William Thomas, Clerk of the Closet to Edward VI. who wrote in 1546, says, that "the Lady Elizabeth, which is at this time of the age of 14 yeres, or thereaboutes, is a very wittye and gentyll yonge Lady 1."

At Hatfield, where she was fortunately under the superintendance of Sir Thomas Pope, and subsequently when almost in a state of imprisonment at Woodstock and in the Tower, not a portion of dissatisfaction appears to have been expressed.

Of her domestic establishment at Hatfield, some idea may be formed by the following Extract from "The Accompte of THOMAS PARRY, Esquyer, Cofferer to the verie Excellent Princesse the Ladie ELIZABETH her Grace the Kinge's Majestie's most Honorable Sister, with all somes of money received by him for the Provision of her Grace's Household Expences 3:"

'Miscellaneous Antiquities printed at Strawberry-hill, No. II. p. 60. This "Cofferer" (Mr. Parry) will again appear in pages 3 and 23.

3 This beautiful manuscript on vellum, formerly the property of Gustavus Brander, Esq., and afterwards of W. Barnes, Esq. of Redland Hall, Bristol, at the sale of that gentleman's Library by Mr. Evans, in May 1822, was bought-in at 150 guineas.-This most curious, important, and valuable MS. exhibits the current expenses of Elizabeth's Household for one year, systematically classed under the departments of "Bakehouse and Pantrye," "Buttery," "Spicerye," &c. &c. The work is ornamented with six drawings, containing emblematical figures, alluding to the circumstances of those parts of the book where they are placed. Every page is audited and signed by Elizabeth herself, and Walter Bucler, the Comptroller of her Household. The late Thomas Astle, Esq. Keeper of the Records in the Tower, and author of a Treatise on the Origin and Progress of Writing, has given a detailed account of it in the Antiquarian Repertory, vol. I. pp. 64–67. He says, "The work is curious in several respects. First, because it shews the prices of the necessaries and elegancies of life at the time it was written; secondly, because it contains accounts of the particular wines, spices, &c. that were used in the household of a Princess of the Blood upwards of two centuries ago; thirdly, the curious penmanship and drawings are fine specimens of those arts in the 16th century." They are executed in a more elegant style than is usually met with in the drawings of those times, and are such as would not discredit a modern artist.

Camden, in his Annals of Queen Elizabeth's Reign, says, "She was of admirable beauty1, and well deserving a Crown; of a modest gravity, excellent wit, royal soul, happy memory, and indefatigably given to the study of Learning 2; insomuch as, before she was 17 years of age, she understood well the Latin 3,

It has been observed however, that, whatever may have been her beauty in early life, her panegyrists, as she drew near sixty, omitted that part of their eulogium.

The proficiency in Learning of this great Princess is thus described by Roger Ascham in his "Schoolmaster:" "It is to your shame (I speak to you all, you yong Jentlemen of England) that one Mayd should go beyond you all in excellencie of learnyng, and knowledge of divers tonges. Pointe forth six of the best given Jentlemen of this Court, and all they together shew not so much good-will, spend not so much tyme, bestow not so many houres dayly, orderly, and constantly, for the increase of learnyng and knowledge, as doth the Queene's Majestie herselfe. Yea, I believe, that beside her perfect readiness in Latin, Italian, French, and Spanish, she readeth here now at Windsore more Greeke every day than some Prebendarie of this Church doth read Latin in a whole weeke. And that which is most praise-worthy of all, within the walls of her Privie Chamber she hath obteyned that excellencie of learning, to understand, speak, and write both wittily with head, and faire with hand, as scarce one or two rare wittes in both the Universities have in many yeares reached unto.""It can scarce be credited," says the same Writer, "to what degree of skill in the Latin and Greek she might arrive, if she shall proceed in that course of study wherein she hath begun by the guidance of Grindal." Epistle to Sir G. Cheeke, p. 79.—A still stronger testimonial of Ascham may be seen in p. 19.

› That she was completely mistress of the Latin language is evident from her Conversation with the celebrated William Lambarde, printed in vol. III. p. 585, from unquestionable authority; and her ready responses in that language to the compliments of the University of Cambridge, many years after she had ceased to have learned leisure, are well known, and her ingenious evasion of a captious theological question, is still more deservedly applauded :

"Christ was the Word that spake it;

He took the bread and brake it ;

And what that Word did make it,

That I believe and take it."

She conversed in Latin, in 1597, with the Polish Ambassador-“ Lion-like rising," says Speed, "she daunted the malapert Orator no less with her stately port and majestical departure, than with the tartness of her princely cheeks; and, turning to the train of her attendants, thus said: God's death, my Lords (for that was her oath ever in anger), I have been enforced this day to scour up my old Latin, that hath lain long in rusting."

