ENGLAND UNDER ELIZABETH
THERE was great rejoicing all over the land when the Lords of the Council went down to Hatfield, to hail the Princess Elizabeth as the new Queen of England. Weary of the barbarities of Mary's reign2, the people looked with hope and gladness to the new Sovereign. The nation seemed to wake from a horrible dream; and Heaven, so long hidden by the smoke of the fires that roasted men and women to death, appeared to brighten once more.
Queen Elizabeth was five-and-twenty years of age when she rode through the streets of London, from the Tower to Westminster Abbey, to be crowned. Her countenance4 was strongly marked, but on the whole, commanding and dignified5; her hair was red, and her nose something too long and sharp for a woman's. She was not the beautiful creature her courtiers made out; but she was well enough, and no doubt looked all the better for coming after the dark and gloomy Mary. She was well educated, but a roundabout writer, and rather a hard swearer and coarse talker. She was clever, but cunning and deceitful, and inherited much of her father's violent temper. I mention this now, because she has been so over-praised by one party, and so over-abused by another, that it is hardly possible to understand the greater part of her reign without first understanding what kind of woman she really was.
She began her reign with the great advantage of having a very wise and careful Minister, SIR WILLIAM CECIL, whom she afterwards made LORD BURLEIGH. Altogether, the people had greater reason for rejoicing than they usually had, when there were processions in the streets; and they were happy with some reason. All kinds of shows and images were set up; GOG and MAGOG were hoisted6 to the top of Temple Bar, and (which was more to the purpose) the Corporation dutifully presented the young Queen with the sum of a thousand marks in gold - so heavy a present, that she was obliged to take it into her carriage with both hands. The coronation was a great success; and, on the next day, one of the courtiers presented a petition to the new Queen, praying that as it was the custom to release some prisoners on such occasions, she would have the goodness to release the four Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and also the Apostle Saint Paul, who had been for some time shut up in a strange language so that the people could not get at them.
To this, the Queen replied that it would be better first to inquire of themselves whether they desired to be released or not; and, as a means of finding out, a great public discussion - a sort of religious tournament - was appointed to take place between certain champions of the two religions, in Westminster Abbey. You may suppose that it was soon made pretty clear to common sense, that for people to benefit by what they repeat or read, it is rather necessary they should understand something about it. Accordingly, a Church Service in plain English was settled, and other laws and regulations were made, completely establishing the great work of the Reformation. The Romish bishops7 and champions were not harshly dealt with, all things considered; and the Queen's Ministers were both prudent9 and merciful.
The one great trouble of this reign, and the unfortunate cause of the greater part of such turmoil10 and bloodshed as occurred in it, was MARY STUART, QUEEN OF SCOTS. We will try to understand, in as few words as possible, who Mary was, what she was, and how she came to be a thorn in the royal pillow of Elizabeth.
She was the daughter of the Queen Regent of Scotland, MARY OF GUISE11. She had been married, when a mere12 child, to the Dauphin, the son and heir of the King of France. The Pope, who pretended that no one could rightfully wear the crown of England without his gracious permission, was strongly opposed to Elizabeth, who had not asked for the said gracious permission. And as Mary Queen of Scots would have inherited the English crown in right of her birth, supposing the English Parliament not to have altered the succession, the Pope himself, and most of the discontented who were followers13 of his, maintained that Mary was the rightful Queen of England, and Elizabeth the wrongful Queen. Mary being so closely connected with France, and France being jealous of England, there was far greater danger in this than there would have been if she had had no alliance with that great power. And when her young husband, on the death of his father, became FRANCIS THE SECOND, King of France, the matter grew very serious. For, the young couple styled themselves King and Queen of England, and the Pope was disposed to help them by doing all the mischief14 he could.
Now, the reformed religion, under the guidance of a stern and powerful preacher, named JOHN KNOX, and other such men, had been making fierce progress in Scotland. It was still a half savage15 country, where there was a great deal of murdering and rioting continually going on; and the Reformers, instead of reforming those evils as they should have done, went to work in the ferocious16 old Scottish spirit, laying churches and chapels17 waste, pulling down pictures and altars, and knocking about the Grey Friars, and the Black Friars, and the White Friars, and the friars of all sorts of colours, in all directions. This obdurate19 and harsh spirit of the Scottish Reformers (the Scotch20 have always been rather a sullen21 and frowning people in religious matters) put up the blood of the Romish French court, and caused France to send troops over to Scotland, with the hope of setting the friars of all sorts of colours on their legs again; of conquering that country first, and England afterwards; and so crushing the Reformation all to pieces. The Scottish Reformers, who had formed a great league which they called The Congregation of the Lord, secretly represented to Elizabeth that, if the reformed religion got the worst of it with them, it would be likely to get the worst of it in England too; and thus, Elizabeth, though she had a high notion of the rights of Kings and Queens to do anything they liked, sent an army to Scotland to support the Reformers, who were in arms against their sovereign. All these proceedings22 led to a treaty of peace at Edinburgh, under which the French consented to depart from the kingdom. By a separate treaty, Mary and her young husband engaged to renounce23 their assumed title of King and Queen of England. But this treaty they never fulfilled.
It happened, soon after matters had got to this state, that the young French King died, leaving Mary a young widow. She was then invited by her Scottish subjects to return home and reign over them; and as she was not now happy where she was, she, after a little time, complied.
Elizabeth had been Queen three years, when Mary Queen of Scots embarked24 at Calais for her own rough, quarrelling country. As she came out of the harbour, a vessel25 was lost before her eyes, and she said, 'O! good God! what an omen3 this is for such a voyage!' She was very fond of France, and sat on the deck, looking back at it and weeping, until it was quite dark. When she went to bed, she directed to be called at daybreak, if the French coast were still visible, that she might behold26 it for the last time. As it proved to be a clear morning, this was done, and she again wept for the country she was leaving, and said many times, ' Farewell, France! Farewell, France! I shall never see thee again!' All this was long remembered afterwards, as sorrowful and interesting in a fair young princess of nineteen. Indeed, I am afraid it gradually came, together with her other distresses27, to surround her with greater sympathy than she deserved.
When she came to Scotland, and took up her abode29 at the palace of Holyrood in Edinburgh, she found herself among uncouth30 strangers and wild uncomfortable customs very different from her experiences in the court of France. The very people who were disposed to love her, made her head ache when she was tired out by her voyage, with a serenade of discordant31 music - a fearful concert of bagpipes32, I suppose - and brought her and her train home to her palace on miserable33 little Scotch horses that appeared to be half starved. Among the people who were not disposed to love her, she found the powerful leaders of the Reformed Church, who were bitter upon her amusements, however innocent, and denounced music and dancing as works of the devil. John Knox himself often lectured her, violently and angrily, and did much to make her life unhappy. All these reasons confirmed her old attachment34 to the Romish religion, and caused her, there is no doubt, most imprudently and dangerously both for herself and for England too, to give a solemn pledge to the heads of the Romish Church that if she ever succeeded to the English crown, she would set up that religion again. In reading her unhappy history, you must always remember this; and also that during her whole life she was constantly put forward against the Queen, in some form or other, by the Romish party.
