Language had been heard in both Houses, during the debates, of unusual violence. Bradford's letter on the succession was circulating freely among the members, and the Parliament from which the Queen anticipated so much for her husband's interests proved the most intractable with which she had had to deal.[1] After the difficulty which she had experienced with the first-fruits, she durst not so much as introduce the question of the crown.[2] She attempted a bill for the restoration of the forfeited lands of the Howards, but it was lost.[3] The Duchess of Suffolk,[4] with several other persons of rank, had lately joined the refugees on the Continent; she attempted to carry a measure for the confiscation of
- ↑ Noailles.
- ↑ Michele, the Venetian ambassador, in his curious but most inaccurate account of England during this reign, states that the Queen had it in her power to cut off Elizabeth from the succession, but that she was prevented from doing it by Philip. Michele's information suffered from the policy of Venice. Venice held aloof from the complications of the rest of Europe, and her representatives were punished by exclusion from secrets of State. The letters of Noailles might be suspected, but the correspondence of Renard with Charles V. leaves no doubt whatever either as to the views of the Spaniards towards Elizabeth, of their designs on the crown, or of the causes by which they were baffled.
- ↑ Noailles to the King of France, December 16.
- ↑ The witty Katherine Brandon, widow of Henry VIII.'s Charles Brandon, married to Richard Bertie. She was a lady of advanced opinions, between whom and the Bishop of
little restored, because the world, indeed, would not be so faced out of their livelihood) sundry of our prelates, like hardy champions, slacke not a whit themselves to thrust lords out of their lands, and picked quarrels to their lawful possessions. Well. Let nobility consider the case as they list; but, as some think, if the clergy come to be masters again, they will teach them a school point. Christ taught the young man that perfection was in vade, vende, et da, not in mane, acquire, accumula.'—Grace to be said at the Accession of Elizabeth: Tanner MSS., Bodleian Library.
