XLII. 1582. CHA P. fhip of war, which the queen had lent him. That nobleman fupplied Sir Francis Drake with fome provifions; a generofity which faved the lives of many of Drake's men, but for which the others afterwards fuffered feverely. Cumberland failed towards the Terceras, and took feveral prizes from the enemy; but the richest, valued at a hundred thousand pounds, perifhed in her return, with all her cargo, near St. Michael's Mount in Cornwal. Many of these adventurers were killed in a rash attempt at the Terceras: A great mortality feized the reft: And it was with difficulty that the few hands, which remained, were able to fteer the fhips back into harbour Affairs of Scotland. 83 THOUGH the fignal advantages, gained over the Spaniards, and the fpirit thence infufed into the English, gave Elizabeth great fecurity during the rest of her reign, she could not forbear keeping an anxious eye on Scotland, whofe fituation rendered its revolutions always of importance to her. It might have been expected, that this high fpirited princefs, who knew fo well to brave danger, would not have retained that malignant jealousy towards her heir, with which, during the life-time of Mary, fhe had been fo much agitated. James had indeed fucceeded to all. the claims of his mother; but he had not fucceeded to the favor of the catholics, which could alone render thefe claims dangerous : And as the queen was now well advanced in years, and 89 XLII. 1589. enjoyed an uncontrouled authority over her fub- CHA P. jects, it was not likely, that the king of Scots, who was of an indolent unambitious temper, would ever give her any disturbance in her poffeffion of the throne. Yet all thefe circumftances could not remove her timorous fufpicions: And fo far from fatisfying the nation by a fettlement of the fucceffion, or a declaration of James's title, fhe was as anxious to prevent every incident, which might anywife raife his credit, or procure him the regard of the English, as if he had been her immediate rival and competitor. Moft of his minifters and favorites were her penfioners; and as she was defirous to hinder him from marrying and having children, fhe obliged them to throw obftacles in the way of every alliance, even the most reasonable, which could be offered him; and during fome years, fhe fucceeded in this malignant policy ". He had fixed on the elder daughter of the king of Denmark, who, being a remote prince and not powerful, could give her no umbrage; yet did fhe fo artfully cross this negociation, that the Danish monarch, impatient of delay, married his daughter to the duke of Brunswick. James then renewed his fuit to the younger princefs; and ftill found obftacles from the intrigues of Elizabeth, who, merely with a view of interpofing delay, proposed to him the fifter of the king of Navarre, a princess much older than himself, and entirely deftitute of for " Melvil, p. 166. 177. CHA P. tune. XLII. 1589. The young king, befides the defire of fecuring himself, by the profpect of iffue, from thofe traiterous attempts, too frequent among his fubjects, had been fo watched by the rigid aufterity of the ecclefiaftics, that he had another inducement to marry, which is not fo usual with monarchs. His impatience therefore broke through all the politics of Elizabeth: The articles of marriage were fettled: The ceremony was performed by proxy: And the princefs embarked for Scotland; but was driven by a storm into a port of Norway. This tempest, and some others, which happened near the fame time, were univerfally believed in Scotland and Denmark to have proceeded from a combination of the Scottish and Danish witches; and the dying confeffion of the criminals was fuppofed to put the accufation beyond all controverfy James, however, though a great believer in forcery, was not deterred by this incident from taking a voyage, in order to conduct his bride home: He arrived in Norway; carried the queen thence to Copenhagen; and having paffed the winter in that city, he brought her next spring to Scotland, where they were joyfully received by the people. The clergy alone, who never neglected an opportunity of vexing their prince, made oppofition to the queen's coronation, on account of the ceremony of anointing her, which, they alledged, was either a Jewish or a popifh rite; and therefore "Melvil, p. 180. XLII. 1589. utterly antichriftian and unlawful. But James was CHA P. as much bent on the ceremony, as they were averfe to it; and after much controverfy and many intrigues, his authority, which had not often happened, at laft prevailed over their oppofition 92 Spotfwood, p. 38г.. CHAP. XLIII. С Н А Р. XLIII. 1590. Henry IV. embraces the catholic religion - Scotcb affairs Naval enterprises Peace of Vervins AFTER A parliament The earl of Effex. a state of great anxiety and many difficulties, Elizabeth had at length reached a fituation, where, though her affairs ftill required attention, and found employment for her active fpirit, fhe was removed from all danger of any immediate revolution, and might regard the efforts of her enemies with fome degree of confidence and fecurity. Her fuccessful and prudent adminiftration had gained her, together with the admiration of foreigners, the affections of her own fubjects; and after the death of the queen of Scots, even the catholics, however difcontented, pretended not to difpute her title, or adhere to any other perfon as her competitor. James, curbed by his factious nobility and ecclefiaftics, poffeffed at home very little authority; and was folicitous to remain on good terms with Elizabeth and the English nation, in hopes that time, aided by his patient tranquillity, would fecure him that rich fucceffion, to which his birth entitled him. |