That Elizabeth, on the other hand, was not inclined to like her, is pretty certain. Elizabeth was very vain and jealous, and had an extraordinary dislike to people being married. She treated Lady Catherine Grey, sister of the beheaded Lady Jane, with such shameful35 severity, for no other reason than her being secretly married, that she died and her husband was ruined; so, when a second marriage for Mary began to be talked about, probably Elizabeth disliked her more. Not that Elizabeth wanted suitors of her own, for they started up from Spain, Austria, Sweden, and England. Her English lover at this time, and one whom she much favoured too, was LORD ROBERT DUDLEY, Earl of Leicester - himself secretly married to AMY ROBSART, the daughter of an English gentleman, whom he was strongly suspected of causing to be murdered, down at his country seat, Cumnor Hall in Berkshire, that he might be free to marry the Queen. Upon this story, the great writer, SIR WALTER SCOTT, has founded one of his best romances. But if Elizabeth knew how to lead her handsome favourite on, for her own vanity and pleasure, she knew how to stop him for her own pride; and his love, and all the other proposals, came to nothing. The Queen always declared in good set speeches, that she would never be married at all, but would live and die a Maiden36 Queen. It was a very pleasant and meritorious37 declaration, I suppose; but it has been puffed38 and trumpeted39 so much, that I am rather tired of it myself.
Divers40 princes proposed to marry Mary, but the English court had reasons for being jealous of them all, and even proposed as a matter of policy that she should marry that very Earl of Leicester who had aspired41 to be the husband of Elizabeth. At last, LORD DARNLEY, son of the Earl of Lennox, and himself descended42 from the Royal Family of Scotland, went over with Elizabeth's consent to try his fortune at Holyrood. He was a tall simpleton; and could dance and play the guitar; but I know of nothing else he could do, unless it were to get very drunk, and eat gluttonously43, and make a contemptible44 spectacle of himself in many mean and vain ways. However, he gained Mary's heart, not disdaining45 in the pursuit of his object to ally himself with one of her secretaries, DAVID RIZZIO, who had great influence with her. He soon married the Queen. This marriage does not say much for her, but what followed will presently say less.
Mary's brother, the EARL OF MURRAY, and head of the Protestant party in Scotland, had opposed this marriage, partly on religious grounds, and partly perhaps from personal dislike of the very contemptible bridegroom. When it had taken place, through Mary's gaining over to it the more powerful of the lords about her, she banished47 Murray for his pains; and, when he and some other nobles rose in arms to support the reformed religion, she herself, within a month of her wedding day, rode against them in armour48 with loaded pistols in her saddle. Driven out of Scotland, they presented themselves before Elizabeth - who called them traitors50 in public, and assisted them in private, according to her crafty51 nature.
Mary had been married but a little while, when she began to hate her husband, who, in his turn, began to hate that David Rizzio, with whom he had leagued to gain her favour, and whom he now believed to be her lover. He hated Rizzio to that extent, that he made a compact with LORD RUTHVEN and three other lords to get rid of him by murder. This wicked agreement they made in solemn secrecy52 upon the first of March, fifteen hundred and sixty-six, and on the night of Saturday the ninth, the conspirators53 were brought by Darnley up a private staircase, dark and steep, into a range of rooms where they knew that Mary was sitting at supper with her sister, Lady Argyle, and this doomed54 man. When they went into the room, Darnley took the Queen round the waist, and Lord Ruthven, who had risen from a bed of sickness to do this murder, came in, gaunt and ghastly, leaning on two men. Rizzio ran behind the Queen for shelter and protection. 'Let him come out of the room,' said Ruthven. 'He shall not leave the room,' replied the Queen; 'I read his danger in your face, and it is my will that he remain here.' They then set upon him, struggled with him, overturned the table, dragged him out, and killed him with fifty-six stabs. When the Queen heard that he was dead, she said, 'No more tears. I will think now of revenge!'
Within a day or two, she gained her husband over, and prevailed on the tall idiot to abandon the conspirators and fly with her to Dunbar. There, he issued a proclamation, audaciously and falsely denying that he had any knowledge of the late bloody55 business; and there they were joined by the EARL BOTHWELL and some other nobles. With their help, they raised eight thousand men; returned to Edinburgh, and drove the assassins into England. Mary soon afterwards gave birth to a son - still thinking of revenge.
That she should have had a greater scorn for her husband after his late cowardice56 and treachery than she had had before, was natural enough. There is little doubt that she now began to love Bothwell instead, and to plan with him means of getting rid of Darnley. Bothwell had such power over her that he induced her even to pardon the assassins of Rizzio. The arrangements for the Christening of the young Prince were entrusted57 to him, and he was one of the most important people at the ceremony, where the child was named JAMES: Elizabeth being his godmother, though not present on the occasion. A week afterwards, Darnley, who had left Mary and gone to his father's house at Glasgow, being taken ill with the small-pox, she sent her own physician to attend him. But there is reason to apprehend58 that this was merely a show and a pretence59, and that she knew what was doing, when Bothwell within another month proposed to one of the late conspirators against Rizzio, to murder Darnley, 'for that it was the Queen's mind that he should be taken away.' It is certain that on that very day she wrote to her ambassador in France, complaining of him, and yet went immediately to Glasgow, feigning60 to be very anxious about him, and to love him very much. If she wanted to get him in her power, she succeeded to her heart's content; for she induced him to go back with her to Edinburgh, and to occupy, instead of the palace, a lone61 house outside the city called the Kirk of Field. Here, he lived for about a week. One Sunday night, she remained with him until ten o'clock, and then left him, to go to Holyrood to be present at an entertainment given in celebration of the marriage of one of her favourite servants. At two o'clock in the morning the city was shaken by a great explosion, and the Kirk of Field was blown to atoms.
Darnley's body was found next day lying under a tree at some distance. How it came there, undisfigured and unscorched by gunpowder62, and how this crime came to be so clumsily and strangely committed, it is impossible to discover. The deceitful character of Mary, and the deceitful character of Elizabeth, have rendered almost every part of their joint63 history uncertain and obscure. But, I fear that Mary was unquestionably a party to her husband's murder, and that this was the revenge she had threatened. The Scotch people universally believed it. Voices cried out in the streets of Edinburgh in the dead of the night, for justice on the murderess. Placards were posted by unknown hands in the public places denouncing Bothwell as the murderer, and the Queen as his accomplice64; and, when he afterwards married her (though himself already married), previously65 making a show of taking her prisoner by force, the indignation of the people knew no bounds. The women particularly are described as having been quite frantic66 against the Queen, and to have hooted67 and cried after her in the streets with terrific vehemence68.
Such guilty unions seldom prosper70. This husband and wife had lived together but a month, when they were separated for ever by the successes of a band of Scotch nobles who associated against them for the protection of the young Prince: whom Bothwell had vainly endeavoured to lay hold of, and whom he would certainly have murdered, if the EARL OF MAR1, in whose hands the boy was, had not been firmly and honourably71 faithful to his trust. Before this angry power, Bothwell fled abroad, where he died, a prisoner and mad, nine miserable years afterwards. Mary being found by the associated lords to deceive them at every turn, was sent a prisoner to Lochleven Castle; which, as it stood in the midst of a lake, could only be approached by boat. Here, one LORD LINDSAY, who was so much of a brute72 that the nobles would have done better if they had chosen a mere gentleman for their messenger, made her sign her abdication73, and appoint Murray, Regent of Scotland. Here, too, Murray saw her in a sorrowing and humbled75 state.
