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    <Metadata name="Author">Marilee Mongello</Metadata>
    <Metadata name="Content">Queen Elizabeth I: Biography, Portraits with commentary, Primary Sources Elizabeth Tudor 1533 to 1603 The Virgin Queen Gloriana</Metadata>
    <Metadata name="Page_topic">Queen Elizabeth I: Biography, Portraits with commentary, Primary Sources Elizabeth Tudor 1533 to 1603 The Virgin Queen Gloriana</Metadata>
    <Metadata name="Title">Queen Elizabeth I: Biography, Portraits, Primary Sources</Metadata>
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    <Metadata name="dc.Subject">Tudor period|Monarchs</Metadata>
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    &lt;IMG height=98 alt=&quot;Queen Elizabeth I&quot; 
      src=&quot;_httpdocimg_/eliz1-queenuse.gif&quot; width=422&gt;&lt;/td&gt;
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    &lt;img border=&quot;2&quot; src=&quot;_httpdocimg_/eliz1-zuccaro2.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Zuccaro's sketch of Queen Elizabeth I; c1570s; the most authentic likeness of the queen&quot; width=&quot;300&quot; height=&quot;482&quot;&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;
    &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;
    &amp;nbsp;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
      &lt;DIV align=left&gt;Visit
        &lt;a href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=0&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fwww.marileecody.com%2feliz1-images.html&quot;&gt;Elizabethan 
      Images&lt;/a&gt; to view portraits of the queen and her courtiers, with 
      commentary.&lt;BR&gt;Read poems, letters, and speeches by the queen at &lt;A 
      href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=1&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fprimary.html&quot;&gt;Primary 
      Sources&lt;/A&gt;.&lt;/DIV&gt;
      &lt;DIV align=left&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/DIV&gt;
      &lt;DIV align=left&gt;Read ES Beesly's 1892 biography of Queen 
        Elizabeth I at &lt;a href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=1&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fsecondary.html&quot;&gt;
        Secondary Sources&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;Visit &lt;A 
      href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=1&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs%2fboleyn.html&quot;&gt;the Anne 
      Boleyn website&lt;/A&gt; to learn more about Elizabeth's mother.&lt;BR&gt;Visit &lt;A 
      href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=1&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2frelative%2fmaryqos.html&quot;&gt;the Mary, 
      queen of Scots website&lt;/A&gt; to learn more about Elizabeth's 
      cousin.&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;Test your knowledge of Elizabeth's life and times at &lt;A 
      href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=1&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2ftudor1.html&quot;&gt;Tudor 
      Quizzes&lt;/A&gt;.&lt;/DIV&gt;
      &lt;DIV align=left&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/DIV&gt;
      &lt;DIV align=left&gt;Meet other Elizabethan enthusiasts at
        &lt;a href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=0&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fwww.alassea.net%2ffl%2felizabeth&quot;&gt;The Virgin Queen 
        fanlisting&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/DIV&gt;
      &lt;DIV align=left&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/DIV&gt;
      &lt;/td&gt;
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&lt;blockquote&gt;
  &lt;blockquote&gt;
    &lt;blockquote&gt;
      &lt;hr&gt;
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  &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  &lt;p&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;4&quot;&gt;'I cannot but deplore my evil fortune, seeing 
      you have been pleased not only to refuse me your presence, causing me to 
      be declared unworthy of it by your nobles; but also suffered me to be torn 
      in pieces by my rebels.... not allowing me to have copies of their false 
      accusations, or affording me any liberty to accuse 
      them.'&lt;/font&gt;&lt;SMALL&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/font&gt;&lt;I&gt;Mary, queen of Scots to Elizabeth I after the Northern 
      Rebellion&lt;/I&gt;&lt;/SMALL&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;blockquote&gt;
    &lt;blockquote&gt;
      &lt;hr&gt;
      &lt;p&gt;There were three main plots concerning &lt;A 
