love and freindship-第14部分

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is　Wife；　for　if　Perkin　Warbeck　was　really　the　Duke　of　York；　why　might　not　Lambert　Simnel　be　the　Widow　of　Richard。　　Whether　innocent　or　guilty；　he　did　not　reign　long　in　peace；　for　Henry　Tudor　E。　of　Richmond　as　great　a　villain　as　ever　lived；　made　a　great　fuss　about　getting　the　Crown　and　having　killed　the　King　at　the　battle　of　Bosworth；　he　succeeded　to　it。


HENRY　the　7th

This　Monarch　soon　after　his　accession　married　the　Princess　Elizabeth　of　York；　by　which　alliance　he　plainly　proved　that　he　thought　his　own　right　inferior　to　hers；　tho'　he　pretended　to　the　contrary。　　By　this　Marriage　he　had　two　sons　and　two　daughters；　the　elder　of　which　Daughters　was　married　to　the　King　of　Scotland　and　had　the　happiness　of　being　grandmother　to　one　of　the　first　Characters　in　the　World。　　But　of　HER；　I　shall　have　occasion　to　speak　more　at　large　in　future。　　The　youngest；　Mary；　married　first　the　King　of　France　and　secondly　the　D。　of　Suffolk；　by　whom　she　had　one　daughter；　afterwards　the　Mother　of　Lady　Jane　Grey；　who　tho'　inferior　to　her　lovely　Cousin　the　Queen　of　Scots；　was　yet　an　amiable　young　woman　and　famous　for　reading　Greek　while　other　people　were　hunting。　　It　was　in　the　reign　of　Henry　the　7th　that　Perkin　Warbeck　and　Lambert　Simnel　before　mentioned　made　their　appearance；　the　former　of　whom　was　set　in　the　stocks；　took　shelter　in　Beaulieu　Abbey；　and　was　beheaded　with　the　Earl　of　Warwick；　and　the　latter　was　taken　into　the　Kings　kitchen。　　His　Majesty　died　and　was　succeeded　by　his　son　Henry　whose　only　merit　was　his　not　being　quite　so　bad　as　his　daughter　Elizabeth。


HENRY　the　8th

It　would　be　an　affront　to　my　Readers　were　I　to　suppose　that　they　were　not　as　well　acquainted　with　the　particulars　of　this　King's　reign　as　I　am　myself。　　It　will　therefore　be　saving　THEM　the　task　of　reading　again　what　they　have　read　before；　and　MYSELF　the　trouble　of　writing　what　I　do　not　perfectly　recollect；　by　giving　only　a　slight　sketch　of　the　principal　Events　which　marked　his　reign。　　Among　these　may　be　ranked　Cardinal　Wolsey's　telling　the　father　Abbott　of　Leicester　Abbey　that　〃he　was　come　to　lay　his　bones　among　them；〃　the　reformation　in　Religion　and　the　King's　riding　through　the　streets　of　London　with　Anna　Bullen。　　It　is　however　but　Justice；　and　my　Duty　to　declare　that　this　amiable　Woman　was　entirely　innocent　of　the　Crimes　with　which　she　was　accused；　and　of　which　her　Beauty；　her　Elegance；　and　her　Sprightliness　were　sufficient　proofs；　not　to　mention　her　solemn　Protestations　of　Innocence；　the　weakness　of　the　Charges　against　her；　and　the　King's　Character；　all　of　which　add　some　confirmation；　tho'　perhaps　but　slight　ones　when　in　comparison　with　those　before　alledged　in　her　favour。　　Tho'　I　do　not　profess　giving　many　dates；　yet　as　I　think　it　proper　to　give　some　and　shall　of　course　make　choice　of　those　which　it　is　most　necessary　for　the　Reader　to　know；　I　think　it　right　to　inform　him　that　her　letter　to　the　King　was　dated　on　the　6th　of　May。　　The　Crimes　and　Cruelties　of　this　Prince；　were　too　numerous　to　be　mentioned；　（as　this　history　I　trust　has　fully　shown；）　and　nothing　can　be　said　in　his　vindication；　but　that　his　abolishing　Religious　Houses　and　leaving　them　to　the　ruinous　depredations　of　time　has　been　of　infinite　use　to　the　landscape　of　England　in　general；　which　probably　was　a　principal　motive　for　his　doing　it；　since　otherwise　why　should　a　Man　who　was　of　no　Religion　himself　be　at　so　much　trouble　to　abolish　one　which　had　for　ages　been　established　in　the　Kingdom。　　His　Majesty's　5th　Wife　was　the　Duke　of　Norfolk's　Neice　who；　tho'　universally　acquitted　of　the　crimes　for　which　she　was　beheaded；　has　been　by　many　people　supposed　to　have　led　an　abandoned　life　before　her　Marriageof　this　however　I　have　many　doubts；　since　she　was　a　relation　of　that　noble　Duke　of　Norfolk　who　was　so　warm　in　the　Queen　of　Scotland's　cause；　and　who　at　last　fell　a　victim　to　it。　　The　Kings　last　wife　contrived　to　survive　him；　but　with　difficulty　effected　it。　　He　was　succeeded　by　his　only　son　Edward。