She had better have remained in the castle of Lochleven, dull prison as it was, with the rippling76 of the lake against it, and the moving shadows of the water on the room walls; but she could not rest there, and more than once tried to escape. The first time she had nearly succeeded, dressed in the clothes of her own washer- woman, but, putting up her hand to prevent one of the boatmen from lifting her veil, the men suspected her, seeing how white it was, and rowed her back again. A short time afterwards, her fascinating manners enlisted77 in her cause a boy in the Castle, called the little DOUGLAS, who, while the family were at supper, stole the keys of the great gate, went softly out with the Queen, locked the gate on the outside, and rowed her away across the lake, sinking the keys as they went along. On the opposite shore she was met by another Douglas, and some few lords; and, so accompanied, rode away on horseback to Hamilton, where they raised three thousand men. Here, she issued a proclamation declaring that the abdication she had signed in her prison was illegal, and requiring the Regent to yield to his lawful78 Queen. Being a steady soldier, and in no way discomposed although he was without an army, Murray pretended to treat with her, until he had collected a force about half equal to her own, and then he gave her battle. In one quarter of an hour he cut down all her hopes. She had another weary ride on horse-back of sixty long Scotch miles, and took shelter at Dundrennan Abbey, whence she fled for safety to Elizabeth's dominions79.
Mary Queen of Scots came to England - to her own ruin, the trouble of the kingdom, and the misery80 and death of many - in the year one thousand five hundred and sixty-eight. How she left it and the world, nineteen years afterwards, we have now to see.
SECOND PART
WHEN Mary Queen of Scots arrived in England, without money and even without any other clothes than those she wore, she wrote to Elizabeth, representing herself as an innocent and injured piece of Royalty81, and entreating82 her assistance to oblige her Scottish subjects to take her back again and obey her. But, as her character was already known in England to be a very different one from what she made it out to be, she was told in answer that she must first clear herself. Made uneasy by this condition, Mary, rather than stay in England, would have gone to Spain, or to France, or would even have gone back to Scotland. But, as her doing either would have been likely to trouble England afresh, it was decided83 that she should be detained here. She first came to Carlisle, and, after that, was moved about from castle to castle, as was considered necessary; but England she never left again.
After trying very hard to get rid of the necessity of clearing herself, Mary, advised by LORD HERRIES, her best friend in England, agreed to answer the charges against her, if the Scottish noblemen who made them would attend to maintain them before such English noblemen as Elizabeth might appoint for that purpose. Accordingly, such an assembly, under the name of a conference, met, first at York, and afterwards at Hampton Court. In its presence Lord Lennox, Darnley's father, openly charged Mary with the murder of his son; and whatever Mary's friends may now say or write in her behalf, there is no doubt that, when her brother Murray produced against her a casket containing certain guilty letters and verses which he stated to have passed between her and Bothwell, she withdrew from the inquiry84. Consequently, it is to be supposed that she was then considered guilty by those who had the best opportunities of judging of the truth, and that the feeling which afterwards arose in her behalf was a very generous but not a very reasonable one.
However, the DUKE OF NORFOLK, an honourable85 but rather weak nobleman, partly because Mary was captivating, partly because he was ambitious, partly because he was over-persuaded by artful plotters against Elizabeth, conceived a strong idea that he would like to marry the Queen of Scots - though he was a little frightened, too, by the letters in the casket. This idea being secretly encouraged by some of the noblemen of Elizabeth's court, and even by the favourite Earl of Leicester (because it was objected to by other favourites who were his rivals), Mary expressed her approval of it, and the King of France and the King of Spain are supposed to have done the same. It was not so quietly planned, though, but that it came to Elizabeth's ears, who warned the Duke 'to be careful what sort of pillow he was going to lay his head upon.' He made a humble74 reply at the time; but turned sulky soon afterwards, and, being considered dangerous, was sent to the Tower.
Thus, from the moment of Mary's coming to England she began to be the centre of plots and miseries86.
A rise of the Catholics in the north was the next of these, and it was only checked by many executions and much bloodshed. It was followed by a great conspiracy87 of the Pope and some of the Catholic sovereigns of Europe to depose88 Elizabeth, place Mary on the throne, and restore the unreformed religion. It is almost impossible to doubt that Mary knew and approved of this; and the Pope himself was so hot in the matter that he issued a bull, in which he openly called Elizabeth the 'pretended Queen' of England, excommunicated her, and excommunicated all her subjects who should continue to obey her. A copy of this miserable paper got into London, and was found one morning publicly posted on the Bishop8 of London's gate. A great hue89 and cry being raised, another copy was found in the chamber90 of a student of Lincoln's Inn, who confessed, being put upon the rack, that he had received it from one JOHN FELTON, a rich gentleman who lived across the Thames, near Southwark. This John Felton, being put upon the rack too, confessed that he had posted the placard on the Bishop's gate. For this offence he was, within four days, taken to St. Paul's Churchyard, and there hanged and quartered. As to the Pope's bull, the people by the reformation having thrown off the Pope, did not care much, you may suppose, for the Pope's throwing off them. It was a mere dirty piece of paper, and not half so powerful as a street ballad91.
On the very day when Felton was brought to his trial, the poor Duke of Norfolk was released. It would have been well for him if he had kept away from the Tower evermore, and from the snares92 that had taken him there. But, even while he was in that dismal93 place he corresponded with Mary, and as soon as he was out of it, he began to plot again. Being discovered in correspondence with the Pope, with a view to a rising in England which should force Elizabeth to consent to his marriage with Mary and to repeal94 the laws against the Catholics, he was re-committed to the Tower and brought to trial. He was found guilty by the unanimous verdict of the Lords who tried him, and was sentenced to the block.
It is very difficult to make out, at this distance of time, and between opposite accounts, whether Elizabeth really was a humane95 woman, or desired to appear so, or was fearful of shedding the blood of people of great name who were popular in the country. Twice she commanded and countermanded96 the execution of this Duke, and it did not take place until five months after his trial. The scaffold was erected97 on Tower Hill, and there he died like a brave man. He refused to have his eyes bandaged, saying that he was not at all afraid of death; and he admitted the justice of his sentence, and was much regretted by the people.
Although Mary had shrunk at the most important time from disproving her guilt69, she was very careful never to do anything that would admit it. All such proposals as were made to her by Elizabeth for her release, required that admission in some form or other, and therefore came to nothing. Moreover, both women being artful and treacherous98, and neither ever trusting the other, it was not likely that they could ever make an agreement. So, the Parliament, aggravated99 by what the Pope had done, made new and strong laws against the spreading of the Catholic religion in England, and declared it treason in any one to say that the Queen and her successors were not the lawful sovereigns of England. It would have done more than this, but for Elizabeth's moderation.
Since the Reformation, there had come to be three great sects100 of religious people - or people who called themselves so - in England; that is to say, those who belonged to the Reformed Church, those who belonged to the Unreformed Church, and those who were called the Puritans, because they said that they wanted to have everything very pure and plain in all the Church service. These last were for the most part an uncomfortable people, who thought it highly meritorious to dress in a hideous101 manner, talk through their noses, and oppose all harmless enjoyments102. But they were powerful too, and very much in earnest, and they were one and all the determined103 enemies of the Queen of Scots. The Protestant feeling in England was further strengthened by the tremendous cruelties to which Protestants were exposed in France and in the Netherlands. Scores of thousands of them were put to death in those countries with every cruelty that can be imagined, and at last, in the autumn of the year one thousand five hundred and seventy-two, one of the greatest barbarities ever committed in the world took place at Paris.
