relentlessly put in force during the latter part of the reign. It is said that the jails were crowded with victims. In Hampshire 400, and in Lancashire 600, were brought up for trial at one session, so that the counties complained of the expense of their maintenance; the Queen therefore ordered them to be discharged. Many were punished by whipping, or with a hot iron, as before men tioned. Another cause of suffering was the visits by the Queen's officers to the private houses in search of Catholic clergymen. In 1584 fifty gentlemen's houses were searched in one night, and almost all the owners dragged to prison. Instruments of torture were often used to compel prisoners to confess; and it was not uncommon for the unhappy sufferers, in their agony, to accuse others and themselves wrongfully. These accounts are given by an historian who was himself a Catholic,* but whose truthfulness may be relied upon. It is also said, that during Elizabeth's reign no less than one hundred and eighty persons suffered death by the laws against Catholic priests and lished by the Papists in Spain. The Church of Rome was held in terror by most Protestants, and Elizabeth knew that to murder her would be thought an honour rather than a crime. The Puritans, also, were violent; and many were very fanatical. They were called Puritans because they wished to "purify" themselves from everything tha bore any resemblance to the Roman Čatholic church. Their earnestness to serve God, and their preachings, had a good effect, particularly the regard they paid to the Sabbath; but they laid the most serious stress on minute trifles. They caused a furious contention on the subject of square and round caps, because the former, which were worn by the students of the Universities, were like those of the Romish students; they also objected to the wearing of a surplice. Under the title of "Puritans" were found many strange men, who pretended to work miracles, and particularly to cast out devils. Puritans declared the Queen to be excommunicated as an enemy to Christ, and that, being so excommunicated, the people might kill her. There is, therefore, some excuse for the persecution caused by Elizabeth. Surrounded by enemies, she was most anxious for the safety of the Church of which she was the head, and for her own safety also. Although it was very wrong to compel Puritans or Catholics to attend church, it was her duty to restrain their attacks. Other The persecutions by the Star Chamber and High Commission Courts were not the only evils arising from the Queen's great power. Both Eliza beth and Mary frequently collected money without the consent of the Parliament. They issued royal proclamations demanding "Benevolences," and compelling merchants to grant loans. The duties which we call "customs" were often increased on certain goods without consulting the Parliament. When any foreign war was commenced, Elizabeth, of her own accord, obliged the counties to raise soldiers, to furnish them with arms and clothing, and to convey them to the seaports, at their own expense. By another practice, called "purveyance,' "the Queen would victual (that is, provide food for) her court, and even for fleets and armies, at the expense of suffering individuals, whom she wished to oppress. A still worse practice was resorted to by the Queen. It was that of granting to certain persons or companies the entire trade in particular articles. Such a privilege was called a monopoly, and those who possessed a monopoly for any article could prevent any other person from making or selling such goods. The Queen received large sums of money for these monopolies, but their effect on trade was most mischievous. Those who possessed them would often set what price they pleased on their goods, so as to make very large profits; chus the company who posessed the monopoly of salt raised the price from fourteen pence to fourteen shillings a bushel. Sir Walter Raleigh had a monopoly of tin. The most remarkable monopoly was that granted to certain merchants for trading to the East Indies. In the year 1599 they purchased a charter from Elizabeth to last for fifteen years only. With a capital of only £30,000 they formed themselves into an association called The Governor and Company of Merchants of London trading to the East Indies; and thus began the renowned EAST INDIA COMPANY. Perhaps even more evils might yet be pointed out, but yet all the mischief done in Elizabeth's reign was very small when compared with the good which, through the blessing of God, was brought about. Elizabeth, you have heard, had great talents; and so had her councillors. Her reign has been called the Augustan age of England; * and so it was. It was the time when the translation of the Holy Scriptures which we now use was undertaken, and the Protestant religion was re-established on a basis from which it could never be shaken. The prosperity of England was in every way increased. Down to the reign of the first Tudor, Henry VII., there was no navy in England. Then the discovery of America gave rise to a spirit of commerce, and By this is meant that the "glory" of England in her time was as great as that of Rome in the time of the Emperor Augustus. from that time to the reign of Elizabeth the ships of England multiplied. You heard how the defeat of the Armada raised the