Queen ELIZABETH.

1558.

ARY, the eldest Daughter of King Henry VIII. Queen Elizabeth. being dead without Iffue, Elizabeth, the youngeft, according to the Act of Succeffion of the 35th of her Father's Reign, and the Appointment of his Will, fucceeded to the Crown. She was proclaimed Queen of England, &c. immediately on her Sifter's Demife; and was crowned at Westminster, on the 15th of January, 1558-9, by Dr. Oglethorp, Bifhop of Carlife; the Archbishop of York, and fome other Bishops, refufing to affift at the Solemnity.

When the last Queen died, the Parliament was ftill fitting, as hath been before related. A modern Hiftorian (t) tells us, 'That her Counsellors and Minifters were struck with Astonishment, at the Suddennefs of it; that they kept it fecret for fome Hours, in order to confult what was beft to be done in the Succeffion. But, as the Parliament was fitting, it was not in their Power to decide any Thing concerning it; efpecially, as it was clearly fettled, by the Will of Henry the Eighth, authorized by an Act of Parliament, that had never been repealed. Their Confultation therefore ended, adds our Authority, in a Meffage, which was, barely, to inform the Parliament of the Queen's Death'. This is our Frenchman's Story; by which he would infinuate that as the Council could not conclude this Matter, the Right of Succeffion waited for a Deter mination by Parliament. Unfortunately for this great Hiftorian, a much greater Authority is against him; for the Journals both of Lords and Commons abfolutely tell us, That the Declaration of the Queen's Death was made to both Houses, by the Lord Chancellor, the very Day fhe died. And that he nominated to them her Succeffor, and defired the Concurrence

(1) Rapin's Hiftory of England, Fol. Ed. Vol. II. Pag. 50,

Queen Elizabeth, Concurrence of both Houfes to afflift at the Procla 1558. mation of the Lady ELIZABETH, Her Grace. Befides, there was no Occafion for the Counsellors of the late Queen to be ftruck with Aftonishment at her Death; when they must have known that her Cafe was defperate fome Time before; and, confequently, a Diffolution daily expected.

But, to begin with this Reign, it is neceffary to acquaint the Reader, that Elizabeth retained thirteen of her Sifter's Privy Counsellors, at that Time all zealous Catholics, and added eight new ones, who were equally attached to the Reformed Religion. The Names of the former, were, Heath, Archbi fhop of York; William Paulet, Marquis of Winchefter, Lord High Treasurer; Henry Fitz- Alan, Earl of Arundel, Francis Talbot, Earl of Shrewf bury; Edward Stanley, Earl of Derby; William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke; Edward Fenys, Baron of Clinton, Lord High Admiral; William Lord Howard, of Effingham, Lord Chamberlain; Sir Thomas Cheney, Sir William Petre, Sir John Mafon, Sir Richard Sackvil, and Dr. Wotton, Dean of Canterbury. Burnet fays, that molt of these Counsellors had complied with all the Changes that had been made in Religion, backward and forward, fince the latter End of King Henry's Reign; and were fo dextrous at it that they were ftill employed in every new Revolution (u). The Proteftant Counsellors, were, William Parr, Marquis of Northampton; Francis Ruffel, Earl of Bedford; Sir Thomas Parry, Sir Edward Rogers, Sir Ambrofe Cave, Sir Frances Knolles, Sir William Cecil, and Sir Nicholas Bacon, foon after made Keeper of the Great Sea! (x).

As it is the Purport of this Hiftory to stick entirely to the Parliamentary Proceedings, fo all the other Incidents of this Reign, except fuch that will ferve to illustrate fome dark Paffages, will be omitted. The larger Hiftorians, amongst whom is the great Cambden, the particular Writer of this Queen's

(u) Reformation, Vol. II. Pag. 375.
(5) Cambden,

1558.

Queen's Life; and the Chronicles, near this Time, Queen Elizabeth. are amply filled with Matter, copious enagh to fatisfie the moft greedy Appetite for Hiftory. To thofe, therefore, we leave the Tranfactions of Peace or War, except from Parliamentary Inquiries; which laft will alone furnish Matter enough for our Purpose. To begin :

Very foon after the Coronation, a Parliament met, which had been called by Writs, dated at Westminster, December 1ft, to meet there on the 23d of January following.

