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CHAPTER XIX.

1577 TO 1582.

Relations of the queen with France and Spain.-She sends succours to the Dutch-is entertained by Leicester, and celebrated in verse by P. Sidney.-Her visit to Norwich. -Letter of Topcliffe.-Notice of Sir T. Smith.-Magical practices against the queen.-Duke Casimir's visit to England.-Duke of Anjou urges his suit with the queen. -Simier's mission.-Leicester's marriage.-Behaviour of the queen.-A shot fired at her barge.-Her memorable speech.-First visit of Anjou in England.-Opinions of privy-councillors on the match.-Letter of Philip Sidney. -Stubbs's book.-Punishment inflicted on him.-Notice of sir N. Bacon.-Drake's return from his circumnavigation-Jesuit seminaries.—Arrival of a French embassy. -A triumph.-Notice of Fulke Greville.-Marriage treaty with Anjou. His second visit.-His return and death.

ABOUT the middle of the year 1576, Walsingham, in a letter to sir Henry Sidney, thus writes: “Here at home we live in security as we were wont, grounding our quietness upon others' harms." The harms here alluded to, the religious wars of France, and the revolt of the Dutch provinces from Spain, -had proved indeed, in more ways than one, the safeguard of the peace of England. They furnished so much domestic occupation to the two catholic sovereigns of Europe, most formidable by their power, their bigotry and their unprincipled ambi

RELATIONS WITH FRANCE AND SPAIN.

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tion, as effectually to preclude them from uniting their forces to put in execution against Elizabeth the papal sentence of deprivation; and by the opportutunity which theyafforded her of causing incalculable mischiefs to these princes through the succours which she might afford to their rebellious subjects, they long enabled her to restrain both Philip and Charles within the bounds of respect and amity. Butcircumstances were now tending with increased velocity towards a rupture with Spain; and in 1577 the queen of England saw herself compelled to take steps in the affairs of the Low Countries equally offensive to that power and to France.

The states of Holland, after the rejection of their sovereignty by Elizabeth, cast their eyes around in search of another protector; and Charles IX., suffering his ambition and his rivalry with Philip II. to overpower all the vehemence of his zeal for the catholic religion, showed himself eager to become their patron. His brother the duke d'Alençon, doubtless with his concurrence, offered on certain terms to bring a French army for the expulsion of Don John of Austria, governor of the Low Countries; and this proposal he urged with so much importunity, that the Hollanders, notwithstanding their utter antipathy to the royal family of France, seemed likely to accede to it, as the lightest of that variety of evils of which their present situation offered them the choice. But Elizabeth could not view with indifference the progress of a negotiation which might eventually procure to France the annexation of these important provinces; and she encouraged the states to re

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QUEEN SENDS SUCCOURS TO THE DUTCH.

fuse the offers of Alençon by immediately transmitting for their service liberal supplies of arms and money to duke Casimir, son of the Elector Palatine, then at the head of a large body of German protestants in the Low Countries.

At the same time she endeavoured to repress the catholics in her own dominions by a stricter enforcement of the penal laws; and two or three persons in this year suffered capitally for their denial of the queen's supremacy

These steps on the part of Elizabeth threatened to disconcert entirely the plans of the French court; but it still seemed practicable, to the king and to his brother, to produce a change in her measures; and two or three successive embassies arrived in London during the spring and summer of 1578, to renew with fresh earnestness the proposals of marriage on the part of the duke d'Alençon. The earl of Sussex and his party favored this match; Leicester and all the zealous protestants in the court and the nation opposed it. The queen

a Dr. Whitgift, then bishop of Worcester and vice-president of the marches of Wales under Sir Henry Sidney, peculiarly distinguished himself by his activity in detecting secret meetings of catholics for the purpose of hearing mass and practising other rites of their religion. The privy-council, in 'reward of his zeal, promised to direct to him and to some of the Welsh bishops a special com · mission for the trial of these delinquents. They further instructed him, in the case of one Morice who had declined answering directly to certain interrogatories tending to criminate himself in these matters; that if he remained obstinate, and the commissioners saw cause, they might at their discretion cause some kind of torture to be used upon him. The same means he was also desired to take with others; in order to come to a full knowledge of all reconcilements to the church of Rome, and other practices of the papists in these parts. See Strype's Life of Whitgift, p. 83...

SHE IS ENTERTAINED BY LEICESTER.

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"sat arbitress;" and perhaps prolonged her deliberations on the question, for the pleasure of receiving homage more than usually assiduous from both factions.

The favorite, anxious to secure his ascendancy by fresh efforts of gallantry and instances of devotedness, entreated to be indulged in the privilege of entertaining her majesty for several days. at his seat of Wanstead-house; a recent and expensive purchase, which he had been occupied in adorning with a magnificence suited to the ostentatious prodigality of his disposition.

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It was for the entertainment of her majesty on this occasion that Philip Sidney condescended to task a genius worthy of better things with the composition of a mask in celebration of her surpassing beauties and royal virtues; entitled "The Lady of May." In defence of this public act of adulation, the young poet had probably the particular request of his uncle and patron to plead, as well as the common practice of the age; but it must still be mortifying, under any circumstances, to record the abasement of such a spirit to a level with the vulgar herd of Elizabethan flat

terers.

Unsatiated with festivities and homage, the queen continued her progress from Wanstead through the counties of Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk; receiving the attendance of numerous troops of gentry, and making visits in her way to all who felt themselves entitled, or called upon, to solicit with due humility the costly honor of entertaining her. Her train was numerous and brilliant,

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QUEEN'S VISIT TO NORWICH.

and the French ambassadors constantly attended her motions. About the middle of August she arrived at Norwich.

This ancient city, then one of the most considerable in the kingdom, yielded to none in a zealous attachment to protestant principles and to the queen's person; and as its remote situation had rendered the arrival of a royal visitant within its walls an extremely rare occurrence, the magistrates resolved to spare nothing which could contribute to the splendor of her reception.

At the furthest limits of the city she was met by the mayor, who addressed her in a long and very abject Latin oration; in which he was not ashamed to pronounce that the city enjoyed its charters and privileges "by her only clemency." At the conclusion he produced a large silver cup filled with gold pieces, saying, "Sunt hic centum libræ puri auri :" Welcome sounds! which failed not to reach the ear of her gracious majesty, who, lifting up the cover with alacrity, said audibly to the footman to whose care it was delivered; "Look to it, there is a hundred pound." Pageants were set up in the principal streets, of which one had at least the merit of appropriateness; since it accurately represented the various processes employed in those woollen manufactures for which Norwich was already famous.

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Two days after her majesty's arrival, Mercury; in a blue satin doublet lined with cloth of gold, with a hat of the same, garnished with wings, and wings at his feet; appeared under her chamber window in an extraordinarily fine painted coach, and invited

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