It is remarkable, that while Elizabeth increased in power and
resources, she became more noted for feminine weaknesses. In her early
years she had shown a stoicism, and superiority to natural affections,
not usually observed in women. But in her old age, she became both
volatile and susceptible to an extraordinary degree; so that the hand
which she had withheld in her younger days from the noblest princes of
Europe, seemed likely to be bestowed in her old age upon some mere
court minion. Her favorite in middle life was Robert, Earl of
Leicester, a profligate and a trifler. In her latter days she listened
to the addresses of the Earl of Essex, a young man of greater courage
and better principle, but also headstrong and weak. Essex, who had
acquired popularity by several brilliant military enterprises, began
at length to assume an insolent superiority over the queen, who was on
one occasion so much provoked by his rudeness as to give him a hearty
box on the ear. Notwithstanding all his caprices, presumption, and
insults, the queen still doatingly forgave him, until he at length
attempted to raise an insurrection against her in the streets of
London, when he was seized, condemned, and after much hesitation,
executed (February 25, 1601).
Elizabeth, in at last ordering the execution of Essex, had acted upon
her usual principle of sacrificing her feelings to what was necessary
for the public cause; but in this effort, made in the sixty-eighth
year of her age, she had miscalculated the real strength of her
nature. She was observed from that time to decline gradually in health
and spirits.
About the close of 1601, she fell into a deep hypochondria or
melancholy. She could scarcely be induced to have herself dressed, and
at length became so much absorbed by her sorrow as to refuse
sustenance, and sat for days and nights on the floor, supported by a
few cushions, brought to her by her attendants. On the 24th of March
1603, she expired, after a reign of nearly forty-five years, during
which England advanced――politically and commercially――from the
condition of a second-rate to that of a first rate power, and the
Protestant religion was established on a basis from which it could
never afterwards be shaken.
The reign of Elizabeth saw the commencement of the naval glory of
England. Down to the reign of Henry VII, there was no such thing as a
navy belonging to the public, and the military genius of the people
was devoted exclusively to enterprises by land. The rise, however, of
a commercial spirit in Europe, which in 1492 had caused the discovery
of America, and was again acted upon by the scope for adventure which
that discovery opened up, had latterly caused great attention to be
paid to nautical affairs in England. Englishmen of all ranks supported
and entered into enterprises for discovering unknown territories; and
under Drake, Cavendish, Raleigh, and Frobisher, various expeditions of
more or less magnitude were sent out. The colonies of North America
were now commenced. Amongst the exertions of private merchants, our
attention is chiefly attracted by the commencement of the northern
whale-fishery, the cod-fishery of Newfoundland, and the less laudable
slave-trade in Africa. When hostilities with Spain became more open,
the English commanders made many successful attacks upon her colonies
in the West Indies, and also upon the fleets of merchant vessels which
were employed to carry home the gold, and other almost equally
valuable products of the New World, to the Spanish harbors. These
attacks were now made in a more systematic manner, and with more
effect, as a revenge for the affair of the Armada. It may be said that
the dominion of Britain over the seas was perfected almost in a single
reign; a power which has been of such advantage to the country, both
in protecting its commerce, and keeping it secure from foreign
invasion, that its origin would have conferred everlasting lustre on
this period of British history, even although it had not been
characterised by any other glorious event.
The chief articles exported from England to the continent were, wool,
cloth, lead, and tin: formerly these had been sent in vessels
belonging to the Hanse Towns――certain ports of the north of Europe,
possessing great privileges――but now English vessels were substituted
for this trade. Birmingham and Sheffield were already thriving seats
of the hardware manufacture, and Manchester was becoming distinguished
for making cottons, rugs, and friezes. Stocking-weaving and the making
of sailcloth, serge, and baize, took their rise in this reign. The
progress of other arts was much favored by the bloody persecutions in
the Netherlands, which drove into England great numbers of weavers,
dyers, cloth-dressers, and silk-throwers. Amongst the wealthier
classes, the wearing of handsome apparel and of gold ornaments and
jewelery, made a great advance. Coaches were introduced, but for a
time thought only fit for the use of ladies. Great improvements were
made in the building of houses. Theatrical amusements were begun, and
attained great vogue, though only in London. The smoking of tobacco
was introduced by Sir Walter Raleigh, who became acquainted with the
plant in Virginia. At the end of Elizabeth’s reign, the population of
London was about 160,000, or a tenth of what it now is; and the whole
kingdom probably contained about 5,000,000 of inhabitants.