r such a study
proceeded only from an excess of vanity for which I beleive she was
always rather remarkable, is uncertain. Whatever might be the cause,
she preserved the same appearance of knowledge, and contempt of what
was generally esteemed pleasure, during the whole of her life, for
she declared herself displeased with being appointed Queen, and while
conducting to the scaffold, she wrote a sentence in Latin and another in
Greek on seeing the dead Body of her Husband accidentally passing that
way.

MARY

This woman had the good luck of being advanced to the throne of England,
in spite of the superior pretensions, Merit, and Beauty of her Cousins
Mary Queen of Scotland and Jane Grey. Nor can I pity the Kingdom for the
misfortunes they experienced during her Reign, since they fully deserved
them, for having allowed her to succeed her Brother--which was a double
peice of folly, since they might have foreseen that as she died without
children, she would be succeeded by that disgrace to humanity, that
pest of society, Elizabeth. Many were the people who fell martyrs to the
protestant Religion during her reign; I suppose not fewer than a dozen.
She married Philip King of Spain who in her sister's reign was famous
for building Armadas. She died without issue, and then the dreadful
moment came in which the destroyer of all comfort, the deceitful
Betrayer of trust reposed in her, and the Murderess of her Cousin
succeeded to the Throne.----

ELIZABETH

It was the peculiar misfortune of this Woman to have bad
Ministers---Since wicked as she herself was, she could not have
committed such extensive mischeif, had not these vile and abandoned Men
connived at, and encouraged her in her Crimes. I know that it has by
many people been asserted and beleived that Lord Burleigh, Sir Francis
Walsingham, and the rest of those who filled the cheif offices of State
were deserving, experienced, and able Ministers. But oh! how blinded
such writers and such Readers must be to true Merit, to Merit despised,
neglected and defamed, if they can persist in such opinions when they
reflect that these men, these boasted men were such scandals to their
Country and their sex as to allow and assist their Queen in confining
for the space of nineteen years, a WOMAN who if the claims of
Relationship and Merit were of no avail, yet as a Queen and as one who
condescended to place confidence in her, had every reason to expect
assistance and protection