prepared to grant. In that valuable por-And after detailing, in very homely rhymes, tion of the despatches of De la Mothe the beginning and progress of this imporFenelon, published a few years since, we tant plot, he thus proceeds :find most strongly marked proofs of the traitors sought, interest taken by the citizens, even as early" Their treason once discovered, then were the as 1568, in foreign affairs. How they exulted when the Spanish treasure was carried to the Tower; how, although Elizabeth And being brought into the Tower, for joy the was at peace with France, the Huguenots Some of them fled into a wood, where, after, they were caught, bells did ring, ple psalms did sing, openly recruited for troops in England; And throughout London bonfires made, where peoand in how firm a tone the London traders demanded reprisals to be made, when the Duke of Alva seized the English merchants and their goods in the Low Countries. "And set their tables in the streets with meates of ev'ry kind. There was prepared all signs of joye that could be had in minde, And praised the Lorde most heartely, that with his mighty hand Much censure has been cast upon Elizabeth and her ministers for their severity in the cases of treason against her person; but if we consult contemporary documents, we He had preserved our gracious queene and people shall find that the public feeling actually chided the slow proceedings of judicial investigation, and that popular resentment of this land!" The celebration of national deliverances to wait, for orders from Lambeth, or even pronounced sentence long ere the culprits by "psalm-singing," the reader must bear had been brought to trial. At first sight, law appointed;" but it is curious to obAt first sight, in mind was no part of thanksgiving "by this feeling may appear harsh, if not unjust but we must bear in mind that nearly serve how the popular feeling during Elizaall the plots against Elizabeth and her beth's reign exhibited itself constantly in ministers involved plans of assassination-a this form. This is in itself a strong proof crime more abhorrent to true English feel- of the progress of Protestant feeling,—of a ing than any other. It is on this account feeling that waited not, and that chose not that, although most firmly maintaining the right of every one to worship God as his conscience directs him, we yet cannot feel that indignation against Elizabeth and her ministers for their severe measures in this In the present day men may smile at respect, which many do. For the risings For the risings bells ringing, and bonfires blazing, and during Henry the Eighth's reign, for the sober citizens placing tables before their "rising in the North," in Elizabeth's doors, and with homely hospitality pressing even for the fierce reaction of political and each passer-by to partake the white manreligious feeling that lighted the fires in chet and the huge joint of roast meat, or Smithfield, we can find some excuse. For the chine and the well-spiced cake; and much of the irritation and disaffection of they may smile, too, at the heartiness and the Roman-catholic portion of the popula- right good-will with which neighbor pledged tion under Elizabeth, we can allow much neighbor in the cup of ale, or, perchance, in palliation; but for the successive plots, silver tankard of sack and sugar, to the which, by dagger, or pistol, or slow poison, health of our queen and her " glorious semwere to work out their ends, we can find no per eadem," only because some dozen violent excuse. And thus thought our forefathers; enthusiasts had been conveyed to the Towand hence arose their irrepressible joy when er. the traitors were committed to the Tower, the nation, we shall well perceive that the and which followed them with exulting detection of a plot like Babington's was shouts even to Tyburn. There are some indeed a cause of national gratulation. curious illustrative ballads on this sub- The great and crying evil of most historiject in the Roxburghe collection. One, cal estimates, is applying the standard of by Thomas Nelson, on the discovery of the present to the past. Now this is reBabington's plot, is very characteristic. peatedly done in regard to the reign we are It begins with the loyal prayertreating of." Why could not the English enjoy their Protestantism peaceably," say But if we look at the circumstances of "God prosper long our noble queen, and grant her some silly writers, "without keeping Eu long to reign !" rope in continual tumult about it?" Eng “Preserve us, Lord, by thy dear word, land enjoy her Protestantism in quiet, when) the Pope had absolved the Roman-catholic subjects of Elizabeth from their allegiance, to her! Enjoy her Protestantism, with the most powerful nation of Europe, Spain, Homely lines; but emphatic in their homewaging a ceaseless war-seizing English liness, to men who felt that all they valumerchandise in the Low Countries, attack-ed,-commercial prosperity, an advancing ing English merchant vessels on the high literature, national independence-but, seas,-ever watchful to prevent France and Portugal from forming an alliance, and at depended on their protection from these more precious than all, a free Gospellength threatening our land with the mighti-antagonist foes. ocean! est armament that ever swept o'er the But while leaning on Divine aid, they Well might our forefathers rejoice felt