THE FELICITIES OP QUEEN ELIZABETH. 46 I 



that hath lived to an extreme and impotent old age, 

 but he hath suffered some detriment in his territo 

 ries, and gone less in his reputation. Of which 

 thing there is a most eminent example in Philip the 

 Second, King of Spain, a most puissant prince, and 

 an excellent governor, who in the last years of his 

 life, and impotent old age was sensible of this 

 whereof we speak ; and therefore with great circum 

 spection submitted himself to nature s law, volun 

 tarily surrendered the territories he had gotten in 

 France, established a firm peace in that kingdom, 

 attempted the like in other places, that so he might 

 transmit his kingdoms peaceable and entire to his 

 next heir. Contrariwise, Queen Elizabeth s fortune 

 was so constant and deeply rooted, that no disaster 

 in any of her dominions accompanied her indeed 

 declining, but still able years : nay further, for an 

 undeniable token of her felicity, she died not before 

 the rebellion in Ireland was fortunately decided, and 

 quashed by a battle there, lest otherwise it might 

 have defalcated from the total sum of her glory. Now 

 the condition also of the people over whom she 

 reigned, I take to be a matter worthy our observa 

 tion ; for if her lot had fallen amongst the desolate 

 Palmyrenes, or in Asia, a soft and effeminate race of 

 men, a woman-prince might have been sufficient for 

 a womanish people ; but for the English, a nation 

 stout and warlike, to be ruled by the check of a 

 woman, and to yield so humble obedience to her, is 

 a thing deserving the highest admiration. 



Neither was this disposition of her people (hungry 



