love and freindship-第16章

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thing　can　be　said　in　his　vindication；　but　that　his　abolishing　Religious　Houses　and　leaving　them　to　the　ruinous　depredations　of　time　has　been　of　infinite　use　to　the　landscape　of　England　in　general；　which　probably　was　a　principal　motive　for　his　doing　it；　since　otherwise　why　should　a　Man　who　was　of　no　Religion　himself　be　at　so　much　trouble　to　abolish　one　which　had　for　ages　been　established　in　the　Kingdom。　　His　Majesty's　5th　Wife　was　the　Duke　of　Norfolk's　Neice　who；　tho'　universally　acquitted　of　the　crimes　for　which　she　was　beheaded；　has　been　by　many　people　supposed　to　have　led　an　abandoned　life　before　her　Marriageof　this　however　I　have　many　doubts；　since　she　was　a　relation　of　that　noble　Duke　of　Norfolk　who　was　so　warm　in　the　Queen　of　Scotland's　cause；　and　who　at　last　fell　a　victim　to　it。　　The　Kings　last　wife　contrived　to　survive　him；　but　with　difficulty　effected　it。　　He　was　succeeded　by　his　only　son　Edward。


EDWARD　the　6th

As　this　prince　was　only　nine　years　old　at　the　time　of　his　Father's　death；　he　was　considered　by　many　people　as　too　young　to　govern；　and　the　late　King　happening　to　be　of　the　same　opinion；　his　mother's　Brother　the　Duke　of　Somerset　was　chosen　Protector　of　the　realm　during　his　minority。　This　Man　was　on　the　whole　of　a　very　amiable　Character；　and　is　somewhat　of　a　favourite　with　me；　tho'　I　would　by　no　means　pretend　to　affirm　that　he　was　equal　to　those　first　of　Men　Robert　Earl　of　Essex；　Delamere；　or　Gilpin。　　He　was　beheaded；　of　which　he　might　with　reason　have　been　proud；　had　he　known　that　such　was　the　death　of　Mary　Queen　of　Scotland；　but　as　it　was　impossible　that　he　should　be　conscious　of　what　had　never　happened；　it　does　not　appear　that　he　felt　particularly　delighted　with　the　manner　of　it。　　After　his　decease　the　Duke　of　Northumberland　had　the　care　of　the　King　and　the　Kingdom；　and　performed　his　trust　of　both　so　well　that　the　King　died　and　the　Kingdom　was　left　to　his　daughter　in　law　the　Lady　Jane　Grey；　who　has　been　already　mentioned　as　reading　Greek。　Whether　she　really　understood　that　language　or　whether　such　a　study　proceeded　only　from　an　excess　of　vanity　for　which　I　beleive　she　was　always　rather　remarkable；　is　uncertain。　　Whatever　might　be　the　cause；　she　preserved　the　same　appearance　of　knowledge；　and　contempt　of　what　was　generally　esteemed　pleasure；　during　the　whole　of　her　life；　for　she　declared　herself　displeased　with　being　appointed　Queen；　and　while　conducting　to　the　scaffold；　she　wrote　a　sentence　in　Latin　and　another　in　Greek　on　seeing　the　dead　Body　of　her　Husband　accidentally　passing　that　way。


MARY

This　woman　had　the　good　luck　of　being　advanced　to　the　throne　of　England；　in　spite　of　the　superior　pretensions；　Merit；　and　Beauty　of　her　Cousins　Mary　Queen　of　Scotland　and　Jane　Grey。　　Nor　can　I　pity　the　Kingdom　for　the　misfortunes　they　experienced　during　her　Reign；　since　they　fully　deserved　them；　for　having　allowed　her　to　succeed　her　Brotherwhich　was　a　double　peice　of　folly；　since　they　might　have　foreseen　that　as　she　died　without　children；　she　would　be　succeeded　by　that　disgrace　to　humanity；　that　pest　of　society；　Elizabeth。　　Many　were　the　people　who　fell　martyrs　to　the　protestant　Religion　during　her　reign；　I　suppose　not　fewer　than　a　dozen。　　She　married　Philip　King　of　Spain　who　in　her　sister's　reign　was　famous　for　building　Armadas。　　She　died　without　issue；　and　then　the　dreadful　moment　came　in　which　the　destroyer　of　all　comfort；　the　deceitful　Betrayer　of　trust　reposed　in　her；　and　the　Murderess　of　her　Cousin　succeeded　to　the　Throne。


