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15 <Metadata name="Content">biography of Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603) by Edward Spencer Beesly, 1892</Metadata>
16 <Metadata name="Page_topic">biography of Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603) by Edward Spencer Beesly, 1892</Metadata>
17 <Metadata name="Author">Marilee Mongello</Metadata>
18 <Metadata name="Title">Secondary Sources: Queen Elizabeth by Edward Spencer Beesly, 1892: Chapter III</Metadata>
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35
36&lt;table border=&quot;0&quot; cellpadding=&quot;3&quot; width=&quot;100%&quot; height=&quot;667&quot;&gt;
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48 &lt;td width=&quot;25%&quot; height=&quot;610&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;
49 &lt;td valign=&quot;top&quot; width=&quot;50%&quot; height=&quot;610&quot;&gt;
50 &lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;7&quot;&gt;Queen Elizabeth&lt;br&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/b&gt;
51 &lt;font size=&quot;4&quot;&gt;by Edward Spencer Beesly, 1892&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
52 &lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;
53 &lt;img border=&quot;2&quot; src=&quot;_httpdocimg_/eliz1-ermine.jpg&quot; width=&quot;400&quot; height=&quot;478&quot; alt=&quot;'The Ermine Portrait' of Elizabeth I, c1585, by Nicholas Hilliard&quot;&gt;&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;
54 &lt;i&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;'The Ermine Portrait' of Elizabeth I, c1585, by Nicholas
55 Hilliard;&lt;br&gt;from the &lt;a href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=0&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fwww.marileecody.com%2feliz1-images.html&quot;&gt;Portraits of Queen Elizabeth I&lt;/a&gt; website&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/td&gt;
56 &lt;td width=&quot;25%&quot; height=&quot;610&quot;&gt;&lt;/td&gt;
57 &lt;/tr&gt;
58&lt;/table&gt;
59&lt;blockquote&gt;
60 &lt;blockquote&gt;
61 &lt;font style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;
62 &lt;font style=&quot;font-family: Times New Roman&quot;&gt;&lt;/font&gt;
63 &lt;font style=&quot;font-family: Times New Roman&quot;&gt;&lt;/font&gt;
64 &lt;font style=&quot;font-family: Times New Roman&quot;&gt;
65 &lt;div align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;
66 &lt;b&gt;CHAPTER III&lt;br&gt;FOREIGN RELATIONS: 1559-1563&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
67 &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;THE successful wars waged by Edward III and Henry V are
68 apt to cause an exaggerated estimate of the strength of England under the
69 Tudors. The population--Wales included--was probably not much more than four
70 millions. That of France was perhaps four times as large, and the
71 superiority in wealth was even greater. Before the reign of Louis XI.,
72 France, weakened by feudal disunion, had been an easy prey to her smaller
73 but better-organised neighbour. The work of concentration effected by the
74 greatest of French kings towards the close of the fifteenth century, and the
75 simultaneous rise of the great Spanish empire, caused England to fall at
76 once into the rank of a second-rate power. Such she really was under Henry
77 VIII., notwithstanding the rather showy figure he managed to make by
78 adhering alternately to Charles v. and Francis I. Under the bad government
79 of Edward and Mary the fighting strength of England declined not only
80 relatively, but absolutely, until in the last year of Mary it touched the
81 lowest point in our history. Although we were at war with France, there were
82 no soldiers, no officers, no arms, no fortresses that could resist
83 artillery, few ships, a heavy debt, and deep discouragement. The loss of
84 Calais, which had been held for 200 years, was the simple and natural
85 consequence of this prostration. Justice will not be done to the great
86 recovery under Elizabeth unless we understand how low the country had sunk
87 when she came to the throne. &lt;/p&gt;
88 &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;During the early years of her reign, it was the universal
89 opinion at home and abroad that without Spanish protection she could not
90 preserve her throne against a French invasion in the interests of Mary
91 Stuart. Henry II. meant that, by the marriage of the Dauphin Francis with
