Memoirs of the Court of Queen Elizabeth

Irish affairs.--Essex appointed lord deputy.--His letter to the queen.--Letter of Markham to Harrington.--Departure of Essex and proceedings in Ireland.--His letter to the privy...

Traits of the queen.--Brown and his sect.--Promotion of Whitgift.--Severities exercised against the puritans.--Embassy of Walsingham to Scotland.--Particulars of lord Willoughby...

There was no part of the regal office the exercise of which appeared so likely to expose Elizabeth to invidious reflections, as that which comprehended the management of ecclesi...

Effects of Leicester's death.--Rise of the queen's affection for Essex.--Trial of the earl of Arundel.--Letter of Walsingham on religious affairs.--Death of Mildmay.--Case of do...

Relations of the queen with France and Spain.--She sends succours to the Dutch--is entertained by Leicester, and celebrated in verse by P. Sidney.--Her visit to Norwich.--Letter...

A parliament.--Haughty language of the queen.--Committal of Wentworth and other members--of Morice.--His letter to lord Burleigh.--Act to retain subjects in their due obedience....

Terms on which Elizabeth offers to acknowledge Mary as her successor,--rejected by the Scots.--Death of Darnley.--Conduct of Elizabeth towards his mother.--Letter of Cecil.--Let...

Small political effect of the death of Mary.--Warlike preparations of Spain destroyed by Drake.--Case of lord Beauchamp.--Death and character of the duchess of Somerset.--Hatton...

Arrival of Wyat and his associates at the Tower.--Savage treatment of them.--Further instances of Mary's severity.--Duke of Suffolk beheaded.--Death of lady Jane Grey--of Wyat,...

Testamentary provisions of Henry VIII.--Exclusion of the Scottish line.--Discontent of the earl of Arundel.--His character and intrigues.--Hertford declared protector--becomes d...

Proceedings of the commissioners at York in the cause of Mary.--Intrigues of the duke of Norfolk with the regent Murray.--The conferences transferred to Westminster.--Mary's gui...

Fresh expedition against Spain proposed.--Extracts from Whyte's letters.--Raleigh reconciles Essex and R. Cecil.--Essex master of the ordnance.--Anecdote of the queen and Mrs. B...

Vague notions of hereditary succession to the English throne.--Henry's jealousy of the royal family.--Imprisonment of lord T. Howard and lady M. Douglas.--After-fortunes of this...

Elizabeth applies herself to classical literature.--Its neglected state.--Progress of English poetry.--Account of Sackville and his works.--Plan of his Mirror for Magistrates.--...

Notice of sir T. Gresham.--Building of his exchange.--The queen's visit to it.--Cecil created lord Burleigh and lord-treasurer.--Justs at Westminster.--Notices of the earl of Ox...

General joy on the accession of Elizabeth.--Views of the nobility--of the middling and lower classes.--Flattery with which she is addressed.--Descriptions of her person.--Her fi...

Meeting of parliament.--Prudent counsel of sir N. Bacon.--Act declaratory of the queen's title.--Her answer to an address praying her to marry.--Philip II. offers her his hand.-...

Mary affects attachment to Elizabeth.--Short duration of her kindness.--Earl of Devonshire liberated from the Tower.--His character.--He rejects the love of Mary--shows partiali...

Naval war against Spain.--Death of sir Richard Grenville--Notice of Cavendish.--Establishment of the East India company.--Results of voyages of discovery.--Transactions between...

Letters of lord Talbot to his father.--Connexion of Leicester with lady Sheffield.--Anecdote of the queen and Mr. Dyer.--Queen suspicions of Burleigh.--Countesses of Lenox and S...

Decline of the protector's authority.--He is imprisoned--accused of misdemeanors--loses his office--is liberated--reconciled with Dudley, who succeeds to his authority.--Dudley...

Renewal of the archduke's proposal.--Disappointment of Leicester.--Anecdote concerning him.--Disgrace of the earl of Arundel.--Situation of the duke of Norfolk.--Leicester his s...

Birth of Elizabeth.--Circumstances attending the marriage of her parents.--Public entry of Anne Boleyn into London.--Pageants exhibited.--Baptism of Elizabeth.--Eminent persons...

Essex and Cecil factious--Expedition to Cadiz.--Robert Cecil appointed secretary.--Notice of sir T. Bodley.--Critical situation of Essex.--Francis Bacon addresses to him a lette...

Successful campaign in Scotland.--Embassy of viscount Montacute to Spain--of sir T. Chaloner to the Emperor.--Account of Chaloner.--Letter of his respecting Dudley and the queen...

Rout of Solway and death of James V. of Scotland.--Birth of queen Mary.--Henry projects to marry her to his son.--Offers the hand of Elizabeth to the earl of Arran.--Earl of Len...