      href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=1&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2frelative%2fmaryqos.html&quot;&gt;Mary, queen of 
      Scots&lt;/A&gt; - the duke of Norfolk's scheme of 1569, the Throckmorton Plot of 
      1583, and the Babington Plot of 1586.&amp;nbsp; For as long as Mary lived, she 
      was a potential threat to Elizabeth.&amp;nbsp; And since she was now 
      imprisoned on English soil, she was an even greater menace.&amp;nbsp; Domestic 
      enemies of the queen made no secret of their admiration for Mary 
      Stuart.&amp;nbsp; And foreign ambassadors often communicated secretly with 
      her, particularly the French and Spanish ambassadors.&amp;nbsp; As a former 
      queen of France, Mary had many friends in that country.&amp;nbsp; And as a 
      Catholic queen, she was friendly with the increasingly pious Philip II of 
      Spain.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/p&gt;
      &lt;P&gt;Elizabeth was always of two minds regarding her cousin.&amp;nbsp; She 
      recognized the danger which Mary represented, but she was acutely 
      conscious of Mary's status as a sovereign queen unlawfully deposed by her 
      subjects.&amp;nbsp; She could not impugn her cousin's dignity without risking 
      damage to the ideal of royal prerogative.&amp;nbsp; The trick was to deprive 
      Mary of her standing as a sovereign.&amp;nbsp; Mary's own behavior, in 
      Scotland and England, gave Elizabeth a distinct advantage.&amp;nbsp; Even 
      staunch Catholic allies were troubled by Mary's reported crimes.&amp;nbsp; 
      Perhaps she was innocent of complicity in her second husband's murder, but 
      she had married James Hepburn, the earl of Bothwell in a Protestant ceremony.&amp;nbsp; And the 
      evidence of the 'Casket Letters' (now believed to be false) supported the 
      theory that Mary and Bothwell had an adulterous affair and then plotted 
      Darnley's murder.&amp;nbsp; This erosion of Mary's reputation necessarily 
      alienated her moderate supporters.&amp;nbsp; But for the extremists, such flaws 
      could be overlooked for the greater good of overthrowing the heretic 
      Elizabeth.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/P&gt;
      &lt;P&gt;At first, Mary was content to avoid plotting against her cousin.&amp;nbsp; 
      But when it became clear that Elizabeth would not help her return to 
      Scotland, she was forced into a corner.&amp;nbsp; She wrote constantly to the 
      English queen, begging for a personal meeting, much as Elizabeth had 
      requested an audience with Mary I.&amp;nbsp; Elizabeth refused.&amp;nbsp; Mary was 
      originally placed in the care of the wealthy earl of Shrewsbury and his 
      formidable wife, Bess of Hardwick.&amp;nbsp; She was kept in comfortable 
      quarters, with a large retinue of servants and accorded respect as a 
      sovereign queen; she even ate beneath a cloth of estate.&amp;nbsp; But she was 
      essentially a prisoner and no material comforts could obscure that 
      essential fact. &lt;/P&gt;
      &lt;P&gt;
      &lt;IMG height=229 
      alt=&quot;portrait of Elizabeth I's cousin, Mary queen of Scots&quot; 
      src=&quot;_httpdocimg_/eliz4-four.jpg&quot; width=155 border=2 align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;Those early years in England were spent in various hearings and 
      meetings, with Mary proclaiming her innocence of Darnley's murder and the 
      duplicity of her Scottish nobles.&amp;nbsp; When these ended with her freedom 
      still denied, she became understandably bitter.&amp;nbsp; She had been 
      condemned to prison without a fair hearing, with no end in sight.&amp;nbsp; 
      For a lively young woman who had always lived openly and passionately, 
      with as great a love of the outdoors as Elizabeth, used to being her 
      own mistress and the former queen of two countries, the situation was intolerable.&amp;nbsp; She was only 25 years 
      old when she arrived in England and all of her natural energy and 
      enthusiasm became fixed upon one goal - freedom. &lt;/P&gt;
      &lt;P&gt;She was essentially powerless.&amp;nbsp; And so she turned to subterfuge, 
      relying upon a small network of Catholic and foreign allies.&amp;nbsp; This 
      was surprisingly successful.&amp;nbsp; She gained important news from the 
      continent and Elizabeth's court.&amp;nbsp; But Shrewsbury complained 
      incessantly about the expense of Mary's imprisonment and Elizabeth's 
      councilors complained about her ceaseless correspondence with 
      Catholics.&amp;nbsp; And so she was eventually removed from Shrewsbury's care 
      into less comfortable quarters. &amp;nbsp;This had the paradoxical effect of 
