Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1868-12-15
Last Days Of Elizabeth,

Last Days of Elizabeth.
Centuries have elapsed since the
death Of Raleigh's queen, yet we are
still unable correctly to estimate her
character. We move through the chill
of mighty shadows created by oursel-
yes, and instead of seeking to disperse
them, suffer them irresistibly to in
fuence our Judgment. Such as she
was, however, when death seemed to
be preparing to lay his icy hands up
on her form, the heart of all England
thrilled with anguish. During the 45
years of revolution which cast down
forever the power Of catholicism in
England, and inaugurated the reign
of free inquiry, she had stood at the
head of British monarchy, bubbling to
the brim as she was with fierce Celtic
blood, and maintaining her position
with indomitable courage, but all the
while hardly knowing what she did,
since the fangS of the old church still
griped her conscience, and regulated
much of her conduct and modes of
thinking. Her struggles, however,
were internal, or known at best to a
few intimate friends. In the eyes of
the people she had always appeared
to be the type and symbol of protest
antism, that is, absolute freedom of
belief and speculation, and therefore
they hailed her presence among them
almost as that of a religious savior.
Here, then, was a motive more than
sufficient to justify the passionate ar
dor with which men Of true English
blood, with Raleigh at their head,
chung to the old Queen. They watch
ed her looks, they reckoned with pro-
found perturbation the years she had
lived, aud the probability that she
could not live many more; yet it was
only by degrees, with strange version
aud reluctance, that they gave credit
to the reports of her failing health,
which nevertheless became more fre-
qucnt and alarming, issuing forth like
black midnight from the palace. and
falling like the first symptoms Of
plague upon the bewildered nation
1t was at Whitehall that the Symp-
toms of her malady first became visi-
bic, upon which by the advice of her
physicians, she removed to the mild
air of Richmond. But the conflict go
ing on within her was not so much
with disease, as with Nemesis. Essex
may not have deserved the regret she
felt, but this did not prevent her feel.
ing it. His enemies were about her
Raleigh, Cecil, Gotham, and nearly
all the members of her privy council
who had regarded the Earl as state
criminal, while Elizabeth regarded
him i'll a different light. They ap
proved what had been done; her rea.
son approved it, too; but affection
which dominates in woman to the
last, would not, and did not approve
What her outward bearing may have
been signifies nothing-she could for
while act as others acted. and did
act so as to impose even on the OBJ
serving g-but the torrent of feeling
became at length too strong to be
stemmed, and Elizabeth, relinquishing
the endeavor, sat in hopeless dejec
ton upon the floor, refusing to be com
forted by man or woman, rejecting
food and physic alike, and resolving tC
expiate the offence she believed her
self to have committed by voluntary
death. Massalina lying detected, wait
ing for the executioner in the gardens
Of Rome, presents far less touching
spectacle than the great Englist
queen closing her glorious career by
suicide, for her abstinence from al
tildt HlSSHt JI CoClf fCu ucI diuOuuIo u
no less. Around her fitted her court
iers like specters, with their thoughts
half at Richmond, half in Scotland
the honest enjoining her to take food
and preserve life on which their owl
in many cases depended-but she haC
played out her part, and determined
to close it then. When all but insen
sible, she was lifted from the carpets
and placed on a bed, where by th'
clergy present her thoughts wer'
sought to be directed toward another
world. Some endeavoring to wrins
from her the name of the person whom
she desired to be her successor, an,
by interpreting what she intimated b.
dumb show according to their owl
wishes, obtained the recognition OF
James Stewart. Then the spirit o1
the great Tudor departed, and on
of her kinsmen, who, as distinguish
ed writer remarks, had been hoverin|