She was more fuccessful in her attempts to engage the English in a war with France, at the inftigation of her husband, although in the end it turned out to her utter confufion. A war had just been commenced between Spain and that kingdom; and Philip, who took this occafion to come over to England, declared, that if he were not feconded by England at this crifis, he would never see the country more. This declaration greatly heightened the queen's zeal for promoting his interefts; and though fhe was warmly opposed in this measure by cardinal Pole, and the reft of her council, yet, by threatening to dismiss them all, the at laft fucceeded. War was declared against France, and preparations were every where made for attacking that kingdom with vi

A. D. gour. An army of ten thousand men was raised, and supplied by various methods of 1557. extortion, and fent over into Flanders.

A battle gained by the Spaniards at St. Quintin feemed to promife great fuccefs to the allied arms; but foon an action, performed by the duke of Guife in the midst of winter, turned the fcale in favour of France, and affected, if not in the interefts, at least the honour of England in the tendereft point. Calais had now for above two hundred years been in poffeffion of the English; it had been made the chief market for wol, and other British commodities; it had been ftrongly fortified at different times, and was then deemed impregnable. But all the fortifications, which were raised before gunpowder was found out, were very ill able to refift the attacks of a regular battery from cannon; and they only continued to enjoy an ancient reputation for ftrength, which they were very ill able to maintain. Coligny, the French general, had remarked to the duke of

Guife, that as the town of Calais was furrounded by marshes, which during winter were impaffable, except over a dyke guarded by two cattles, St. Agatha and Newman Bridge; the English were of late, accustomed, to fave expence, to difmifs a great part of the garrifon at the approach of winter, and recall them in fpring. The duke of Guife upon this, made a fudden and unexpected march towards Calais, and affaulted the castle of St. Agatha with three thousand arquebufiers. The garrifon was foon obliged to retreat to their other caftle of Newnam Bridge, and fhortly after compelled to quit that poft, and to take fhelter in the city. Mean while a fmall fleet was fent to block up the entrance of the harbour; and thus Calais was invested by land and fea. The governor, lord Wentworth, made a brave defence; but his garrifon being very weak, they were unable to refift an affault given by the French, who made a lodgment in the caftle. On the night following, Wentworth attempted to recover this poft; but having loft two hundred men in the attack, he was obliged to capitulate; fo that in less than eight days, the duke of Guife recovered a city that had been in poffeffion of the English fince the time of Edward the third, and which he had spent eleven months in befieging. This lofs filled the whole kingdom with murmurs, and the queen with defpair; he was heard to fay, that when dead, the name of Calais would be found engraven on her heart.

Thefe complicated evils, a murmuring people, an increafing herefy, a difdainful hufband, and an unfuccefsful war, made dreadful depredations on Mary's conftitution. She began to appear confumptive, and this rendered her mind ftill more morofe and bigotted. The people now therefore began to turn their thoughts to her fucceffor; and

the

the princess Elizabeth came into a greater degree of confideration than before. During this whole reign the nation was in continual apprehenfions with regard not only to the fucceffion, but the life of this princefs. The violent hatred of the queen broke out upon every occafion; while Elizabeth, confcious of her danger, paffed her time wholly in reading and study, entirely detached from bufinefs. Propofals of marriage had been made to her by the Swedish ambaffador, in his mafter's name; but the referred him to the queen, who leaving it to her own choice, he had the magnanimity to referve herself for better fortune. Nor was fhe lefs prudent in concealing her fentiments of religion, and in eluding all queftions relative to that dangerous fubject. She was obnoxious to Mary for two reafons; as fhe was next heir to the throne, it was feared the might afpire to it during her fifter's life time; but it was ftill more reasonably ap'prehended that she would, if ever the came to the crown, make an innovation in that religion, which Mary took fuch pains to establish. The bishops, who had thed fuch a deluge of blood, forefaw this, and often told Mary that her deftroying meaner heretics was of no advantage to the ftate, while the body of the tree was fuffered to remain. Mary faw and acknowledged the cogency of their arguments, confined her fifter with proper guards, and only waited for fome fresh infurrection, or fome favourable pretext, to destroy her. Her own death prevented the perpetration of her meditated cruelty.

Mary had been long in a very declining state of health; and having miftaken her dropfy for a pregnancy, fhe made ufe of an improper regimen, which had increafed the diforder. Every reflection now tormented her. The confciousness of being hated by her fubjects, the profpect of Elizabeth's fucceffion, whom the hated, and, above

all,

all, her anxiety for the lofs of her husband, who never intended to return all these preyed upon her mind, and threw her into a lingering fever, of which he died, after a fhort and unfortunate reign of five years, four months, and eleven days, in the forty-third year of her age. Cardinal Pole, whofe gentleness in power we have often had occafion to mention, furvived her but one day. Shie was buried in Henry the feventh's chapel, according to the rites of the church of Rome.

VOL. III.

с

CHAP.

CHAP. XXVI.

ELIZ A

A. D. WE

1558.

BETH.

ERE we to adopt the maxim of the catholics themselves, that evil may be done for the production of good, one might say that the perfecutions in Mary's reign were permitted only to bring the kingdom more generally over to the proteftant religion. Nothing could preach fo effectually against the cruelty and vices of the monks, as the actions of the monks themselves. Wherever heretics were to be burnt, the monks were always prefent, rejoicing at the flames, infulting the fallen, and frequently the first to thrust the flaming brand against the faces of the sufferers. The English were effectually converted by fuch fights as thefe from their ancient fuperftitions. To bring the people over to any opinion, it is only neceffary to perfecute, inftead of attempting to convince. The people had formerly been compelled to embrace the proteftant religion, and their fears induced them to conform ; but now almost the whole nation were proteftants from inclination.

Nothing, therefore, could exceed the joy that was diffused among the people upon the acceffion of Elizabeth, who now came to the throne with.out any oppofition. She had been at Hatfield, when informed of her fifter's death; and hastening up to London, was received by the multitude with univerfal acclamations. Elizabeth had her education in that best school, the school of adverfity, and the had made the proper ufe of her confinement. Being debarred the enjoyment of pleafures abroad, fhe fought for knowledge at home;

fhe