EDWARD　the　6th

As　this　prince　was　only　nine　years　old　at　the　time　of　his　Father's　death；　he　was　considered　by　many　people　as　too　young　to　govern；　and　the　late　King　happening　to　be　of　the　same　opinion；　his　mother's　Brother　the　Duke　of　Somerset　was　chosen　Protector　of　the　realm　during　his　minority。　This　Man　was　on　the　whole　of　a　very　amiable　Character；　and　is　somewhat　of　a　favourite　with　me；　tho'　I　would　by　no　means　pretend　to　affirm　that　he　was　equal　to　those　first　of　Men　Robert　Earl　of　Essex；　Delamere；　or　Gilpin。　　He　was　beheaded；　of　which　he　might　with　reason　have　been　proud；　had　he　known　that　such　was　the　death　of　Mary　Queen　of　Scotland；　but　as　it　was　impossible　that　he　should　be　conscious　of　what　had　never　happened；　it　does　not　appear　that　he　felt　particularly　delighted　with　the　manner　of　it。　　After　his　decease　the　Duke　of　Northumberland　had　the　care　of　the　King　and　the　Kingdom；　and　performed　his　trust　of　both　so　well　that　the　King　died　and　the　Kingdom　was　left　to　his　daughter　in　law　the　Lady　Jane　Grey；　who　has　been　already　mentioned　as　reading　Greek。　Whether　she　really　understood　that　language　or　whether　such　a　study　proceeded　only　from　an　excess　of　vanity　for　which　I　beleive　she　was　always　rather　remarkable；　is　uncertain。　　Whatever　might　be　the　cause；　she　preserved　the　same　appearance　of　knowledge；　and　contempt　of　what　was　generally　esteemed　pleasure；　during　the　whole　of　her　life；　for　she　declared　herself　displeased　with　being　appointed　Queen；　and　while　conducting　to　the　scaffold；　she　wrote　a　sentence　in　Latin　and　another　in　Greek　on　seeing　the　dead　Body　of　her　Husband　accidentally　passing　that　way。


MARY

This　woman　had　the　good　luck　of　being　advanced　to　the　throne　of　England；　in　spite　of　the　superior　pretensions；　Merit；　and　Beauty　of　her　Cousins　Mary　Queen　of　Scotland　and　Jane　Grey。　　Nor　can　I　pity　the　Kingdom　for　the　misfortunes　they　experienced　during　her　Reign；　since　they　fully　deserved　them；　for　having　allowed　her　to　succeed　her　Brotherwhich　was　a　double　peice　of　folly；　since　they　might　have　foreseen　that　as　she　died　without　children；　she　would　be　succeeded　by　that　disgrace　to　humanity；　that　pest　of　society；　Elizabeth。　　Many　were　the　people　who　fell　martyrs　to　the　protestant　Religion　during　her　reign；　I　suppose　not　fewer　than　a　dozen。　　She　married　Philip　King　of　Spain　who　in　her　sister's　reign　was　famous　for　building　Armadas。　　She　died　without　issue；　and　then　the　dreadful　moment　came　in　which　the　destroyer　of　all　comfort；　the　deceitful　Betrayer　of　trust　reposed　in　her；　and　the　Murderess　of　her　Cousin　succeeded　to　the　Throne。


