Love and Friendship, and Other Early Works, Jane Austen [bts books to read txt] 📗

by giving

only a slight sketch of the principal Events which marked his

reign. Among these may be ranked Cardinal Wolsey’s telling the

father Abbott of Leicester Abbey that “he was come to lay his

bones among them,” the reformation in Religion and the King’s

riding through the streets of London with Anna Bullen. It is

however but Justice, and my Duty to declare that this amiable

Woman was entirely innocent of the Crimes with which she was

accused, and of which her Beauty, her Elegance, and her

Sprightliness were sufficient proofs, not to mention her solemn

Protestations of Innocence, the weakness of the Charges against

her, and the King’s Character; all of which add some

confirmation, tho’ perhaps but slight ones when in comparison

with those before alledged in her favour. Tho’ I do not profess

giving many dates, yet as I think it proper to give some and

shall of course make choice of those which it is most necessary

for the Reader to know, I think it right to inform him that her

letter to the King was dated on the 6th of May. The Crimes and

Cruelties of this Prince, were too numerous to be mentioned, (as

this history I trust has fully shown;) and nothing can be said in

his vindication, but that his abolishing Religious Houses and

leaving them to the ruinous depredations of time has been of

infinite use to the landscape of England in general, which

probably was a principal motive for his doing it, since otherwise

why should a Man who was of no Religion himself be at so much

trouble to abolish one which had for ages been established in the

Kingdom. His Majesty’s 5th Wife was the Duke of Norfolk’s Neice

who, tho’ universally acquitted of the crimes for which she was

beheaded, has been by many people supposed to have led an

abandoned life before her Marriage—of this however I have many

doubts, since she was a relation of that noble Duke of Norfolk

who was so warm in the Queen of Scotland’s cause, and who at last

fell a victim to it. The Kings last wife contrived to survive

him, but with difficulty effected it. He was succeeded by his

only son Edward.

 

EDWARD the 6th

 

As this prince was only nine years old at the time of his

Father’s death, he was considered by many people as too young to

govern, and the late King happening to be of the same opinion,

his mother’s Brother the Duke of Somerset was chosen Protector of

the realm during his minority. This Man was on the whole of a

very amiable Character, and is somewhat of a favourite with me,

tho’ I would by no means pretend to affirm that he was equal to

those first of Men Robert Earl of Essex, Delamere, or Gilpin. He

was beheaded, of which he might with reason have been proud, had

he known that such was the death of Mary Queen of Scotland; but

as it was impossible that he should be conscious of what had

never happened, it does not appear that he felt particularly

delighted with the manner of it. After his decease the Duke of

Northumberland had the care of the King and the Kingdom, and

performed his trust of both so well that the King died and the

Kingdom was left to his daughter in law the Lady Jane Grey, who

has been already mentioned as reading Greek. Whether she really

understood that language or whether such a study proceeded only

from an excess of vanity for which I beleive she was always

rather remarkable, is uncertain. Whatever might be the cause,

she preserved the same appearance of knowledge, and contempt of

what was generally esteemed pleasure, during the whole of her

life, for she declared herself displeased with being appointed

Queen, and while conducting to the scaffold, she wrote a sentence

in Latin and another in Greek on seeing the dead Body of her

Husband accidentally passing that way.

