The sun., 1892-03-06

was really q stroke Of LEX for her. He de-
mas also that Mary was n woman OF an
AmcroHs disposition. Boutwell,. indeed. she
lovcd. and. like r,ahy another woman who hn s
been less severely ccnsnrcd. she sacrificed her
reputs tion tn her lover. Mr. Boesly thinks
that she Is to ritied 70; tais infatuation. Both
we'll hardly took tho trouble to Pretend that he
cared for tho unhappy woman who gave UP
everything for him. He. in fact. cared more for
his lawful wife, " hom he divorced from motives
OF ambition. His enemies offered TO produce
letters Of his to the divorced Lady Boutwell,.
In which he assured her that lie regarded her
still as his lawful wife and Mary only as his
concubine The Queen would not look at the
letters. She hao nevertheless been aware.
even before her marriage, as pathetic letter
to Boutwell, shows. that her passionate love was
not returned. Two days after the marriage
his unkinlness drove her TO think Of suicide.
but. nothing that any ono could say could
shake her confidence.
That Darnley was murdered by Boutwell,
IS not disputed. and MIR. Bcssly has no doubt
that Mary was cognizant Of tho plot. and
lured her second husband to. the sham
bles. though It was not without compunc-
,ion that she lent herself to this part. He
deems It equally unauestionabe that Mary
wus guilty OF encouraging Babineton's plot
for assassinatinR Elizabeth. and that conse-
1uently under the net OF Parliament. passed in
the preceding year 15S5,. she deserved her
sentence Of death. That Elizabeth meant
the execution to take place seems to him
no less clear. though by avoiding a formal
delivery OF. the warrant she endeavored to
thrust tho responsibility on her secre-
taries. Dawson and Walsingham As for
the notion that Mary Stuart, being an
anointed Queen. was not amenablo to
any earthly tribunal. that is discarded as alb
surd. No Government can let conspiracy to
murder pass unpunished. II Napoleon at st.
Helena had been convicted Of plotting the as
sassination OF Sir Hudson Lowe no would as
suredly have been hanged. The expedency
OF putting Mary Stuart to death was demon
strated by the event. II broke up the Catho-
lie party in England ut the moment when dis
affection was about to be provoked by the APP
pearance Of the Spanish Armada.
Apropos Of the Armada. Mr.. Bcesly points
out tllut the great struggle with Spain would
have been entered upon quarter Of e. century
earlier II Elizabeth had allowed herself to be
guided by her most celebrated counsellorr.
il was fortunate for her country that shc was
wiser than her advisers. England at the be-
ginning OF her reign was unarmcd and weighed
down with load Of debt. The population. as
we have seen. was still mainly Catholic. The
Crcnt mobiles still thought themselves a
match for tho Crown. and many OF
them longcd to mako ono moro effort to
assert their old position in the State.
Trade and industry were languishng the
poorer classes wero suffering and discon-
tented. On the other hand. by 1919 nearly
u generation had passed away since Eliza
lzs H.. -
1t had seen some amendment in tho condition
Of tho country. Under specific and thrifty
Government taxation had boon light beyond
precedent yet all debts even those OF Henry
VIII. had been honorably pnid of. While the
lord OF American gold minos and OF the rich
est commercial ccntres in Europe could not
raise loan on any terms. Elizabeth could
borrow when she pleased at Ave per cent. But
she had ceased to borrow. for she had sur
plus stored in her treasury. Then again a
numerous militia had been enrolled and
partially disciplined. Large magazines Of
arms had been accumulated. navy
had been created. not. indeed. large one.
but 1t did not need to he large. for
the war ship OF those days did not differ from
the ordinary vessel OF commerce. Tho navy.
therefore. could be- at once indefinitely in
creused when need arose. Tho wealth Of
landed proprietors and traders had enor-
mously increased. New manufactures had
bcen started by exiles from the Netherlands.
and new branches Of foreign commerce had
boon opened up. The poor were we'll employed
and coEtented. On tho whole. Mr.. Beesly
deems It impossible to find In the previous
history of Europe since the fall OF the Roman
empire my other instance Of prosperity and
good government extending over so many
years.
But why did Philip wait until England had
become powerful and prosperous? Why did
he not attack before 1888? Because tho Dutch
revolt crippled him and the conquest Of Eng
land was postponed until the Dutch could be
subdued. Why. then. it may be asked. had
not Elizabeth supported the Dutch more Wig
orouslyl The answer is q simple one. II she
had done 80. the suppression Of the Dutch re-
volt would have been postponed till after the
conquest of England. This is clear from what
actually took place. Elizabeth had ultimately
been obliged. by new circumstances. to inter-
yene more theoretically in tho Netherlands.
and the result was the Armada.
Mr. Beesly does not agree with those his
torians who exaggerate the disparity between
the Spanish and English fleets. and who rep
resent England as only saved from impending
ruin by the extraordinary daring OF her seamen
and n series OF fortunate accidents 1t is true
that the final destruction OF the Armada after
the eight daya fight was over.was certainly the
work of wind and sen. But, If tho available
strength on each side be fairly weighed. Mr..
Beesly thinks that the English commanders
might from the first feel reasonable assur-
ance OF defeating the invaders. II must be re-
membered that the English ships were fifty
per cent. more numerous than the Spanish.
and contained almost twice as many saiiors
1t 10 true that the Armada carried over 10000
soldiers, but these could be OF no
use except in the event OF boarding.
which the English Captains were ordered to
avoid. 1t is also true that the Spaniards had
an immense preponderance OF tonnage. hut
their ships. though larger. were very inferior
for fighting and sailing purposes. 30. too. al-
though tho Spanish guns were moro than
threa timus na n,imarons the Enolish uuna