Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-12-31

The last lecture but one in the Grace church
course was delivered last evening before large
audience by Mrs. NJ. A. Livermore, who took as
her subject, Queen Elizabeth" In opening
she said that all the works that had been
written in relation to Elizabeth, queen of Eng
gland her leading statements and England dur
ing her reign, would make large library, and
during her lecture she should only touch here
and there upon the most important of the i'm
portant events that occurred during her life in
the history of England. She said that she
should look upon her life and reign from a
Protestant standpoint. Queen Elizabeth has
her supporters today as much as she did
during her life. Books are now written
as strongly opposed or in support Of her as when
she was alive. She was the black heart of Cath
olics, and Immediately upon her ascension to
the throne was made their target. When she
assumed the throne the great literary men of
the day were monks and priests, aud the eduea-
ton of the common people was not considered
as important until after her reign began. The
country was soon filed with documents contain
ing accounts of her misrule, followed soon after
by documents in her support; but it is not until
ICGculi9 tldl DSSll liCdltu Win Llllilp
like justice. In considering historians she said
that we must remember that all had
written from certain standpoints, and
that no one had as yet written an impair
tial history. She has beeaiipreseuted as weak
and as puppet in the hands Of her statesmen.
They have been credited as having reared the
pedestal Of fame upon which she stands. In
reading Eroudp's five vOrmps Of history tbot
have been published you aie amazed to hear
that she had no policy, and soon to read that
she laughed at the advice of her statesmen at
times, and set it aside when it did not suit her.
The nation was saved, according to some his
torians, from ruin only by the divine interposi-
ton Of Providence. The lecturer then entered
into an account of the early life of Elizabeth and
her appearance as she rode through the streets
of London beside Mary, afterwards known as
"Bloody Mary" at the time of the latter's
ascension TO the throne. At that
time, the speaker said, that Mary's
beauty was gone, her manner, was naughty, and
she was not person inclined to win popularity.
The people turned from her to Elizabeth, then
only twenty years Of age, with her beauty and
grace, and she won the hearts of the people,
She was a great reader Of character and re-
sponded to all sautations. That hour decided
that she was to be the darling of the people.
Briefly sketching the reign of Mary and her
marriage with Philip the Second of Spain, she
came TO the ascension OF Elizabeth to the throne
which had been bequeathed to her by Mary
through the influence of Philip Her route to
London to the coronation was one grand demon
stration, all England being wild with joy. Upon
her assuming the government, she found
that there was no system by which
the government derived revenue, aud that
the money of the country had been de-
based by her predecessor, by mixing with
it baser metal. She also found herself con-
lronted by the great Catholic Interest, which
continued to do its utmost to dethrone her. She
at once adopted a policy allowing free
dom of religion, and the speaker
claimed that during her reign no one
was executed for being Catholic. She decided
that France and Spain must be kept out of
England at whatever cost She also decided to
encourage Protestants everywhere, but not
enough to compel her to have any to defend
She saw that she must keep peace if England
was to prosper, and she kept England at peace
for thirty years. She bore insult upon insult,
because she was weak aud had not the power to
resent them. She was keen observer and if she
found that any measure she was about to
advance was likely to prove unpopular, she
Immediately withdrew it. The speaker took up
the reign of Elizabeth and reviewed it briefly
until the time of the war with Spain, giving
full description of the destruction of the arma-
da by the English feet. In closing, size said
that we have all heard Elizabeth charged with
unchastity, but Froudc, who has investigated
this matter faithfully, declares them untrue,
and asserts that she lived and died in maiden
purity. The delivery of the lecture occupied
fully two hours and was attentiyely listened to
throughout. The last lecture in the course will
be delivered Jan. 18th, by 0. H. Tiffany of
Washington