92 Mary, the kingdoms of England and Scotland should be united to one another
93 and eventually to France. Philip would thus lose the command of the sea
94 route to the Netherlands, and the hereditary duel with the House of Austria
95 would be decided. This scheme could not seem fantastic in a century which
96 had seen such immense agglomerations of territory effected by political
97 marriages. Philip, on the other hand, made sure that the danger from France
98 must necessarily throw Elizabeth and England into his arms. Notwithstanding
99 the warnings he received from his ambassador Feria that Elizabeth was a
100 heretic, he felt certain that she would not venture to alter religion at the
101 risk of offending him. The only question with him was whether he should
102 marry her himself or bestow her on some sure friend of his house. That she
103 would refuse both himself and his nominee was a contingency he never
104 contemplated. &lt;/p&gt;
105 &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;Elizabeth, from the first, made up her mind that the cards
106 in her hand could be played to more advantage than Philip supposed. England,
107 no doubt, needed his protection for the present. But could he please himself
108 about granting it? Her bold calculation was that his own interests would
109 compel him, in any case, to prevent the execution of the Stuart-Valois
110 scheme, and that consequently she might settle religion without reference to
111 his wishes. &lt;/p&gt;
112 &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;The offer of marriage came in January 1559. In his letter to
113 Feria, Philip spoke as if Elizabeth would of course jump at it. After
114 dwelling on its many inconveniences, he said he had decided to make the
115 sacrifice on condition that Elizabeth would uphold the Catholic religion;
116 but she must not expect him to remain long with her; he would visit England
117 occasionally. Feria foolishly allowed this letter to be seen, and the
118 contents were reported to Elizabeth. She was as much amused as piqued. Their
119 ages were not unsuitable. Philip was thirty-two, and Elizabeth was
120 twenty-five. But she was as fastidious about men as her father was about
121 women; and for no political consideration would she have tied herself to her
122 ugly, disagreeable, little brother-in-law. After some fencing, she replied
123 that she did not mean to marry, and that she was not afraid of France. &lt;/p&gt;
124 &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;Before the death of Mary, negotiations for a peace between
125 France, Spain, and England had already begun. Calais was almost the only
126 difficulty remaining to be settled. Our countrymen have never been able &lt;/p&gt;
127 &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;to understand how their possession of a fortress within the
128 natural boundaries of another country can be disagreeable to its
129 inhabitants. Elizabeth shared the national feeling, and she wanted Philip to
130 insist on the restitution of Calais. He would have done so if she had
131 pleased him as to other matters. Even as it was, the presence of a French
132 garrison in Calais was so inconvenient to the master of the Netherlands that
133 he was ready to fight on if England would do her part. But Elizabeth would
134 only promise to fight Scotland--a very indirect and, indeed, useless way of
135 supporting Philip. When once this point was made clear, peace was soon
136 concluded between the three powers at Câteau, near Cambray (March 1559);
137 appearances being saved by a stipulation that Calais should be restored in
138 eight years, or half a million of crowns be forfeited. &lt;/p&gt;
139 &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;In thus giving way Elizabeth showed her good sense. To have
140 fought on would have meant deeper debt, terrible exhaustion, and, what was
141 worse, dependence on Philip. Moreover, Calais could only have been recovered
142 by reducing France to helplessness, which would have been fatal to the
143 balance of power on which Elizabeth relied to make herself independent of
144 both her great neighbours. The peace of Câteau Cambresis was attended with a
145 secret compact between Philip II. and Henry II., that each monarch should
146 suppress heresy in his own dominions and not encourage it in those of his
147 neighbour. By the accession of Elizabeth, and the Scotch Reformation which
148 immediately followed, Protestantism reached its highwater mark in Europe.
