Leicester going further than the grave-for she ordered his goods to be disposed of at a public sale, to reimburse herself of some money which he owed her. But violent as this passion was, it was still weaker, as Hume observes, than her lustful appetite; for it is computed by Lord Burleigh, that, not to mention Leicester, Hatton, Mountjoy, and other paramours, the value of her gifts to Essex alone amounted to three hundred thousand pounds. Hume also informs us, that her politics were usually full of duplicity and artifice, and that they never triumphed so much in any contrivances as in those which were con joined with coquetry. He further shows us that she had an utter disregard for truth, by stating that, after promising to support the Scottish malcontents, she secretly seduced the leaders of them to declare before the ambassadors of France and Spain that she had not incited them, and the instant she had extorted this confession, she chased them from her

a ruby."