It is called in history, THE MASSACRE104 OF SAINT BARTHOLOMEW, because it took place on Saint Bartholomew's Eve. The day fell on Saturday the twenty-third of August. On that day all the great leaders of the Protestants (who were there called HUGUENOTS) were assembled together, for the purpose, as was represented to them, of doing honour to the marriage of their chief, the young King of Navarre, with the sister of CHARLES THE NINTH: a miserable young King who then occupied the French throne. This dull creature was made to believe by his mother and other fierce Catholics about him that the Huguenots meant to take his life; and he was persuaded to give secret orders that, on the tolling105 of a great bell, they should be fallen upon by an overpowering force of armed men, and slaughtered106 wherever they could be found. When the appointed hour was close at hand, the stupid wretch107, trembling from head to foot, was taken into a balcony by his mother to see the atrocious work begun. The moment the bell tolled108, the murderers broke forth109. During all that night and the two next days, they broke into the houses, fired the houses, shot and stabbed the Protestants, men, women, and children, and flung their bodies into the streets. They were shot at in the streets as they passed along, and their blood ran down the gutters110. Upwards111 of ten thousand Protestants were killed in Paris alone; in all France four or five times that number. To return thanks to Heaven for these diabolical112 murders, the Pope and his train actually went in public procession at Rome, and as if this were not shame enough for them, they had a medal struck to commemorate113 the event. But, however comfortable the wholesale114 murders were to these high authorities, they had not that soothing115 effect upon the doll-King. I am happy to state that he never knew a moment's peace afterwards; that he was continually crying out that he saw the Huguenots covered with blood and wounds falling dead before him; and that he died within a year, shrieking116 and yelling and raving117 to that degree, that if all the Popes who had ever lived had been rolled into one, they would not have afforded His guilty Majesty118 the slightest consolation119.
When the terrible news of the massacre arrived in England, it made a powerful impression indeed upon the people. If they began to run a little wild against the Catholics at about this time, this fearful reason for it, coming so soon after the days of bloody Queen Mary, must be remembered in their excuse. The Court was not quite so honest as the people - but perhaps it sometimes is not. It received the French ambassador, with all the lords and ladies dressed in deep mourning, and keeping a profound silence. Nevertheless, a proposal of marriage which he had made to Elizabeth only two days before the eve of Saint Bartholomew, on behalf of the Duke of Alen噊n, the French King's brother, a boy of seventeen, still went on; while on the other hand, in her usual crafty way, the Queen secretly supplied the Huguenots with money and weapons.
I must say that for a Queen who made all those fine speeches, of which I have confessed myself to be rather tired, about living and dying a Maiden Queen, Elizabeth was 'going' to be married pretty often. Besides always having some English favourite or other whom she by turns encouraged and swore at and knocked about - for the maiden Queen was very free with her fists - she held this French Duke off and on through several years. When he at last came over to England, the marriage articles were actually drawn120 up, and it was settled that the wedding should take place in six weeks. The Queen was then so bent121 upon it, that she prosecuted122 a poor Puritan named STUBBS, and a poor bookseller named PAGE, for writing and publishing a pamphlet against it. Their right hands were chopped off for this crime; and poor Stubbs - more loyal than I should have been myself under the circumstances - immediately pulled off his hat with his left hand, and cried, 'God save the Queen!' Stubbs was cruelly treated; for the marriage never took place after all, though the Queen pledged herself to the Duke with a ring from her own finger. He went away, no better than he came, when the courtship had lasted some ten years altogether; and he died a couple of years afterwards, mourned by Elizabeth, who appears to have been really fond of him. It is not much to her credit, for he was a bad enough member of a bad family.
To return to the Catholics. There arose two orders of priests, who were very busy in England, and who were much dreaded123. These were the JESUITS (who were everywhere in all sorts of disguises), and the SEMINARY PRIESTS. The people had a great horror of the first, because they were known to have taught that murder was lawful if it were done with an object of which they approved; and they had a great horror of the second, because they came to teach the old religion, and to be the successors of 'Queen Mary's priests,' as those yet lingering in England were called, when they should die out. The severest laws were made against them, and were most unmercifully executed. Those who sheltered them in their houses often suffered heavily for what was an act of humanity; and the rack, that cruel torture which tore men's limbs asunder124, was constantly kept going. What these unhappy men confessed, or what was ever confessed by any one under that agony, must always be received with great doubt, as it is certain that people have frequently owned to the most absurd and impossible crimes to escape such dreadful suffering. But I cannot doubt it to have been proved by papers, that there were many plots, both among the Jesuits, and with France, and with Scotland, and with Spain, for the destruction of Queen Elizabeth, for the placing of Mary on the throne, and for the revival125 of the old religion.
If the English people were too ready to believe in plots, there were, as I have said, good reasons for it. When the massacre of Saint Bartholomew was yet fresh in their recollection, a great Protestant Dutch hero, the PRINCE OF ORANGE, was shot by an assassin, who confessed that he had been kept and trained for the purpose in a college of Jesuits. The Dutch, in this surprise and distress28, offered to make Elizabeth their sovereign, but she declined the honour, and sent them a small army instead, under the command of the Earl of Leicester, who, although a capital Court favourite, was not much of a general. He did so little in Holland, that his campaign there would probably have been forgotten, but for its occasioning the death of one of the best writers, the best knights126, and the best gentlemen, of that or any age. This was SIR PHILIP SIDNEY, who was wounded by a musket127 ball in the thigh128 as he mounted a fresh horse, after having had his own killed under him. He had to ride back wounded, a long distance, and was very faint with fatigue129 and loss of blood, when some water, for which he had eagerly asked, was handed to him. But he was so good and gentle even then, that seeing a poor badly wounded common soldier lying on the ground, looking at the water with longing130 eyes, he said, 'Thy necessity is greater than mine,' and gave it up to him. This touching131 action of a noble heart is perhaps as well known as any incident in history - is as famous far and wide as the blood- stained Tower of London, with its axe132, and block, and murders out of number. So delightful133 is an act of true humanity, and so glad are mankind to remember it.
At home, intelligence of plots began to thicken every day. I suppose the people never did live under such continual terrors as those by which they were possessed134 now, of Catholic risings, and burnings, and poisonings, and I don't know what. Still, we must always remember that they lived near and close to awful realities of that kind, and that with their experience it was not difficult to believe in any enormity. The government had the same fear, and did not take the best means of discovering the truth - for, besides torturing the suspected, it employed paid spies, who will always lie for their own profit. It even made some of the conspiracies135 it brought to light, by sending false letters to disaffected136 people, inviting137 them to join in pretended plots, which they too readily did.