149 The long wars of Charles V with France had enabled it to spread. Francis I.
150 had intrigued with the Protestant princes of the Empire, and Charles had
151 been obliged to humour them. Protestantism was victorious in Britain,
152 Scandinavia, North Germany, the Palatinate, and Swabia. It had spread widely
153 in Poland, Hungary, the Netherlands, and France. This rapid growth was now
154 about to be checked. In some of these countries the new religion was
155 destined to succumb; in some entirely to disappear. Men who could remember
156 the first preachings of Luther lived to see not only the high-water, but the
157 ebb, of the Protestant tide. The revolutionary tendencies inherent in
158 Protestantism began to alarm the sovereigns; and all the more because the
159 Church in Catholic, hardly less than in Protestant, countries was becoming a
160 department of the State. Kings had been jealous of the spiritual power when
161 it belonged to the Popes. They became jealous for it when it was annexed to
162 the throne. &lt;/p&gt;
163 &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;Notwithstanding its secret stipulations, the peace of Câteau
164 Cambresis relieved England from the most pressing and immediate perils by
165 which she was threatened. Neither French nor Spanish troops had made their
166 appearance on our soil. A breathing-time at least had been gained, during
167 which something might be done towards putting the country in a state of
168 defence, and restoring the finances. &lt;/p&gt;
169 &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;But the danger from France was by no means at an end. In the
170 treaty with England, the title of Elizabeth had been acknowledged. But in
171 that with Spain, the Dauphin had styled himself &amp;quot;King of Scotland, England,
172 and Ireland.&amp;quot; He and Mary had also assumed the English arms. If a French
173 army invaded England, it would come by way of Scotland. The English
174 Catholics, who had for the most part frankly accepted the succession of
175 Elizabeth, were disappointed and irritated by the change of religion. If
176 Mary should go to Scotland with a French force, it was to be apprehended
177 that a rebellion would immediately break out in the northern counties.
178 Philip, no doubt, would land in the south to drive out the Dauphiness. But
179 the remedy would be worse than the disease. For he was deeply discontented
180 with the conduct of Elizabeth, and would probably take the opportunity of
181 deposing her. To establish, therefore, her independence of both her powerful
182 neighbours, Elizabeth had to begin by destroying French influence in
183 Scotland. &lt;/p&gt;
184 &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;The wisest heads in Scotland had long seen the advantage of
185 uniting their country to England by marriage. The blundering and bullying
186 policy of the Protector Somerset had driven the Scotch to renew their
187 ancient alliance with France. But the attempts of the Regent Mary of Guise
188 to increase French influence, and to establish a small standing army, in
189 order at once to strengthen her authority, and to serve the designs of Henry
190 II. against England, had again made the French connection unpopular, and
191 caused a corresponding revival of friendly feeling towards England. &lt;/p&gt;
192 &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;Nowhere was the Church so wealthy, relatively to the other
193 estates, as in Scotland. It was supposed to possess half the property of the
194 country. Nowhere were the clergy so immoral. Nowhere was superstition so
195 gross. But the doctrines of the Reformation were spreading among the common
196 people, and in 1557 some of the nobles, hungering for the wealth of the
197 Church, put themselves at the head of the Protestant movement. They were
198 known as the &amp;quot;Lords of the Congregation.&amp;quot; &lt;/p&gt;
199 &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;The Scotch Reformation began not from the Government, as in
200 England, but from the people. Hence, while change of supremacy was the main
201 question in England, change of doctrine and worship took the lead in
202 Scotland. The two parties were about equal in numbers, the Protestants being
203 strongest in the Lowlands. But, with the exception of the murder of Beaton
204 in 1546, there had, as yet, been no appeal to force, nor any attempt to
205 procure a public change of religion. The accession of Elizabeth emboldened
206 the Protestants. At Perth they took possession of the churches and burnt a
207 monastery. On the other hand, after the peace of Câteau Cambresis, Henry II.
