Grace, he seems to have been weak, bafe, and abject. The following extract from a Letter which he wrote to Queen Elizabeth, after he was condemned by his Peers, may be thought a fufficient proof of a poor and unmanly spirit.

To my most gracious Soveren Lady, the Queene's most excellent Majeftye.

my

WHen I laye before my yees my manyfolde offencys ageynft your moft excellent Majeftye (O my most gracyous Soverayne and dread Ladye) ther ys no parte off me, nether harte, heade, nor mynde that dothe fuffycyentlye fupplye ther partes, towarde thys my most humble and lowlye fubmycyon to your Hyenelle; but I hope that your Majeftye, off your mercyfull goodneffe, wyll loke rather into my meanyng, than into my uncowchyd wordes and fentenfys, beinge nowe (thowh yeat havynge breathe) favyng your Hyeneffe's horor, but a deade doge in thys worlde; and therfore preparyng my felfe to a newe kyngedome, I fynd nothyng that dothe more troble and overlaye laden confyence, than that I fynd in my felfe that I have not fuffycyentlye humbled my felfe to your most ex⚫cellent Majefty, unto whome, with weeping yees and repentant heart, I do confeffe, I have moft unkyndlye offendyd. Therfor, O my moft dread Sovereyn Ladye, I unworthy wretche, lying proftrate att your Hycneffe's feete, doe most humblye befeche your moft mercyfull Majeftye, that ytt wyll please the fame to graunt me, off your Heynee's aboundant petyfull harte, forgeveneffe for my manyfold offencys done to your Majeftye. And then I hope I fhall leave thys vale off myferye with the lyghter harte, and quyeter concyenfe, wherby I behold my Lord Jefus with a more joyfull contenance. Yff my punyfchement allreadye layyd upon me by lawe feame not suffycyent to your Majeftye's fatisfaction, for my yll defertes, then I moft humblye befyche your Heynelle to increase my worldlye punyfchement even howe much or whatfoever ytt fchall pleafe your Majeftye; onlye, my moft gracyowes Queene, I most humblye befyche your Hyenefs, that I maye ende with your Majeftye's moft gracyowes and charitable forgeveneffe. Thys is all the futes, and the laft that ever, by God's helpe, I a caft-awaye, mynd to make to your Heyneffe in my none wretchyd behalf. I heare that ytt fhuld be reportyd off me, that I fhuld thynke, or faye, that my Peares had unjustlye cafte me awaye; wyche fpeche, I proteft to your Majeftye, I never utteryd; for I have fayd, that yff I hade bene in one off ther iteads, and had cre

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dytyd the wytneffys, I wold have done as they dede. But thus I fee my yll happe ftill to be increafyd by myfreportes ; God of his omnipotencye pute in to your Heynes's harte a mercyfull mynde to forgeve me my undutyfullnes, and then I do not dowgt but that I fhall, with a quiet mynde, beare all other croflys that shalbe layyd upon me.'

A number of papers follow, relating to Plots and Confpiracies, either real or pretended, against the Queen's life; with the examinations and confeffions of feveral persons who were made prifoners on that account.

Among the documents which follow, the moft worthy of obfervation are those which relate to the treaty of marriage between the Queen and the Duke of Anjou. This matter appears to have been thoroughly canvaffed by the fhrewd Politicians of those days; and the confiderations both for and against, are very analytically ftated. The dangers which might attend the marriage, are fet forth in the following cogent reafons.

Dowtfullnes to have child, or dowtfullness of fafe delivery.

• Discontentation to hirself, if she fhold have no children. • Difcontentation if he fhold become French Kyng, and fo depart from hir as Kyng Phillip did from Quene Mary.

Difcontentation if he fhold fynd hym not to be beloved and honored of hir people generally, or that he shold feke ⚫ not to obferve fyncerly all pacts made for prefervyng of Relligion, or for contynuance of the fubjects of the realm in ther libertyes and honors.

1. Because he profeffeth a religion contrarye to the Quene, ⚫ther can be hardly hoped a harty love of hir Majestye.

2. By reafon of his relligion, fuch as ar the worft fubjects to hir Majefty, yea hir rebells abrode, the obftinat Papifts at home will take no comfort of hir liff or regiment; all thefe will in ther harts love and honor the Duk: and he ⚫ cannot in good reafon hate them, or with them evill, fo that it may be feared to be pronounced Regnum in fe divifum defolabitur.

3. It may be dowted, that confydering he is much yongar than the Quene, and may alfo in hir liff-tyme become King of France; that if he fhall over-live hir without children, he may ether by his gretnes kepe poffeffion, or marry fome perfon unmete for the realme that fhall have fome color of <title,

5

title, by whom relligion fhall be altered; and all that oppose themselves fhall be difheryfed, as was in the tyme of William the Conqueror.

4. The greatest mischeff that can come to the perpetuall ⚫ diminution of the glory of this kyngdom, is the poffibilitie, that in the iffew male of hym being French King, the • Crown of England fhall be fpoyled of the comfort of a • Kyng, and shall be subject to a Vice-Roy.'

On the other hand, the profits which might accrue from the marriage, are thus in part enumerated.

