account of their religion. Cranmer on one occasion brought to the young king a paper to sign, containing an order that a poor woman should be burned, because she was an Anabaptist. Edward could not bear signing it, cried, and refused, but Cranmer at last persuaded him into it.

It is hard to say what sort of king Edward would have made, for he died at the early age of sixteen. He was fond of learning, and founded many Schools. Amongst others Christ's Hospital, or the Blue Coat School, where the boys wear a curious dress. Though the dress looks odd now, it was in Edward's reign worn by all boys as commonly as jackets and trousers are now.

CHAPTER XXIV.

MARY, 1553-1558.
Married Philip of Spain.
Left no children.

Principal Event:-The Persecution of Protestants.

MARY was the eldest sister of Edward VI. She was a Roman Catholic, and therefore he had made a will, leaving the crown to his cousin, Lady Jane Grey, who belonged to the Reformed Church. Lady Jane was young, and beautiful, and clever. She was also good and sensible-had too much sense indeed to desire a crown to which she had by birth no right. But her relations were ambitious people, and they at last talked her over, and she agreed to be made queen. Why then does not the name of Jane head this chapter instead of that of Mary? Because Jane was never crowned.

She

went to the Tower to await her coronation. Meanwhile Mary hastened to London, and was received as queen.

At first Lady Jane was kindly treated, although kept in prison; but a riot took place, the object being to make her queen, so she was accused of high treason, and beheaded. Her husband also was put to death, her father soon afterwards, besides about 400 people who had joined their side.

And then Queen Mary was crowned. Her reign is chiefly remarkable for the horrible persecution of those who had joined the Reformed Church. But when you read about this you must remember, as I told you a chapter or two back, that it is only in later days that people have found out that it is useless as well as wicked to ill-use those whose religion they think mistaken.

Also, there is another excuse for Mary besides that of ignorance. Her husband, Philip of Spain, was a very cruel man, and probably is a good deal to blame for the horrors that disgraced her reign. In Spain no amusement was thought better than burning "heretics," as Protestants were called, and the king and his court would all go and enjoy the sight. Small wonder, then, that Mary, having such a husband, thought it only right to follow his example. In her short reign more than 300 people were burned because they would not become Roman Catholics. They were of all ranks, as well as of all ages.

The most celebrated martyrs were the Bishops Cranmer, Ridley, and Latimer. These three men were asked to "recant," that means that they would Ridley and Latimer were coura

change their religion.

geous men. Latimer had once been a Roman Catholic. He had joined the Reformed party, and now no threat of the queen could make him deny his faith. Ridley felt with him. But Archbishop Cranmer was a more cowardly man.

It is a curious thing that those who persecute can seldom bear persecution. The boy in your school who is the greatest bully, is sure also to be the greatest coward. Ask him to fight one of his own size, and see how he will look! You remember how Cranmer had teased King Edward into having a woman burned because she was an Anabaptist. When Cranmer was asked to recant, he agreed, thinking thereby to save his life. Up he went to the queen with a written recantation in each pocket, intending to use whichever he thought best at the time. He read one, and then the queen said, "No, it would not do. She was glad he had recanted, but he must still be burned."

He was taken to church to hear a sermon preached to him, this being part of the form always observed before an execution. He was then ordered to read his recantation. But to the astonishment of those present, instead of speaking against the Reformed religion, he attacked the Roman Catholic, and with steady voice declared that in one point he had sinned, and that was in having ever thought of saving his life by professing to be a Romanist when at heart he was not one. Cranmer was burned, and when he came to the fire, he put in his right hand, exclaiming, "This hand has sinned" (because he had written the recantation with it). The terrible persecution only ended with Mary's reign.

The English in this reign lost the town of Calais, much to the queen's grief, who said that when she died, Calais would be found written on her heart.

CHAPTER XXV.

ELIZABETH, 1558-1603.

Principal Event:-Loss of the Spanish Armada.

WE have often heard about the "glorious days of good Queen Bess." And in many ways Elizabeth's was a glorious reign. Certainly she left her country much better off than she found it. There were endless rejoicings when she came to the throne, bonfires, and the like.

All the burnings and persecutions suffered by the Reformed party had done little to lessen their numbers, and the people of England were for the most part inclined to dislike the Roman Catholic Church. Elizabeth had had rather a hard life as a girl. Her religious opinions were the same as those of her brother Edward; and, on this account, she had passed much of her time in prison.

One of the jailers, who had been specially unkind to her, was afraid that she might when she became queen take some notice of his past conduct. But Elizabeth only said, that a lion did not revenge himself upon a mouse, and such small game,-meaning that it was beneath a queen to revenge herself upon a jailer.

Elizabeth was a very clever, accomplished woman;

cleverer than many men. She was not handsome, but very fine-looking at the time she came to the throne, when she was about twenty-six years old. But the knowledge of her cleverness, and the admiration she received, made her very vain-vainer than most women.

Elizabeth's nearest relation was her cousin Mary, who was Queen of Scotland. Mary got on very badly with the Scotch. She had been educated in France; her first husband had been a French prince; and Scotland seemed dull, and its inhabitants heavy and disagreeable, after she had been so long accustomed to merry France, and to all the amusements of the French people. So she did nothing but quarrel with the Scotch, who hated her; till at last things came to such a pass that she left Scotland, and came to England. Elizabeth said that she would receive her kindly; but, instead of that, she shut her up in prison for eighteen years. At the end of that time, Mary was suspected of plotting to get the throne of England, and Elizabeth, therefore, ordered her to be beheaded.

In the year 1588 Philip of Spain, Elizabeth's brotherin-law, who was, as you know, a Roman Catholic, declared war upon England. He was so sure of success that he put a quantity of instruments of torture on board his ships, that they might be handy to persecute the Protestants as soon as he had got the kingdom. He collected a large fleet, which was called the Spanish Armada, and it set sail for England. But a heavy storm came on, and the vessels were so injured that they had to put back, and could not be brought out again. This joyful news came to Elizabeth on Michaelmas Day, when