208 directed the Regent to put down Protestantism, both in pursuance of the
209 agreement with Philip, and in order to prepare for the Franco-Scottish
210 invasion of England. The result was that the Protestants rose in open
211 rebellion (June 1559). The Lords of the Congregation occupied Perth,
212 Stirling, and Edinburgh. All over the Lowlands abbeys were wrecked, monks
213 harried, churches cleared of images, the Mass abolished, and King Edward's
214 service established in its place. In England the various changes of religion
215 in the last thirty years had always been effected legally by King and
216 Parliament. In Scotland the Catholic Church was overthrown by a simultaneous
217 popular outbreak. &lt;/p&gt;
218 &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;The catastrophe came later than in England; but popular
219 feeling was more prepared for it; and what was now cast down was never set
220 up again. &lt;/p&gt;
221 &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;It seemed at first as if the Regent and her handful of
222 regular troops, commanded by d'Oysel, would be swept away. But d'Oysel had
223 fortified Leith, and was even able to take the field. A French army was
224 expected. The tumultuary forces of the needy Scotch nobles could not be kept
225 together long, and it became clear that, unless supported by Elizabeth, the
226 rebellion would be crushed as soon as the French reinforcements should
227 arrive, if not sooner. &lt;/p&gt;
228 &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;Thus early did Elizabeth find herself confronted by the
229 Scottish difficulty, which was to cause her so much anxiety throughout the
230 greater part of her reign. The problem, though varying in minor details, was
231 always essentially the same. There was a Protestant faction looking for
232 support to England, and a Catholic faction looking to France. Two or three
233 of the Protestant leaders--Moray, Glencairn, Kirkaldy--did really care
234 something about a religious reformation. The rest thought more of getting
235 hold of Church lands and pursuing old family feuds. In the experience of
236 Elizabeth, they were a needy, greedy, treacherous crew, always sponging on
237 her treasury, and giving her very little service in return for her money.
238 Besides, the whole Scotch nation was so touchy in its patriotism, so jealous
239 of foreign interference, that foreign soldiers present on its soil were sure
240 to be regarded with an evil eye, no matter for what purpose they had come,
241 or by whom they had been invited. &lt;/p&gt;
242 &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;The Lords of the Congregation invoked the protection of
243 Elizabeth. They suggested that she should marry the Earl of Arran, and that
244 he and she should be King and Queen of Great Britain. Arran was the eldest
245 son of the Duke of Chatelherault, who, Mary being as yet childless, was
246 heir-presumptive to the Scottish crown. There were many reasons why
247 Elizabeth should decline interference. It was throwing down the glove to
248 France. Interference in Scotland had always been disastrous. It might drive
249 the English Catholics to despair, as cutting off the hope of Mary's
250 succession to the English crown. To make a Protestant match would irritate
251 Philip. He might invade England to forestall the French. Almost all her
252 Council--even Bacon--advised her to leave Scotland alone, marry the Archduke
253 Charles, and trust to the Spanish alliance for the defence of England. &lt;/p&gt;
254 &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;These were serious considerations; and to them was to be
255 joined another which with Elizabeth always had great weight--more,
256 naturally, than it had with any of her advisers. She shrank from doing
257 anything which might have the practical effect of weakening the common cause
258 of monarchs. She felt instinctively that with Protestants reverence for the
259 religious basis of kingship must tend to become weaker than with Catholics.
260 She did not desire to encourage this tendency or to familiarise her own
261 subjects with it. Knox &lt;i&gt;First Blast of the Trumpet against the Monstrous
262 Regimen of Women&lt;/i&gt; had been directed against Mary. The Blasts that were to
263 follow had been dropped; but the first could not be treated as unblown. And
264 the arrogant preacher did not mend matters by writing to Elizabeth that she
265 was to consider her case as an exception &amp;quot;contrary to nature,&amp;quot; allowed by
266 God &amp;quot;for the comfort of His kirk,&amp;quot; but that if she based her title on her
267 birth or on law, &amp;quot;her felicity would be short.&amp;quot; &lt;/p&gt;
268 &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;Nevertheless Elizabeth adopted the bolder course. The Lords
269 of the Congregation were assured that England would not see them crushed by
270 French arms. A small supply of money was sent to them. As to the marriage
271 with Arran, no positive answer was given; but he was sent for to be looked
272 at. When he came, he was found to be even a poorer creature than his father;
273 at times, indeed, not quite right in his mind. It was hard upon the
274 Hamiltons, among whom were so many able and daring men, that, with the crown
275 almost in their grasp, their chiefs should be such incapables. To Elizabeth
276 it was no doubt a relief to find that Arran was an impossible husband. &lt;/p&gt;
277 &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;In the meantime 2000 French had arrived, and the Lords were