that much might be done by themselves at the detection of Babington's plot, even against human forms of evil; there was one as they rejoiced, in 1588, and caused all London's bells to ring out at midnight, which they contemplated with mysterious Scourge more dreaded than all beside, when the news arrived that that fair and horror-the plague. In the present day, unfortunate, but most mischievous, daugh- even when looking back on "the cholera ter of the Guises, was at length headless. year," we altogether fail to realize the exA clear view of the dangers which sur-cited yet awe-struck feeling with which rounded our fathers is indeed indispensable that dreaded name was first whispered, and to a just apprehension of the character, the finger stealthily pointed at the infected both of this reign and of the succeeding house. There was so much that appealed period. Powers and influences, which we to the imagination of a most imaginative now smile at, were then mighty agen-age, in such a visitation. Appearing withcies. Pope and pagan, to use the fine per-out warning, sweeping down its thousands, sonification of Bunyan, were not, in the and then as suddenly disappearing, that we days of Elizabeth, couched each at his marvel not that flaming swords were beden's mouth, impotently growling at the lieved to have been seen suspended in the passer-by. They were up and doing. The Pope was unceasingly urging a crusade sky, or the avenging angel standing ready against England, and rousing kingdoms and forth the summons to prayer, and solemn to smite the devoted city. And then came peoples to work his will; while the pagan thoughts, and watchfulness-a summons power had encamped beneath the walls of emphatic, though voiceless, from the closed Vienna, and was menacing the last retreat houses, with the red cross marked on the of the gallant knights of St. John. How door, the frequent funerals, and the open anxiously Grindal, in one of his letters before us, inquires after "news of the Turk- tions were viewed by the whole people is ish fleet before Malta," that he might strongly embodied in the ballads of this "improve" the victory or the defeat in his period. There are some to be met with in How did the "worshipful marchantes of London and Bristol' make plays; for if, during the plague, the theatres beyond the infected districts were "gatherings" for the redemption of " poor: captives taken by the Turks." And how open, the performance often ended, strange anxiously, in another letter, does Grindal as it may appear to the modern reader, with beg Cecil to inform him, whether "the their knees. Here is part of one, introduced a hymn, sometimes sung by the actors on death of the king of Navarre, that second into the masque of Summer's Last Will Julian," traitor to the Huguenots, was and Testament," by Thomas Nash :-really true," as I intend, God willing, to preach at the Cross next Sunday, and, upon occasion offered, would peradventure make some mention of God's judgments over. him." Faintly can we realize the deep and anxious feeling with which the thousands gathered round Paul's Cross listened, while the earnest prelate 'preached to the times," or when uplifting their myriad voices, they sang, next sermon. - graves. The awe with which these visita "Adieu, farewell earth's bliss, Lord have mercy upon us! Physic himself must fade; All things to end are made. The plague full swift goes by. Lord have mercy upon us!" In the Roxburghe Collection we find many of these ballads, headed with grim. skulls and cross-bones; or, Death brandishing his dart; or a stiff ruffed lady and gentleman kneeling on either side of a fauldstool with uplifted hands. All of them. exhibit much devotional feeling, and sometimes a far higher degree of poetical, than we might expect. The two following verses from The Sinner's Supplication," are a fair specimen of the hymns sung by the congregations gathered together by the earnest. preacher, who, driven from the churches by the strife of the habits," lifted up his voice in the streets, like Jonah, or, like his master, taught in the open fields: "Most gracious God! now lend thine ear, "This grievous scourge, which thou hast sent Upon us for our chastisement, We must confess we have deserved, But there were others-"'Larum Bells," "Death's Summons," "The Song of Death," intended as warnings to the profligate, and giddy, or careless multitude, who laid not the fearful visitation to heart Such is the Doleful Dance and Song of Death," and it is curious as supplying the date of its composition by the allusion to "the solemn 'sizes," which took place in July, 1577. We will give a few verses of this rude but forcible old ballad, reminding the reader that shrouds were not in use at this time, but that the garb of death was the literal sheet, gathered into folds, tied with a ribbon at the head, and depending like a cloak to the feet, where it was also tied Bring the old and the youngest thing; "Think on the solemn 'sizes past, How suddenly in Oxfordshire I came, and made the judges all aghast,` "Pride must have a pretty sheet, I see, For properly she loves to dance; Come away, my wanton wench, with me, As gallantly as your eyes can glance; And all good fellows that flash and swash In reds and yellows of revel dash, I warrant ye need not be so rash. "For I can quickly cool you all, How bold or stout soe'er ye be, Both high and low, both