按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
In 1517 Henry died。 He left the throne to his small son；
aged ten。 The guardians of the child； favoring the modern
Lutheran doctrines； did their best to help the cause of Protestantism。
But the boy died before he was sixteen； and was succeeded
by his sister Mary； the wife of Philip II of Spain； who
burned the bishops of the new ‘‘national church'' and in other
ways followed the example of her royal Spanish husband
Fortunately she died； in the year 1558； and was succeeded
by Elizabeth； the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn；
the second of his six wives； whom he had decapitated when she
no longer pleased him。 Elizabeth； who had spent some time in
prison； and who had been released only at the request of the
Holy Roman Emperor； was a most cordial enemy of everything
Catholic and Spanish。 She shared her father's indifference
in the matter of religion but she inherited his ability as a
very shrewd judge of character； and spent the forty…five years
of her reign in strengthening the power of the dynasty and in
increasing the revenue and possessions of her merry islands。
In this she was most ably assisted by a number of men who
gathered around her throne and made the Elizabethan age a
period of such importance that you ought to study it in detail
in one of the special books of which I shall tell you in the
bibliography at the end of this volume。
Elizabeth； however； did not feel entirely safe upon her
throne。 She had a rival and a very dangerous one。 Mary；
of the house of Stuart； daughter of a French duchess and a
Scottish father； widow of king Francis II of France and
daughter…in…law of Catherine of Medici （who had organised
the murders of Saint Bartholomew's night）； was the mother of
a little boy who was afterwards to become the first Stuart king
of England。 She was an ardent Catholic and a willing friend
to those who were the enemies of Elizabeth。 Her own lack
of political ability and the violent methods which she employed
to punish her Calvinistic subjects； caused a revolution in Scotland
and forced Mary to take refuge on English territory。 For
eighteen years she remained in England； plotting forever and
a day against the woman who had given her shelter and who
was at last obliged to follow the advice of her trusted councilors
‘‘to cutte off the Scottish Queen's heade。''
The head was duly ‘‘cutte off'' in the year 1587 and caused
a war with Spain。 But the combined navies of England and
Holland defeated Philip's Invincible Armada； as we have already
seen； and the blow which had been meant to destroy the
power of the two great anti…Catholic leaders was turned into a
profitable business adventure。
For now at last； after many years of hesitation； the English
as well as the Dutch thought it their good right to invade
the Indies and America and avenge the ills which their Protes…
tent brethren had suffered at the hands of the Spaniards。 The
English had been among the earliest successors of Columbus。
British ships； commanded by the Venetian pilot Giovanni Caboto
（or Cabot）； had been the first to discover and explore the
northern American continent in 1496。 Labrador and Newfoundland
were of little importance as a possible colony。 But
the banks of Newfoundland offered a rich reward to the
English fishing fleet。 A year later； in 1497； the same Cabot
had explored the coast of Florida。
Then had come the busy years of Henry VII and Henry
VIII when there had been no money for foreign explorations。
But under Elizabeth； with the country at peace and Mary
Stuart in prison； the sailors could leave their harbour without
fear for the fate of those whom they left behind。 While Elizabeth
was still a child； Willoughby had ventured to sail past the
North Cape and one of his captains； Richard Chancellor； pushing
further eastward in his quest of a possible road to the Indies；
had reached Archangel； Russia； where he had established
diplomatic and commercial relations with the mysterious rulers
of this distant Muscovite Empire。 During the first years of
Elizabeth's rule this voyage had been followed up by many
others。 Merchant adventurers； working for the benefit of a
‘‘joint stock Company'' had laid the foundations of trading
companies which in later centuries were to become colonies。
Half pirate； half diplomat； willing to stake everything on a
single lucky voyage； smugglers of everything that could be
loaded into the hold of a vessel； dealers in men and merchandise
with equal indifference to everything except their profit； the
sailors of Elizabeth had carried the English flag and the fame
of their Virgin Queen to the four corners of the Seven Seas。
Meanwhile William Shakespeare kept her Majesty amused at
home； and the best brains and the best wit of England co…operated
with the queen in her attempt to change the feudal inheritance
of Henry VIII into a modern national state。
In the year 1603 the old lady died at the age of seventy。
Her cousin； the great…grandson of her own grandfather Henry
VII and son of Mary Stuart； her rival and enemy； succeeded
her as James I。 By the Grace of God； he found himself the
ruler of a country which had escaped the fate of its continental
rivals。 While the European Protestants and Catholics were
killing each other in a hopeless attempt to break the power of
their adversaries and establish the exclusive rule of their own
particular creed； England was at peace and ‘‘reformed'' at
leisure without going to the extremes of either Luther or
Loyola。 It gave the island kingdom an enormous advantage in
the coming struggle for colonial possessions。 It assured England
a leadership in international affairs which that country
has maintained until the present day。 Not even the disastrous
adventure with the Stuarts was able to stop this normal development。
The Stuarts； who succeeded the Tudors； were ‘‘foreigners''
in England。 They do not seem to have appreciated or understood
this fact。 The native house of Tudor could steal a horse；
but the ‘‘foreign'' Stuarts were not allowed to look at the
bridle without causing great popular disapproval。 Old Queen
Bess had ruled her domains very much as she pleased。 In
general however； she had always followed a policy which meant
money in the pocket of the honest （and otherwise） British
merchants。 Hence the Queen had been always assured of the
wholehearted support of her grateful people。 And small liberties
taken with some of the rights and prerogatives of Parliament
were gladly overlooked for the ulterior benefits which
were derived from her Majesty's strong and successful foreign
policies。
Outwardly King James continued the same policy。 But he
lacked that personal enthusiasm which had been so very typical
of his great predecessor。 Foreign commerce continued to be
encouraged。 The Catholics were not granted any liberties。
But when Spain smiled pleasantly upon England in an effort
to establish peaceful relations； James was seen t