278 urgent in their demands for help. But Elizabeth determined, and rightly,
279 that they must do their own work if they could. She was willing to give them
280 such pecuniary help as was necessary. But the demand for troops was
281 unreasonable. Fighting men abounded in Scotland. Why should English troops
282 be sent to do their fighting for them, with the certainty of earning black
283 looks rather than thanks? If a large army was despatched from France, she
284 would attack it with her fleet. If it landed, she would send an English
285 army. But if the Lords of the Congregation did not beat the handful of
286 Frenchmen at Leith it must be because they were either weak or treacherous.
287 In either case Elizabeth might have to give up the policy she preferred,
288 leave Scotland alone, and fall back upon an alliance with Philip. &lt;/p&gt;
289 &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;In order therefore to preserve this second string to her
290 bow, and to let the Scotch Anglophiles see that she possessed it, she
291 reopened negotiations for the Austrian marriage. Charles, in his turn, was
292 invited to come and be looked at. Much as she disliked the idea of marriage,
293 she knew that political reasons might make it necessary. But, come what
294 would, she would never marry a man who was not to her fancy as a man. She
295 would take no one on the strength of his picture. She had heard that Charles
296 was not overwise, and that he had an extraordinarily big head, &amp;quot;bigger than
297 the Earl of Bedford's.&amp;quot; &lt;/p&gt;
298 &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;The Scotch Lords, finding that Elizabeth was determined to
299 have some solid return for her money, went to work with more vigour. They
300 proclaimed the deposition of the Regent, drove her from Edinburgh, and
301 besieged her and her French garrison in Leith. But this burst of energy was
302 soon over. The Protestants were more ready to pull down images and harry
303 monks than make campaigns. Leith was not to be taken. In three weeks their
304 army dwindled away, and the little disciplined force of Frenchmen re-entered
305 Edinburgh. &lt;/p&gt;
306 &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;The position had become very critical for Elizabeth. A
307 French army of 15,000 men was daily expected at Leith. If once it landed,
308 the Congregation would be crushed; the Hamiltons would make their peace; and
309 the disciplined army of d'Elbœuf, swelled by hordes of hungry Scotchmen,
310 would pour over the Border, and proclaim Mary in the midst of the Catholic
311 population which ten years later rose in rebellion under the northern Earls.
312 &lt;/p&gt;
313 &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;In this difficulty the Spanish Ministers in the Netherlands
314 were consulted. If Elizabeth expelled the garrison at Leith, and so brought
315 upon herself a war with France, could she depend on Philip's assistance? The
316 reply was menacing. Their master, for his own interest, could not allow the
317 Queen of France and Scotland to enforce her title to the throne of England.
318 But he would oppose it in his own way. If a French army entered England from
319 the north, a Spanish army would land on the south coast. Turning to her own
320 Council for advice, Elizabeth found no encouragement. They recommended her
321 to take Philip's advice, and even to retrace some of her steps in the matter
322 of religion in order to propitiate him. She made a personal appeal to the
323 Duke of Norfolk to take the command of the forces on the Border. But he
324 declined to be the instrument of a policy which he disapproved. &lt;/p&gt;
325 &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;We need not wonder if Elizabeth hesitated for a while. Some
326 of these councillors were not too well affected to her. But most of them
327 were thoroughly loyal, and there was really much to be said for the more
328 cautious policy. She herself was an eminently cautious politician, inclined
329 by nature to shrink from risky courses. Never, therefore, in her whole
330 career did she give greater proof of her large-minded comprehension of the
331 main lines of policy which it behoved her to follow than when she determined
332 to override the opinions of so many prudent advisers, and expel the French
333 force from the northern kingdom. &lt;/p&gt;
334 &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;England was not quite in the helpless, disabled position
335 that it pleased the Spaniards to believe. Twelve months of careful and
336 energetic administration had already done wonders. There had been wise
337 economy and wise expenditure. Money had been scraped together, and, though
338 there was still a heavy debt, the legacy of three wasteful reigns, the
339 confidence of the Antwerp money-lenders had revived, and they were willing
340 to advance considerable sums. A fleet had been equipped and manned;
341 shiploads of arms had been imported; forces had been collected on the south
342 coasts. The Border garrisons had been quietly raised in strength till they
343 were able to furnish an expeditionary force at a moment's notice. &lt;/p&gt;
344 &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;The smallest energy on the part of the Congregation might
345 have finished the war without the presence of an English force. Elizabeth
346 had a right to be angry. The Scotch Protestants expected to have the hardest
347 part of the work done for them, and to be paid for executing their own share
348 of it. Lord James and a few of the leaders were in earnest, but others were
349 selfish time-servers. As for the lower class, their Calvinism was still new.
