The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1915-07-27

issued a purer currency or SterflnS
value. The people were paid for the
base coin. the government bearing the
heavy loss, but the masses were con-
tent. The gold coins Of this reign are
peculiarly beautiful. Good laws for
the poor were enacted. Elizabeth was
the first ruler to order the manufac-
ture of gunpowder in England. The
fortresses were strengthened, partic-
ularly Berwick, in anticipation of in
vasion from the north and the navy
was improved to the extent ii saved
the realm from the Spanish invasion.
The ICED that brought the most bene-
fit was the translation of the Bible,
after several revisionS under King
James this translation forms the basis
Of our version of today. The veal of
the people was EliZabeth's first con-
s%ideration always and they in turn al
most idoliZed her.
The first twenty years of the
queens reign she was harrassed by
the subject Of her marriage or the
appointment OF a successor. She ever
insisted that her coronation was her
marriage and that she wished to re-
main a maiden. declaring that she de-
| sired this epitah to be placed on her
tombstone: Here lies a queen who
lived and died a virgin" There is
a probability that Elizabeth must have
regarded matrimony u~nfaVoraply.
| drawing differences as she no douot
| did from the unsuccessful matches OF
| her own family. Her fathers numer-
| Gus trials in that state; her mother S
| unhappy fate, and her sisters mIser-
able marriage, not to speak or her
cousin, Mary Stuart's, second ana
third ventures in that line, were not
calculated to inspire a 1lllngne on
her part to share her throne with an
inferior. She declared that a foreign
alliance must be distasteful to the
people as her sister was and to wee
a subject she must nave regarded as
a step beneath her dignity, although
at one time it was believed that she
contemplated sharing her throne with
her favorite Robert Dudley, whom
she created Earl of Leicester and
Baron of Denbigh and enriched him
with the princely estate of kenilWOrtE
In youth Leicester was a handsome
man but ever INSCRIPTIONS. The muir
der Of his wife was a death blow tC
all his hopes of securing the crown
matrimonial. At one time there was
a ray Of hope hat she might have &C
cepted the Archduke Charles Of Aus
tria, the most honorable and chival-
rio prince in Europe. Well did The
queen know that it was the kingdom
that won for her many proposals OF
marriage and she declared that sht
had rather die than be despised OF
neglected by a spouse. What an al
most endless list of suitors! Thu
course she pursued in the n ha.
brought forth the most for the Eng
lish nation, uniting as it did at las
the whole island, putting an end t,
the bloOdShed that would have del
uged Britain SO long as the kingdom
were divided.
At the time of the invasion by tn
Spanish Armada Elizabeth appeare,
at her best. She was calmneSS itSel
n the main support of the who'll
kingdom. She gave orders with deci
sion and infused courage into sail
ors and soldiers. The land force
were far inferior to Philips but il
leadership and bravery the fleet ia
5 surpassed his Invincible Armada, a
5 it was called. This naval engagement
decided the supremacy Of England.
{ The stain on Elizabcth's fair nam
is the execution of Mary Queen Q
!; Scots. While she did engage in plot
!. to dethone and even take the Eng
. lish queens life, her name was ofte-
she had NJ knowledge WhatsOeve
, Contrasted with the character Of tina
= beautiful, out weak Scottish sovereign
:. the true estimate of this daughter G
!. the House of Tudor appears in man
!, ways points she was her superior, i
= others her inferior. Both now slee
beneath handsome tombs near tC
- gether in Westminster Abbey, erecte
by the son of one, the successor c
both.
e To this brilliant woman whose wis
s dom and political sagacity were e2
ceptional, England-the Anglo-Saxo
race the world ven-ow an i'm
mense debt of abiding gratitude. He
faults were many and less pronounce
in youth than in advanced age, whic
= to a large extent soured her dispos
ton, still one should never forget ths
she gave her life for the service
her country and made tremendol
sacrifice. England's second create
. sovereign is the rank % which h
name can be assigned. Blessed il
- deed are we Of America that Elizz;
deed are we Of America that Eliz:
= thODe