      encouraging more plotting on Mary's part. &amp;nbsp;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;/P&gt;
      &lt;P&gt;After the plot to marry Norfolk and the Northern Rebellion failed in 
      1569, Mary increasingly turned to her foreign supporters. &amp;nbsp;They were 
      able to provide crucial encouragement as well as the names of trusted 
      English sympathizers. &amp;nbsp;In 1583, the second serious plan to free Mary 
      and kill Elizabeth was discovered. &amp;nbsp;It is known as the 'Throckmorton 
      Plot', after its leader Sir Francis Throckmorton. &amp;nbsp;A well-born 
      Catholic Englishman, Throckmorton was given money and guidance by the 
      French prince, the duc de Guise. &amp;nbsp;De Guise wished to invade Scotland 
      and England simultaneously, murder Elizabeth with the assistance of 
      English Catholics, and then place Mary on the throne. &amp;nbsp;Elizabeth's 
      great spymaster Sir Francis Walsingham was notoriously suspicious, a trait 
      which most (including Elizabeth) often condemned. &amp;nbsp;But in this case, 
      his prudence, and an agent named Fagot, foiled the plot. &amp;nbsp;The 30 year 
      old Throckmorton was arrested and tortured on the rack before confessing 
      everything. &amp;nbsp;He was executed at Tyburn on 10 July 1584. &amp;nbsp;Based 
      upon his confession, the complicity of the Spanish ambassador Bernadino de 
      Mendoza was discovered; he was expelled from England in January 1584.&lt;BR&gt;&lt;/P&gt;
      &lt;P&gt;In June 1584, even as Throckmorton awaited execution, the Protestant leader William of Orange was assassinated 
      at Delft by a Catholic. &amp;nbsp;Elizabeth's councilors became even more terrified for 
      her safety. &amp;nbsp;It did not help matters that France was in the midst of 
      terrible religious turmoil. &amp;nbsp;Catherine de Medici had sought to 
      placate both parties by tolerating Protestant services; she also married 
      her daughter Marguerite to the Protestant prince Henri of Navarre in 1572. 
      &amp;nbsp;The St Bartholomew's Day Massacre was the result. &amp;nbsp;Henri had 
      saved his own life by renouncing Protestantism, but in 1576 he was able to 
      escape imprisonment and publicly embraced his faith again. &amp;nbsp;In 1584, 
      King Henri III of France named Henri of Navarre his heir presumptive. 
      &amp;nbsp;None of Catherine de Medici's sons had produced a male heir and so the 
      throne would pass to a Protestant king.&lt;/P&gt;
      &lt;P&gt;This decision led to 'The War of the Three Henrys' and, indirectly, 
      Henri III's assassination in 1589 by a Catholic fanatic, Jacques Clement.&amp;nbsp; 
      Henri of Navarre was then 
      crowned king of France, but was forced to fight against the Catholic 
      League. &amp;nbsp;He could not enter Paris until 1594, after once again 
      renouncing his faith with the famous remark, 'Paris is well worth a Mass.' 
      &amp;nbsp;But he continued at war with Spain for several more years and 
      embarked upon a policy of religious toleration which culminated in the 
      Edict of Nantes in 1598.&lt;BR&gt;&lt;/P&gt;
      &lt;P&gt;Elizabeth and her council carefully considered the events in France. 
      &amp;nbsp;There were three great Protestant leaders in Europe - Elizabeth I 
      (however unwilling she was to accept the role), William of Orange, and 
      Henri of Navarre. &amp;nbsp;Of the three, William was assassinated in 1584 and 
      Navarre was once again forced to convert. &amp;nbsp;Elizabeth survived 
      unscathed, but the Throckmorton plot was a very troubling development. 
      &amp;nbsp;It meant that foreign powers were determined to destroy her; there 
      would be no more marriage proposals, only a shadowy network of 
      plots.&lt;BR&gt;&lt;/P&gt;
      &lt;P&gt;In October, Cecil and Walsingham were concerned enough to draft the 
      'Bond of Association', a document which pledged protection of the queen 
      and destruction of her enemies. &amp;nbsp;Walsingham was now secretary of 
      state, having assumed the more onerous duties of that office from Cecil in 
      1568; his focus was primarily on diplomacy and espionage. &amp;nbsp;In January 
      1585, he arranged for Mary, queen of Scots to be moved to Tutbury Castle.&amp;nbsp; 
      Her personal papers were minutely examined during the process, without her 
      knowledge. Walsingham wished to know all, but without rousing Mary's 
      suspicions.&lt;/P&gt;
      &lt;P&gt;Elizabeth approved of these plans. &amp;nbsp;She was personally courageous 
      and refused to alter her many public appearances for fear of an assassin. 
