A Museum for Young Gentlemen and Ladies | Page 9

but being vitiated by Cardinal Woolsey, luxury and cruelty obscured his virtues, and stained his former glory. He had six wives, of whom he divorced two, and caused two to be publicly beheaded. In his reign began the reformation; and the King was by act of parliament, declared supreme head of the church of England. Before he fell off from the Pope, he wrote a book against Luther. On this account Pope Leo honoured him with the title of defender of the faith; which the parliament made hereditary to all succeeding Kings of England. His government was more arbitrary and severe than that of any of his predecessors since William the Conqueror. He reigned about 38 years, died Jan. 28, 1547, and was buried in Windsor chapel.
EDWARD VI. only son of Henry VIII. succeeded his father at ten years old; and in the six years during which he reigned, he, by the indefatigable zeal of Archbishop Cranmer, made a great progress in the reformation. This good Prince founded our two famous hospitals, called Christchurch and St. Thomas, one in the city of London, the other in the suburbs. This reign is memorable for the discovery of the north-east passage to Archangel, made by Richard Chalinour, till then unknown, and since become the common passage from Asia into Europe. Edward reigned but six years, and was buried at Westminster.
MARY, eldest daughter of Henry VIII. by his first wife, succeeded her half brother Edward VI. She restored the Roman Catholic Bishops, and commenced a hot persecution against the protestants; in which Archbishop Cranmer, and six other Bishops, were burnt alive. In her reign, Calais was taken by the French, after it had been in our possession 200 years; and the same year, which was 1558, she died of grief for the loss of that city. With her life ended a reign, begun, continued, finished in blood, and happy in nothing but its short duration. She was buried at Westminster.
ELIZABETH, daughter of Henry VIII. by Anna Bullen, his second wife, succeeded her half-sister Mary. She proved an excellent Queen, the glory of her sex, and admiration of the age she lived in. She was crowned at Westminster, Jan. 15, 1558. In her time the protestant religion was again restored. She humbled the pride of Spain, both in Europe and America. Memorable is the year 1588, for the Spanish invasion attempted by King Philip, with his invincible armada; the greatest part of which was destroyed by the English fireships and a providential storm. The very names of our chief commanders, Howard, Norris, Essex, Drake, and Raleigh, struck a terror in her enemies. They took and burnt several places in Spain, particularly Cadiz and the Groyne; intercepted their plate fleets, and reduced that haughty monarch so low, that he has never since recovered it. This Queen quelled the two rebellions of O'Neal and Tir-Owen in Ireland. She protected the new republic of Holland, and the protestants of France. She commanded the ocean, which spread her fame around the globe, and made her name respected every where. With much reluctance she signed the dead warrant [sic] for the execution of Mary Queen of Scots, charged with high treason. She grieved much for the death of the Earl of Essex, whose fall was owing to her favour, and survived him only two years. In her reign the two English inquisitions were erected, I mean the Star-Chamber, and the High Commission Court, which grew oppressive, and the judges so arbitrary, that they were suppressed by an act of Charles I. She had a peculiar taste for learning, which flourished in her reign. She spoke five or six different languages, translated several books from the Greek and French, and took great pleasure in the study of mathematics, geography, and history. She died in 1603, in the 45th year of her reign, and the 70th year of her age, leaving her kinsman James VI. of Scotland, her successor.
The STUART FAMILY.
JAMES I. of England, arrived at London May 7, 1603, and the feast of St. James following was fixed for his coronation. In 1604, Nov. 5, the powder plot was discovered, the memory whereof has been hitherto religiously observed. Among the remarkable things of this reign, may be reckoned the two visits his Majesty received from Christian IV. King of Denmark, whose sister Ann was King James's consort: the creation of a new order called Baronets, next to a Baron, and made hereditary: the fall of Lord Chancellor Bacon, and of Sir Walter Raleigh, at the instigation of the Spanish Ambassador: the office of the master of the ceremonies was first established. As to the character of this Prince, it must be confessed, that he was too much of a scholar, and too little of the soldier. Though he was brought