An Island Story by H. E. Marshall (lightweight ebook reader TXT) 📕
The Romans seemed to think that they won all these battles, but the Britons were not at all sure of it. Certainly a great many people on both sides were killed. If the Britons had been less brave than they were, they would have been very badly beaten, for the Romans wore strong armor and carried shields made of steel, while the Britons had little armor, if any at all, and their shields were made of wood covered with skins of animals. The Roman swords too were strong and sharp, while those of the Britons were made of copper. Copper is a very soft metal, and swords made of it are easily bent and so made useless.
The Britons at this time were divided into many tribes, each following their own chief. They often used to quarrel among themselves. Now, however, they joined together against their great enemy and c
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“Better to sit here than in a worse place,” relied the Princess, “for I know not where you will lead me.”
Then one of her own servants, kneeling beside her, burst into tears.
“Why do you weep for me?” said Elizabeth. “You should rather comfort me and not weep.” But she rose and went sadly into the Tower. Then the doors were locked and barred. The Princess was a prisoner at last.
A close prisoner Elizabeth was kept. Very few of her own servants were allowed to be with her. But one of the servants of the Tower had a little son about four years old. He used to come to see the Princess and bring her flowers, and they soon became great friends. But when Elizabeth’s enemies heard of this, they thought that she would try to send messages to her friends by this little boy. So, one day, they caught him and promised to give him apples and figs if he would tell them what the Princess said to him, and what messages she sent to her friends.
But although the boy was so young, he understood that these men must be the enemies of the Princess, and he would not tell them anything, if indeed he had anything to tell. They talked for a long time, but could learn nothing from him. “Please, my lord,” said the little boy at last, “will you now give me the apples and figs you promised?”
“No, indeed,” replied the gentleman, “but you shall have a whipping if you talk to the Princess any more.”
“I shall bring my lady more flowers,” replied the little boy boldly.
But his father was told that he must not allow his son to run about the Tower any longer, and next day the Princess missed her little friend. But presently she saw him peeping through a hole in the door, and when he saw that no one was near he called to her, “Lady, I can bring you no more flowers.”
Then the Princess smiled sadly but said nothing. She knew that unkind people had taken even this one little friend from her.
The Princess lived in constant fear of her life. After a time she was removed from the Tower, and was sent from prison to prison. It was no wonder that one day, hearing a milkmaid singing gayly, Elizabeth said she, too, would rather be a milkmaid and free, than a great Princess and a prisoner.
At last she was allowed to go to Hatfield, a house near St. Albans, which now belong to the Marquis of Salisbury. There, carefully watched and guarded, she lived until Mary died.
MARY I.—HOW A CANDLE WAS LIT IN ENGLAND WHICH HAS NEVER BEEN PUT OUT
WHEN Mary had put down the rebellion which her desire to marry Philip had raised, she had her own way and married him.
He came from Spain with much pomp and splendor, and as he rode through the streets of London there was a show of rejoicing, but the people did not really like him. He brought a great deal of money with him, and gave presents to the people, but still they did not like him. Parliament took good care that he should have no share in the government, and that made him angry. No one loved him except Mary.
With Philip’s help the Queen began to do what she dearly wished. That was to bring England again under the power of the Pope.
The Pope sent a messenger to England, and Philip and Mary, holding a solemn service, knelt at his feet. They confessed that Henry VIII. had done a wicked thing, when he quarreled with the Pope. They said that the people of England were sorry for it, and humbly begged to be forgiven.
Then the Pope’s messenger granted them forgiveness in his master’s name, and England was once more said to be Roman Catholic.
Now began the most terrible time of Mary’s reign, for it required more than a few words from King, Queen, and Pope to make England again truly Roman Catholic. The Protestants would not give up their religion. Mary was determined that they should. Those who refused were imprisoned and put to death in the most cruel way. They were burned alive.
It would make you too sad to tell stories of this terrible time. In three years nearly three hundred people were put to death by Mary’s cruel orders. Yet she did no good but rather harm to her cause. For many who were at first on her side turned away with horror from her dreadful cruelties.
These men and women who suffered death so cheerfully for their religion fought for British freedom as much as Caractacus, or Harold or any of the brave men of whom you have heard. And it was much harder to die as they did, than to fall in battle fighting for their country with sword and spear. So when you hear such names as Rogers, Hooper, Ridley, Latimer, and Cranmer, honor them as heroes, and think gratefully of the many, many others, whose names we shall never know, but who suffered as bravely.
“Be of good comfort, Master Ridley, and play the man,” said Latimer, as they were being led to be burned together, “We shall this day light such a candle, by God’s grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out.” By this he meant that others, hearing of the brave manner in which they died, would take heart too, and fight as bravely for their faith and freedom. So instead of crushing out God’s light and truth, Mary was making it shine as a light which every one might see.