      &amp;nbsp;This caused her councilors many sleepless nights. &amp;nbsp;But they 
      could not help but admire her bravery. &amp;nbsp;She also took to keeping a 
      small sword beneath her pillow in case of an attack. &amp;nbsp;It was her only 
      sign of distress and perfectly in keeping with her pragmatic approach to 
      life. &amp;nbsp;The assassins might come, but she would be armed and ready to 
      fight&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;In February 1585, Parliament banished Catholic priests and 
      ordered the return of all Englishmen studying at seminaries abroad. 
      &amp;nbsp;The 'Bond of&lt;img border=&quot;2&quot; src=&quot;_httpdocimg_/eliz1-bettes1.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Elizabeth I, painted by John Bettes the Younger, c1580s&quot; align=&quot;right&quot; width=&quot;350&quot; height=&quot;478&quot;&gt; Association' was also given legal force, which meant 
      that noncompliance with its terms would be a treasonable offense. &amp;nbsp;It 
      would be officially ratified by Parliament in July 1586. &amp;nbsp;And in May, 
      relations with Spain deteriorated further when Philip II ordered the 
      seizure of English ships in Atlantic ports. &amp;nbsp;Three months later, 
      England signed the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of Alliance at Nonsuch Palace, in 
      which Elizabeth pledged military assistance to the Protestant Dutch 
      rebellion against Spain. &amp;nbsp;Almost 7000 English soldiers under the 
      command of Robert Dudley immediately left for the Netherlands.&lt;/P&gt;
      &lt;P&gt;It was clear to everyone that conflict between England and Spain was 
      fast becoming inevitable. &amp;nbsp;As much as she preferred to prevaricate 
      and remain neutral, Elizabeth was being forced to choose sides. &amp;nbsp;The 
      problem of Mary, queen of Scots only encouraged Elizabeth's support for 
      the Protestant cause.&lt;/P&gt;
      &lt;P&gt;In December 1585, Mary was moved to Chartley Manor. &amp;nbsp;Walsingham 
      knew she was plotting again, this time with increasing desperation. 
      &amp;nbsp;Throckmorton's failure had shaken her badly, though she professed 
      innocence. &amp;nbsp;Her exact role in that conspiracy remains unclear; it is 
      possible she only knew of it, but did not actively encourage it. &amp;nbsp;But 
      she did enthusiastically support the treason of another English Catholic, 
      a young man named Sir Anthony Babington.&lt;BR&gt;&lt;/P&gt;
      &lt;P&gt;Another well-born Englishman, Babington had served as a page in 
      Shrewsbury's household during the early years of Mary's imprisonment. 
      &amp;nbsp;His romanticized memories of the queen, as well as his passionate 
      Catholicism, made him susceptible to the plans of Thomas Morgan, one of 
      Mary's trusted agents. &amp;nbsp;In 1580, the 19 year old Babington was 
      traveling in France when he met Morgan. &amp;nbsp;After he returned to 
      England, he became increasingly associated with Mary's admirers, 
      eventually smuggling letters from the French embassy to the imprisoned 
      queen. 
      &amp;nbsp;Babington was only a half-hearted conspirator, but Walsingham was 
      content to use him to lure Mary into a final trap. &amp;nbsp;When Babington 
      learned the Catholic priest Ballard planned to murder Elizabeth, he tried 
      to escape abroad but Walsingham refused him a passport. &amp;nbsp;Babington 
      was frantic and turned to a friend for advice, confessing everything. 
      &amp;nbsp;His friend then ran to Walsingham with the information. &amp;nbsp;But 
      the queen's secretary of state did not act at once. &amp;nbsp;He sensed this 
      was his best opportunity to catch Mary in the act, so to speak, and with 
      enough evidence to finally convince Elizabeth of her cousin's complicity. 
      &amp;nbsp;The queen's refusal to condemn Mary was no longer a benevolent 
      quirk; for her councilors, it was a matter of life and death.&lt;BR&gt;&lt;/P&gt;
      &lt;P&gt;Walsingham had soon collected a number of letters between Morgan, Mary, 
      and Babington. &amp;nbsp;And in one of those, Mary explicitly approved the 
      murder of Elizabeth. &amp;nbsp;It was this letter that Walsingham needed. 
      &amp;nbsp;When confronted with it, Elizabeth was at first disbelieving and 
      then angry. &amp;nbsp;She approved of moving Mary to Fotheringhay Castle and 
      sending a commission of statesmen there to investigate the Babington Plot. 
      &amp;nbsp;She also sent along a letter to be delivered to her captive cousin. 
