pardon of those he had purposed to betray. Similar meetings were held in various parts of England.

The wretched state of the nation is thus described by Strype: "Hot burning fevers and other strange diseases began in the great dearth, 1556, and increased more and more the two following years. In the summer, 1557, they raged horribly throughout the realm, and killed an exceeding number of all sorts of men, but especially gentlemen and men of great wealth. So many husbandmen and labourers also died and were sick, that in harvest time, in divers places, men would have given one acre of corn to reap and carry in another. In some places corn_stood and shed on the ground for want of workmen. In the latter end of the year, quartan agues were so common among men, women, and young children also, that few houses escaped: and these agues were not only common, but to most persons very dangerous, especially such as had been sick of the burning fevers before. In 1558, in the summer, about August, the same fevers raged again, in such a manner, as never plague or pestilence, I think, saith my author, killed a greater number. If the people of the realm had been divided into four parts, certainly three parts of those four should have been found sick. And hereby so great a scarcity of harvest men, that those which remained took twelve pence for that which was wont to be done for three pence. In some shires no gentleman almost escaped, but either himself or his wife, or both, were dangerously sick, and very many died; so that divers places were left void of ancient justices and men of worship to govern the country. Many that kept twenty or thirty in their houses, had not three or four to help the residue that were sick. In most poor men's houses, the master, dame, and servants were all sick, in such wise, that one could not help another. The winter following, also, the quartan agues continued in like manner, or more vehemently than they had done last year. At this time, also, died many priests, so

that a great number of parish churches, in divers places of the realm, were unserved, and no curates could be gotten for money. All which, and a great many miseries more, now lying upon the nation, and the loss of Calais not the least, looked like the frowns of God upon the queen and her government. And in the midst of these calamities she expired. And she that wrote herself by her marriage queen of so many kingdoms, duchess of so many dukedoms, marchioness of so many marquisates, left less riches in her coffers and wealth in her realm, at the time of her death, than any of her progenitors did."

As queen Mary drew near her end, she was aware of the approach of death, and "carried herself very devoutly. She prepared herself for death after the manner of the popish superstition wherein she had been bred; she devoutly called for and partook of the sacra ments of the church. After she had received her supposed Saviour, the wafer, extreme unction was administered to her. When the strength of her body was quite wasted, and the use of her tongue failed her, yet in mass time, when the sacrament was to be elevated, she lifted up her eyes towards it; and at the pronouncing of the benediction, she bowed her head, and soon after yielded up her spirit. The sickly queen held out to the month of November, when, on the 17th day thereof, she ended her life, to the great joy of the poor professors of the purer religion, who had been sufficiently harassed by some of her zealots, that shed abundance of innocent blood, and set a stain upon the Marian day, which will never be wiped off."

Thus, in the forty-third year of her age, and the sixth of her reign, Mary departed without being desired, having, in that short period, effectually alienated her subjects, and left an impression upon the minds of Englishmen, with reference to the intolerant and persecuting spirit of the Romish faith, which all the arts of sophistry and misrepresentation exercised by the votaries of that church during nearly three hundred

The

years have not been able entirely to remove. feelings of the people were soon shown. On the afternoon of the day on which she expired, the bells were rung, bonfires were lighted, and tables were set in the streets, that all might publicly rejoice. Such was the popular feeling towards her who had just gone to her. awful account. Burnet well says: "God shortened the time of her reign for his elect's sake; and he seemed to have suffered popery to show itself in its true and natural colours-all over, both false and bloody, even in a female reign, from whence all mildness and gentleness might have been expected-to give this nation such an evident and demonstrative proof of the barbarous cruelty of that religion, as might raise up a lasting abhorrence and detestation of it."

Cardinal Pole only survived Mary a few hours; he died on the following day. Enough respecting him has already been recorded; it only remains to be said, that neither he nor the queen stayed the persecutions when they felt their deaths at hand. Bonner did pause in his career at the approach of the decease of Mary; but in Pole's diocese the piles blazed to the last; three men and two women being burned at Canterbury on November 10.

We cannot be surprised at the effect produced upon the minds of the people by the events of this reign; for, during six years, or, rather, during the last four, not less than two hundred and eighty-eight persons were burned alive, merely on charges connected with their profession of religion, while more than a hundred others perished in prison. These sufferers were persons of every rank and calling; they have been classed as follows: Five bishops; twenty-one divines; eight gentlemen; eighty-four artificers; one hundred husbandmen, servants, and labourers; twenty-six wives; twenty widows; nine virgins; two boys; two infants. Many others suffered as traitors, who took no part in any attempts against the queen's government, but were in reality put to death for their religion. Thousands

suffered pecuniary loss, or were contented to sacrifice their property for conscience' sake. No other reign can be pointed out as presenting such a list of victims. But thus, "by a way that she knew not, and though her heart intended it not, neither did she think so," Mary was one of the chief instruments in establishing the Protestant faith in England firmly in the hearts of the people; and notwithstanding all the false glosses of some modern historians, the vast mass of public and private documents relative to this period recently brought to light, show more and more fully her cruel bigotry and superstition. A Christian poet, after walking over Smithfield, wrote the following lines on the English martyrs :—

"Hail, holy martyrs, glorious names,

Who nobly here for Jesus stood,

Rejoiced, and clapped your hands in flames,
And dared to seal the truth with blood!

Strong in the Lord, divinely strong,
Tortures and death ye here defied;
Demons and men, a gazing throng,

Ye braved, and more than conquering died.
Finished your course, and fought your fight,
Hence did your mounting souls aspire;
Starting from flesh they took their flight,
Borne upward on a car of fire.

Where earth and hell no more molest,
Ye now have joined the heavenly host,
Entered into your Father's rest,

And found the life which here ye lost.
Father, if now thy breath revives
In us the pure primeval flame,
Thy power which animates our lives,
Can make us in our deaths the same:

Can out of weakness make us strong,
Arming as in the ancient days,
Loosing the stammering infant's tongue,
And perfecting in babes thy praise.

Come, holy, holy, holy Lord,

The Father, Son, and Spirit, come;
Be mindful of thy changeless word,
And make the faithful soul thy home."

REIGNED FORTY-FOUR YEARS AND FOUR MONTHS.

From November the 17th, 1558, to March the 24th, 1603.

PART I.

QUEEN MARY died between six and seven o'clock on the morning of November 17, 1558. The council assembled the parliament then sitting, and at noon Elizabeth was proclaimed queen. This change was received with more than common rejoicing; such was the state of affairs at that time, and such the apprehensions entertained of still severer persecutions, and deeper national disgrace from the policy lately pursued.