ELIZABETH

It　was　the　peculiar　misfortune　of　this　Woman　to　have　bad　Ministers…Since　wicked　as　she　herself　was；　she　could　not　have　committed　such　extensive　mischeif；　had　not　these　vile　and　abandoned　Men　connived　at；　and　encouraged　her　in　her　Crimes。　　I　know　that　it　has　by　many　people　been　asserted　and　beleived　that　Lord　Burleigh；　Sir　Francis　Walsingham；　and　the　rest　of　those　who　filled　the　cheif　offices　of　State　were　deserving；　experienced；　and　able　Ministers。　　But　oh！　　how　blinded　such　writers　and　such　Readers　must　be　to　true　Merit；　to　Merit　despised；　neglected　and　defamed；　if　they　can　persist　in　such　opinions　when　they　reflect　that　these　men；　these　boasted　men　were　such　scandals　to　their　Country　and　their　sex　as　to　allow　and　assist　their　Queen　in　confining　for　the　space　of　nineteen　years；　a　WOMAN　who　if　the　claims　of　Relationship　and　Merit　were　of　no　avail；　yet　as　a　Queen　and　as　one　who　condescended　to　place　confidence　in　her；　had　every　reason　to　expect　assistance　and　protection；　and　at　length　in　allowing　Elizabeth　to　bring　this　amiable　Woman　to　an　untimely；　unmerited；　and　scandalous　Death。　　Can　any　one　if　he　reflects　but　for　a　moment　on　this　blot；　this　everlasting　blot　upon　their　understanding　and　their　Character；　allow　any　praise　to　Lord　Burleigh　or　Sir　Francis　Walsingham？　Oh！　　what　must　this　bewitching　Princess　whose　only　freind　was　then　the　Duke　of　Norfolk；　and　whose　only　ones　now　Mr　Whitaker；　Mrs　Lefroy；　Mrs　Knight　and　myself；　who　was　abandoned　by　her　son；　confined　by　her　Cousin；　abused；　reproached　and　vilified　by　all；　what　must　not　her　most　noble　mind　have　suffered　when　informed　that　Elizabeth　had　given　orders　for　her　Death！　　Yet　she　bore　it　with　a　most　unshaken　fortitude；　firm　in　her　mind；　constant　in　her　Religion；　and　prepared　herself　to　meet　the　cruel　fate　to　which　she　was　doomed；　with　a　magnanimity　that　would　alone　proceed　from　conscious　Innocence。　　And　yet　could　you　Reader　have　beleived　it　possible　that　some　hardened　and　zealous　Protestants　have　even　abused　her　for　that　steadfastness　in　the　Catholic　Religion　which　reflected　on　her　so　much　credit？　But　this　is　a　striking　proof　of　THEIR　narrow　souls　and　prejudiced　Judgements　who　accuse　her。　　She　was　executed　in　the　Great　Hall　at　Fortheringay　Castle　（sacred　Place！）　on　Wednesday　the　8th　of　February　1586to　the　everlasting　Reproach　of　Elizabeth；　her　Ministers；　and　of　England　in　general。　It　may　not　be　unnecessary　before　I　entirely　conclude　my　account　of　this　ill…fated　Queen；　to　observe　that　she　had　been　accused　of　several　crimes　during　the　time　of　her　reigning　in　Scotland；　of　which　I　now　most　seriously　do　assure　my　Reader　that　she　was　entirely　innocent；　having　never　been　guilty　of　anything　more　than　Imprudencies　into　whi