great and small, Naught do I fear your high degree,— The lady fair, the beldam old, The champion stout, the souldier bold, Must all with me to earthly mould. "Therefore take time while it is lent, Prepare with me yourselves to dance; Forget me not, your lives lament; I come ofttimes by sudden chance; Be ready, therefore, watch and pray, That when my minstrel pipe doth play, You may to heaven dance the way." How completely is this in the spirit of those grotesque but powerful wood-cuts, where Death in plumed cap, and playing on the dulcimer, is leading the vast crowds who troop heedlessly on to the open grave. moral In From a general view of the ballads of this period, both in the Roxburghe, and other collections, a very favorable estimate of the moral and religious character of the people may be formed. Most of them are ; very many are religious, and consist of scriptural narratives in verse. deed, the more closely we contemplate the its resemblance to that of the Parliament age of Elizabeth, the greater shall we find and Commonwealth. A strong religious spirit was abroad, as may be perceived, not only in its general literature, but even in the dramatic. Almost all the plays, during the earlier period especially, were historical; and most of them, true to ancient usage, had a chorus, who moralized on the passing scenes, often with solemn effect The direct allusions in Shakspeare's plays to scriptural doctrine have frequently been remarked; but we could point to many earlier dramas, from whence fine passages of strictly religious poetry might be taken. In Lodge's "Looking Glass for London," | ledge that they were so. Religion was in founded on the preaching of Jonah to the all their thoughts and ways, and they went Ninevites, and consequently bearing a about their respective callings in the very strong resemblance to the ancient miracle- spirit of the city motto, Domine, dirige plays, there are numerous passages that nos." How touching are their references read just like portions of a sermon; and to an over-ruling Providence, as seen in the prophet's call to repentance, in solemn their mottoes-even the armorial bearings grandeur, rivals the rich eloquence of Jere--of their noble mercantile associations. my Taylor. Marlowe's splendid "Faustus" abounds in similar passages; and the last soliloquy of the wretched man, who for twenty-five short years of pleasure has bartered his soul, is appalling— "Stand still, you ever moving spheres of heav'n, O spare me, Lucifer! Where is it now? 'Tis gone! The ships of the "Muscovie Company" went forth beneath the auspices of royalty; but while the crowned lion was the crest, the bearings bore the trustful supplication, "God be our good guide." The merchant adventurers, those merchant princes, bore aspiring Pegasus; but they knew the blessings of God alone made rich, and thus "Dieu nous donne bon aventure" was their motto. And the "East Land Company," destined to penetrate to the furthest north, took the raven, and the heaven-appointed ark, and the emphatic words, "Despair not." We owe a large debt of gratitude to these merchant-princes of Elizabeth's reign, not Mountains and hills, come, come and fall on me, alone for the public institutions and schools To hide me from the heavy wrath of heav'n!" they founded, but for the encouragement There must have been a widely diffused they gave, and the protection many of them religious feeling, when dramatists made afforded to those confessors, who felt that choice of such subjects. The drama, how- all they had suffered during Mary's reign. ever, although so incalculably superior to was futile, if the result were merely the that of later days, found many opponents, establishment of a semi-popery. There from the time of John Northbroke's and was much certainly to irritate those who Stephen Gosson's tracts, to the appearance had dwelt in the Protestant cities of Flanof Dr. Rainold's "Overthrow of Stage ders and Switzerland, in the pomp and Plays," in 1599. The objections of the power assumed by the bishops at this period. citizens seem, however, chiefly to have Here is a vivid picture of prelatical state. arisen from the danger which the young, It is addressed by a German scholar to particularly their apprentices, incurred from Simler in 1562. But although the whole the profligate company which frequented city belongs to the bishop, his domestic arthe theatres round London. A strict rule rangements delighted me more than anywas kept in those days over the appren- thing else. His palace is so spacious and tices; still, much kindness seems to have magnificent, that even sovereigns may, and been exhibited by their masters towards are wont to be suitably entertained there. them; for the feeling which viewed every Next, there is a most extensive garden, one who resided under the same roof as kept up with especial care; a most limpid holding a kind of relationship, and thus stream runs through the middle of it, which having a claim to the kindly offices of the is rendered much more delightful by the family, was strong in the days of Elizabeth. swans swimming upon it, and by the abunFrom the accounts of various city wor- dance of fish.""I am transplanted into thies of this period, we form a favorable the abode of a prosperous individual. He estimate of their private character, from the directed his attendants-most elegant young kind feeling evinced