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and jealousy of the English against that kingdom, CHA P. feemed to have given place, for the prefent, to like paffions against Spain. Philip, fenfible of 1554. the prepoffeffions entertained against him, endeavoured to acquire popularity by procuring the release of several prifoners of diftinction; lord Henry Dudley, Sir George Harper, Sir Nicholas Throgmorton, Sir Edmond Warner, Sir William St. Lo, Sir Nicholas Arnold, Harrington, Tremaine who had been confined from the fufpicions or refentment of the court. But nothing was more agreeable to the nation than his protecting the lady Elizabeth from the fpite and malice of the queen, and reftoring her to liberty.

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THIS measure was not the effect of any generosity in Philip, a fentiment of which he was wholly deftitute; but of a refined policy, which made him foresee, that, if that princefs were put to death, the next lawful heir was the queen of Scots, whofe fucceffion would for ever annex England to the crown of France. The earl of Devonshire alfo reaped fome benefit from Philip's affectation of popularity, and recovered his liberty: But that nobleman, finding himself expofed to fufpicion, begged permiffion to travel ; and he foon after died at Padua, from poifon, as is pretended, given him by the Imperialifts. He was the eleventh and laft earl of Devonfhire of

88

89

Heylin, p. 39. Burnet, vol. ii. p. 287. Stowe, p. 66. Dépêches de Noailles, vol. iv. p. 146, 147.

89

Heylin, p. 40. Goodwin, p. 349.

CHAP. that noble family, one of the most illuftrious in Europe.

XXXVI.

1554.

90

THE queen's extreme defire of having iffue, had made her fondly give credit to any appearance of pregnancy; and when the legate was introduced to her, fhe fancied, that she felt the embryo ftir in her womb "°. Her flatterers compared this motion of the infant to that of John the Baptist, who leaped in his mother's belly at the falutation of the virgin". Difpatches were immediately fent to inform foreign courts of this event: Orders were iffued to give public thanks: Great rejoicings were made: The family of the young prince was already fettled"; for the catholics held themselves affured that the child was to be a male : And Bonner, bishop of London, made public prayers be faid, that Heaven would pleate to render him beautiful, vigorous, and witty. But the nation ftill remained fomewhat incredulous; and men' were perfuaded, that the queen labored under infirmities, which rendered her incapable of having children. Her infant proved only the commencement of a dropfy, which the difordered ftate of her health had brought upon her. The belief, however, of her pregnancy was upheld with all poffible care; and was one artifice, by which Philip endeavoured to fupport his authority in the kingdom. The parliament paffed a law,

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XXXVI. 1555

which, in cafe of the queen's demife, appointed c H A P. him protector during the minority; and the king and queen, finding they could obtain no further conceffions, came unexpectedly to Westminster, and diffolved them.

THERE happened an incident this feffion, which 16th Jan. must not be paffed over in filence. Several members of the lower house, diffatisfied with the measures of the parliament, but finding themfelves unable to prevent them, made a feceffion, in order to fhow their difapprobation, and refufed any longer to attend the houfe ". For this inftance of contumacy they were indicted in the King's bench after the diffolution of parliament: Six of them fubmitted to the mercy of the court, and paid their fines: The reft traversed; and the queen died before the affair was brought to an iffue. Judging of the matter by the fubfequent claims of the houfe of commons, and, indeed, by the true principles of free government, this attempt of the queen's minifters must be regarded as a breach of privilege; but it gave little umbrage at the time, and was never called in quef tion by any house of commons, which afterwards fat during this reign. The count of Noailles, the French ambaffador, fays, that the queen threw feveral members into prifon for their freedom of fpeech ".

93

94

Coke's Inftitutes, part. iv. p. 17. Strype's Memor.
Vol. V. p. 296.

vol. i. p. 165.

94

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CHA P.
XXXVII.

1555.

War with France - Battle of St. Quentin Calais taken by the French Affairs of Scotland - Marriage of the Dauphin and the queen of Scots

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A parlia

THE fuccefs, which Gardiner, from his cautious and prudent conduct, had met with in governing the parliament, and engaging them to concur both in the Spanish match, and in the re-establishment of the ancient religion, two points to which, it was believed, they bore an extreme averfion, had fo raised his character for wisdom and policy, that his opinion was received as an oracle in the council; and his authority, as it was always great in his own party, no longer fuffered any oppofition or controul. Cardinal Pole himself, though more beloved on account of his virtue and candor and though fuperior in birth and station, had not equal weight in public deliberations; and while his learning, piety, and humanity were extremely refpected, he was reprefented more as a good man than a great minifter. A very important queftion was frequently debated, before the queen and council, by these two ecclefiaftics; whether the laws

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lately

XXXVIL

1555.

lately revived against heretics should be put in c A P. execution, or should only be employed to restrain, by terror, the bold attempts of these zealots? Pole was very fincere in his religious principles; and though his moderation had made him be fufpected at Rome of a tendency towards Lutheranism, he was seriously persuaded of the catholic doctrines, and thought that no confideration of human policy ought ever to come in competition with fuch important interefts. Gardiner, on the contrary, had always made his religion fubfervient to his fchemes of safety or advancement; and by his unlimited complaifance to Henry, he had shown, that, had he not been pushed to extre mity under the late minority, he was fufficiently disposed to make a facrifice of his principles to the established theology. This was the wellknown character of these two great counsellors; yet fuch is the prevalence of temper above fyftem, that the benevolent difpofition of Pole led him to advise a toleration of the heretical tenets, which he highly blamed; while the fevere manners of Gardiner inclined him to support, by perfecution, that religion, which, at the bottom, he regarded with great indifference.

This

circumftance of public conduct was of the highest importance; and from being the object of deliberation in the council, it foon became the fubject of difcourfe throughout the nation. We fhall relate, in a few words, the topics, by which

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