the meaner sort, but an act was passed of the most horrible and oppres¬ sive cruelty. The poor wandering monks and ejected friars were, at this time, supported by the private alms of those who did not dare openly to entertain them. To drive them from the miserable corners in which they hovered, it was enacted, that if any person should loître for three days together without offering himself for hire as a labourer, he should be adjudged as a slave for two years to the first informer, and should be marked on the breast with the letter V. for vagabond. The mark to be made with a hot iron. Lak Zvulé vzurida Whether Protestant or Papist, man is still subject to the passions of human nature, and revenge, of all passions the most terrific, and in history the most frequent, even Christianity, under its more favourable modification, is unable to suppress. Perhaps, therefore, a candid and benignant Protestant, now that all violent dissension between the two parties bas long since ceased, will scarcely feel surprise at the severity with which those of the ejected persuasion conducted themselves, on a sudden and nearly unexpected restoration to power. Be that as it may, humanity had already blushed for the triumphant Protestants; a blush of a still deeper dye must assuredly glow on her cheek while beholding the unlimited vengeance which their opponents inflicted, when the dangerous talisman of power reversed the tumultuous scene, i and recalled the friars from manual labour, or the mortification of the prescribed brand, to their stalls, their mass-books, and all the scattered parade of their glittering rituals. But in the detestable operations which now took place, why is the torch ever placed by the historian in one hand? Is it likely that a single female should possess more ráncour than all the heads of a disjointed church, inflamed with personal pique, impoverished by expulsion from their benefices, and inflated by a bigotry of the most decisive nature? Our historians, in this instance, have studied, like the tragic poet, to bring one person forward in the draïna, in order to exhibit all the tremendous beauties of contrast. In strict conformity to the pernicious system of dressing up their characters like puppets, either strikingly attractive or utterly deformed, the dramatic recorders who assume the name of historians, studiously decorate the sixth Edward with those clement qualities which they describe his sister as wanting and freely place all the ignominy of that unprecedented act, the branding of the ejected friars, to the account of his advisers. In this latter procedure they are unquestionably correct. Few persons feel on subjeets of religious ascendancy with the acuteness of those who by their sacred calling, look on church power as the highest object of mundane interest and therefore to his advisers let us freely attribute all the asperity of the hostile edicts which passed in the short reign of this juver nile sovereign. But, admitting the justice of this appropriation, why shall we deny Mary the same indulgence? Edward was surrounded by churchmen, and, as they advised, he acted; his successor stood in the same predicament, and acted in the same way. If it be objected, that difference of years enabled queen Mary to conduct the government with greater judgment and decision, it may be answered, that her feminine education (for she had not in any view the advantages in this weighty respect of Elizabeth) reduced her nearly to the level of her youthful brothers From infancy to maturity churchmen were her " guides and preceptors; and nearly every action of her life proves that she had learned to sacrifice her opinions habitually to those of her guardians. T n 4£ ! z』*n• °{ *}rt soff Our historians have an ungracious custom of illustrating the cha racters of their dramatis persone by comparison. Mary they invidiously place by the side of Elizabeth; and while they lavish panegyric on the brow of the Virgin Queen, they solicit the reader's abhorrence of her unhappy foil-not by argument, but by the epithets of "bloodthirsty Mary!' and sanguinary tyrant! The management of the state this misguided princess appears to have left to the ecclesiastics. The management of her family, the bishops likewise imperiously solicited; but in this solitary instance Mary was inflexible; and as I think an examination of her conduct in this particular essential to the right understanding of her character, permit me, from authentic documents, though testimonies too much neglected by our historical writers, to develop it. "In regard to Elizabeth, it will be recollected that Mary did not stand in a situation pointedly dissimilar to that in which Elizabeth her¬ self was afterwards placed with Mary Queen of Scots..As it appears to me, the conduct of the two sisters in this predicament would, if related with impartiality, redound by comparison (to adopt the historical fashion) to the high honour of the elder, he had on *The behaviour of Elizabeth (though some minute circumstances may admit of controversy) is too well known to need in this place any resemblance of a prolix detail. Mary's chief offence, except precedence in personal beauty, was her right of heirship to the crown, for which Elizabeth hated and feared her. Mary threw herself on her kinswoman's protection, and was imprisoned, with circumstances of severity incredi ble, if not authenticated. A rumour of conspiracy, was spread, and she put to death. A webli inggum bom bat t was 15 «i « Elizabeth was also heir to the crown, and was accused by Sir Tho mas Wyat of a conspiracy against her sister's government. Thus, even in respect to political motives, was Mary as strongly tempted to rid herself of the danger of a rival caballer, as was afterwards the ↑ Virgin queen. But Mary as a woman had much stronger temptations than as a sovereign. The earl of Devonshire, a young nobleman of the most engaging qualification, had won the heart of Mary in earliest youth. He was a particularly suitable