the reformed religion, fecretly fomented by Rodolphi, an inftrument of the court of Rome, and the bishop of Ross, Mary's minifter in England. It was concerted by them, that Norfolk fhould renew his defigns upon Mary, to which it is probable he was prompted by paffion; and this nobleman entering into their schemes, he, from being at firft only ambitious, now became criminal. It was mutually agreed, therefore, that the duke fhould enter into all Mary's interefts; while on the other hand, the duke of Alva promised to transport a body of fix thousand foot, and four thousand horse, to join Norfolk as foon as he fhould be ready to begin. This fcheme was fo fecretly laid, that it had hitherto entirely escaped the vigilance of Elizabeth, and that of fecretary Cecil, who now bore the title of lord Burleigh. It was found out merely by accident; for the duke having fent a fum of money to lord Herreis, one of Mary's partizans in Scotland, omitted trusting the fervant with the contents of his meffage; and he finding, by the weight of the bag, that it contained a larger fum than the duke mentioned to him, began to miftruft fome plot, and brought the money, with the duke's letter to the secretary of ftate. It was by the artifices of that great statesman, that the duke's fervants were brought to make a full confeffion of their mafter's guilt; and the bishop of Ross soon after, finding the whole difcovered, did not fcruple to confirm their teftimony. The duke was inftantly committed to the Tower, and ordered to prepare for his trial. A jury of twenty five peers unanimously paffed fentence upon him; and the queen, four months after, reluctantly figned the warrant for his execution. He died with great calmnefs and conftancy: and tho' he cleared himself of any disloyal intentions against the queen's authority, he acknowledg

ed

ed the juftice of the fentence by which he fuffered. A few months after, the duke of Northumberland being delivered up by the regent, underwent a fimilar trial, and was brought to the fcaffold for his rebellion. All these ineffectual ftruggles in favour of the unfortunate queen of Scots, feemed only to rivet the chains of her confinement; and the now found relief only in the refources of her own mind, which diftrefs had contributed to foften, refine, and improve. From henceforth the continued for feveral years a precarious dependent on Elizabeth's fufpicions; and only waited for fome new effort of her adherents to receive that fate, which political, and not merciful motives feemed to prolong.

CHAP.

CHAP. XXVII.

ELIZABETH (Continued.}

H

AVING thus far attended the queen of Scotland, whofe conduct and misfortunes make such a distinguished figure in this reign, we now return to fome tranfactions, prior in point of time, but of lefs confideration.

A. D.

In the beginning of this reign, the Hugonots, or reformed party in France, were obliged to call in the protection of the Englifh; and in order to secure their confi1562. dence, as they were poffeffed of the greatest part of Normandy, they offered to put Havre into the queen's hands, a proffer which the immediately accepted. She wifely confidered, that as that part commanded the mouth of the river Seine, it was of much more importance than Calais; and the could thus have the French still in her

power. Accordingly three thousand English took poffeffion of Havre and Diepe, under the command of Sir Edward Poinings, but the latter place was found fo little capable of being defended, that it was immediately abandoned. But Havre itself was obliged to capitulate fhortly after. Although the garrifon was reinforced, and was found to amount to fix thousand men ; und means was employed for putting the town in a every posture of defence against the great army that was preparing to befiege it, yet it felt a feverer enemy within the walls; for the plague had got into the town, and committed fuch havock among the foldiers, that an hundred were commonly feen to die of it in one day. The garrifon, being thus difpirited, and diminished to fifteen hundred men, VOL. III. finding

D

finding the French army indefatigable in their approaches, were obliged to capitulate; and thus the English loft all hopes of ever making another establishment in the kingdom of France. This misfortune was productive of one ftill more dreadful to the nation, for the English army carried back the plague with them to London, which made fuch ravages, that twenty thoufand perfons died there in one year.

This, if we except the troubles raised A. D. upon the account of Mary, feems to 1563. have been the firft difafter that, for above thirteen years, any way contributed to disturb the peace of this reign. Elizabeth, ever vigilant, active, and refolute, attended to the flighteft alarms and reprefled them before they were capable of producing their effect. Her frugality kept her independent, and her diffimulation (for the could diffemble) made her beloved. The opinion of the royal prerogative was fuch, that her commands were obeyed as ftatutes; and fhe took care that her parliaments should never venture to circumfcribe her power. In her fchemes of government he was affifted by lord Burleigh, and Sir Anthony Bacon, two of the moft able minifters that ever directed the affairs of England; but while the committed to them all the drudgery of duty, her favourite Robert Dudley, earl of Leicester, engroffed all her favour, and fecured all the avenues to preferment. All requests were made through him; and nothing given away without his confent and approbation. His merits, however, were by no means adequate to his fucceffes; he was weak, vain, and boaftful; but these qualities did no injury to the state, as his two co-adjutors were willing, while he maintained all the fplendour of office, to fecure to themfelves the more folid emoluments.

During

During this peaceable and uniform government, England furnishes but few materials for hiftory. While France was torn with internal convulfions; while above two thousand of the Hugonots were maffacred in one night, in cool blood, on the feast of St. Bartholomew, at Paris; while the inhabitants of the Low Countries had fhaken off the Spanish yoke, and were bravely vindicating their rights and their religion; while all the rest of Europe was teeming with plots, feditions, and cruelty; the English under their wife queen, were enjoying all the benefits of peace, extending commerce, improving manufactures; and setting an example of arts and learning to all the reft of the world. Except the fmall part, therefore, which Elizabeth took in foreign transactions, there scarce paffed any occurrence which requires a particular detail.

There had for fome time arifen difgufts between the court of England and that of Spain. Elizabeth's having rejected the fuit of Philip, might probably have given rife to thefe difgufts; and after that, Mary's claiming the protection of that monarch, tended ftill more to widen the breach. This began, as ufual on each fide, with petty hoftilities; the Spaniards, on their part, had fent into Ireland a body of seven hundred of their nation, and Italians, who built a fort there; but were foon after cut off to a man, by the Duke of Ormond. On the other hand the English, under the conduct of Sir Francis Drake, affaulted the Spaniards in the place where they deemed themfelves moft fecure, in the New World. This was the first Englishman that failed round the globe; and the queen was fo well pleased with his valour and fuccefs, that the accepted a banquet from him at Deptford, on board the fhip which had atchieved fo memorable a voyage.