But, one great real plot was at length discovered, and it ended the career of Mary, Queen of Scots. A seminary priest named BALLARD, and a Spanish soldier named SAVAGE, set on and encouraged by certain French priests, imparted a design to one ANTONY BABINGTON - a gentleman of fortune in Derbyshire, who had been for some time a secret agent of Mary's - for murdering the Queen. Babington then confided138 the scheme to some other Catholic gentlemen who were his friends, and they joined in it heartily139. They were vain, weak- headed young men, ridiculously confident, and preposterously140 proud of their plan; for they got a gimcrack painting made, of the six choice spirits who were to murder Elizabeth, with Babington in an attitude for the centre figure. Two of their number, however, one of whom was a priest, kept Elizabeth's wisest minister, SIR FRANCIS WALSINGHAM, acquainted with the whole project from the first. The conspirators were completely deceived to the final point, when Babington gave Savage, because he was shabby, a ring from his finger, and some money from his purse, wherewith to buy himself new clothes in which to kill the Queen. Walsingham, having then full evidence against the whole band, and two letters of Mary's besides, resolved to seize them. Suspecting something wrong, they stole out of the city, one by one, and hid themselves in St. John's Wood, and other places which really were hiding places then; but they were all taken, and all executed. When they were seized, a gentleman was sent from Court to inform Mary of the fact, and of her being involved in the discovery. Her friends have complained that she was kept in very hard and severe custody141. It does not appear very likely, for she was going out a hunting that very morning.
Queen Elizabeth had been warned long ago, by one in France who had good information of what was secretly doing, that in holding Mary alive, she held 'the wolf who would devour142 her.' The Bishop of London had, more lately, given the Queen's favourite minister the advice in writing, 'forthwith to cut off the Scottish Queen's head.' The question now was, what to do with her? The Earl of Leicester wrote a little note home from Holland, recommending that she should be quietly poisoned; that noble favourite having accustomed his mind, it is possible, to remedies of that nature. His black advice, however, was disregarded, and she was brought to trial at Fotheringay Castle in Northamptonshire, before a tribunal of forty, composed of both religions. There, and in the Star Chamber at Westminster, the trial lasted a fortnight. She defended herself with great ability, but could only deny the confessions143 that had been made by Babington and others; could only call her own letters, produced against her by her own secretaries, forgeries144; and, in short, could only deny everything. She was found guilty, and declared to have incurred145 the penalty of death. The Parliament met, approved the sentence, and prayed the Queen to have it executed. The Queen replied that she requested them to consider whether no means could be found of saving Mary's life without endangering her own. The Parliament rejoined, No; and the citizens illuminated146 their houses and lighted bonfires, in token of their joy that all these plots and troubles were to be ended by the death of the Queen of Scots.
She, feeling sure that her time was now come, wrote a letter to the Queen of England, making three entreaties147; first, that she might be buried in France; secondly148, that she might not be executed in secret, but before her servants and some others; thirdly, that after her death, her servants should not be molested149, but should be suffered to go home with the legacies150 she left them. It was an affecting letter, and Elizabeth shed tears over it, but sent no answer. Then came a special ambassador from France, and another from Scotland, to intercede151 for Mary's life; and then the nation began to clamour, more and more, for her death.
What the real feelings or intentions of Elizabeth were, can never be known now; but I strongly suspect her of only wishing one thing more than Mary's death, and that was to keep free of the blame of it. On the first of February, one thousand five hundred and eighty-seven, Lord Burleigh having drawn out the warrant for the execution, the Queen sent to the secretary DAVISON to bring it to her, that she might sign it: which she did. Next day, when Davison told her it was sealed, she angrily asked him why such haste was necessary? Next day but one, she joked about it, and swore a little. Again, next day but one, she seemed to complain that it was not yet done, but still she would not be plain with those about her. So, on the seventh, the Earls of Kent and Shrewsbury, with the Sheriff of Northamptonshire, came with the warrant to Fotheringay, to tell the Queen of Scots to prepare for death.
When those messengers of ill omen were gone, Mary made a frugal152 supper, drank to her servants, read over her will, went to bed, slept for some hours, and then arose and passed the remainder of the night saying prayers. In the morning she dressed herself in her best clothes; and, at eight o'clock when the sheriff came for her to her chapel18, took leave of her servants who were there assembled praying with her, and went down-stairs, carrying a Bible in one hand and a crucifix in the other. Two of her women and four of her men were allowed to be present in the hall; where a low scaffold, only two feet from the ground, was erected and covered with black; and where the executioner from the Tower, and his assistant, stood, dressed in black velvet153. The hall was full of people. While the sentence was being read she sat upon a stool; and, when it was finished, she again denied her guilt, as she had done before. The Earl of Kent and the Dean of Peterborough, in their Protestant zeal154, made some very unnecessary speeches to her; to which she replied that she died in the Catholic religion, and they need not trouble themselves about that matter. When her head and neck were uncovered by the executioners, she said that she had not been used to be undressed by such hands, or before so much company. Finally, one of her women fastened a cloth over her face, and she laid her neck upon the block, and repeated more than once in Latin, 'Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit!' Some say her head was struck off in two blows, some say in three. However that be, when it was held up, streaming with blood, the real hair beneath the false hair she had long worn was seen to be as grey as that of a woman of seventy, though she was at that time only in her forty-sixth year. All her beauty was gone.
But she was beautiful enough to her little dog, who cowered155 under her dress, frightened, when she went upon the scaffold, and who lay down beside her headless body when all her earthly sorrows were over.
THIRD PART
ON its being formally made known to Elizabeth that the sentence had been executed on the Queen of Scots, she showed the utmost grief and rage, drove her favourites from her with violent indignation, and sent Davison to the Tower; from which place he was only released in the end by paying an immense fine which completely ruined him. Elizabeth not only over-acted her part in making these pretences156, but most basely reduced to poverty one of her faithful servants for no other fault than obeying her commands.
James, King of Scotland, Mary's son, made a show likewise of being very angry on the occasion; but he was a pensioner157 of England to the amount of five thousand pounds a year, and he had known very little of his mother, and he possibly regarded her as the murderer of his father, and he soon took it quietly.
Philip, King of Spain, however, threatened to do greater things than ever had been done yet, to set up the Catholic religion and punish Protestant England. Elizabeth, hearing that he and the Prince of Parma were making great preparations for this purpose, in order to be beforehand with them sent out ADMIRAL DRAKE (a famous navigator, who had sailed about the world, and had already brought great plunder158 from Spain) to the port of Cadiz, where he burnt a hundred vessels159 full of stores. This great loss obliged the Spaniards to put off the invasion for a year; but it was none the less formidable for that, amounting to one hundred and thirty ships, nineteen thousand soldiers, eight thousand sailors, two thousand slaves, and between two and three thousand great guns. England was not idle in making ready to resist this great force. All the men between sixteen years old and sixty, were trained and drilled; the national fleet of ships (in number only thirty-four at first) was enlarged by public contributions and by private ships, fitted out by noblemen; the city of London, of its own accord, furnished double the number of ships and men that it was required to provide; and, if ever the national spirit was up in England, it was up all through the country to resist the Spaniards. Some of the Queen's advisers160 were for seizing the principal English Catholics, and putting them to death; but the Queen - who, to her honour, used to say, that she would never believe any ill of her subjects, which a parent would not believe of her own children - rejected the advice, and only confined a few of those who were the most suspected, in the fens161 in Lincolnshire. The great body of Catholics deserved this confidence; for they behaved most loyally, nobly, and bravely.
