-BOOKS.
THE PRIVATE CHARACTER OF QUEEN ELIZABETH.* MB.. CsisrSBERLESS has, in our opinion, cleared the character of Queen Elizabeth. He has done it in two ways. He shows that the nature of her medical record—she was, in truth, a
life-long invalid—made the alleged immorality of her conduct very unlikely. He also shows that, though there was much gossip of a frank kind, none of the people who knew the Court at first hand, like the Spanish, the French, the Venetian and the Swedish Ambassadors, believed •in the slanders. They mention the rumours and the credence attached to them by many of the English people, for this was a fact of importance which their Governments would want to have recorded ; but they always go on to express their personal disbelief in the stories. They do this, too, not in any theatrical and sensational mariner, as they might have done had they wanted their despatches to be read by the Queen's spies and so to curry favour with her. Their statements arc cool and impersonal, reflections of a businesslike kind. They do not attach any credit to these accusations. That is the attitude adopted.
We cannot summarize the evidence, medical or moral, but we advise all students of the period to study it for it throws a great deal of light on the most interesting period in English history. For example, we get as a by-product a very striking picture of Leicester and a tribute to his greatness of mind and character which we should not be surprised to find will be sustained if, as we hope will be the case, the life of this able and patriotic statesman is some day written by Mr. Chamberlin. Incidentally also we are shown how, purely for purposes of
policy, Elizabeth made her secret service agents defame her abroad. It helped on her scheme of keeping her marriage with a Foreign Prince always pending. When suitors and their principals and families heard scandals of the kind disseminated
they felt they had better gain time and investigate and put off any decision. This suited Elizabeth exactly. Her alleged wantonness became a precious diplomatic asset. She was much too great a woman to worry over a little thing like an accusation of unchastity. Like the immortal Lady Suffolk, she was quite satisfied in knowing her own innocence. In both cases the political situation was the only thing that mattered. Yet Elizabeth, on one occasion, showed a touch of real pathos in alluding to the scandals.
" I am young, and he (Dudley.—F. C.) is young, and therefore we have been slandered. God knows, they do us grievous wrong, and the time will come when the world will know it also. My life is in the open, and I have so many witnesses that I cannot understand how so bad a judgment can have been formed of me. But what can we do ? We cannot cover everyone's mouth, but must content ourselves with doing our duty and trust in God, for the truth will at last be made manifest. He knows my heart, which is very different from What people think, as you will see some day."
The only person of repute cited as a witness on the side of scandal is Sir Walter Ralegh. Osborne in his Memoirs, written long after the death of Elizabeth, says he heard Sir Walter say that " Minions were not so happy as vulgar judgments thought them, being frequently commanded to uncomely and sometimes
unnatural employments." This conversation must have taken place forty years before it was recorded. Mr. Chamberlin's imputation of unveracity to Ralegh in order to protect the Queen appears to us quite unnecessary. We hazard the suggestion that Ralegh was thinking of another Sovereign when he apoke---tof James L, and not of the great Queen. Osborne, * Ts* Prisms Character of Queen .1110,theih. By Frederick Chamberlin, LL.B., MAI., F.B.11ist.8„ F.B..011 F.B.A.8 F.B.A. London: John lane.
Ws. net.) " "
who must have been very young at the time, misunderstood the reference of what he quaintly terms " a most modest expression." No doubt Ralogh did not care to bo explicit on such a subject.
Mr. Chamberlin's handling of the amazing letter on the scandals which Mary Queen of Soots is alleged to have written to Elizabeth is very skilful and, we think, sound. The internal evidence—especially the weak French—is all against it being genuine, and yet it is a very curious document for a forger to have concocted. Both as regards form and substance it is like what it professes itself to be, the scandalous outpourings of a malicious old woman. The author of the venomous gossip in question is supposed to be the Countess of Shrewsbury, " Building Bess," sometime the keeper of the Queen of Scots. It is no doubt a supreme piece of " cattishness " and so not unworthy of Mary. Still, there is a certain crudeness and vulgarity about it which are not consistent with the Queen's education and the quickness of her mental powers. She would have used a rapier, not this muddy bludgeon.
A final point is to be noted in regard to the medical evidence. Nothing, so far as we can see, is said as to the allegations of physical defects made by Ben Jonson in the well-known passage in his Conversations with Drummond of Ilawthornden. • Is this, we wonder, an accidental omission, or did Mr. Chamberlin feel the story was not of sufficient importance to notice Before we leave his book wo desire to congratulate Mr. Chamberlin once snore on his vindication, and for his deep and chivalrous sympathy with the great-hearted, capricious, sorely tried woman of genius he defends. And now for a specific suggestion. Mr. Chamberlin in his Preface tells us that be is writing a full biography of Queen Elizabeth. That is good news. But as a " side-show " like the present work why should ho not bring out a volume of the sayings of the Queen, " Dicta Magnae Regime." There arc plenty of them and they all have an extraordinary thrill in them. Take, for example, Elizabeth's comment on the Drama incident in tho Essex Plot. " / ear King Richard. Know ye not that." Again : " The Queen of Scots has a brave son and I am but a barren stock." If the supply should be too limited for a book, lot there be added the best things out of her letters and speeches and the most striking anecdotes of her actions. The book would be read wherever the English language is spoken.
Previous page
