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of Lochleven. Escaping thence, she took the field against the Regent Murray, who defeated her at Langside. She then fled to England, and was imprisoned by Elizabeth.

154. Duke of Norfolk's Conspiracies, 1569-1572.-These were plots to liberate the imprisoned Queen of Scots, who was willing to marry Norfolk. The second attempt proved fatal to that nobleman, who was executed for treason in 1572.

155. Babington's Conspiracy, 1586.—Another plot to assassinate Elizabeth and release Mary.

156. Trial and Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots, 1587. -In these and other conspiracies the captive Queen of Scots had been more or less directly implicated. She was now brought to trial for participation in Babington's conspiracy. Being convicted, her death-warrant was at last signed by Elizabeth, and she was beheaded at Fotheringay Castle, on February 8, 1587.

157. Destruction of the 'Invincible Armada,' 1588.—In 1586 Elizabeth had sent an army, under the Earl of Leicester, to assist the revolted Netherlands against Philip of Spain. The expedition miscarried, through the incapacity of its leader; but it is memorable by the death of his nephew, the accomplished Sir Philip Sydney, from a wound received at the Battle of Zutphen. Irritated at Elizabeth's opposition, and piqued besides by her rejection of himself (he had been one of her numerous suitors), Philip equipped his 'Invincible Armada' and invaded England. His vast fleet was dispersed and defeated by Lord Howard of Effingham, assisted by Admirals Drake, Hawkins, and Frobisher. The English lost one ship; the Spaniards many, and others were miserably wrecked.

158. Taking of Cadiz, 1596.-The town was taken and plundered by the English, under Lord Howard of Effingham and the Earl of Essex.

159. Tyrone's Rebellion in Ireland, 1598.-This was a rebellion led by Hugh O'Neale, Earl of Tyrone, who was aided by Spain. The Earl of Essex, who was sent to suppress it, failed. Tyrone finally surrendered to Essex's successor, Lord Mountjoy, in 1602.

160. Essex's Rebellion, 1601.-Essex had fallen into disgrace for his failure to suppress the Irish Rebellion. Finding that he did not regain the Queen's favour, he grew desperate, and attempted to raise the citizens to revolt. For this act, he was tried and executed.

CHAPTER VII.

THE HOUSE OF STUART.

1603-1714.

161. JAMES I., 1603-1625.-Son of Mary, Queen of Scots, and Lord Darnley; married Anne of Denmark in 1590. He was the first king of the ill-fated house of Stuart, and the sixth monarch of his name in Scotland. Most of his immediate predecessors died sudden or violent deaths: James I. was assassinated; James II. was killed by an accident; James III. was murdered; James IV. fell at Flodden; James V. sank broken-hearted after his defeat at Solway Moss; his father, Darnley, was blown up in the Kirk of Field; and Mary, his mother, was executed. Nor were he and his descendants less unfortunate. On more than one occasion he was in imminent danger of his life-once from the fierce Earl of Ruthven; again from the plot to place Arabella Stuart on the throne; and again from the Gunpowder Plot. His son, Charles I., was beheaded; Charles II. passed a great part of his life a wanderer; James II. died in exile; and the rest of his descendants remained in banishment until the extinction of his house.

James I. was a foolish pedant, vain, timorous, tyrannical, and plundered by unworthy favourites. By his panegyrists, he was styled a Solomon; but the opinion of sincerer speakers may be expressed in the words of the Duke of Sully, who called him 'the wisest fool in Christendom.' In appearance and manners he was awkward and undignified, yet he had an extravagant idea of his royal prerogative. The Norman and Saxon lines were for the first time combined in his person.

162. Conspiracy to place Lady Arabella Stuart on the Throne, 1603.-Sometimes also called the Main Plot. It was set on foot by Sir Walter Raleigh, Lord Cobham, and Lord Grey, and was connived at by Spain. Arabella Stuart was the cousin of James I., and the great-granddaughter of Margaret Tudor, Henry VIII.'s sister. From Margaret's first husband, James IV. of Scotland, ames I. of England was directly descended. Arabella Stuart's preasions were based upon the fact that she was the daughter of

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*These numbers are continued from the table on p. 34.

(48) William III.

Darnley's brother, who was descended from Margaret's second husband, Archibald Douglas, Earl of Angus.' Grey and Cobham were pardoned after laying their heads on the block. Raleigh was reprieved, but was executed thirteen years afterwards upon this same charge, in consequence of the Spanish dissatisfaction with his expedition to Guiana.

163. Hampton Court Conference, 1604.-Was an attempt to settle the differences between the Church and the Puritans. Little was done; but the Conference led to the preparation of the present Authorised Version of the Bible, which was published in 1611.

164. Gunpowder Plot (Nov. 5), 1605.—Provoked by the restrictions placed upon their religious worship, and by the renewed severity with which their priests were proscribed and persecuted, the Papists entered into a desperate plot to blow up the king and the two Houses of Parliament by gunpowder. One of the conspirators wrote privately to Lord Monteagle begging him to remain away from Parliament; and the apprehension of Guy Fawkes in the vaults below the House of Lords, where he had completed his preparations, supplied the key to this warning. Fawkes was executed, with most of his accomplices.

165. Virginia Colonised, 1607.-The founding of the settlement of James Town, in Virginia, marks the commencement of our English colonies.

166. CHARLES I., 1625-1649.-Second son of James I. and Anne of Denmark, Henry, the eldest, having died in 1612; married in 1625 to Henrietta Maria of France. He was accomplished, brave, and kingly, but deplorably insincere. England at his accession was swarming with religious sects of every kind, animated with political and religious zeal against the attempted encroachments of an already falling dynasty.

167. The Expeditions to Rochelle, 1627-8-8.-These were three fruitless expeditions, undertaken by the Duke of Buckingham, to relieve the Huguenots, who were besieged in Rochelle by Cardinal

The following table will explain the grounds of the Main Plot :James IV. m. MARGARET TUDOR m. Archibald Douglas (1st husband)

James V.

Mary, Q. of Scots, m. Lord Darnley

JAMES VI. of Scotland

and I. of England

(2nd husband)

Margaret Douglas

Charles Stuart,
D. of Lenox

ARABELLA STUART

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