      &amp;nbsp;It read:&lt;BR&gt;&lt;/P&gt;
      &lt;BLOCKQUOTE&gt;
        &lt;p&gt;You have in various ways and manners attempted to take my 
        life and to bring my kingdom to destruction by bloodshed. I have never 
        proceeded so harshly against you, but have, on the contrary, protected 
        and maintained you like myself. These treasons will be proved to you and 
        all made manifest. Yet it is my will, that you answer the nobles and 
        peers of the kingdom as if I were myself present. I therefore require, 
        charge, and command that you make answer for I have been well informed 
        of your arrogance. &lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Act plainly without reserve, 
        and you will sooner be able to obtain favour of me. 
        &lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Elizabeth.&lt;BR&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
      &lt;/BLOCKQUOTE&gt;
      &lt;p&gt;Mary defended herself at 
      the resulting trial; her most potent argument was that she was a sovereign 
      queen and thus not liable to the laws of England. &amp;nbsp;She also denied 
      ever plotting the death of Elizabeth. &amp;nbsp;But it was too late. &amp;nbsp;She 
      was condemned to death. &amp;nbsp;Elizabeth at first refused to sign the 
      warrant for execution, much as she had earlier with Norfolk. &amp;nbsp;It was 
      an agonizing decision. &amp;nbsp;There is a possibility she was tricked into 
      signing it. &amp;nbsp;Mary was finally beheaded on 8 February 1587. &amp;nbsp;On 
      the 14th, Elizabeth sent the following letter to Mary's son, King James VI 
      of Scotland:&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;
      &lt;/p&gt;
      &lt;BLOCKQUOTE&gt;
        &lt;p&gt;My dear Brother, I would you knew (though not felt) the 
        extreme dolor that overwhelms my mind, for that miserable accident which 
        (far contrary to my meaning) hath befallen. I have now sent this kinsman 
        of mine, whom ere now it hath pleased you to favour, to instruct you 
        truly of that which is too irksome for my pen to tell you. I beseech you 
        that as God and many more know, how innocent I am in this case : so you 
        will believe me, that if I had bid aught I would have bid by it. I am 
        not so base minded that fear of any living creature or Prince should 
        make me so afraid to do that were just; or done, to deny the same. I am 
        not of so base a lineage, nor carry so vile a mind. But, as not to 
        disguise, fits not a King, so will I never dissemble my actions, but 
        cause them show even as I meant them. Thus assuring yourself of me, that 
        as I know this was deserved, yet if I had meant it I would never lay it 
        on others' shoulders; no more will I not damnify myself that thought it 
        not. &lt;BR&gt;The circumstance it may please you to have of this bearer. And 
        for your part, think you have not in the world a more loving kinswoman, 
        nor a more dear friend than myself; nor any that will watch more 
        carefully to preserve you and your estate. And who shall otherwise 
        persuade you, judge them more partial to others than you. And thus in 
        haste I leave to trouble you:&amp;nbsp; beseeching God to send you a long 
        reign. &lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Your most assured loving sister and 
        cousin, &lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Elizabeth R.&lt;/p&gt;
      &lt;/BLOCKQUOTE&gt;
      &lt;p&gt;Elizabeth had been 
      queen for almost thirty years, surviving numerous obstacles and 
      conspiracies. &amp;nbsp;Her councilors now believed the greatest threat to her 
      reign was over. &amp;nbsp;But they were wrong, as the momentous events of 1588 
      would soon prove.&lt;/p&gt;
      &lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
      &lt;CENTER&gt;
      &lt;P align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;B&gt;
      &lt;a href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=1&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs%2feliz5.html&quot;&gt;CONTINUE 
      READING&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/B&gt; &lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/P&gt;
      &lt;P align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;FONT size=-1&gt;&lt;A 
      href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=1&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs.html&quot;&gt;to Tudor 
      Monarchs&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;
      &lt;a href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=1&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs%2feliz3.html&quot;&gt;back to Queen 
      Elizabeth I, part three&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;B&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;/B&gt;&lt;/P&gt;
      &lt;P&gt;&lt;b&gt;Visit the &lt;a href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=0&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fwww.marileecody.com%2fmaryqosimages.html&quot;&gt;Mary, 
      queen of Scots Images site&lt;/a&gt; to view portraits of the queen, with 
      commentary.&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/P&gt;
      &lt;/CENTER&gt;
     

    &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  &lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;/blockquote&gt;



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