The Holy State, Book 4 · Chapter 15
ELIZABETH Queen of England. She dyed at Richmond the 24th of March 1602. in the 44th yeare of Her Raign and 70th of Her Life. W Marshall Sculp:
CHAP. 15. The life of Queen ELISABETH.
WE intermeddle not with her description as she was a Sovereigne Prince, too high for our pen, and performed by others already, though not by any done so fully, but that still room is left for the endeavours of Posterity to adde thereunto. We consider her onelyonly as she was a worthy Lady, her private virtues rendring her to the imitation, and her publick to the admiration of all.
Her royall birth by her Fathers side doth comparatively make her Mother-descent seem low, which otherwise considered in it self was very noble and honourable. As for the bundle of scandalous aspersions by some cast on her birth, they are best to be buried without once *See these slanders plainly confuted in Anti-Sander. Dialog. 2. pag. 125. & deinceps.opening of them. For as the basest rascall will presume to miscall the best Lord, when farre enough out of his hearing; so slanderous tongues think they may run riot in railing on any, when once got out of the distance of time, and reach of confutation.
But Majesty which dyeth not will not suffer it self to be so abused, seeing the best assurance which living Princes have, that their memories shall be honourably continued, is founded (next to their own deserts) in the maintaining of the unstained reputation of their Predecessours. Yea divine Justice seems herein to be a compurgatour of the parents of Queen Elizabeth, in that Nicholas Sanders, a Popish Priest, the first raiser of these wicked reports, was accidentally famished as he roved up and down in Ireland; either because it was just he should be sterved that formerly surfeted with lying, or because that Iland out of a naturall antipathy against poysonous creatures would not lend life to so venemous a slanderer.
Under the reigne of her Father, and Brother King Edward the sixth, (who commonly called her his Sister Temperance) she lived in a Princely fashion. But the case was altered with her when her Sister Mary came to the Crown, who ever look'd upon her with a jealous eye and frowning face: chiefly, because of the difference betwixt them in religion. For though Queen Mary is said of her self not so much as to have bark'd, yet she had under her those who did more then bite; and rather her religion then disposition was guilty in countenancing their cruelty by her authority.
This antipathy against her Sister Elizabeth was encreased with the remembrance how Katharine Dowager, Queen Maries Mother, was justled out of the bed of Henry the eighth by Anna Bullen, Mother to Queen Elizabeth: so that these two Sisters were born, as I may say, not onelyonly in severall but opposite horizons, so that the elevation and bright appearing of the one inferr'd the necessary obscurity and depression of the other; & still Qu. Mary was troubled with this fit of the Mother, which incensed her against this her half Sister.
To which two grand causes of opposition, this third may also be added, because not so generally known, though in it self of lesser consequence. Queen Mary had released Edward Courtney Earl of Devonshire out of the Tower, where long he had been detained prisoner, a Gentleman of a beautifull body, sweet nature, and royall descent, intending him, as it was generally conceived, to be an husband for her self. For when the said Earl petitioned the Queen for leave to travel she advised him rather to marry, ensuring him that no Lady in the land, how high soever, would refuse him for an husband; and urging him to make his choyce where he pleased, she pointed her self out unto him as plainly as might stand with the modesty of a maid, and Majesty of a Queen. Hereupon the young Earl (whether because that his long durance had some influence on his brain, or that naturally his face was better then his head, or out of some private phancie and affection to the Lady Elizabeth, or out of loyall bashfulnesse, not presuming to climbe higher, but expecting to be call'd up) is said to have requested the Queen for leave to marry her Sister the Lady Elizabeth, unhappy that his choyce either went so high or no higher: For who could have spoken worse Treason against Mary (though not against the Queen) then to preferre her Sister before her? and she, innocent Lady, did afterwards dearly pay the score of this Earls indiscretion.
For these reasons Lady Elizabeth was closely kept and narrowly sifted all her Sisters reigne, Sr Bedenifield her keeper using more severity towards her then his place required, yea more then a good man should, or a wiseman would have done. No doubt the least tripping of her foot should have cost her the losing of her head, if they could have caught her to be privy to any conspiracies.
This Lady as well deserved the title of Elizabeth the Confessour as ever Edward her ancient predecessour did. Mr Ascham was a good Schoolmaster to her, but affliction was a better, so that it is hard to say whether she was more happy in having a Crown so soon, or in having it no sooner, till affliction had first laid in her a low (and therefore sure) foundation of humility, for highnesse to be afterwards built thereupon.
We bring her now from the Crosse to the Crown; and come we now to describe the rare endowments of her mind, when behold her virtues almost stifle my pen, they crowd in so fast upon it.
She was an excellent Scholar, understanding the Greek, and perfectly speaking the Latine: witnesse her extempore speech in answer to the Polish Embassadour, and another at Cambridge, Et si foeminilis iste meus pudor (for so it began) elegantly making the word *See her oration at large in Holinshead, p. 1…26.Foeminilis: and well might she mint one new word, who did *Moneta ad suum valorem reducta is part of the Epitaph on her Tombe.refine so much new gold and silver. Good skill she had in the French, and Italian, using Interpreters not for need but state. She was a good Poet in English, and fluently made verses. In her time of persecution, when a Popish Priest pressed her very hardly to declare her opinion concerning the presence of Christ in the Sacrament, she truly and warily presented her judgement in these verses,
'Twas God the word that spake it,
He took the bread and brake it;
And what the word did make it,
That I believe and take it.
