from popular indignation; but the immediate cause was an intemperate memorial presented to the queen by himself and other bigoted Romanists, condemning the Reformation, even as begun by Henry VIII., and stigmatizing the martyrs these prelates had condemned to the flames, as malefactors suffering justly the Divine wrath. When the popish prelates were summoned to declare whether they would obey the laws lately passed, archbishop Heath had the effrontery to tell the queen, that she could not desist from the suppression of heresy-meaning thereby the persecution of the Protestants-without exposing herself to a curse! Elizabeth replied, in the words of Joshua, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord;' and declared her determination, together with that of her parliament, to resist popery.

The vacant sees were filled up: Parker was appointed archbishop of Canterbury. The leading Reformers effected much, though far less than they desired; for the general proceedings of government limited, rather than encouraged them.

The queen had suffered much from the principles and practices of popery, but she desired to retain some ornaments, ceremonials, and superstitious observances, adopted mostly from heathenism in the early ages of the church, which made way for the grossest errors of Romanism. Among them were the crucifix, and lights burning on the communion-table, which Elizabeth for a time retained in her chapel: the former was a gross superstition connected with image worship; the latter was a practice of ancient pagan worship, and therefore ought to be discarded by all Christians. The bishops feared that these things would lead to further abuses; they remonstrated with Elizabeth, who unwillingly consented to their removal. She was afterwards more fully aware of the necessity for showing her departure from popery; and Nowell, dean of St. Paul's, having caused a prayer-book, adorned with pictures of the Virgin and saints, to be laid in her seat, as a new year's

gift, she openly reproved him in the vestry after service, declaring truly, that such ornaments were hinderances to devotion.

Matters of a secular nature now claim attention. Among the proceedings in parliament was an address to the queen, urging her to select a husband, accompanying this request with strong expressions of loyalty and personal regard. The queen replied in courteous terms, but said that she considered herself married to her kingdom, and that at present her desire was to have it inscribed on her tomb, "Here lies a queen who lived and died a virgin."

One most pressing affair was to make peace with France. Philip, finding that he could not rely on support from England, had already done this, but felt his honour concerned to extricate his ally from a war undertaken on his account. The main difficulty was respecting Calais. The French would not relinquish that place, while to give up the claim would annoy the national feelings of the English. A treaty was at last made, by which Calais was to be restored by France in eight years, under heavy pecuniary forfeitures. The English government wisely resolved not to forego the advantages of peace to their exhausted kingdom, by a vain endeavour to procure again a place, the possession of which was rather an empty honour than a real benefit, and which increased dissatisfaction between the two countries.

In this summer, the first of her reign, Elizabeth began her custom of going through different parts of the country. She visited her palace at Nonsuch, in Surrey, and other places. The engraving on page 214 represents Nonsuch, an edifice erected by Henry VIII. It is from an old picture, which also represents the queen in her chariot, or car.

The state of affairs in Scotland required the especial attention of Elizabeth. Mary queen of Scots had been affianced to the dauphin, and removed to France when very young. Her marriage was completed in 1557,

when she was induced secretly to sign a deed, by which she conveyed to the king of France her claims to the throne of England, as well as that of Scotland, in case she died without leaving children. This document has been lately published. Her union with France could only be supported by discouraging the Reformation in Scotland, and persecuting the Reformers in that country. When Elizabeth succeeded to the throne of England, an intention directly to interfere with her was manifested by the assumption of her regal title and arms by Mary and her husband, as already mentioned. They had not been assumed during the preceding reign, therefore it was plain that the insignia were not merely borne as indicating a distant claim to the succession, but, being taken immediately upon the death of Mary of England, they evidently were meant to imply that the bearers had a better right than that possessed by Elizabeth. All who acknowledged the papal supremacy necessarily took this view. It is worse than idle to speak of the contest between Mary Stuart and Elizabeth as many do, assigning the cause to be petty female jealousies; the former claimed the crown of the latter, and sought to obtain it.

The English armorial bearings were openly displayed at a festival in Paris, when the king, having engaged in a tilting-match with Montgomery, the captain of the Scotch guard, was mortally wounded by the shivers of a lance. He died July 10, and was succeeded by the husband of Mary, Francis II. The deceased Henry II., who was thus unexpectedly called to his account, engaged with Philip and the pope in extensive designs to suppress the Reformation, and had just passed a decree, ordering all the Lutherans in his own dominions to be put to death. A few days before the death of Henry, he ordered a body of troops to be sent to Scotland, where the queen regent was already at variance with the chief nobility. She required absolute submission to the measures directed by France; and

the English ambassador learned that it was intended to put the leading nobles to death. It was evident that the Scottish nobility and gentry would not be left to themselves to settle the differences which had arisen about religion, for these troops were despatched immediately after the accession of Francis. The Reformation in Scotland was to be crushed by foreign interference; thereby the designs of France against England would be effectually promoted.

The French commander caused Leith to be fortified, which excited the public displeasure. The populace destroyed some monastic establishments, while the Scottish lords assembled at Stirling, and took measures that the kingdom should not be reduced to a mere province of France.

The lords then called a parliament, which met at Edinburgh, and deposed the regent; but Knox urged that Mary's misconduct should not operate against the allegiance they owed to her as their sovereign. They also denounced the French as enemies to their country. Thus hostilities were begun in Scotland; and it was evident that if the French were successful there, England would soon be attacked, the pretensions of Mary and Francis to the English throne having been distinctly avowed. Under these circumstances, Elizabeth was obliged to take a part. She assisted the Scottish Protestants with some supplies, but not till the French were on the point of prevailing. At this juncture, the English fleet entered the Firth of Forth, and stopped the advance of the French army. It was plain that Elizabeth had delayed this interposition till the last moment; no desire but that of preserving her own kingdom influenced her. She expressly stipulated with the Scottish lords that they should maintain their allegiance to Mary.

It is not to be denied that Elizabeth interfered constantly with the affairs of Scotland. This is represented by popish historians as unwarrantable: it was defended by Cecil, because such interference was necessary to