Mary was not happy, She could not help knowing that her cruel behavior did harm rather than good to the religion which she loved, yet she went on killing and torturing more fiercely than ever.
Philip grew tired of England, where he was not allowed to rule, so he went back to his own country. This was a great sorrow to Mary, for she loved her husband. Philip returned indeed once, but it was only to get money for a war with France. Very unwillingly the Parliament granted the money and help he asked, but the war ended sadly for Mary. Calais, which had belonged to the English for more than two hundred years, was lost. Mary grieved very much over this. “When I am dead,” she said, “you will find ‘Calais’ graven on my heart.” In the same year, 1558 A.D., she died, wretched and unloved.
She was succeeded by her sister, the Princess Elizabeth, who was the daughter of Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII.
ELIZABETH—HOW THE IMPRISONED PRINCESS BECAME A QUEEN
“Then our streets were unpaved, our houses were thatched, sir,
Our windows were latticed, our doors only latched, sir,
Yet so few were the rogues that would plunder or rob, sir,
That the hangman was starved for want of a job, sir.
Oh, the golden days of good Queen Bess!
“Then our ladies with large ruffs tied under their neck fast
Would gobble up a pound of beefsteaks for their breakfast;
With a close quilled-up coif, their noddles just did fit
And were trussed up as tight as a rabbit on a spit!
Oh, the golden days of good Queen Bess!
“Then jerkin and doublet, and yellow worsted hose
With a large pair of whiskers was the dress of our beaus,
Strong beer they preferred to clarets and to hocks,
No poultry they prized like the wing of an ox.
Oh, the golden days of good Queen Bess!
“Good neighbourhood, too, there was plenty as beef,
And the poor from the rich never wanted relief,
While merry went the mill-clack, the shuttle, and the plough,
And honest men could live by the sweat of their brow.
Oh, the golden days of good Queen Bess!
“Then all great men were good and all good men were great,
And the props of the nation were the pillars of the state,
For the sovereign and the subject one interest supported,
And our powerful alliance was by all other nations courted.
Oh, the golden days of good Queen Bess!”
IN the grounds of Hatfield the oak may still be seen under which Elizabeth was sitting when messengers came to tell her that Mary was dead and that she was Queen.
The Princess listened, looking up through the bare branches to the dull November sky, then falling upon her knees, she exclaimed in Latin words, “It is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes!”
Afterwards Elizabeth put these words upon the gold coins which were used during her reign. Upon the silver coins she put another Latin sentence which means, “I have chosen God for my helper.”
As soon as Elizabeth knew that she was chosen to be Queen, she left Hatfield and went in state to the Tower of London, for, at that time, the Tower was used as a royal palace as well as a prison. But this time she did not go as a prisoner. This time she did not enter by the Traitors’ Gate. She went as a Queen, free and happy, guarded indeed, but guarded with love and honor.
As the Queen passed through the gates, she paused. “Some,” she said, “have fallen from being Princes in this land to be prisoners in this place; I am raised from being prisoner in this place to be Prince in this land. That was the work of God’s justice; this a work of His mercy. So must I be myself to God thankful, and to man merciful.”
There were great rejoicings when Elizabeth was crowned, bonfires blazed and joy-bells rang. Yet the land and the people were in a sad and miserable state, and it needed all Elizabeth’s wisdom and the wisdom of the great men who surrounded her to bring back happiness and peace to the country.
Elizabeth began her reign at a very difficult time. The quarrels between the old and new religions and the cruelties of Mary had divided the people into two parties. Each party hoped that the new Queen would favor them. But Elizabeth did not mean to make any of her subjects suffer death because of what they felt it right to believe. During her reign people were neither tortured nor killed in the name of religion.
Elizabeth was clever, but she liked to think that she was beautiful too. She loved fine clothes and she dressed in the most splendid silks and satins and jewels. Her courtiers told her that she was the most beautiful lady on earth. This was not true. Elizabeth was not really very beautiful, but she was vain and liked to hear people say that she was lovely. And her people loved her so much that very likely they really thought that she was beautiful.
Whenever it was known that the Queen would pass through the streets, the people would gather to see her. They would stand for hours waiting until she came. When she at last appeared, they would wave their hats and shout, “God save your Majesty! God save your Majesty!”
Then the Queen would stop and, looking round on them, would say, “God bless you all, my good people.” The people would again cry, “God save your Majesty!” and the Queen would smile and reply, “You may well have a greater Prince, but you will never have a more loving Prince.”
Then when she had gone again the people would go to their homes talking of what a splendid Queen she was, and of how they would die for Good Queen Bess, as they loved to call her.
ELIZABETH—THE STORY OF A MOST UNHAPPY QUEEN
AT this time
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