Page:The Queens of England.djvu/448

404 THE QUEENS OF ENGLAND. When Mary was necessitated to contend with the rebellion of Northumberland, Elizabeth levied a thousand horse to sup- port her ; but little did this attempt to ingratiate herself avail. Her religion, and her position in relation to the succession to the crown, were her first offenses ; by obtaining the predi- lections of Courtenay, Earl of Devonshire, whom Mary is supposed to have been willing to marry, she completed the sum of her unintentional provocations. From this moment the animosity of her sister to her was unbounded and undis- guised ; and probably her life would have been the victim of it, after Wyatt's insurrection, but for the intercession of her brother-in-law, Philip of Spain. This prince may cer- tainly be said to have preserved her existence ; not from affec- tion or humanity, for a more unrelenting bigot and despot never existed, but to prevent the annexation of England to the crown of France, — an event which must have occurred if Mary of Scotland, and wife of the dauphin, had inherited tbe former kingdom. The dread of this immense accession to the power of the hereditary enemy of Spain, instigated Philip to interpose a constant barrier between Elizabeth and the atrocious malice of his sanguinary wife — a happy acci- dent, to which the English are indebted for the most pros- perous reign in their history. The circumspection of this young princess during her long term of trial was great and admirable. To all the machina- tions of her enemies to entrap her into some act which might serve as a pretext for her condemnation, she opposed an in- vincible prudence and discretion. When, thinking that she would have been eager to purchase escape from personal dan- ger at any cost or sacrifice, a marriage with the King of Sweden was suggested to her, instead of precipitately accept- ing the proposal, she cautiously demanded whether her sis- ter had been made acquainted with it. This inquiry receiv- ing an unsatisfactory reply, she desired that the matter might be formally communicated to Mary, who, though doubtlessly previously possessed of the knowledge, feigned to thank her for her loyal and dutiful information, and to permit her to decide according to her own inclination. Afterwards, when subjected to the more perilous ordeal of an examination into her religious principles, she was undaunted and self-possessed ; and being desired to state her sentiments respecting the doc-