by them, both during men of rank-to order some wine to be their life, and after their death, towards brought. The butler forthwith makes his their dependants. Worthy men were the appearance, bearing a large golden gobBonds, the Rowes, the Harveys, the Gre- let. And also, when dinner or suppershams, enterprising merchants, to whom time arrived, how can I describe to you the England owes her high standing as a mer- abundance and variety of the silver-plate?" cantile nation. And Godfearing men were This "prosperous individual" is Jewel, the they, too; and not ashamed to acknow-worthy Bishop of Salisbury, who in all pro bability bore his wealth and honors with meekness; but how must such adjuncts to a wide ecclesiastical domination have increased the pride and overbearingness of the Parkers, the Aylmers, and the Whitgifts. However "unsavory" Aylmer might be as to what was good, his style did not want for salt, although Billingsgate would be a far more appropriate designation of it than Attic. shrew of Paul's Gate,"-began her career of speaking home-truths to these lordly prelates at this time, we know not; but, truly, she might have been their leader, since we find Martin, in his "Epistle to the terrible priests," reminding John of London (Bishop But there were other causes of irritation Aylmer) "how she bade you throw yourself -the service-book and the habits; and downe at her majestie's feet, acknowledgcurious it is, in turning to contemporary ing yourself to be unsavory salte, and to documents, to find the active part the laity crave pardon of her highness, because you -even the women-took in these questions. had so long deceived her and her people." As early as 1566, prosing Master Strype A tolerable spirit must dame Lawson have informs us, that Robert Crowley, the lite- had; for we find, from a notice in Strype, rary vicar of St. Giles', Cripplegate, had a that she actually attacked the lion in his violent quarrel with some singing-men," den-Whitgift at Lambeth. As she is who accompanied a corpse to the church- there spoken of as one of Martin's canonyard; but he, in his zeal against the sur-ized saints," it is most probable that she plice, shut the door against them, and call- was some poor woman who, beggared and ing the civil power to his aid-they becom- persecuted for her adherence to her princiing riotous-he at length compelled them ples, was not ashamed to "testify" even in to depart.. Crowley was summoned before bishops' courts. Parker, when he "discovered some fond paradoxes," which seemed to shock poor Master Strype greatly; and he was committed to prison; but further we cannot learn. The parish of St. Giles', Cripplegate, however as we find in the volume before us of Grindal's Remains--had soon after a good substitute in "one Bartlett, a reader of a divinity lecture, who, notwithstanding he was suspended, took upon himself to read again, without license; and having refused to surcease, alleging his duty to instruct the ignorant, he was committed to his own house." Poor Grindal, at this time Bishop of London, now probably thought that all would be well; but alas! as he piteously relates in a letter to Cecil," this day came unto my house threescore women of the same parish to make suit for him." The poor bachelor prelate, in great alarm at this army of fair ladies, appears to have retired with much haste into the inmost recess of his palace, whence he sent them word "that I willed them to send half a dozen of their husbands, and with them I would talk." Whether the threescore women were satisfied with this answer we know not; but it appears-probably relying on female perseverance-that they still continued besieging the poor bishop in his own castle, until; happily, "one Mr. Philpot, also a suspended minister," moved to pity at his critical situation, boldly came forward, and persuaded them at length to depart; so "they went away quietly, but yet, so as with tears, they moved in some hearts compassion.' Whether dame Lawson-nicknamed "the From some of Martin's remarks, we find he indulged in wretched puns; on one occasion assuring a Mr. Madox, "his name did show what he was; for thy name is mad ox, which declareth thee to be an unruly and mad beast!" while some of his letters, in Sir Christopher Hatton's letter-book, bear witness to his furious intolerance. Here is a short extract from the conclusion of a terribly long one, addressed to the Lord Mayor, who had not treated him with sufficient reverence :-"Well, to end as I begun, I pray you use the ministry according to their calling. If you take this in good part, as coming from him that hath charge over you, I am glad of it; if not, I must then tell you your duty out of my chair, which is the pulpit at Paul's Cross, where you must sit, not as a judge to control, but as a scholar to learn; and I, not as John Aylmer to be taunted, but as John London to teach you and all that city; and if you use not yourself as a humble scholar, then to discipline you as your chief pastor and prelate." Can we wonder at the bitter sarcasms against prelacy, when such a style could be addressed to the chief magistrate of the city? The overbearing are always servile; the following specimen of Aylmer's humble style, therefore, must be given for the contrast. It is part of a pitiable lamentation addressed to Hatton, upon his having fallen under the displeasure of his royal mistress. |