The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-05-18
QUEEN ELIZABETH.
BY JAMES PARTON.


Henry VIII, King of England, had six
wives. BY the first of these, Catherine of Ara.
gon, he had three sous and two daughters, all
daughters. lighter % Afterwards M M G Known @ as Boody Mary.
BY his second wife, Ann Boleyn. he had one
daughter, Elizabeth 1.-The illustrious Queen, who
was but three years of age when her capricious
father deprived her OF mother by cutting off
her head. Henry's third wife was Jane Sey-
mour, who became the mother of Edward,
knownin history as Edward vi. .....-- -. q.
beb e an npon 9nbsn besSn % bar In e
the age Of ns she during she brief
tirement, under the learned Roger Ascham,
with whom, 1t Is said, she read Latin and
Greek, became proficient in music, and
Luther, -MelancthOn, and other Protestant
writers, " is even said that she conyersed
the principal ambassadors from foreign courts
in their native Language. In her youth,
and ~lresh-looking girl, large boned. fully
formed, with beautiful eyes. and remarkably
After the death of her brother Edward and
the accession TO the throne OF her Catholic
difficult part to play. Not only was she Protes
tant in heart, but she was the favorite and hope
embraced all that was noblest and most pro
gressive In the kingdom. A formidable revolt
In the kingdom gave the Queen pretext for
where she daily expected the tragic end which
80 many Protestants met during that bloody
reign. Mary, however, relented so far as TO per-
init her TO reside at q country seat, under the
strict and constant surveillance of a Catholic
gentleman, who, however, treated her with the
Te save her life she became a consummate
devotion to the Catholic religion She caused
to be constructed to her house a chapel in
fx, lighted by candles, hung from the walls OF
her room, and with her own hands she made
sacred images When she visited the court she
made 1t a point to follow the Queen in the reli-
gious PROFESSIONS, and thus succeeded in quiet
an
bigoted sister, "-rO
IN her twenty.fifth year. this life of constraint
andhypocrisy was suddenly terminated by the
Queens death and her owu accession to the
throne. Seldom has sovereign been received
by people with such profound and heartfelt
joy as she was on her arrival in London. on
heI way 10 the rover she passed by fifty glib.
all of whom had been executed that day under
the cruel laws of her sister. sis But the reign OF
Councillors of Queen Mary she added seven
others-all Protestants--and she chose for her
religion. She still, howev yer, proceeded win
her usual caution, She was crowned by a
avoided everything which looked like an inten-
tion to change the religion of the country.
1T is highly probable that she would have ia,
layed or even avoided an open quarrel with
", Immediately recalled to her memory that
during her fathers lifetime, she hai been
solemnly pronounced an illegitlmate child
and called upon her to submit her rights I'D
the throne TO the examination and decision Of
moment
her part was taken Her Parliament, directed
10y herself and her Ministers, declared Der the
head of the English Church, revived thC
Prayer-B Book of Edward VI, forbade the use O
any other in the churches, declared that M
foreign prelate could ,haVe any authority
over the Church of England, and ordained
that every priest should swear allegiance 10 thj
Queen, both as head of the State and head o
the Church, aud renounce the jurisdiction o
every foreign ecelesastic; The great majority
of the clergy and people hailed this revolution
with JOY There was at that time in England
nine thousand four hundred benefited ergy
men. All Of these took the requisite oatl
except one hundred and thirty Fourteen
bishops, twelve deans, twelve arch-deacons
and fifteen heads of colleges refused the oath
and lost their places. -,., .-..
MThis revolution in religion was the direc
cause Of the great war between England ant
spain, which ended by the destruction of tn
Spanish Armada. by which the greatness o
England was assured The victory made
I srotestanism q power in Europe, and re
d uced Spain to the rank of a second-rat
power, vi n ~
IA some particulars Elizabeth was one o
the weakest of women, There is on record
curious conversation between her and one o
the ,ynbassadors of the. Queen Of Scotland, re
Late d by himself -- - [.-
"she asked me, D writes the ambassador. "wba
color was supposed TO be the most beautiful II
human hair, and which had the prettiest hair
my Queen or herself. replied that her hal
and that Of my sovereign were equally beauti
full As thfs reply did not satisfy her, addeC
that ghe was the most beautiful woman In Eng
land, and that my Queen was the most beautifu
woman in Scotland. She insisted, however
Rpon something f0ore positive. then said tina