350 It had not yet bred that fierce spirit of independence which before long was
351 to outweigh the force of nobles and gentry. But if the weakness of the
352 Anglophile party was disappointing, it had at all events shown that
353 Elizabeth must depend upon herself to ward off danger on that side; and
354 after some reasonable hesitation she decided to put through the work she had
355 begun. &lt;/p&gt;
356 &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;It says much for the patriotism of Elizabeth's Council that
357 when they found she had made up her mind they did not stand sulkily aloof,
358 but co-operated heartily and vigorously in carrying out the policy they had
359 opposed. Norfolk himself accepted the command of the Border army, and acted
360 throughout the affair with fidelity and diligence. He was not a man
361 distinguished by ability of any kind, and the actual fighting was to be done
362 by Lord Grey, a firm and experienced, though not brilliant, commander. But
363 that the natural leader of the Conservative nobility should be seen at the
364 head of Elizabeth's army was a useful lesson to traitors at home and enemies
365 abroad, who were telling each other that her throne was insecure. &lt;/p&gt;
366 &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;An agreement between the English Queen and the Lords of the
367 Congregation was drawn up (27 February), with scrupulous care to avoid the
368 appearance of dictation and encroachment which had gathered all Scotland to
369 Pinkie Cleugh eleven years before. It set forth that the English troops were
370 entering Scotland for no other object than to assist the Duke of
371 Chatelherault, the heir-presumptive to the throne, and the other nobles, to
372 drive out the foreign invaders. They would build no fortress. There was no
373 intention to prejudice Mary's lawful authority. Cecil appears to have wanted
374 to add something about &amp;quot;Christ's true religion;&amp;quot; but Elizabeth struck it
375 out. Circumstances might compel her to be the protector of foreign
376 Protestants; but neither then nor at any other time did she desire to pose
377 in that character. &lt;/p&gt;
378 &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;A month later (28 March) Lord Grey crossed the Border, and
379 marched to Leith. The siege of that place proved to be tedious. The Lords of
380 the Congregation gave very insufficient assistance; and, when an assault had
381 been repulsed with heavy loss, the citizens of Edinburgh would not receive
382 the wounded into their houses. At last, when food was running short in the
383 town, an envoy from France arrived with power to treat on behalf of the
384 Queen of Scots. Her mother, the Regent, had died during the siege. After
385 much haggling a treaty was signed. No French troops were in future to be
386 kept in Scotland. Offices of State were to be held only by natives. The
387 government during Mary's absence was to be vested in a Council of twelve
388 noblemen; seven nominated by her and five by the Estates. Elizabeth's title
389 to the kingdoms of England and Ireland was recognised (July 1560). &lt;/p&gt;
390 &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;Such was the Treaty of Edinburgh, or of Leith, as it is
391 sometimes called, one of the most successful achievements of a successful
392 reign. It was gained by wise counsel and bold resolve; and its fruits,
393 though not completely fulfilling its promise, were solid and valuable. It
394 was not ratified by Mary. But her nonratification in the long-run injured no
395 one but herself, besides putting her in the wrong, and giving Elizabeth a
396 standing excuse for treating her as an enemy. England was permanently free
397 from the menace of a disciplined French army in the northern kingdom.