MARY

This woman had the good luck of being advanced to the throne of

England, in spite of the superior pretensions, Merit, and Beauty

of her Cousins Mary Queen of Scotland and Jane Grey. Nor can I

pity the Kingdom for the misfortunes they experienced during her

Reign, since they fully deserved them, for having allowed her to

succeed her Brother—which was a double peice of folly, since

they might have foreseen that as she died without children, she

would be succeeded by that disgrace to humanity, that pest of

society, Elizabeth. Many were the people who fell martyrs to the

protestant Religion during her reign; I suppose not fewer than a

dozen. She married Philip King of Spain who in her sister’s

reign was famous for building Armadas. She died without issue,

and then the dreadful moment came in which the destroyer of all

comfort, the deceitful Betrayer of trust reposed in her, and the

Murderess of her Cousin succeeded to the Throne.–-

ELIZABETH

It was the peculiar misfortune of this Woman to have bad

Ministers–Since wicked as she herself was, she could not have

committed such extensive mischeif, had not these vile and

abandoned Men connived at, and encouraged her in her Crimes. I

know that it has by many people been asserted and beleived that

Lord Burleigh, Sir Francis Walsingham, and the rest of those who

filled the cheif offices of State were deserving, experienced,

and able Ministers. But oh! how blinded such writers and such

Readers must be to true Merit, to Merit despised, neglected and

defamed, if they can persist in such opinions when they reflect

that these men, these boasted men were such scandals to their

Country and their sex as to allow and assist their Queen in

confining for the space of nineteen years, a WOMAN who if the

claims of Relationship and Merit were of no avail, yet as a Queen

and as one who condescended to place confidence in her, had every

reason to expect assistance and protection; and at length in

allowing Elizabeth to bring this amiable Woman to an untimely,

unmerited, and scandalous Death. Can any one if he reflects but

for a moment on this blot, this everlasting blot upon their

understanding and their Character, allow any praise to Lord

Burleigh or Sir Francis Walsingham? Oh! what must this

bewitching Princess whose only freind was then the Duke of

Norfolk, and whose only ones now Mr Whitaker, Mrs Lefroy, Mrs

Knight and myself, who was abandoned by her son, confined by her

Cousin, abused, reproached and vilified by all, what must not her

most noble mind have suffered when informed that Elizabeth had

given orders for her Death! Yet she bore it with a most unshaken

fortitude, firm in her mind; constant in her Religion; and

prepared herself to meet the cruel fate to which she was doomed,

with a magnanimity that would alone proceed from conscious

Innocence. And yet could you Reader have beleived it possible

that some hardened and zealous Protestants have even abused her

for that steadfastness in the Catholic Religion which reflected

on her so much credit? But this is a striking proof of THEIR

narrow souls and prejudiced Judgements who accuse her. She was

executed in the Great Hall at Fortheringay Castle (sacred Place!)

on Wednesday the 8th of February 1586—to the everlasting

Reproach of Elizabeth, her Ministers, and of England in general.

It may not be unnecessary before I entirely conclude my account

of this ill-fated Queen, to observe that she had been accused of

several crimes during the time of her reigning in Scotland, of

which I now most seriously do assure my Reader that she was

entirely innocent; having never been guilty of anything more than

Imprudencies into which she was betrayed by the openness of her

Heart, her Youth, and her Education. Having I trust by this

assurance entirely done away every Suspicion and every doubt

which might have arisen in the Reader’s mind, from what other

Historians have written of her, I shall proceed to mention the

remaining Events that marked Elizabeth’s reign. It was about

this time that Sir Francis Drake the first English Navigator who

sailed round the World, lived, to be the ornament of his Country

and his profession. Yet great as he was, and justly celebrated

as a sailor, I cannot help foreseeing that he will be equalled in

this or the next Century by one who tho’ now but young, already

promises to answer all the ardent and sanguine expectations of

his Relations and Freinds, amongst whom I may class the amiable

Lady to whom this work is dedicated, and my no less amiable self.

 

Though of a different profession, and shining in a different

sphere of Life, yet equally conspicuous in the Character of an

Earl, as Drake was in that of a Sailor, was Robert Devereux Lord

Essex. This unfortunate young Man was not unlike in character to

that equally unfortunate one FREDERIC DELAMERE. The simile may

be carried still farther, and Elizabeth the torment of Essex may

be compared to the Emmeline of Delamere. It would be endless to

recount the misfortunes of this noble and gallant Earl. It is

sufficient to say that he was beheaded on the 25th of Feb, after

having been Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, after having clapped his

hand on his sword, and after performing many other services to

his Country. Elizabeth did not long survive his loss, and died

so miserable that were it not an injury to the memory of Mary I

should pity her.

 

JAMES the 1st

 

Though this King had some faults, among which and as the most

principal, was his allowing his Mother’s death, yet considered on

the whole I cannot help liking him. He married Anne of Denmark,

and had several Children; fortunately for him his eldest son

Prince Henry died before his father or he might have experienced

the evils which befell his unfortunate Brother.

 

As I am myself partial to the roman catholic religion, it is with

infinite regret that I am obliged to blame the Behaviour of any

Member of it: yet Truth being I think very excusable in an

Historian, I am necessitated to say that in this reign the roman

Catholics of England did not behave like Gentlemen to the

protestants. Their Behaviour indeed to the Royal Family and both

Houses of Parliament might justly be considered by them as very

uncivil, and even Sir Henry Percy tho’ certainly the best bred

man of the party, had none of that general politeness which is so

universally pleasing, as his attentions were entirely confined to

Lord Mounteagle.

 

Sir Walter Raleigh flourished in this and the preceeding reign,

and is by many people held in great veneration and respect—But

as he was an enemy of the noble Essex, I have nothing to say in

praise of him, and must refer all those who may wish to be

acquainted with the particulars of his life, to Mr Sheridan’s

play of the Critic, where they will find many interesting

anecdotes as well of him as of his friend Sir Christopher

Hatton.—His Majesty was of that amiable disposition which

inclines to Freindship, and in such points was possessed of a

keener penetration in discovering Merit than many other people.

I once heard an excellent Sharade on a Carpet, of which the

subject I am now on reminds me, and as I think it may afford my

Readers some amusement to FIND IT OUT, I shall here take the

liberty of presenting it to them.

SHARADE

My first is what my second was to King James the 1st, and you

tread on my whole.

 

The principal favourites of his Majesty were Car, who was

afterwards created Earl of Somerset and whose name perhaps may

have some share in the above mentioned Sharade, and George

Villiers afterwards Duke