So, with all England firing up like one strong, angry man, and with both sides of the Thames fortified162, and with the soldiers under arms, and with the sailors in their ships, the country waited for the coming of the proud Spanish fleet, which was called THE INVINCIBLE163 ARMADA. The Queen herself, riding in armour on a white horse, and the Earl of Essex and the Earl of Leicester holding her bridal rein164, made a brave speech to the troops at Tilbury Fort opposite Gravesend, which was received with such enthusiasm as is seldom known. Then came the Spanish Armada into the English Channel, sailing along in the form of a half moon, of such great size that it was seven miles broad. But the English were quickly upon it, and woe165 then to all the Spanish ships that dropped a little out of the half moon, for the English took them instantly! And it soon appeared that the great Armada was anything but invincible, for on a summer night, bold Drake sent eight blazing fire-ships right into the midst of it. In terrible consternation166 the Spaniards tried to get out to sea, and so became dispersed167; the English pursued them at a great advantage; a storm came on, and drove the Spaniards among rocks and shoals; and the swift end of the Invincible fleet was, that it lost thirty great ships and ten thousand men, and, defeated and disgraced, sailed home again. Being afraid to go by the English Channel, it sailed all round Scotland and Ireland; some of the ships getting cast away on the latter coast in bad weather, the Irish, who were a kind of savages168, plundered169 those vessels and killed their crews. So ended this great attempt to invade and conquer England. And I think it will be a long time before any other invincible fleet coming to England with the same object, will fare much better than the Spanish Armada.
Though the Spanish king had had this bitter taste of English bravery, he was so little the wiser for it, as still to entertain his old designs, and even to conceive the absurd idea of placing his daughter on the English throne. But the Earl of Essex, SIR WALTER RALEIGH, SIR THOMAS HOWARD, and some other distinguished170 leaders, put to sea from Plymouth, entered the port of Cadiz once more, obtained a complete victory over the shipping171 assembled there, and got possession of the town. In obedience172 to the Queen's express instructions, they behaved with great humanity; and the principal loss of the Spaniards was a vast sum of money which they had to pay for ransom173. This was one of many gallant174 achievements on the sea, effected in this reign. Sir Walter Raleigh himself, after marrying a maid of honour and giving offence to the Maiden Queen thereby175, had already sailed to South America in search of gold.
The Earl of Leicester was now dead, and so was Sir Thomas Walsingham, whom Lord Burleigh was soon to follow. The principal favourite was the EARL OF ESSEX, a spirited and handsome man, a favourite with the people too as well as with the Queen, and possessed of many admirable qualities. It was much debated at Court whether there should be peace with Spain or no, and he was very urgent for war. He also tried hard to have his own way in the appointment of a deputy to govern in Ireland. One day, while this question was in dispute, he hastily took offence, and turned his back upon the Queen; as a gentle reminder176 of which impropriety, the Queen gave him a tremendous box on the ear, and told him to go to the devil. He went home instead, and did not reappear at Court for half a year or so, when he and the Queen were reconciled, though never (as some suppose) thoroughly177.
From this time the fate of the Earl of Essex and that of the Queen seemed to be blended together. The Irish were still perpetually quarrelling and fighting among themselves, and he went over to Ireland as Lord Lieutenant178, to the great joy of his enemies (Sir Walter Raleigh among the rest), who were glad to have so dangerous a rival far off. Not being by any means successful there, and knowing that his enemies would take advantage of that circumstance to injure him with the Queen, he came home again, though against her orders. The Queen being taken by surprise when he appeared before her, gave him her hand to kiss, and he was overjoyed - though it was not a very lovely hand by this time - but in the course of the same day she ordered him to confine himself to his room, and two or three days afterwards had him taken into custody. With the same sort of caprice - and as capricious an old woman she now was, as ever wore a crown or a head either - she sent him broth46 from her own table on his falling ill from anxiety, and cried about him.
He was a man who could find comfort and occupation in his books, and he did so for a time; not the least happy time, I dare say, of his life. But it happened unfortunately for him, that he held a monopoly in sweet wines: which means that nobody could sell them without purchasing his permission. This right, which was only for a term, expiring, he applied179 to have it renewed. The Queen refused, with the rather strong observation - but she DID make strong observations - that an unruly beast must be stinted180 in his food. Upon this, the angry Earl, who had been already deprived of many offices, thought himself in danger of complete ruin, and turned against the Queen, whom he called a vain old woman who had grown as crooked181 in her mind as she had in her figure. These uncomplimentary expressions the ladies of the Court immediately snapped up and carried to the Queen, whom they did not put in a better tempter, you may believe. The same Court ladies, when they had beautiful dark hair of their own, used to wear false red hair, to be like the Queen. So they were not very high-spirited ladies, however high in rank.
The worst object of the Earl of Essex, and some friends of his who used to meet at LORD SOUTHAMPTON'S house, was to obtain possession of the Queen, and oblige her by force to dismiss her ministers and change her favourites. On Saturday the seventh of February, one thousand six hundred and one, the council suspecting this, summoned the Earl to come before them. He, pretending to be ill, declined; it was then settled among his friends, that as the next day would be Sunday, when many of the citizens usually assembled at the Cross by St. Paul's Cathedral, he should make one bold effort to induce them to rise and follow him to the Palace.
So, on the Sunday morning, he and a small body of adherents182 started out of his house - Essex House by the Strand183, with steps to the river - having first shut up in it, as prisoners, some members of the council who came to examine him - and hurried into the City with the Earl at their head crying out 'For the Queen! For the Queen! A plot is laid for my life!' No one heeded184 them, however, and when they came to St. Paul's there were no citizens there. In the meantime the prisoners at Essex House had been released by one of the Earl's own friends; he had been promptly185 proclaimed a traitor49 in the City itself; and the streets were barricaded186 with carts and guarded by soldiers. The Earl got back to his house by water, with difficulty, and after an attempt to defend his house against the troops and cannon187 by which it was soon surrounded, gave himself up that night. He was brought to trial on the nineteenth, and found guilty; on the twenty-fifth, he was executed on Tower Hill, where he died, at thirty-four years old, both courageously188 and penitently189. His step-father suffered with him. His enemy, Sir Walter Raleigh, stood near the scaffold all the time - but not so near it as we shall see him stand, before we finish his history.
In this case, as in the cases of the Duke of Norfolk and Mary Queen of Scots, the Queen had commanded, and countermanded, and again commanded, the execution. It is probable that the death of her young and gallant favourite in the prime of his good qualities, was never off her mind afterwards, but she held out, the same vain, obstinate190 and capricious woman, for another year. Then she danced before her Court on a state occasion - and cut, I should think, a mighty191 ridiculous figure, doing so in an immense ruff, stomacher and wig192, at seventy years old. For another year still, she held out, but, without any more dancing, and as a moody193, sorrowful, broken creature. At last, on the tenth of March, one thousand six hundred and three, having been ill of a very bad cold, and made worse by the death of the Countess of Nottingham who was her intimate friend, she fell into a stupor194 and was supposed to be dead. She recovered her consciousness, however, and then nothing would induce her to go to bed; for she said that she knew that if she did, she should never get up again. There she lay for ten days, on cushions on the floor, without any food, until the Lord Admiral got her into bed at last, partly by persuasions195 and partly by main force. When they asked her who should succeed her, she replied that her seat had been the seat of Kings, and that she would have for her successor, 'No rascal's son, but a King's.' Upon this, the lords present stared at one another, and took the liberty of asking whom she meant; to which she replied, 'Whom should I mean, but our cousin of Scotland!' This was on the twenty-third of March. They asked her once again that day, after she was speechless, whether she was still in the same mind? She struggled up in bed, and joined her hands over her head in the form of a crown, as the only reply she could make. At three o'clock next morning, she very quietly died, in the forty-fifth year of her reign.
