porters of the new faith. She was tolerant, for instance, in regard to images and was fond of ceremonial and is said to have entertained scruples as to the extent of the royal supremacy in spiritual matters; but if she did, they must have been purely speculative. They certainly vanished on the first taste of power.
If the formal establishment of the reformed religion was easily completed, the security and defense of the settlement was the main object of the policy and the chief source of all the struggles and contentions of her reign. What made the position so difficult was the intolerance by which at this period and for long after all religious sects were characterized. No sooner were the Puritans freed from the restrictive measures of Mary's reign than they began to claim predominance for their own dogmas. But it was far from the intention of the Queen and the supporters of the Established Church, not withstanding the common persecutions they had endured, to grant them even liberty of worship. Elizabeth's own determination, as expressed by herself, was that none should be allowed to turn aside either to the right hand or the left from the drawn line of prescribed duty, and in insist ing upon uniformity of worship she was not singular, but was acting in the spirit of her age. This principle was not less firmly held in her reign than in her sister's; and Roman Catholics on the one hand, and Puritans on the other, re strained only by their dread and hatred of each other, were made the irreconcilable enemies of the existing order. Moreover, from the neces sities of the struggle the severities of Elizabeth's reign went on increasing as time advanced. At first no one suffered death for his opinions; but eventually many were executed for this cause. The struggle against Roman Catholics was the most severe, chiefly because they were supported by foreign powers; so that while their religion was wholly prohibited, even exile was forbidden them in order to prevent their intrigues abroad. Simple non-conformity, from whatever cause, was pursued with the severest penalties. The fine imposed for non-attendance at church was f20 per month, while so straight were the lines of conformity drawn, that many more clergy men were driven out of the Church by differ ences about the position of altars, the wearing of caps and such like matters, than were forced to resign by the change from Rome to Reforma tion. These stringent measures were, however, the rigid consequences of the false position assumed.
Elizabeth's first Parliament approached her on a subject which, next to religion, was the chief trouble of her reign, the succession to the crown; they requested her to marry. She
replied in a long speech, declaring her intention to live and die a virgin. It is certain, from her conduct both before and after, that this decla ration was only a convenient affectation of prud ery, which at once served to flatter her vanity and to veil her real indecision. She saw too clearly for her own interest the restraints to which each particular marriage might subject her and therefore she shunned them all, thus leaving open the question of the succession.
On Elizabeth's accession the country was at war with France. Peace was easily concluded 1559; but the assumption by Francis and Mary of the royal arms and titles of England led to an immediate interference on the part of Eliza beth in the affairs of Scotland. She entered into a league with the Lords of the Congregation, or leaders of the Reformed party; and throughout her reign this party became distinctively an Eng lish one, and was frequently serviceable in fur thering her policy. She also gave early but half hearted and dubious support to the Huguenot party in France, and to the Protestants in the Netherlands. Though she disliked war as an occasion of expense and had no toleration for any kind of nonconformity, throughout Europe she was looked on as the head of the Protestant party. She roused the implacable resentment of Philip, who strove in turn to excite the Roman Catholics against her, both in her own dominions and in Scotland. After the detention of Mary queen of Scots in England, he fomented the various rebellions in her favor, formed in Eng land and Ireland and at her death declared him self her avenger. Mary, as is well known, was imprisoned 19 years in England, whither she fled to the protection of Elizabeth. Her im prisonment was followed by a series of con spiracies, beginning with that under the earls of Northumberland and Westmoreland and ending with the plot of Babington, which finally deter mined Elizabeth to proceed to extremities with her captive. The execution of Queen Mary was, nevertheless, the chief political blunder of Eliza beth's reign. If the death of Mary did not raise up new enemies to Elizabeth on the Continent it at least gave a just cause of offense to those she already had. Elizabeth had for some time been engaged in a negotiation for marriage with the Duke of Alencon (afterward of Anjou); and in 1580 the Duke arrived in London to pur sue his suit, which had lasted nearly 12 years, in person. He was well received, but. still the Queen hesitated. She was now 47. The follow ing winter the Duke paid another visit and the marriage was all but concluded, but she finally informed him she could never marry.