New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-12-04
MARY AND ELIZABETH !;
A LECTURE.
BY GEORGE H. MILES OF BALTIMORE
Reported for the Tdbune.I

Catholic Institute Of this City was delivered on
Friday evening, at the Stuyvesant Institute by
GEORGE H. MILES of Baltimore. The night was
one of the stormiest Of the season, yet there was
& very large audience in attendance. Mr.. Miles
chose for lis subject the History and Character of
The two most celebrated Queens Of England
| Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth. Human ap
plaQse, said he, is poor, uncertain thing at the
best and human censure quite as tickle and unm-
nortspt. We pursue one to avoid the other
Mary and Elizabeth are beyond the influence OF
what NAV be said concerning them and he would
not think of disturbing their ashes were there not
fact to be calculated by their history, IN which
we are all more or less concerned. Exaggerated
abuse dies with the man, and party ealumny IS
stopped at the portals of the grave. There seems
to be mutual understanding that party censure
is purely Pickwickian. But the History OF Eng
land has been, until recently, one enormous LEA
sarcophagus of misrepresentation. In justiiymg
the suppression of the monasteries and OF the Old
nobility every crime was applauded. The ears OF
infants are still ticked with the praises OF Good
Queen Bess" and shocked with the atrocities OF
Bloody Mary Not long ago 1t was customary
10 comDare Mary Stuart with the most virginia.
II,
Mary is still cited as an excuse for the 6utcneres
Of her sister as her reign is still something OF
hupbear ] will give brief sketch OF their ives
comDiled from recent writers. These writers
have vindcated Mary in fact, but have lett herthe
old name Mr.. Miles then proceeded to sketch the
life of Mary the first Queen Regnant OF England
the only child of Henry VIII. and Catherine OF
Arragon, She was lovely child-played the
harpsichord when very young-carred her creek
and attn studies to such excess as to impair her
health and increase her melancholy tempera-
ment The Bluebeard Henry contemplating the
divorce OF Marys mother, aspired to force high
alliance for the lovely child before he dislnherited
her Mary loved her mother and sided against
her father for which mother and child were sepa-
rated; and soon after the Kings marriage with
Anne Boleyn was advertised, and the marriage
with Catherine pronounced invalid. Elizabeth
was boundary dsinherited. Mary never would
call Elizabeth princess, although commanded to
do so by her father sister was the only recog-
milton Mary S love for her mother made her IN
flexible on this point. But the bitterest blow to
Mary was the execution OF her mother, with
whom she was even denied the privilege OF last
farewell 1t was thought that Mary would be the
next victim but it was ordered otherwise; Anne
Boeyn forfeited the favor OF Henry, and became
the victim instead Of Mary; by the execution OF
Anne Boleyn Elizabeth was also lllegtlmzed
The lecturer had no excuse to offer for Mary re-
nuncaton Of her sainted mother this was wrung
from her in moment of despair by the arts OF
Cromwell; but it was black departure from the
nobeness Of her youth. The period OF her life
when she dwelt at the Court at Greenwich was
marked by extreme generosity toward her sister
Elizabeth. But Mary had other trials, IN the
murder of the friends of her youth Featherstone
and Abel and the venerable Countess OF sans
bury Yet after the sixth marriage OF her father,
she was restored and the Crown entailed on her
after Prince Edward or other issue OF Catherine
Parr: and in all the storms of Edwards reign,
though temptations were not wanting to induce
her to seize the reigns of Government she
never gave the least encouragement to rebellion
Through all this reign she persisted in Cathollclty
much to the otlense Of the Protestant Court But
| Henry efforts to continue his name and sceptre
| by heirs male were frustrated by the death OF
Edward VI who by al will disinherited both Mary
| and Elizabeth and settled the crown upon Lazy
| Jane Grew Instead of receiving the crown which
| belonged to her Mary was branded by the Coun-
| ell with LEGITIMACY and advised to submit. But
she fed Indignantly, and with small troop oil
knights and ladies', took possession OF Framing
ham Castle, unfurled her banner, and assumed the
| title OF Queen Regnant Of England and Ireland
Her subsequent triumphant march to London
nroyed that she had not mistaken her hold upon
Merrie England, upon the spirit of Cressy and
Agincourt. Once on the throne, she dlsbanded
her army, pardoned the rebels, and unlocked the
prison gates that the innocent might 60 for1h Ihls
! was when her Will was uncontrolled by council OF
| husband. The politicians OF that time were IN
scrupulous men Henry had surrounded his throne
! with robbers and they stayed there, entirely In
dependent of Mary. The Star Chamber OF West
Minister palace transcribed even the enormltles
! of Kings; yet not instance OF their cruelty was
brought before Mary's notice which she did NOT
! remedy-not q death VI arrant did she sign that
was not for unqualified and admitted treason
In the latter part OF her reign, when Incapacltated
by mortal suffering from interference in their pro.
| ceedings she earned the misapplied title oil
"Bloody Shrinking from the execution OF
| ,harlo and cha rein IN LADY,
| Jane GREY, the consprator against her lite and
| crown The Lecturer remarked that Mary was
| kind to Elizabeth, and never insuted her, though
| she was the offspring OF an adulteress de also
portrayed the masculine courage Of Mary, during
! the night of WAITS sege. II was Immediately
after this battle, which nearly cost her life, that
Mary signed the death warrant Of Lady ane Grey
| At the same time she discovered clear proof that
! Elizabeth was a traitor; yet she refused to
| denounce and punish her. France and enlce
were row plotting her ruin and to secure nerseh
AGAINST foes abroad and treason at home, Mary
married Philip of Spain-a greatidea, but untortu-
nate in its results. Mr.. MILES depicted the con-
dition which brought about this marnage-the
great idea Of Mary was to render Eng and per-
petually Catholic Had Philip been anything
else than william, this policy would have been
successful Il was the great turning point IN the
fate of Europe She did bring about reconcllia'
ton with Rome but the excitement OF her tri-
nmpb enfeebled her frame and she lay tor many
months halt dead. Il was then that the persecu-
lions begun: but it is singular fact that as she
could hear and speak persecution ceased. 1t was
not a religious persecution it was mere game
Of s0oils The monks had been butcehred for their
lands now retaliation was the word, and Cath
olicity was the name which the unsasstied minions
Of Henry found it convenient to assume land was
what thew sought, and from that day to this those
violated acres have entailed a on every pos
SCISSOR The apostates Gardiner and Bonner were
the only prosecutors, and after the sum total of
the victims-some two hundreds reckoned up,
it amounts to less than Elizabeth slaughtered an
nually. Mr. MILES then gave sketch OF the
career of Elizabeth which we must condense into
the brefest space The reader may be sure that the
! Virgin Queen met with small favor in this sketch
Mr.. NJ. said she professed to be Catholic but CON