4 IXTRODUCTOKY. 



lessons in finance which the Dutch were giving, for the mari- 

 time enterprise of her people did not during her reign rise 

 much above piracy, though the feats of Drake augured well 

 for the national defence by sea. 



The harvests of 1587 and 1588 had been abundant, and the 

 lish people was plentifully provided with the means of life. 

 The storms which, coming earlier in the year, have been, 

 periodically, the invariable cause of dearth in England, were 

 in 1 588 deferred till the harvest was housed. Then the stars 

 in their courses fought against Medina Sidonia, and no doubt 

 many a divine, when the peril was past, drew his parallel for 

 Philip and Parma from Jabin and Sisera. The study of the 

 Old Testament was very invigorating during the century which 

 lies between the accession of Elizabeth and the death of 

 Cromwell. 



Towards the latter end of her reign, clouded as it was by a 

 number of unfruitful harvests, on which I shall comment in 

 due course, Elizabeth made great efforts to improve her 

 finances, by granting charters to companies, and by conferring 

 monopolies of trade on individuals. Both were supposed to 

 be prerogatives of the Crown. The former were welcomed, 

 but proved as yet premature ; the latter gave great offence. 

 It is well known that when her Parliament objected to the 

 monopolies, the queen withdrew them. She lost in the sur- 

 render of customs more by the companies than she gained. 



The life of the great queen ended gloomily. The Irish 

 difficulty came to the front, and her most attached servants 

 quarrelled. Essex tried to change the administration by force, 

 failed, lost his life, and won many English hearts, because he 

 was persecuted by those in his reverses, whom he had benefited 

 lavishly in his prosperity. The ingratitude of Raleigh and 

 Bacon and Wootton was remembered against them long after- 

 wards. The popularity of Essex descended to his son, and 

 mischievously so, in the great quarrel which was more than a 

 generation distant. The queen too must have known that 

 Cecil, whom she had preferred above his rivals, was intriguing 



