"many of my ducks, hens, and capons, as I am σε not able to live."

The Queen, as Ofborne adds, always aufpicious to fuits made through the mediation of her comely fhape, enquired who was the purveyor, and caufed him to be hanged.

THE following fervile letter from this Queen, then the Princefs Elizabeth, to Queen Mary, on fending the latter her portrait, is in the Collection of Royal Letters in the British Museum.

PRINCESS ELIZABETH TO QUEEN MARY.

❝ notes

"LIKE as the riche man, that dayly gathereth to notes, and to one bag of money "layeth a great fort, till it come to infinit, fo "methinks your Majefty, not being fufficed "with many benefits and gentleness, fhewed to

me afore this time, doth now increfe them in afking & defyring (when you may bid & "commande), requiring a thinge, not worthy the defyring for itfelfe, but made worthy for your Highness request: my picture I mene; in wiche if the inward good will towarde your Grace might as wel be declared as the outfide face and countenance fhal be feen, I "wold not have tarried the commandement, but prevent it, nor have been the last to graunt

" but

"but the first to offer it. For the face I ec graunt, I might wel blufhe to offer, but the "mynde I fhal never be afhamed to prefente; "for though from the grace of the pictur the "coulors may fade by time, may give by wether, "may be spotted by chance; yet the other not "time with her fwift winges fhall overtake, nor "the muftie cloudes with their lowerings may

darken, nor chance with her flippery foote may "overthrow. Of this although yet the prife could "not be greate, because the occafion hathe "beene but fmall; notwithstanding, as a dog "hathe a day, fo I perchance may have time "to declare it in deedes when now I do write "them but in wordes. And further, I fhal moft

66

humbly befech your Majeftie, that when you "fhall looke on my pictur, you will vitsafe to "thinke, that as you have but the outward "fhadowe of the body afore you, fo my inward "mynde wifheth that the body itselfe were "oftene in your prefence: how beit becaufe both

my fo beinge I thinke could do your Majeftie litel pleasure, though myfelfe great good; & "againe, becaufe I fee as yet not the time "agrees therewith; I fhall learn to followe this "faing of Orace: Feras non culpes quod vi“tari non poteft. And then I will (trublinge

your Majestie I fere) ende with my most hum"ble thankes, befechinge God long to preferve (c you to his honour, to your comfort, & to the "realms profitt & to my joy.

"From Hatfelde this 18th day of May.

"Your Majeftie's most humbly

"Sifter and fervant

"ELIZABETH."

MR.

PAGE.

IN the golden days of good Queen Befs, thofe halcyon days to which every Englishman affects to look up with rapture, the punishment for a libel was fometimes ftriking off the hand of the unfortunate offender. Mr. Page, who had written a pamphlet upon the Queen's marriage with the Duke of Anjou, fuffered that punishment; and, according to that very elegant miscellany the "Nuge Antique," made the following manly and fpirited fpeech upon the fcaffold before his hand was chopped off.

66

Fellow-countrymen, I am come hither to «receive the law according to my judgment, and thanke the God of all, and of this I take "God to witnefs (who knoweth the hartes of

<< all

all men), that as I am forrie I have offended her Majeftie, fo did I never meane harme to her Majeftie's perfon, crown or dignity, but have been as true a fubject (as any was in England) to the best of my abilitie, except "none. Then holding up his right hand, he faid, This hand did I put to the plough, and *c got my living by it many years. If it would "have pleafed her Highnefs to have taken my

left hand, or my life, fhe had dealt more fa"vourably with me; for now I have no means to live; but God (which is the Father of us all) will provide for me. I beseech you all, good people, to pray for me, that I may take my punishment patiently. And fo he laid his right hand upon the block, and prayed the executioner to difpatch him quickly. At two "blows his hand was taken off. So lifting up

ἐσ

the bleeding ftump, and pointing to the block, "he faid to the by-ftanders, See, I have left there a true Englishman's hand. And fo he went from the fcaffold very ftoutly, and with great courage."

With what indignation muft the unneceffary cruelty of the punishment, and the noble intrepidity of the fufferer, have affected the spectators of this difgrace to juftice and humanity!

VOL. I.

L

ARCH

ARCHBISHOP WHITGIFT.

THERE is a very pretty little book in French, called "Great Events from Little Caufes," by M. Richer. He fuppofes the Peace of Utrecht to have arisen from the Duchefs of Marlborough's fpilling fome water upon Queen Anne's gown.

In that very entertaining piece of biography "Sir George Paul's Life of Archbishop Whit"gift," there is a trifling circumstance mentioned, which, in the opinion of a very acute and intelligent Lady, perhaps gave rife to the fect of the Diffenters in England.

The circumftance is this:-The firft difcontentment of Master Cartwright (a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, and a celebrated difputant) grew at a public Act in that University before Queen Elizabeth, because Master Preston (then of King's College, and afterwards Mafter of Trinity Hall), for his comely gefture and pleafing pronunciation, was both liked and rewarded by her Majefty, and himfelf received neither reward nor commendation, prefuming on his own good scholarship. This his no finall grief he uttered unto divers of his friends in Trinity College, who were also much difcontented, because the honour

of