ELIZABETH

It　was　the　peculiar　misfortune　of　this　Woman　to　have　bad　Ministers…Since　wicked　as　she　herself　was；　she　could　not　have　committed　such　extensive　mischeif；　had　not　these　vile　and　abandoned　Men　connived　at；　and　encouraged　her　in　her　Crimes。　　I　know　that　it　has　by　many　people　been　asserted　and　beleived　that　Lord　Burleigh；　Sir　Francis　Walsingham；　and　the　rest　of　those　who　filled　the　cheif　offices　of　State　were　deserving；　experienced；　and　able　Ministers。　　But　oh！　　how　blinded　such　writers　and　such　Readers　must　be　to　true　Merit；　to　Merit　despised；　neglected　and　defamed；　if　they　can　persist　in　such　opinions　when　they　reflect　that　these　men；　these　boasted　men　were　such　scandals　to　their　Country　and　their　sex　as　to　allow　and　assist　their　Queen　in　confining　for　the　space　of　nineteen　years；　a　WOMAN　who　if　the　claims　of　Relationship　and　Merit　were　of　no　avail；　yet　as　a　Queen　and　as　one　who　condescended　to　place　confidence　in　her；　had　every　reason　to　expect　assistance　and　protection；　and　at　length　in　allowing　Elizabeth　to　bring　this　amiable　Woman　to　an　untimely；　unmerited；　and　scandalous　Death。　　Can　any　one　if　he　reflects　but　for　a　moment　on　this　blot；　this　everlasting　blot　upon　their　understanding　and　their　Character；　allow　any　praise　to　Lord　Burleigh　or　Sir　Francis　Walsingham？　Oh！　　what　must　this　bewitching　Princess　whose　only　freind　was　then　the　Duke　of　Norfolk；　and　whose　only　ones　now　Mr　Whitaker；　Mrs　Lefroy；　Mrs　Knight　and　myself；　who　was　abandoned　by　her　son；　confined　by　her　Cousin；　abused；　reproached　and　vilified　by　all；　what　must　not　her　most　noble　mind　have　suffered　when　informed　that　Elizabeth　had　given　orders　for　her　Death！　　Yet　she　bore　it　with　a　most　unshaken　fortitude；　firm　in　her　mind；　constant　in　her　Religion；　and　prepared　herself　to　meet　the　cruel　fate　to　which　she　was　doomed；　with　a　magnanimity　that　would　alone　proceed　from　conscious　Innocence。　　And　yet　could　you　Reader　have　beleived　it　possible　that　some　hardened　and　zealous　Protestants　have　even　abused　her　for　that　steadfastness　in　the　Catholic　Religion　which　reflected　on　her　so　much　credit？　But　this　is　a　striking　proof　of　THEIR　narrow　souls　and　prejudiced　Judgements　who　accuse　her。　　She　was　executed　in　the　Great　Hall　at　Fortheringay　Castle　（sacred　Place！）　on　Wednesday　the　8th　of　February　1586to　the　everlasting　Reproach　of　Elizabeth；　her　Ministers；　and　of　England　in　general。　It　may　not　be　unnecessary　before　I　entirely　conclude　my　account　of　this　ill…fated　Queen；　to　observe　that　she　had　been　accused　of　several　crimes　during　the　time　of　her　reigning　in　Scotland；　of　which　I　now　most　seriously　do　assure　my　Reader　that　she　was　entirely　innocent；　having　never　been　guilty　of　anything　more　than　Imprudencies　into　which　she　was　betrayed　by　the　openness　of　her　Heart；　her　Youth；　and　her　Education。　Having　I　trust　by　this　assurance　entirely　done　away　every　Suspicion　and　every　doubt　which　might　have　arisen　in　the　Reader's　mind；　from　what　other　Historians　have　written　of　her；　I　shall　proceed　to　mention　the　remaining　Events　that　marked　Elizabeth's　reign。　　It　was　about　this　time　that　Sir　Francis　Drake　the　first　English　Navigator　who　sailed　round　the　World；　lived；　to　be　the　ornament　of　his　Country　and　his　profession。　　Yet　great　as　he　was；　and　justly　celebrated　as　a　sailor；　I　cannot　help　foreseeing　that　he　will　be　equalled　in　this　or　the　next　Century　by　one　who　tho'　now　but　young；　already　promises　to　answer　all　the　ardent　and　sanguine　expectations　of　his　Relations　and　Freinds；　amongst　whom　I　may　class　the　amiable　Lady　to　whom　this　work　is　dedicated；　and　my　no　less　amiable　self。

Though　of　a　different　profession；　and　shining　in　a　different　sphere　of　Life；　yet　equally　conspicuous　in　the　Character　of　an　Earl；　as　Drake　was　in　that　of　a　Sailor；　was　Robert　Devereux　Lord　Essex。　　This　unfortunate　young　Man　was　not　unlike　in　character　to　that　equally　unfortunate　one　FREDERIC　DELAMERE。　　The　simile　may　be　carried　still　farther；　and　Elizabeth　the　torment　of　Essex　may　be　compared　to　the　Emmeline　of　Delamere。　　It　would　be　endless　to　recount　the　misfortunes　of　this　noble　and　gallant　Earl。　　It　is　sufficient　to　say　that　he　was　beheaded　on　the　25th　of　Feb；　after　having　been　Lord　Lieutenant　of　Ireland；　after　having　clapped　his　hand　on　his　sword；　and　after　performing　many　other　services　to　his　Country。　　Elizabeth　did　not　long　survive　his　loss；　and　died　so　miserable　that　were　it　not　an　injury　to　the　memory　of　Mary　I　should　pity　her。


JAMES　the　1st

Though　this　King　had　some　faults；　among　which　and　as　the　most　principal；　was　his　allowing　his　Mother's　death；　yet　considered　on　the　whole　I　cannot　help　liking　him。　　He　married　Anne　of　Denmark；　and　had　several　Children；　fortunately　for　him　his　eldest　son　Prince　Henry　died　before　his　father　or　he　might　hav