The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1882-10-14

crowd of unclean birds and beasts
of prey. The Reformation had
spread to some extent in Germany,
France, Flanders; England and
Scotland, but as yet no king and
no leader had appeared. The
Pope, aided by the power of Philip
and the French King, was using
all means to crush it out of the
world. The dark, deadly cloud of
papal rapacity and intolerance OBJ
scured and blighted nearly all the
intellect and kingdoms of Europe.
The only bright spot, the only bea.
con light that gave light was the
throne upon which sat the heroic
Protestant Queen of England.
While all other potentates were
surrounded and governed by igno.
rant, blg0ted, revengeiul monks,
confessors and jesuits, whose sole
object was to extend and maintain
the authority of the Papacy, the
Queen of England called to her
administration the cautious and
the sagacions Cecil, Lord Burleigh,
Walsingham, Bacon, and other
cool-headed statesmen, laymen and
Protestants. While they upheld
the reformed doctrine, they also
maintained their government, and
would not like the other rulers of
Europe sacrifice the State for the
benefit of their religion; but made
the one support and strengthen
mutually the other; where no one
was deprived of life or property
for their faith, thought was un-
chained, and the English intellect,
]
having q free, unshackled field,
bore splendid fruit. And what a
grand constellation of luminarics
illumines the reign of the Virgin
1 Queen. Compare for moment
the glories of her reign with that
of Philip of Spain, Francis of
France, or to Italy, where all is
barren, cold, lifeless, and bound to
the bloody car Of the Papacy. All
the other rulers during her reign
were continually plotting against
her, melting rebellion at home, aim
ing the assassin's dagger against
her life. In their diplomatic in
trigues deception and falsehood
mark their history. To meet them
and to be on her guard she resort
ed to the same system. For this
she has been severely condemned
by some able writer's. 1t was the
only means that could protect her
and maintain her position. If she
had adopted the present mode OF
diplomacy, fairness and sincerity,
she would have lost her head and
her throne. To preserve the re-
formed religion and England from
the horrors of another bloody
Mary and the inquisition, she had
to use the instruments and the
means that the Jesuits had made
universal in the rest of Europe
Historians tell that the behead
ing of Mary was a cruel and vim
, dictive act, and an indelible blot
, upon the character and splendid
glories other reign. The unhappy
, fate of. the beautiful and unfortu
, nate Queen of the Scots excite sc
I much compassion and pity in the
mind and heart of every generous
| reader that simple justice is asleel
and torpid, although sanctioned
by stern facts and subsequent
events. This sad event was
stern political necessity. Tn,
: Scottish Queen had been impris
oned by her own subjects, ha,
been rejected by them. She coul'
: not return there with safety, an,
J. without exciting a cruel war. Th'
+ contest there was between tn
J. new faith and the old, and whethe
: the Scots should govern their owl
Q country or whether the Frencl
5 papists. The Queen could no
= reign nor live there in peace.
+ she went to France then she woul'
!, have the very best opportunitie
i; to plot, aided by the Guises an,
]. the Medicis, who then rule
d France, and by Philip and tn
! Pope. These unscfnpulous bigoi
c cd combinations very probabI.
/ would have ended in the over
Z throw Of the English Queen, tn
!. czlizpa.ioa u Tue l.elo1ssa.loH i