That reign had been a glorious one, and is made for ever memorable196 by the distinguished men who flourished in it. Apart from the great voyagers, statesmen, and scholars, whom it produced, the names of BACON, SPENSER, and SHAKESPEARE, will always be remembered with pride and veneration197 by the civilised world, and will always impart (though with no great reason, perhaps) some portion of their lustre198 to the name of Elizabeth herself. It was a great reign for discovery, for commerce, and for English enterprise and spirit in general. It was a great reign for the Protestant religion and for the Reformation which made England free. The Queen was very popular, and in her progresses, or journeys about her dominions, was everywhere received with the liveliest joy. I think the truth is, that she was not half so good as she has been made out, and not half so bad as she has been made out. She had her fine qualities, but she was coarse, capricious, and treacherous, and had all the faults of an excessively vain young woman long after she was an old one. On the whole, she had a great deal too much of her father in her, to please me.
Many improvements and luxuries were introduced in the course of these five-and-forty years in the general manner of living; but cock-fighting, bull-baiting, and bear-baiting, were still the national amusements; and a coach was so rarely seen, and was such an ugly and cumbersome199 affair when it was seen, that even the Queen herself, on many high occasions, rode on horseback on a pillion behind the Lord Chancellor200.
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mar
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| vt.破坏，毁坏，弄糟 | |
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reign
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| n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势 | |
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omen
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| n.征兆，预兆；vt.预示 | |
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countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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dignified
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| a.可敬的，高贵的 | |
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hoisted
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| 把…吊起，升起( hoist的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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bishops
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| （基督教某些教派管辖大教区的）主教( bishop的名词复数 )； （国际象棋的）象 | |
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bishop
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| n.主教，（国际象棋）象 | |
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prudent
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| adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的 | |
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turmoil
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| n.骚乱，混乱，动乱 | |
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guise
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| n.外表，伪装的姿态 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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followers
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| 追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件 | |
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mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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ferocious
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| adj.凶猛的，残暴的，极度的，十分强烈的 | |
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chapels
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| n.小教堂， （医院、监狱等的）附属礼拜堂( chapel的名词复数 )；（在小教堂和附属礼拜堂举行的）礼拜仪式 | |
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chapel
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| n.小教堂，殡仪馆 | |
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obdurate
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| adj.固执的，顽固的 | |
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scotch
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| n.伤口，刻痕；苏格兰威士忌酒；v.粉碎，消灭，阻止；adj.苏格兰(人)的 | |
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sullen
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| adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的 | |
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proceedings
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| n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报 | |
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renounce
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| v.放弃；拒绝承认，宣布与…断绝关系 | |
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embarked
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vessel
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behold
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distresses
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| n.悲痛( distress的名词复数 )；痛苦；贫困；危险 | |
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distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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abode
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| n.住处，住所 | |
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uncouth
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| adj.无教养的，粗鲁的 | |
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discordant
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| adj.不调和的 | |
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bagpipes
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| n.风笛；风笛( bagpipe的名词复数 ) | |
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miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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attachment
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shameful
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maiden
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meritorious
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| adj.值得赞赏的 | |
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puffed
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| adj.疏松的v.使喷出( puff的过去式和过去分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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trumpeted
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| 大声说出或宣告（trumpet的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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divers
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| adj.不同的；种种的 | |
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aspired
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| v.渴望，追求( aspire的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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descended
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gluttonously
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contemptible
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| adj.可鄙的，可轻视的，卑劣的 | |
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disdaining
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| 鄙视( disdain的现在分词 )； 不屑于做，不愿意做 | |
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broth
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| n.原(汁)汤(鱼汤、肉汤、菜汤等) | |
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banished
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| v.放逐，驱逐( banish的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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48
armour
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| （=armor）n.盔甲；装甲部队 | |
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49
traitor
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| n.叛徒，卖国贼 | |
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50
traitors
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| 卖国贼( traitor的名词复数 )； 叛徒； 背叛者； 背信弃义的人 | |
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51
crafty
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| adj.狡猾的，诡诈的 | |
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52
secrecy
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| n.秘密，保密，隐蔽 | |
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53
conspirators
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| n.共谋者，阴谋家( conspirator的名词复数 ) | |
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54
doomed
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| 命定的 | |
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55
bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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56
cowardice
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| n.胆小，怯懦 | |
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57
entrusted
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| v.委托，托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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58
apprehend
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| vt.理解，领悟，逮捕，拘捕，忧虑 | |
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59
pretence
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| n.假装，作假；借口，口实；虚伪；虚饰 | |
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60
feigning
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| 假装，伪装( feign的现在分词 )； 捏造（借口、理由等） | |
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61
lone
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| adj.孤寂的，单独的；唯一的 | |
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62
gunpowder
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| n.火药 | |
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63
joint
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|
| adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合 | |
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64
accomplice
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| n.从犯，帮凶，同谋 | |
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65
previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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66
frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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67
hooted
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| （使）作汽笛声响，作汽车喇叭声( hoot的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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68
vehemence
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|
| n.热切；激烈；愤怒 | |
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69
guilt
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|
| n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责 | |
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70
prosper
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| v.成功，兴隆，昌盛；使成功，使昌隆，繁荣 | |
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71
honourably
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| adv.可尊敬地，光荣地，体面地 | |
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72
brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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73
abdication
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| n.辞职；退位 | |
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74
humble
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|
| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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75
humbled
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|
| adj. 卑下的，谦逊的，粗陋的 vt. 使 ... 卑下，贬低 | |
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76
rippling
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| 起涟漪的，潺潺流水般声音的 | |
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77
enlisted
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|
| adj.应募入伍的v.（使）入伍， （使）参军( enlist的过去式和过去分词 )；获得（帮助或支持） | |
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78
lawful
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|
| adj.法律许可的，守法的，合法的 | |
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79
dominions
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| 统治权( dominion的名词复数 )； 领土； 疆土； 版图 | |
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80
misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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81
royalty
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|
| n.皇家，皇族 | |
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82
entreating
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| 恳求，乞求( entreat的现在分词 ) | |
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83
decided
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|
| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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84
inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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85
honourable
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| adj.可敬的；荣誉的，光荣的 | |
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86
miseries
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|
| n.痛苦( misery的名词复数 )；痛苦的事；穷困；常发牢骚的人 | |
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87
conspiracy
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| n.阴谋，密谋，共谋 | |
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88
depose
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| vt.免职；宣誓作证 | |
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89
hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
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90
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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91
ballad
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| n.歌谣，民谣，流行爱情歌曲 | |
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92
snares
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| n.陷阱( snare的名词复数 )；圈套；诱人遭受失败（丢脸、损失等）的东西；诱惑物v.用罗网捕捉，诱陷，陷害( snare的第三人称单数 ) | |
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93
dismal
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|
| adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的 | |
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94
repeal
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|
| n.废止，撤消；v.废止，撤消 | |
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95
humane
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|
| adj.人道的，富有同情心的 | |
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96
countermanded
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|
| v.取消（命令），撤回( countermand的过去分词 ) | |
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97
ERECTED
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| adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立 | |
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98
treacherous
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|
| adj.不可靠的，有暗藏的危险的；adj.背叛的，背信弃义的 | |
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99