North, in his Dedication to "Plutarch's Lives," published in 1579, thus addresses himself to Queen Elizabeth: "For, most gracious Soveraigne, though this booke be no booke for your Majestie's selfe, who are meeter to be the chiefe storie than a student therein, and can better understande it in Greeke, than any man can make it in English," &c.

French, and Italian 2 tongues, and had an indifferent knowledge of the Greek 3. Neither did she neglect Music so far as it became a Princess, being able to sing sweetly, and play handsomely on the Lute."

Camden says, that she either read or wrote something every day; that she translated "Sallust de Bello Jugurthino;' and, as late as the year 1598, turned into English the greater part of " Horace de Arte Poeticâ," and a little treatise of "Plutarch de Curiositate." Two specimens of these Translations, one from Seneca's Epistles, the other from Tully's, are printed in Harrington's " Nugæ Antiquæ," vol. I. pp. 109, 140; but these will not be found to bear out the hyperbolical praise of Sir Henry Savile, who affirms that " he hath seen some Translations of hers, which far exceeded the Originals."

Of her Translation of Boethius " De Consolatione Philosophiæ," see vol. III. p. 564.

1 Yet M. de Buzanval, who had been resident at London for the French King, mimicking the Queen, said that she spoke French very disagreeably, often repeating with a drawling and ridiculous accent," paar Dieu, paar maa foi." Du Maurier, apud Dict. par Bayle. Elisabeth (E.)

She translated from the French the "Meditations of the Queen of Navarre."

2 Hentzner, who attended her Court at Greenwich in 1598, attests that " she spoke very graciously, first to one, then to another, whether Foreign Ministers, or those who attended for different reasons, in English, French, and Italian; for, besides being well skilled in Greek, Latin, and the languages I have mentioned, she is mistress of Spanish, Scotch, and Dutch."

3 She translated a Play of Euripides and two Orations of Isocrates from Greek into Latin; and wrote a Comment on Plato.

In the Bodleian Library is a Letter of hers to her Brother King Edward VI. of which the concluding lines are also here given in a fac-simile, accompanied with Autographs of King Edward VI., Queen Mary, Lady Jane Grey, and Mary Queen of Scots.

Her Translation from the Greek, of a Dialogue of Xenophon, is printed at length in the Miscella. neous Correspondence of the Gentleman's Magazine, for 1742, No. II. with a fac-simile of an entire page, which, as a fair specimen of her calligraphy, is here copied.-She was taught to write by the celebrated Roger Ascham; and her writing is extremely beautiful and correct, as may be seen by examining a little manuscript book of Prayers, in French, Italian, and Spanish, written with her own hand, preserved in the British Museum. Hentzner mentions such an one only in French, written on vellum, and dedicated to her Father, in these words: "A tres haut & tres puissant & redoubté Prince Henry VIII. de ce nom, Roy d'Angleterre, de France, & d'Irelande, Difenseur da la Foy."

Mr. D'Israeli says, he has seen her first writing-book preserved at Oxford in the Bodleian Library; the gradual improvement of her Majesty's hand-writing, is very honourable to her diligence; but the most curious thing is the paper on which she tried her pens; this she usually did by writing the name of her beloved brother Edward; a proof of the early and ardent attachment she formed of that amiable Prince.

For a further account of the various literary productions of this accomplished Princess, see Mr. Park's excellent edition of Mr. Walpole's Noble and Royal Authors. See also hereafter, pp. xlv. xlvii.

Of her skill in Music, see pp. 293. 487. 529.-Sir John Hawkins, in his History of Music, says, "that her musicians were playing in her chamber at the hour of her departure;" see vol. III. p. 630.

AUTOGRAPHS OF KING EDWARDVI, QUEEN MARY, LADY JANE GREY, QUEEN ELIZABETH & MARY QUEEN of SCOTS.

To the

quenes grace. Mazye the quene

Edward Jane the Quiches

Vol.1.p.X

Votre ban banne amy

The Princess Elizabeth to King Edward VI.

Ona quidem de

re

marieR

boc loco fatis Illud tantum

precor ut Deus conferuet tuam &laicstate qua dintiso incolumem ad
nominis fui gloria regniq Visitate.

Hatfildice 2 febružij

Haiglatis tuce fumlima soror
& jerns Flizabeth

Facsimile from the Princess Elizabeth's Translation of a Dialogue in Xenophon.

Think your

Country your home, the inhabitants
your neighbours, all freinds your
children, and your Children your
own Sowl; endenouring to surpass
aff these in liberality and good
nature. for conquer once your
freinds by well doing and
care not what enemies

can woork against your

this if you do, you / habe
happie and twise

happy to yourself
and plausible to
the world.
Jero

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