398 Nothing was settled in the treaty about religion. But this was equivalent to
399 a confirmation of the violent change that had recently taken place; in
400 itself a guarantee of security to England. &lt;/p&gt;
401 &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;The moral effect of this success was even greater than its
402 more tangible results. It had been very generally believed, at all events
403 abroad, that Elizabeth was tottering on her throne; that the large majority
404 were on the point of rising to depose her; that, wriggle as she might, she
405 would find she was a mere &lt;i&gt;protégée&lt;/i&gt; of Philip, with no option but to
406 follow his directions and square her policy to his. Whatever small basis of
407 fact underlay this delusive estimate had been ridiculously exaggerated in
408 the reports sent to Philip by his ambassador De Quadra, a man who evidently
409 paid more attention to hole-and-corner tattle than to the broad forces of
410 English politics. &lt;/p&gt;
411 &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;All these imaginings were now proved to be vain. Elizabeth
412 had shown that she could protect herself by her own strength and in her own
413 way. She had civilly ignored Philip's advice, or rather his injunctions. She
414 had thrown down the glove to France, and France had not taken it up. She had
415 placed in command of her armies the very man whom she was supposed to fear,
416 and he had done her bidding, and done it well. England once more stood
417 before Europe as an independent power, able to take care of itself, aid its
418 friends, and annoy its enemies. &lt;/p&gt;
419 &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;It is true that, as far as Elizabeth personally is
420 concerned, her Scotch policy had not always in its execution been as prompt
421 and firm as could be desired. Those who follow it in greater detail than is
422 possible here will find much in it that is irresolute and even vacillating.
423 This defect appears throughout Elizabeth's career, though it will always be
424 ignored, as it ought to be ignored, by those who reserve their attention for
425 what is worth observing in the course of human affairs. &lt;/p&gt;
426 &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;In her intellectual grasp of European politics as a whole,
427 and of the interests of her own kingdom, Elizabeth was probably superior to
428 any of her counsellors.&lt;/p&gt;
429 &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;No one could better than she think out the general idea of a
430 political campaign. But theoretical and practical qualifications are seldom,
431 if ever, combined in equal excellence. Not only are the qualities themselves
432 naturally opposed, but the constant exercise of either increases the
433 disparity. Her sex obliged Elizabeth to leave the large field of execution
434 to others. Her practical gifts therefore, whatever they were, deteriorated
435 rather than advanced as she grew older. In men, who every day and every hour
436 of the day are engaged in action, the habit of prompt decision and
437 persistence in a course once adopted, even if it be not quite the best, is
438 naturally formed and strengthened. It is a habit so valuable, so
439 indispensable to continued success, that in practice it largely compensates
440 for some inferiority in conception and design. Elizabeth's irresolution and
441 vacillation were therefore a consequence of her position--that of an
442 extremely able and well-informed woman called upon to conduct a government
443 in which so much had to be decided by the sovereign at her own discretion.
444 The abler she was, the more disposed to make her will felt, the less
445 steadiness and consistency in action were to be expected from her. As the
446 wife of a king, upon whom the final responsibility would have rested--her
447 inferior perhaps in intellect and knowledge, but with the masculine habit of
448 making up his mind once for all, and then steering a straight course--she
449 would have been a wise and enlightened adviser, not afraid of consistently
450 maintaining principles, when the time, mode, and degree of their application
451 rested with another. As it was, Cecil and other able statesmen who served
452 her No one could better than she think out the general idea of a political
453 campaign. But theoretical and practical qualifications are seldom, if ever,
454 combined in equal excellence. Not only are the qualities themselves
455 naturally opposed, but the constant exercise of either increases the
456 disparity. Her sex obliged Elizabeth to leave the large field of execution
457 to others. Her practical gifts therefore, whatever they were, deteriorated
458 rather than advanced as she grew older. In men, who every day and every hour
459 of the day are engaged in action, the habit of prompt decision and
460 persistence in a course once adopted, even if it be not quite the best, is
461 naturally formed and strengthened. It is a habit so valuable, so
462 indispensable to continued success, that in practice it largely compensates
463 for some inferiority in conception and design. Elizabeth's irresolution and
464 vacillation were therefore a consequence of her position--that of an
465 extremely able and well-informed woman called upon to conduct a government
466 in which so much had to be decided by the sovereign at her own discretion.