Anno Regni 1. 1558.

Being all affembled, and the Receivers and Tryers At Westminster. of Petitions appointed, on Monday, the 23d, as aforefaid, the Lord Keeper, and other great Officers of State, declared to the whole Parliament, that, by reafon of the Queen's Indifpofition, her Majefty durft not come down to the Houfe on that Day; but had fent a Writ of Prorogation to prorogue the faid Parliament to Wednesday the 25th Inftant; and the faid Writ was read accordingly (y).

The Names and Titles of the Temporal Lords State of the attending this Parliament, are as follows (2):

Sir Nicholas Bacon, Knt. Lord Keeper of the Great Seal, is put down first every Day in the Lords Journal; but being no Peer of the Realm, the first Writ was directed to William Marquis of Winchester, then Lord High Treasurer of England.

Thomas Duke of Nor-
folk, Earl Marshal of
England.
John Earl of Oxford,

Lord Great Chamberlain of England. Henry Earl of Arundele. Henry Earl of Westmoreland.

Francis Earl of Shrews

bury.
Edward Earl of Derby.
William Earl of Worces

ter.

Henry Earl of Rutland.
Henry Earl of Cumber-
land.
Thomas Earl of Suflex.
Francis

(y) The Form of the Writ is inferted, at length, in the Lords Journals.

(z) Dugdale's Summons to Parliament, An. Reg. 1 Eliz.

Peerage.

On Wednesday the 25th of January, the Queen was prefent in the Houfe of Lords; but there is nothing entered in the Journals but the Introduction of the Lord Viscount Howard, and the Lords Haflings, Darcy, Hunfdon, and St John of Bletfoe, by the Queen's Writs, to take their Seats in that Houfe. It is remarkable that the Abbot of Westminster fat there the first Day, but never after. But tho' the Journals are filent in the Speeches, and fuller Proceedings at the Beginning of this Parlia

1558.

ment, they are amply fupplied by a careful Col- Queen Elizabeth. lector of thofe Matters and other Parliamentary Proceedings, throughout the whole Course of this Reign. This was Sir Simonds D'Ewes, Knt. and Bart. whofe Authority, as it is unquestionable, we fhall quote from with the fame Affurance as the Journals of both Houfes, when they are deficient in any material Circumstances (a). And, the Lord Keeper's Speech, at the Opening of this Parliament being omitted in the Journals, we give it from the Collection aforefaid as follows:

My Lords and Masters all,

TH

ing the Parlia

HE Queen's most excellent Majefty, our The Lord Keepnatural and moft gracious Sovereign La-er, Bacon's, dy, having, as you know, iummoned hither her Speech, at open• High Court of Parliament, hath commanded me ment. to open and declare the chief Caufes and Confider❝ations that moved her Highness thereunto. And here, my Lords, 1 wifh (not without great Cause) ⚫ there were in me Ability to do it in fuch Order and Sort, as is befeeming for her Majefty's Honour, " and the Understanding of this Prefence; and, as "the great Weightiness and Worthiness of the Mat• ter doth require it to be done. The Remembrance whereof, and the Number of my Imperfections to the well performing of it, doth indeed (plainly to speak) breed in me fuch Fear and Dread, that as from a Man abafhed, and well nigh aftonied, C you are to hear all that I fhall fay therein. True it is, that fome Comiort and Encouragement I take, through the Hope I have conceived, by that I have feen and heard of your gentle Sufferance by others, whereof I look upon equal Caufe equally with others to be Partaker: And the rather, ter that I am fure Good-Will fhall not want in me to do my uttermoft; and, alfo, because I mean to occupy as fmall a Time as the Greatness of fecha Caufe will fuffer; thinking that to be the meeteft

(4) The Pournals of all Queen Elizabeth's Parliaments, by Sir A D'Ewes. Published by Paul Bowes, Efq; Fol, London,