aggravated
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|
| 使恶化( aggravate的过去式和过去分词 )； 使更严重； 激怒； 使恼火 | |
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100
sects
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|
| n.宗派，教派( sect的名词复数 ) | |
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101
hideous
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|
| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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102
enjoyments
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|
| 愉快( enjoyment的名词复数 )； 令人愉快的事物； 享有； 享受 | |
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103
determined
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|
| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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104
massacre
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|
| n.残杀，大屠杀；v.残杀，集体屠杀 | |
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105
tolling
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| [财]来料加工 | |
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106
slaughtered
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|
| v.屠杀，杀戮，屠宰( slaughter的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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107
wretch
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| n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人 | |
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108
tolled
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| 鸣钟（toll的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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109
forth
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|
| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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110
gutters
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| （路边）排水沟( gutter的名词复数 )； 阴沟； （屋顶的）天沟； 贫贱的境地 | |
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111
upwards
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|
| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
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112
diabolical
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|
| adj.恶魔似的，凶暴的 | |
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113
commemorate
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| vt.纪念，庆祝 | |
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114
wholesale
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|
| n.批发；adv.以批发方式；vt.批发，成批出售 | |
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115
soothing
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|
| adj.慰藉的；使人宽心的；镇静的 | |
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116
shrieking
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| v.尖叫( shriek的现在分词 ) | |
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117
raving
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|
| adj.说胡话的；疯狂的，怒吼的；非常漂亮的；令人醉心[痴心]的v.胡言乱语(rave的现在分词)n.胡话；疯话adv.胡言乱语地；疯狂地 | |
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118
majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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119
consolation
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| n.安慰，慰问 | |
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120
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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121
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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122
prosecuted
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| a.被起诉的 | |
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123
dreaded
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|
| adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
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124
asunder
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|
| adj.分离的，化为碎片 | |
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125
revival
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| n.复兴，复苏，（精力、活力等的）重振 | |
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126
knights
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| 骑士； （中古时代的）武士( knight的名词复数 )； 骑士； 爵士； （国际象棋中）马 | |
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127
musket
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| n.滑膛枪 | |
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128
thigh
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| n.大腿；股骨 | |
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129
fatigue
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| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
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130
longing
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| n.（for）渴望 | |
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131
touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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132
axe
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| n.斧子；v.用斧头砍，削减 | |
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133
delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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134
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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135
conspiracies
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| n.阴谋，密谋( conspiracy的名词复数 ) | |
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136
disaffected
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|
| adj.（政治上）不满的，叛离的 | |
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137
inviting
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| adj.诱人的，引人注目的 | |
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138
confided
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|
| v.吐露（秘密，心事等）( confide的过去式和过去分词 )；（向某人）吐露（隐私、秘密等） | |
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139
heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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140
preposterously
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| adv.反常地；荒谬地；荒谬可笑地；不合理地 | |
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141
custody
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| n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留 | |
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142
devour
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| v.吞没；贪婪地注视或谛听，贪读；使着迷 | |
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143
confessions
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|
| n.承认( confession的名词复数 )；自首；声明；（向神父的）忏悔 | |
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144
forgeries
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| 伪造( forgery的名词复数 )； 伪造的文件、签名等 | |
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145
incurred
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| [医]招致的，遭受的； incur的过去式 | |
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146
illuminated
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| adj.被照明的；受启迪的 | |
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147
entreaties
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| n.恳求，乞求( entreaty的名词复数 ) | |
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148
secondly
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| adv.第二，其次 | |
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149
molested
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| v.骚扰( molest的过去式和过去分词 )；干扰；调戏；猥亵 | |
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150
legacies
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| n.遗产( legacy的名词复数 )；遗留之物；遗留问题；后遗症 | |
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151
intercede
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| vi.仲裁，说情 | |
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152
frugal
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|
| adj.节俭的，节约的，少量的，微量的 | |
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153
velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
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154
zeal
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| n.热心，热情，热忱 | |
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155
cowered
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| v.畏缩，抖缩( cower的过去式 ) | |
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156
pretences
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| n.假装( pretence的名词复数 )；作假；自命；自称 | |
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157
pensioner
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| n.领养老金的人 | |
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158
plunder
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| vt.劫掠财物，掠夺；n.劫掠物，赃物；劫掠 | |
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159
vessels
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| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
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160
advisers
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| 顾问，劝告者( adviser的名词复数 )； （指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授 | |
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161
fens
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| n.（尤指英格兰东部的）沼泽地带( fen的名词复数 ) | |
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162
fortified
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| adj. 加强的 | |
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163
invincible
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| adj.不可征服的，难以制服的 | |
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164
rein
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| n.疆绳，统治，支配；vt.以僵绳控制，统治 | |
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165
woe
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| n.悲哀，苦痛，不幸，困难；int.用来表达悲伤或惊慌 | |
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166
consternation
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| n.大为吃惊，惊骇 | |
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167
dispersed
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| adj. 被驱散的, 被分散的, 散布的 | |
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168
savages
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| 未开化的人，野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
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169
plundered
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| 掠夺，抢劫( plunder的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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170
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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171
shipping
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| n.船运（发货，运输，乘船） | |
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172
obedience
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|
| n.服从，顺从 | |
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173
ransom
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| n.赎金，赎身；v.赎回，解救 | |
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174
gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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175
thereby
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| adv.因此，从而 | |
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176
reminder
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| n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示 | |
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177
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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178
lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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179
applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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180
stinted
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| v.限制，节省（stint的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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181
crooked
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| adj.弯曲的；不诚实的，狡猾的，不正当的 | |
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182
adherents
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| n.支持者，拥护者( adherent的名词复数 )；党羽；徒子徒孙 | |
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183
strand
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| vt.使（船）搁浅，使（某人）困于（某地） | |
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184
heeded
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| v.听某人的劝告，听从( heed的过去式和过去分词 )；变平，使（某物）变平( flatten的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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185
promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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186
barricaded
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| 设路障于，以障碍物阻塞( barricade的过去式和过去分词 )； 设路障[防御工事]保卫或固守 | |
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187
cannon
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| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
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188
courageously
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| ad.勇敢地，无畏地 | |
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189
penitently
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190
obstinate
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| adj.顽固的，倔强的，不易屈服的，较难治愈的 | |
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191
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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192
wig
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| n.假发 | |
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193
moody
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| adj.心情不稳的，易怒的，喜怒无常的 | |
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194
stupor
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| v.昏迷；不省人事 | |
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195
persuasions
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| n.劝说，说服（力）( persuasion的名词复数 )；信仰 | |
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196
memorable
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| adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的 | |
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197
veneration
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| n.尊敬，崇拜 | |
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198
lustre
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| n.光亮，光泽；荣誉 | |
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199
cumbersome
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| adj.笨重的，不便携带的 | |
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200
chancellor
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| n.(英)大臣；法官；(德、奥)总理；大学校长 | |
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