by the exclusion of her daughter, the ill treatment of the innocent Anne Boleyn ought not to cause the exclusion of Elizabeth. But if the question respecting the hereditary rights of Elizabeth and Mary were really doubtful, the Parliament and the people must decide, and that in favour of the former, because she was devoted to true Christianity, and Mary of a family, and educated in principles which do not disdain to employ the sword and the stake, to maintain the superstitious Catholic religion. The dreadful persecution of the Protestants which Mary Tudor, with insane infatuation believed to be a right and a duty, would continue without end, and the union with France and Scotland would not produce eternal peace, but the ruin of all rights and privileges, and plunge England into misery and slavery. Those who are not destitute of all judgment and feeling,-those who have any value for justice, and a royal decision, for independence and their country, for freedom of conscience and faith, ought to risk their lives and fortunes in order for ever to keep away, from England, Mary Stuart, who would bring nothing but ruin."

Such were the views of the opposed parties. The first consistently proposed and defended by all Roman Catholics, in and out of Great Britain; the latter, by the Protestants. Which would triumph depended upon numerous circumstances and contingencies, and above all, on the personal character

of the two Queens, whom fate had opposed to each other, in almost inevitable hostility. (14)

Elizabeth, who was born on the 7th of September, 1533, (15) and lost her mother in the third year of her age, was hereupon wholly neglected by the timid servants of her passionate father, publicly repudiated by him as illegitimate, and left so destitute, that her governess, Lady Bryan, wrote to Lord Cromwell,—“I beseech you to be good, my Lord, to my Lady, and to all hers, and that she may have some raiment. She has neither gown, nor kirtle, nor petticoat, nor no manner of linen, nor foresmocks, nor kerchiefs, nor sleeves, nor rails, nor body stitchets, nor mufflers, nor biggins." Afterwards, when Henry's anger had been allayed, more attention was paid to her education; on this subject, the learned Roger Ascham writes to a friend in 1550,- "Amongst the numberless honorable ladies of the present time, my illustrious mistress, the Lady Elizabeth, shines like a star, excelling them more by the splendor of her virtues and her learning, than by the glory of her royal birth. In the variety of her commendable qualities, I am less perplexed to find matters for the highest panegyric, than to circumscribe that panegyric within just bounds. Yet, I shall mention nothing respecting her but what has come under my own observation. For two years she pursued the study of Greek and Latin, under my tuition; but the foundations of her

knowledge in both languages were laid by the diligent instruction of William Grindal, my late beloved friend. The Lady Elizabeth has accomplished her nineteenth year; and so much solidity of understanding, such courtesy, united with dignity, have never been observed at so early an age. She has the most ardent love of true religion, and of the best kind of literature. The constitution of her mind is exempt from female weakness, and she is endued with a masculine power of application. No apprehension can be quicker than hers, no memory more retentive. French and Italian she speaks like English; Latin with fluency, propriety, and judgment; she also spoke Greek with me, frequently, willingly, and moderately well. Nothing can be more elegant than her handwriting, whether in the Greek or Roman characters. In music she is very skilful, but does not greatly delight. With respect to personal decoration, she greatly prefers a simple elegance to show and splendor, so despising the outward adorning of plaiting the hair and wearing of gold, that, in the whole manner of her life, she rather resembles Hippolyta than Phædra. (16) She read with me almost the whole of Cicero and a great part of Livy: from these two authors, indeed, her knowledge of the Latin language has been almost exclusively derived. The beginning of the day was always devoted by her to the New Testament in Greek, after which she read

select orations of Isocrates and the tragedies of Sophocles, which I judged best adapted to supply her tongue with the purest diction; her mind with the most excellent precepts; and her exalted station with a defence against the utmost power of fortune. For her religious instruction, she drew first from the fountains of Scripture; and afterwards from St. Cyprian, the 'Common-places' of Melancthon, and similar works, which convey pure doctrine in elegant language. In every kind of writing she easily detected any ill-adapted or far-fetched expression. She could not bear those feeble imitators of Erasmus, who bind the Latin tongue in the fetters of miserable proverbs; on the other hand, she approved a style chaste in its propriety, and beautiful by perspicuity: and she greatly admired metaphors when not too violent, and antitheses when just and happily opposed. By a diligent attention to these particulars, her ears became so practised and so nice, that there was nothing in Greek, Latin, or English prose or verse, which, according to its merits or defects, she did not either reject with disgust, or receive with the highest delight.

The accounts given by other writers entirely coincide with those of Ascham. She read Livy, Cicero, Tacitus, the Greek historians, Sophocles and several orations of Demosthenes and Isocrates, some of which she translated into Latin. She also

studied Seneca, not for the sake of philosophical application, but in order to learn wisdom from it. Greater weight was, however, attached to Christian learning. Elizabeth was well versed in the history of her own country, spoke besides her native language, Latin, French, Italian, and German, and possessed that genuine eloquence which proceeds from the heart, and is not to be acquired by artificial means.

After the death of Edward VI. Elizabeth seriously exerted herself in favour of her elder sister, and was at first much honoured by her, and daily invited to her table; but the coronation of Mary was scarcely over, when she was entirely neglected, and soon afterwards unjustly accused of having been concerned in the insurrection of Wyatt. She was so rigorously confined in the Tower, and treated with so much contempt, that she did not doubt that her death was resolved upon. It is probable that fear of exciting general discontent, rather than a sense of justice, and Philip's intercession, saved her life, and led to the plan of marrying her abroad to the Duke of Savoy. But flattery was as unavailing as threats and danger to overcome her energy and prudence. She would not

consent upon any terms to banish herself, under a specious pretext, and to be separated from England and her rights. A plan to exclude her from the succession to the throne, was eagerly promoted by