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lect, what I have already noticed, that the extirpation of erroneous doctrine was inculcated as a duty by the leaders of every religious party. Mary only practised what they taught. It was her "misfortune, rather than her fault, that she was "not more enlightened than the wisest of her 66 contemporaries.

With this exception, she has been ranked by "the more moderate of the reformed writers among the best, though not the greatest of our "princes. They have borne honourable testimony "to her virtues have allotted to her the praise "of piety and clemency, of compassion for the poor, and liberality to the distressed; and have "recorded her solicitude to restore to opulence the "families that had been unjustly deprived of their

:

possessions by her father and brother, and to pro"vide for the wants of the parochial clergy, who "had been reduced to penury by the spoliations of "the last government. It is acknowledged, that "her moral character is beyond reproof. It ex"torted respect from all; even from the most viru"lent of her enemies. The ladies of her house"hold copied the conduct of their mistress; and "the decency of Mary's court was often mentioned "with applause, by those who lamented the dis❝soluteness which prevailed in that of her suc"cessor."

To the eternal praise of the Irish roman-catholics be it remembered, that, in the reign of queen Mary, they totally abstained from persecution." In the reign of queen Mary," says sir William Parnel,

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though the religious feelings of Irish catholics, " and their feelings as men, had been treated with "very little ceremony during the two preceding

reigns, they made a wise and moderate use of "their ascendancy. They entertained no resent"ment for the past, they raised no plans for fu"ture domination.-THE IRISH ROMAN-CATHOLIC

BIGOTS!!-THE IRISH ROMAN-CATHOLICS ARE 66 THE ONLY SECT THAT EVER RESUMED POWER, WITHOUT EXERCISING VENGEANCE*.

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• Historical Apology.

WE now reach the most important reign in the histories both of your church and mine since the reformation. I shall mention in this letter,-I. The establishment of the protestant religion in the reign of queen Elizabeth; and notice some statements and observations respecting it in "the Book of the "Church :"-II. Then insert a summary of the laws passed in her reign against the roman-catholics-III. Then state the executions of the romancatholics under the sanguinary part of this code: IV. Then consider the arguments offered by you in justification of these executions, from the general disloyalty of the roman-catholics :-V. From their persecuting principles:-VI. And from their alleged plots :-VII. I shall then notice what you entirely omit mentioning, their exemplary conduct while England was threatened by the Spanish Armada:VIII. And some other charges contained in your letter:-IX. I shall conclude with a short account of the introduction of the protestant reformation into Ireland.

XV. 1.

The Establishment of the Protestant Religion in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth.-Observation on some Statements respecting it in "the Book of the Church." You begin the chapter, which I now have under consideration, by informing us, that "Eliza

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"beth's life had been in imminent danger during "her sister's reign;" and by noticing" the severity with which she had been treated." But can you read the evidence produced by doctor Lingard, of the concurrence of Elizabeth in Wyat's treason, and the earl of Devonshire's conspiracy, without believing her guilt? Can you say, that the evidence for it is not stronger than that upon which she caused the unfortunate Mary of Scotland to be executed? You then inform us, that "the cruelties of the preceding reign were regarded "with abhorrence by all, except those who had "been instrumental in them." The number of those must have been extremely small; justice, therefore, forbids that these cruelties should be imputed to the general body of catholics, and calls upon you to retract, in the next edition of your work, your repeated intimations to the contrary in the present.

Notwithstanding the dislike of Elizabeth, which I must necessarily feel, I have never read Heylin's account of her triumphant progress from the Tower, without participating in that brilliant hour of joy. To see the descendant of a hundred kings, in the prime of life, and adorned with every accomplishment, thus suddenly pass, amidst a general and jubilant multitude, from a prison to a throne, is one of the brightest scenes that history displays. Most feelingly do I enter into it, and forget, at the moment, the multiplied miseries which it brought,

* Vol. v. c. 1.

almost immediately afterwards, on numbers of those whose memories I must ever revere.

!

But did not the duty, which you owed to history, require that you should mention the loyal conduct of the leading roman-catholic clergy and laity on the accession of Elizabeth to the throne of England; and contrast it with the conduct of the protestant clergy and laity on the accession of Mary? Cranmer, Ridley and Latimer, and most of those who took a leading part in the religious innovations in the reign of Edward VI, supported the pretension of lady Jane Grey against their lawful sovereign. Northumberland's rebellion in favour of lady Jane was succeeded by Wyat's; and many of the leaders of each were protestants. At the moment of Mary's decease, both houses of parliament were sitting. Information of the event being brought to the house of lords, they sent a message to the house of commons, requesting their attendance. When the commons arrived, Heath, the lord chancellor and archbishop of York, (the see of Canterbury being then vacant), announced the event; he observed, that the succession of the crown belonged of right to the princess Elizabeth, and that she should be instantly proclaimed queen of England. The proclamation of her title immediately took place; first, in Westminster Hall, before the assembled lords and commons, and then, at the same place, before the lord mayor, the aldermen, and the companies of the city. The news reached the princess at Hatfield : she proceeded to London. At Highgate she was