The state of France, as indicated by the change of government consequent on the acces sion of Henry IV, who was assisted by Eliza beth, obviated any danger that might have arisen from the indignation which the execu tion of Queen Mary had caused in that coun try. Nowhere, however, was that event more meekly borne than by Ding The Scot tish Solomon had thought his mother's danger a favorable opportunity for sententious obser vations about the strangeness of her case, and now his philosophy was nonplussed. His awe of Elizabeth and his dread of interfering with his own right of succession to England made him powerless, and he accepted an addition to his pension in full of his grievances. Philip was not to be so appeased. He had other grievances, to which the execution of Mary lent edge. The fleets of Elizabeth had galled him in the West Indies, her arms and subsidies had helped to deprive him of the Netherlands; the Armada was already in preparation. There fore he called the Queen of England a mur deress, and refused to be satisfied even with the sacrifice she seemed prepared to make of her Dutch allies. The Armada sailed on 2 May 1588. Its fate is too well known to need reca pitulation. The war with Spain dragged on till the close of Elizabeth's reign.
During her long rule Elizabeth showed her judgment in nothing so much as in the coun cillors she trusted. But while the splendor of her government at home and abroad was sus tained by such men as Burleigh, Bacon, Wals ingham, Throgmorton and Davison, who served her with a zeal which did not always spare even their own reputations, she had personal favorites of less merit who were often more brilliantly rewarded. It is sufficient to name Dudley, whom she created Earl of Leicester; and Essex, who was still more a personal favo rite, though much less a courtier. The latter had some merit as a soldier; but his violent tem per, ill-suited to the Queen's haughty disposition, brought about his ruin. He was beheaded in 1601 and Elizabeth never forgave herself his death. Her own health soon after gave way, and she died, naming James of Scotland as her successor.
Besides its political glories, won in despite of the Queen's somewhat insular and narrow outlook, the reign of Elizabeth was the golden age of English literature. If all else could be • forgotten, it would be remembered as the age of Spenser and of Shakespeare, not to mention a host of minor names. The naval achieve ments of Drake and the discoveries of Raleigh concurred to do it honor. Thus everything conspired to throw a halo round the name of Elizabeth, when regarded as a sovereign, and seen as she would be in her own day, especially by foreign beholders, through the drapery of state. If a minute criticism has exposed some of the weaknesses of the individual woman who bore this burden, it must be remembered that the process is only half fair. As a sover eign she is entitled to her surroundings, and as an absolute rulei, as to a great extent she undoubtedly was, she must have her share of praise for the good that was done in her name. It is no small merit to select good councillors and to adhere to them. Elizabeth knew how to do both; and yet she was no puppet in the hands of her advisers. Though haughty and imperious to the Commons, she knew both when and how to yield. She studied with rare sagacity the temper of the people; and high as were her notions of prerogative, she may fairly be considered the first constitutional monarch of England.
Bibliography.— Cambden, 'History of Queen Elizabeth' (1622) ; D'Ewes, 'Journals of all the Parliaments of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth' (1682) ; Bruce (ed.), 'Letters of Elizabeth and James VP (1849) ; Wright, 'Queen Elizabeth and Her Times' (1838) ; Strickland, 'Lives of the Queens of England' ; Wiesener,'Lajeunesse d'Elisabeth d'Angle terre' (1878) Froude, 'History of England' (Vols. VII-XII, 1870) • Hume, Martin, 'Calen dar of Spanish State Papers: Elizabeth' ; ibid., 'Courtships of Queen Elizabeth' (1896) ; ibid., 'The Year After the Armada' (1896) ; ibid., 'The Great Lord Burghley' (1898) ; Creighton, 'Queen Elizabeth' (1899) ; Beezley, 'Queen Elizabeth' (1902); Jessop, 'Queen Elizabeth,' in 'Dictionary of National Biography.'