467 The abler she was, the more disposed to make her will felt, the less
468 steadiness and consistency in action were to be expected from her. As the
469 wife of a king, upon whom the final responsibility would have rested--her
470 inferior perhaps in intellect and knowledge, but with the masculine habit of
471 making up his mind once for all, and then steering a straight course--she
472 would have been a wise and enlightened adviser, not afraid of consistently
473 maintaining principles, when the time, mode, and degree of their application
474 rested with another. As it was, Cecil and other able statesmen who served
475 her against the heretics of all countries. To this appeal he replied by
476 formally summoning Catherine to put down heresy in France. An accidential
477 collision at Vassy, in which a number of Huguenots were slain, brought on
478 the first of those wars of religion which were to desolate France for the
479 next thirty years (March 1562). Both factions, equally dead to patriotism,
480 opened their country to foreigners. The Guises called in the forces of Spain
481 and the Pope. Condé applied to Elizabeth and the Protestant princes of
482 Germany. &lt;/p&gt;
483 &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;It was necessary to give the Huguenots just so much help as
484 would prevent them from being crushed. Aggressive in appearance, such
485 interference was in reality legitimate self-defence. But unfortunately
486 neither Elizabeth nor her Council had forgotten Calais, and they extorted
487 from Condé the surrender of Havre as a pledge for its restoration. In the
488 case of Scotland they had come, as we have seen, to recognise that to
489 establish a permanent raw by holding fortified posts on the territory of
490 another nation is poor statesmanship. The possession of Calais was of little
491 military value as against France. It is true that it would enable England to
492 make sea communication between Spain and the Netherlands very insecure, and
493 would thus give Philip a powerful motive for desiring to stand well with
494 this country. But such a calculation had less weight with Englishmen at that
495 moment than pure Jingoism--the longing to be again able to crow over their
496 French enemy. &lt;/p&gt;
497 &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;The occupation of Havre (October 1562) gave to the Huguenot
498 cause the minimum of assistance, and brought upon it the maximum of odium. A
499 hollow reconciliation was soon patched up between the rival factions (March
500 1563), and Elizabeth was summoned to evacuate Havre. She refused, loudly
501 complaining of the Huguenots for deserting her. She &amp;quot;had come to the quiet
502 possession of Havre without force or any other unlawful means, and she had
503 good reason to keep it.&amp;quot; Up to this time the fiction of peace between the
504 two nations had been maintained. It was now open war. It is only fair to
505 Elizabeth to say that all her Council and the whole nation were even hotter
506 than she was. The garrison of Havre, with their commander Warwick, were
507 eager for the fray. They would &amp;quot;make the French cock cry Cuck,&amp;quot; they would
508 &amp;quot;spend the last drop of their blood before the French should fasten a foot
509 in the town.&amp;quot; The inhabitants were all expelled, and the siege began, Condé
510 as well as the Catholics appearing in the Queen-mother's army. After a
511 valiant defence the English, reduced to a handful of men by typhus, sailed
512 away (28 July 1563). Peace was concluded early in the next year (April
513 1564). Elizabeth did not repeat her mistake. Thenceforward to the end of her
514 reign we shall find her carefully cultivating friendly relations with every
515 ruler of France. &lt;/p&gt;
516 &lt;/font&gt;
517 &lt;hr&gt;
518 &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;font style=&quot;font-family: Times New Roman&quot; size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;From &lt;i&gt;
519 Queen Elizabeth&lt;/i&gt; by Edward Spencer Beesly.&amp;nbsp; Published in London by
520 Macmillan and Co., 1892.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
521 &lt;/font&gt;
522 &lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman&quot; size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;
523 &lt;/blockquote&gt;
524&lt;/blockquote&gt;
525
526 &lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;
527 &lt;a href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=1&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fbeeslychapterfour.html&quot;&gt;to Chapter
528 IV: Elizabeth and Mary Stuart: 1559-1568&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
529 &lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;
530 &lt;a href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=1&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fmonarchs%2feliz1.html&quot;&gt;to the Queen
531 Elizabeth I website&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp; /&amp;nbsp;
532 &lt;a href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=1&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2frelative%2fmaryqos.html&quot;&gt;to the Mary,
533 queen of Scots website&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
534 &lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;_httpextlink_&amp;amp;rl=1&amp;amp;href=http:%2f%2fenglishhistory.net%2ftudor%2fsecondary.html&quot;&gt;
535 to Secondary Sources&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
536 &lt;/font&gt;
537
538
539
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542</Content>
543</Section>
544</Archive>
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