Page:A Biographical Dictionary of the Celebrated Women of Every Age and Country (1804).djvu/353

Rh meditations, her speeches in parliament, and her letters; which last are dispersed in vast numbers through a variety of collections. Education and interest led her to favour the Reformation; nor could she hesitate on the subject, but acted with caution, not to alarm the adherents to popery by too explicit a declaration of her sentiments, and yet taking care to afford early indications of her favourable views to the cause, some of them displayed in a manner pleasing and ingenious.

At the time of her coronation, when she was solemnly conducted through London, a boy, who personated Truth, was let down from one of the triumphal arches, and presented her with a copy of the Bible, which she received in the most gracious manner, placing it in her bosom, and declaring, that amidst all the costly testimonies which the citizens had that day afforded of their attachment, this present was by far most precious and acceptable.

Elizabeth conciliated all ranks of people by that amenity of manner which Dr. Robertson calls her flowing affability, and secured their confidence by the spirit and decision which appeared to influence even those motives they did not rightly penetrate. When parliament met, she began to take measures for settling her own prerogative, and establishing the protestant faith as the national religion. Philip of Spain had offered her his hand, but Elizabeth declined the alliance. He espoused Elizabeth of France, whose queen, the beautiful Mary of Scotland, was supposed by catholics to have a better claim to the throne than Elizabeth, and had assumed the arms of England. A fatal assumption, which was the first rise of all those fears and jealousies, which at last impelled Elizabeth to an act that will for ever blot her memory, and entwined the system of her politics with those