ELIZABETH, Queen of England, daughter of Henry VIII. and of Anne Boleyn; born in Greenwich, Sept. 7, 1533. On Nov. 17, 1558, at the close of the reign of her sister, Mary, Elizabeth was recognized queen by Parliament. The accuracy of her judgment showed itself in her choice of advisers. The first ob ject of her reign was the settlement of religion, to effect which a parliament was called Jan. 25, and dissolved on May 8, its object having been accomplished. Freed from the tyranny of Mary's reign, the Puritans began to claim predomi nance for their own dogmas, while the supporters of the Established Church were unwilling to grant them even lib erty of worship. The Puritans, there fore, like the Catholics, were made ir reconcilable enemies of the existing or der, and increasingly stringent measures were adopted against them. But the struggle against the Catholics was the most severe, chiefly because they were supported by foreign powers. Many Catholics, particularly priests, suffered death during this reign. Elizabeth's first parliament requested her to marry, but she declared her intention to live and die a virgin; and she consistently declined in the course of her life Due d'Alencon, Prince Erik of Sweden, the Archduke Charles of Austria, and Philip of Spain. With the unfortunate Mary, Queen of Scots, were connected many of the po litical events of Elizabeth's reign. The
detention of Mary in England (1568 1587), whither she fled to the protection of Elizabeth, led to a series of eonspir acies, which finally determined Elizabett to make away with her captive. The ex ecution of Queen Mary (1587), though it has stained her name to posterity, tended to confirm her power among her contem poraries. But Philip of Spain was not to be appeased, the execution of Mary lending edge to other grievances. He called Elizabeth a murderess, and re fused to be satisfied even with the sacri fice she seemed prepared to make of her Dutch allies. The Armada sailed May 29, 1588. Its fate is well known. The war with Spain dragged on till the close of Elizabeth's reign. During her reign the splendor of her government was sus tained by such men as Burleigh, Bacon. Walsingham, and Throgmorton; but she had personal favorites of less merit who were often more brilliantly rewarded. Chief of these were Dudley, whom she created Earl of Leicester, and whom she was disposed to marry, and Essex, whose violent passions brought about his ruin. He was beheaded in 1601, but Elizabeth never forgave herself his death. Her own health soon after gave way, and she died March 24, 1603.