By mariadg with Monfieur fhe is lykly to have children, because of his yowth; and if fhe have children, than the danger of the greteft gulf, that allweifs by the common < judgment of all wife men both in Parlement and otherwise hath bene feared to devour the State, if the trew relligion 'fhold be ftopped; which was, that if her Majefty fhold dye without iflew to inheret the Crown, the fame fhold fall into quarrellyng for lack certenty of a right knowne heyre : and as by contention for the Crown, all the people of the realme fhold fuffer intollerable callamyties by means of factions and civil warrs; fo hath it bene the greteft fear allweis conceaved, that the Sword might bryng it to such a ⚫ perfon as wold wholly extyrp by fyre and fword the profeffion of the Gofpell; which danger without hir Majesty's mariadg and iffew, the uncertenty of the fucceffion continuing, is by no witt or by imagination avoyded; and ther⚫fore feing of all worldly mifcheeffs, this hath bene allwais the greteft above all others, any other thyng having lefs perills, and thefe but accidentall to happen, or not happen, wold be aventured and admitted, as natural rafon techeth, E duobus femper malis minimum eft eligendum.

And though it may be alledged, that the mariadg with • Monfieur may, in procefs of tyme, bryng the realme to the lyke perrill, yet the fear thereof is conditionall, and ' not certen. And in a matter that is but conditionall, and <dependeth upon fondry matters futur, ther is not that feare, that is in a matter abfolute and without condition; and therfor in election, that is firft to be avoyded, that bringeth ་ certen and inevitable danger; and if that be to be taken, ⚫ because ther is no other choice, what may upon certen accidents be dangerofs, and uppon contrary may be good, therin wifdom muft help to fupply helpes; as the wife man fayeth, in matters of gretar power than earthly creatures, • Prudens dominabitur aftris.

• Ageyn,

Ageyn, If hir Majefty fhall lyk of the conditions and perfon of Monfieur, as without which no maryadge can be allowed, hir Majefty then shall have that comfort in hir liff, that ordinarely that is to be looked for of mariadg, as a matter, that in all ages and all nations, both Hethen and Chriftian hath bene moft allowed for comfort in fociety." This fubject is further confidered under several other heads of Convenience and Inconvenience, which are too diffusive for us to enter into.

Mr. Murdin's Collection, moreover, affords us a remarkable extract from certain Letters, arguing a refolution of the Catholics to intitle the King of Spain to the Crown of England. Laftly, it contains a copy of the original Letter from the Queen of Scots to Queen Elizabeth, in which the former gratifies a double revenge, in making the latter acquainted with the many fhocking and fcandalous reports which the Countess of Shrewsbury had related to her prejudice-Such as her extravagant fondnefs for Simier, whom fhe kiffed and treated with many indecent freedoms-Likewife her diffolute behaviour with the Duke of Anjou his mafter, whom the careffed with the fame unbecoming familiarity, and even went fo far as to open the door of her chamber for him, having only her shift and bedgown on, where he ftaid with her about three hours-The account also which the Countefs gave of fome bodily infirmities, and natural imperfections, which were incident to her Majefty; and which no woman could bear to be told of, without undergoing the moft grievous mortification; more efpecially one who, like Elizabeth, valued herself on her perfonal charms. It was therefore highly impolitic in a perfon under Mary's circumftances, to wound Elizabeth by the recital of fuch difagreeable particulars.

Whether Elizabeth did really indulge herself in fuch amorous exceffes, we cannot pretend to determine. However, be that as it may, it can, if true, only affect her reputation. as a woman, and is no imputation on her character as a Queen. Though fuch indulgencies may be incompatible with moral goodness, they are not inconfiftent with political greatnefs; witnefs the number of Heroes and Heroines who figure in Hiftory: more efpecially Cæfar, whofe licentious conduct was fo far from diverting his attention from his vaft purfuits, that he made his debaucheries inftrumental to the purpofes of his ambition.

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The Day of Judgment, a Poem, in two Books. The third Edi tion corrected. To which are now added, 1. An Ode to MeLancholy. 2. Ode on Sleep. 3. Ode on Time. 4. To the Memory of Mr. H. M. an Elegy. 5. To the Memory of the late pious and ingenious Mr. Hervey. 6. The third Chapter of Habakkuk paraphrafed. By John Ogilvie, A. M. 8vo.

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Keith,

E refer to the account we gave of the excellent Poem that introduces the prefent fhort Mifcellany, with the greater fatisfaction, fince Mr. Ogilvie's moft candid and generous interpretation of the few ftrictures it contained. To have our fincerity, and even our judgment, commended by those who alone can confer praise, from their being in the jufteft poffeffion of it, muft have been very acceptable to our felf-love. But when we found this Gentleman's unexpected condefcenfion had engaged him to make a few alterations in this new edition of his poem, in confequence of our flender animadverfions on it, we felt ourselves more than pleafed, by fo much unaffected humility. Such a rare profufion of this amiable virtue seldom refides but in fpirits of genuine fublimity, and confummate benevolence; being chiefly manifest in those who have the feweft occafions for exercifing it.

Pleafing as the fubfequent pieces muft generally appear, we could not expect them otherwife from the Writer of the first; tho' his diffidence fucs only for compaffion to them, as being all the offspring of early life. Many paffages in them are ftriking, picturefque, and glowing; while the whole atteft a native poetical vein and harmonious ear, nurtur'd by the benign irradiations of claffical and of British genius. We could, with pleasure to ourselves, entertain our Readers with a longer fpecimen than we here prefent them: but we check a felfindulgence on this occafion, leaft the ingenious and learned Poet's deference to our fentiments of his former publication, fhould be thought to have produced an extraordinary partiality in us to the prefent: even while we are conscious of defigning to act with conftant equity between the Writers we review, and the Readers we intend to inform or entertain. For this, our being perfonally ftrangers to both, may qualify us, at least in one refpect, like thofe Judges among the antients, who are faid to have determined civil caules in the night, and without feeing either of the parties.

In the Ode to Sleep, fo amusingly fanciful and digreffive, the following invocation of her power, by the circumstances conducing to it, is truly poetical.

. See Review for February, 1759.

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