And though perchance some may say this was but the best of shifts, and the worst of answers, because the distinct manner of the Presence must be believed; yet none can deny it to have been a wise return to an adversary who lay at wait for all advantages. Nor was her Poetick vein lesse happy in Latine. When a little before the Spanish Invasion in eighty eight, the Spanish Embassadour (after a larger representation of his Masters demands) had summed up the effect thereof in a Tetrastich, she instantly in one verse rejoined her answer. We will presume to English both, though confessing the Latine loseth lustre by the Translation.
Te veto ne pergas bello defendere Belgas:
Quae Dracus eripuit nunc restituentur oportet:
Quas Pater evertit jubeo te condere cellas:
Relligio Papae fac restituetur ad unguem.
These to you are our commands,
Send no help to th' Netherlands:
Of the treasure took by Drake,
Restitution you must make:
And those Abbies build anew,
Which your Father overthrew:
If for any peace you hope,
In all points restore the Pope.
The Queens extempore return,
Ad Graecas, bone Rex, fient mandata calendas.
Worthy King, know this your will
At latter lammas wee'l fulfill.
Her piety to God was exemplary, none more constant or devout in private prayers; very attentive also at Sermons, wherein she was better affected with soundnesse of matter, then queintnesse of expression: She could not well digest the affected over-elegancy of such as prayed for her by the title of defendresse of the faith and not the Defender, it being no false construction to apply a masculine word to so heroick a spirit.
She was very devout in returning thanks to God for her constant and continuall preservations; for one traitours stabbe was scarce put by, before another took aim at her: But as if the poysons of treason by custome were turn'd naturall unto her, by Gods protection they did her no harm. In any designe of consequence she loved to be long, and well advised; but where her resolutions once seis'd, she would never let go her hold, according to her motto, Semper eadem.
By her Temperance she improved that stock of health which Nature bestowed on her, using little wine, and lesse Physick. Her Continence from pleasures was admirable, and she the Paragon of spotlesse chastity, what ever some Popish Priests (who count all virginity hid under a Nunnes veil) have feigned to the contrary. The best is, their words are no slander, whose words are all slander, so given to railing, that they must be dumbe if they do not blaspheme Magistrates. *Edmond Campian.One Jesuit made this false Anagram on her name,
Elizabeth.
*Our English Bibles call her Iezabel.Iezabel.
false both in matter and manner. For allow it the abatement of H, (as all Anagrams must sue in Chancery for moderate favour) yet was it both unequall and ominous that T, a solid letter, should be omitted, the presage of the gallows whereon this Anagrammatist was afterwards justly executed.
Yea let the testimony of Pope *Thuan. Hist. lib. 82.Sixtus Quintus himself be believed, who professed that amongst all the Princes in Christendome he found but two which were worthy to bear command, had they not been stained with heresie, namely Henry the fourth, King of France, and Elizabeth Queen of England. And we may presume that the Pope, if commending his enemy, is therein infallible.
We come to her death, the discourse whereof was more welcome to her from the mouth of her private Confessour, then from a publick Preacher; and she loved rather to tell her self, then to be told of her mortality, because the open mention thereof made (as she conceived) her subjects divide their loyalty betwixt the present and the future Prince. We need look into no other cause of her sicknesse then old age, being seventy years old (Davids age) to which no King of England since the Conquest did attain. Her weaknesse was encreased by her removall from London to Richmond in a cold winter day, sharp enough to pierce thorow those who were arm'd with health and youth. Also melancholy (the worst naturall Parasite, whosoever seeds him shall never be rid of his company) much afflicted her, being given over to sadnesse and silence.
Then prepared she her self for another world, being more constant in prayer, and pious exercises then ever before: yet spake she very little to any, sighing out more then she said, and making still musick to God in her heart. And as the red rose, though outwardly not so fragrant, is inwardly farre more cordiall then the damask, being more thrifty of its sweetnesse, and reserving it in it self; so the religion of this dying Queen was most turn'd inward in soliloquies betwixt God and her own soul, though she wanted not outward expressions thereof. When her speech fail'd her, she spake with her heart, tears, eyes, hands, and other signes, so commending herself to God the best interpreter, who understands what his Saints desire to say. Thus dyed Queen Elizabeth, whilest living, the first maid on earth, and when dead, the second in heaven.
Surely the kingdome had dyed with their Queen, had not the fainting spirits thereof been refresh'd by the coming in of gratious King James.
She was of person, tall; of hair and complexion, fair, well-favoured, but high-nosed; of limbes and feature, neat; of a stately and majestick deportment. She had a piercing eye wherewith she used to touch what metall strangers were made of, which came into her presence. But as she counted it a pleasant conquest with her Majestick look to dash strangers out of countenance, so she was mercifull in pursuing those whom she overcame, and afterwards would cherish and comfort them with her smiles, if perceiving towardlinesse, and an ingenuous modesty in them. She much affected rich and costly apparell; and if ever jewells had just cause to be proud, it was with her wearing them.