love and freindship-第12章

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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　have　experienced　the　evils　which　befell　his　unfortunate　Brother。

As　I　am　myself　partial　to　the　roman　catholic　religion；　it　is　with　infinite　regret　that　I　am　obliged　to　blame　the　Behaviour　of　any　Member　of　it：　　yet　Truth　being　I　think　very　excusable　in　an　Historian；　I　am　necessitated　to　say　that　in　this　reign　the　roman　Catholics　of　England　did　not　behave　like　Gentlemen　to　the　protestants。　　Their　Behaviour　indeed　to　the　Royal　Family　and　both　Houses　of　Parliament　might　justly　be　considered　by　them　as　very　uncivil；　and　even　Sir　Henry　Percy　tho'　certainly　the　best　bred　man　of　the　party；　had　none　of　that　general　politeness　which　is　so　universally　pleasing；　as　his　attentions　were　entirely　confined　to　Lord　Mounteagle。

Sir　Walter　Raleigh　flourished　in　this　and　the　preceeding　reign；　and　is　by　many　people　held　in　great　veneration　and　respectBut　as　he　was　an　enemy　of　the　noble　Essex；　I　have　nothing　to　say　in　praise　of　him；　and　must　refer　all　those　who　may　wish　to　be　acquainted　with　the　particulars　of　his　life；　to　Mr　Sheridan's　play　of　the　Critic；　where　they　will　find　many　interesting　anecdotes　as　well　of　him　as　of　his　friend　Sir　Christopher　Hatton。His　Majesty　was　of　that　amiable　disposition　which　inclines　to　Freindship；　and　in　such　points　was　possessed　of　a　keener　penetration　in　discovering　Merit　than　many　other　people。　I　once　heard　an　excellent　Sharade　on　a　Carpet；　of　which　the　subject　I　am　now　on　reminds　me；　and　as　I　think　it　may　afford　my　Readers　some　amusement　to　FIND　IT　OUT；　I　shall　here　take　the　liberty　of　presenting　it　to　them。

SHARADE　My　first　is　what　my　second　was　to　King　James　the　1st；　and　you　tread　on　my　whole。

The　principal　favourites　of　his　Majesty　were　Car；　who　was　afterwards　created　Earl　of　Somerset　and　whose　name　perhaps　may　have　some　share　in　the　above　mentioned　Sharade；　and　George　Villiers　afterwards　Duke　of　Buckingham。　　On　his　Majesty's　death　he　was　succeeded　by　his　son　Charles。


CHARLES　the　1st

This　amiable　Monarch　seems　born　to　have　suffered　misfortunes　equal　to　those　of　his　lovely　Grandmother；　misfortunes　which　he　could　not　deserve　since　he　was　her　descendant。　　Never　certainly　were　there　before　so　many　detestable　Characters　at　one　time　in　England　as　in　this　Period　of　its　History；　never　were　amiable　men　so　scarce。　　The　number　of　them　throughout　the　whole　Kingdom　amounting　only　to　FIVE；　besides　the　inhabitants　of　Oxford　who　were　always　loyal　to　their　King　and　faithful　to　his　interests。　The　names　of　this　noble　five　who　never　forgot　the　duty　of　the　subject；　or　swerved　from　their　attachment　to　his　Majesty；　were　as　followsThe　King　himself；　ever　stedfast　in　his　own　support　Archbishop　Laud；　Earl　of　Strafford；　Viscount　Faulkland　and　Duke　of　Ormond；　who　were　scarcely　less　strenuous　or　zealous　in　the　cause。　　While　the　VILLIANS　of　the　time　would　make　too　long　a　list　to　be　written　or　read；　I　shall　therefore　content　myself　with　mentioning　the　leaders　of　the　Gang。　Cromwell；　Fairfax；　Hampden；　and　Pym　may　be　considered　as　the　original　Causers　of　all　the　disturbances；　Distresses；　and　Civil　Wars　in　which　England　for　many　years　was　embroiled。　　In　this　reign　as　well　as　in　that　of　Elizabeth；　I　am　obliged　in　spite　of　my　attachment　to　the　Scotch；　to　consider　them　as　equally　guilty　with　the　generality　of　the　English；　since　they　dared　to　think　differently　from　their　Sovereign；　to　forget　the　Adoration　which　as　STUARTS　it　was　their　Duty　to　pay　them；　to　rebel　against；　dethrone　and　imprison　the　unfortunate　Mary；　to　oppose；　to　deceive；　and　to　sell　the　no　less　unfortunate　Charles。　　The　Events　of　this　Monarch's　reign　are　too　numerous　for　my　pen；　and　indeed　the　recital　of　any　Events　（except　what　I　make　myself）　is　uninteresting　to　me；　my　principal　reason　for　undertaking　the　History　of　England　being　to　Prove　the　innocence　of　the　Queen　of　Scotland；　which　I　flatter　myself　with　having　effectually　done；　and　to　abuse　Elizabeth；　tho'　I　am　rather　fearful　of　having　fallen　short　in　the　latter　part　of　my　scheme。　As　therefore　it　is　not　my　intention　to　give　a