THE FELICITIES OF QUEEN ELIZABETH. 475 



fear of Spain, which had been the spur to this rigour, 

 had fairly breathed out, or was well abated ; yet 

 considering the memory of times past had made so 

 deep impression in men s hearts and cogitations, and 

 that it would have seemed either inconstancy to 

 repeal those former laws, or sloth to neglect them, 

 the very constitution of things did suggest to the 

 queen, that it was not safe to reduce them unto that 

 state wherein they had continued until the three and 

 twentieth year of her reign. Hereunto may be 

 added the industry of some persons in improving the 

 revenues of the Exchequer, and the zeal of some other 

 ministers of justice, which did never think their 

 country safe, unless the laws were rigorously exe 

 cuted ; all which did importune and press the 

 execution of the laws. Notwithstanding, the queen, 

 for a manifest token of her royal nature, did so dull 

 the edge of the laws, that but a very few priests, in 

 respect of their number, did suffer death. Now all 

 this which I have said is not by way of defence, for 

 the matter needs it not ; for neither could this king 

 dom have been safe without it, neither were the 

 proceedings any way comparable or of kin to those 

 bloody and unchristianly massacres in the Catholic 

 countries, which proceeded merely from rancour and 

 pride, and not from any necessity of state : how 

 soever, I hope I have made my first assertion good, 

 that she was moderate in the point of religion, and 

 that the change which happened was not in her 

 nature, but upon the necessity of the times. 



Now for the constancy of Queen Elizabeth in 

 VOL. 3, F F 