match. He was an Englishman, and nearly allied to the crown. But the first ardent wish of the queen was defeated, and that by her sister, for the earl attached himself to the princessi: the queen was slighted, and Elizabeth triumphede of The ancient quarrel between their mothers, likewise, must be supposed not quite forgotten in the breast of the ruling party, especially when the great share Anna Boleyn took in the Reformation is duly considered: yet these two circumstances conjoined were insufficient to provoke her to that foul crime which Elizabeth taught the world, on a future occasion, how to commit without a blush. It is true the rivalry of Elizabeth caused the queen to look with coolness on her; and therefore the princess retired to her house of Ashbridge, in Hertfordshire, but the style in which she there resided may be gathered from the parade with which she entered London, when summoned thither on account of the accusation of sir Thomas Wyat. Between four and five of the clock at night,' says.a MS, quoted in Nichols' Progresses, my lady Elizabeth's grace came to London, through Smithfielde, untoo Westminister, with a hundred velvet cotts after her grace. And her grace rode in a charytt open on both sides; and her grace had, ryding after her, a hundred in cotts of fine tedde, gardyd with velvett,' &c. With this pomp was the person conducted to London, who was accused of conspiring, against her sister's life-Surely a sanguinary tyrant should be made of sterner stuff.' 1 “As so much publicity of grandeur was allowed to the princess on her entry, it is but just to conclude that she could not satisfactorily exonerate herself from the heavy charge preferred against her when more strenuous measures were resorted to. This supposition is strengthened by the deliberation with which the circumstances were investigated, as she remained a fortnight at court before she was ordered to the tower. While in confinement, Lunder the suspicion of treasonable practices,? though at first she was attended only by the lieutenant's servanta, yet, suddenly, an order came for her table to be served by a part of her own establishment; viz..two yeomen of her chamber, one of her robes, fo of her pantry and ewry, one of her buttery, one of her cellar, another of her larder, and two of her kitchen. By all but the prejudiced it must be admitted probable, that the first indignity.offered the princess was by chm mand of the privy council, at whose head was bishop Gardiner, and that on her applying to the queen for a more respectful attendance; her wish was immediately granted. It is certain that Mary received letters:from her at this juncture, as one is quoted by Camden in his Elizabethanoq ni "When Wyat, at the place of execution, made confessions favourable to the character of Elizabeth, she was released from the tower, and con veyed to, Woodstock, where she was dodged inla chamber curiously carved, and painted blue sprinkled with gold.' We can scarcely avoid supposing that her confinement here was not the most dreary imaginable, since, when queen, she was particularly: attached to this palace as a residence, and Bedingfield her jailor,' whom history represents in all the terrific colours of the hired assassin, with a scowling bow, a curled lip, and a hand ever grasping a dagger, which points to a poisoned bowl this horrible janitor she visited during her progress in 1578, and was in the habit of receiving frequently at court! To common sense I propose these queries Is it likely that a female, possessed of sovereign power, would fondly revisit the prison in which she had often slept under the horrible dread of assassination? And could human lenity so far conquer the natural suggestions of repugnance, as to allow the possi bility of Jau voluntary and convivial intercourse with the wretch from whose poinard she had escaped by chances little short of miracles The prison-room, iron-bars, assassin; bowl of hemlack, &c. were the off spring of Fox's poetical imagination. From Fox, Holinshed transcribesiz and Holinshed succeeding historians refer to as an authority Shelis the basis of historical assertion & !postia Strona 9 of voi noiersco Stuĺ "But the part of queen Elizabeth's story rendered most dramatic by the legend-bearers is the circumstance of her being removed from a PRISON to a throne. Here is a contrast in perfection. Affrightful ex cavated recess on the one hand, with bolts and bars rusted by noxious vapours: on the other, a crown, the dazzling rays of diamonds, the hos 1 No. 52. Printed and Published by W. E. ANDREWS, 3, Chapter- Price 3d. house-court, St. Paul's Churchyard, London. EXPLANATION OF THE ENGRAVING-Futher Garnett, a Jesuit, who, though he had used his best endeavours to prevent the Powder Plot, yet was sentenced to be hung, drawn and quartered as a traitor.-On his way to execution, he was placed on the hurdle with his head out of it, to beat against the stones, in order to deprive him of his senses, and render him incapable to address the people. Los Jollain CAR CONTINUATION OF THE REVIEW, mage of the world, the possession of absolute power. In the back-ground (a striking figure!) behold blood-thirsty Mary!" In dreadful secresy she sharpens the knife intended to pierce, in the dark solitude of a dun geon, the bosom of her enchained sister!-The vizor would be highly attractive, says the fable, if it had brains; and this story would be extremely interesting, if it were true. "The prison from which Elizabeth was moved, on the death of her sister, was, it may be recollected, the palace of Hatfield. Here she had a' retinue and establishment befitting her exalted rank. An extract from a curious MS. chronicle describes one of her entertainments as a great and rich maskinge, wher the pageants were marvellously furnished. There were thar twelve ministrels, anticly disguised, with forty six, or more, gentlemen and ladies, many of them knights or nobles; and there was a devise of a castell of cloth of gold, &c. At night the cuppboard |