courage of the English. You have heard how more vessels were fitted out, in which adventurers attacked and conquered fleets of Spanish galleons. Thus England was raised from a second-rate to be a first-rate power, and her dominion over the seas was perfected in one reign. The commerce of England also increased in this reign. Hitherto the wool, cloth, lead, and tin of England had been exported principally in German vessels belonging to the Hanse Towns-an important league of commercial cities in Northern Germany; now English vessels were substituted for this trade. The cod-fishery of Newfoundland was begun in this reign, and the important whale fisheries of the north were begun in Spitzbergen; so also, unfortunately, was the cruel commerce of the slave-trade in Africa. new discoveries made by the Spaniards and Portuguese, and their emulation was aroused. Men of all ranks continued to fit out enterprises for discovering unknown lands. These were commanded by the renowned seamen Drake, Frobisher, Raleigh, and others. Sir Walter Raleigh discovered a part of America, which he colonized, and called Virginia in honour of the Queen. He also imported the tobacco-plant. In this reign the colonies of North America were commenced. Besides planting new colonies abroad, provision was made for all who were unemployed at home. At this time the celebrated Act for the relief of the poor was passed. By this the idle were compelled to work, and all pretext for vagrancy was taken away. Before, the country had been overrun by robbers and thieves, but the evil was thus lessened. The love of learning, and the number of learned men, added greatly to the glory of Elizabeth's reign. Herself learned, The religious persecutions she was surrounded by men of abroad were also of good ac- similar attainments, some of count to this country. They whom were both "wise and caused a great number of the good." Besides her tutor, ROGER best workmen of the Nether- ASCHAM, and LORD BURLEIGH, lands to flee hither for refuge. who have been mentioned, there Weavers, dyers, cloth-dressers, was the wondrous poet SHAKEand silk-throwers settled in SPEARE, the poet SPENSER, the vast numbers, and greatly im- dramatic writers BEN JONSON, proved the manufactures of BEAUMONT and FLETCHER; the England. We will talk of scholar, soldier, and statesman, some of the new inventions in SIR PHILIP SYDNEY; and SIR our next lesson. WALTER RALEIGH. The great The love of enterprise was ano-reformers CALVIN and JOHN ther new source of prosperity. KNOX, the famous divine The English looked on at the HOOKER, and Fox, the author of "The Book of Martyrs," also TYCHO BRAHE, GESNER, TITIAN, lived in these times. CAMOENS, and TASSO. But no more. You have had a very long lesson to-day. You have seen how, as it is well said, the whole nation roused itself from long habits of barbarity; so that arts, commerce, and legislation began to acquire new strength every The celebrated Scotchmen, the ADMIRABLE CHRICHTON and BUCHANAN; the great merchant Sir THOMAS GRESHAM; the Admirals HAWKINS; FROBISHER, and DRAKE, were all men of great renown; while in foreign countries there lived the famous GALILEO, KEPLER, | day. LITTLE LUCY. FRIEND. Do you grieve to lie on your lonely bed, The merry birds carol above LUCY. Oh, no! though I suffer, and great is my pain, For me, too, the fairest fruits and flowers Brother picks the nuts from their dark brown coat, When I hear below, in the busy street, FRIEND. God tempers the wind to the lamb that is shorn, M. M. B. RECAPITULATION. P. WE will have a few more questions on the old lessons. 44. Mention the different numbers. 45. The different persons. 46. The different cases. 47. Give me a sentence with the word "Thomas" in the singular number;-with Thomas in the plural number. 48. Make three more sentences, with Thomas in the first person-in the second person-in the third person. 49. Make a sentence with Thomas in the nominative case -another with Thomas in the possessive-another in the objective case. 50. Give me the following nouns in the plural number: dog, box, lady, wife, ox, child, woman, goose, sheep, deer, France, the sun. 51. Change the gender of the words bull, boy, man, uncle, he-goat, cock-sparrow. 52. Can you change the gender of these words-box, bird, person, table, animal? Why not? 53. Sometimes you form the degrees of comparison by adding er and est to the positive degree. Why do you compare the adjective long in that manner? Why the adjective weak? 54. Do you compare red exactly in the same way? 55. Why do you double the last consonant? 56. Compare merry and gay; give the rule concerning each. 57. Compare wise, little, and beautiful, and say the rule concerning each. 58. What do you call the numbers one, two, three, &c.? Can you compare them? 59. What is the difference between a relative and & personal pronoun? 60. Mention the relative pronoun. When do you use which? When do you use who? When that? 61. What do you call the word that precedes the relative? 62. What word is used both as antecedent and relative? 63. The pronouns this and that are used to point out a particular noun. What are they therefore called? 64. Give me the plurals of this and that. is 65. What sort of a pronoun every? 66. What sort of a pronoun is who when used to ask a question? 67. What sort of a pronoun is all? |