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THE interesting History of Ferdinand and Isabella has been too well received to need any laudatory comments of ours; and it is not without reluctance that we feel compelled to express our dissent from the author of a work so invaluable. In doing this however

we object only to that small portion of the history where a parallel is drawn between the characters of Elizabeth of England and Isabella of Spain, two of the most illustrious sovereigns that ever graced a throne.

The English queen had, from the beginning of her reign, to contend with nearly the whole of Christendom; whilst the religious belief of the Catholic queen not only accorded with that of her subjects, but with the religious creed of all the potentates of Europe, with the Roman pontiff at their head. Now, although we

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are not insensible to the great and amiable qualities of Isabella, we feel compelled to avow a decided preference to the English queen for her superior intellectual endowments. Few monarchs so nobly contended with and overcame so many adverse combinations. From the earliest period she was assailed by the Catholic, whose power in her own dominions nearly equalled that of the Protestant, party. The pope had issued a bull declaring Elizabeth to be illegitimate; and of course all were licensed to seize, and put her to death, or consign her to perpetual imprisonment, as might suit the views of the party opposed. The queen of Scotland was declared to be the lawful heir of the English crown, and was supported by a powerful confederacy, who openly avowed their intention to dethrone the heretical queen, and place her accomplished rival on the throne. Nor were bigoted enthusiasts wanting to carry their plots into execution; witness the desperate and daring assassinations, to which recourse was so frequently had, to rid the party of the eminent defenders of the protestant faith.

This assuredly may palliate in some degree the duplicity practised by Elizabeth to obtain possession of a rival, who, so long as she retained power, had never ceased to exert it, to accomplish the destruction of the English queen. The events, which followed the captivity of Mary, were but acts in the same drama, all tending to the consummation of the plot; for although Elizabeth had possessed herself of the person of Mary, it did not put an end to the conspiracies hitherto employed for the subversion of her kingdom, and the sen tence which doomed Mary to die appeared the only al

ternative allowed by the law of self-defence. The same law may, we apprehend, plead in justification of Mary, who had, when in captivity, no other way of freeing herself from the power of Elizabeth, although no excuse of this kind could be urged in defence of the previous hostile measures which had kept Elizabeth in perpetual peril and anxiety. It should be remembered that, during much of this period, the royal competitor of Elizabeth was the acknowledged queen of Scotland, and the consort of the heir apparent of France. Nevertheless the talents of Elizabeth enabled her to triumph over her insidious foes, who threatened to overwhelm the whole protestant party, and again subject them to the oppressive yoke of catholicism.

The glorious spirit, which actuated the English queen, has been diffused and transmitted through successive generations, and has been the source from whence the British nation have derived their true greatness. In later days, impelled by the same spirit, they have broken in pieces the gigantic power of a bold usurper, who had subjected to arbitrary sway a great portion of continental Europe, and was preparing to extend his iron sceptre over distant lands. But their last great act, in breaking the fetters of their African subjects and restoring them to the rights of humanity, attests a nobleness of soul which entitles the British nation to take precedence of all others.

But to return to our subject. Elizabeth, like Isabella, was by her vigilance, magnanimity, and economy, prepared to meet and overcome all the difficulties and dangers to which she was exposed, and both alike. guarded with tenacity their rights and prerogatives;

yet how much more arduous was the task Elizabeth was called to sustain ! Isabella was married at an early age to the husband of her choice, on whom she relied with confidence for support and assistance, and was moreover aided by the Cortez, a most influential legislative body, in all her plans of reform: Whilst Elizabeth spoke and acted from her own convictions and responsibility, and in so doing has become obnoxious to remarks on her masculine qualities; yet, if energy in the administration of government and a determination to repress abuses be deemed exclusively masculine, Isabella must come in for her share. Nevertheless, the beauty of the latter, with her bland and engaging temper, and the sensibilities which were called into action by all the endearing ties of domestic life, have created a strong and decided preference for this most interesting queen. Yet it may with confidence be asserted in justice to Elizabeth, that, had she departed this life when at the age of Isabella, she would have been as deeply lamented, not only by her subjects, but by the whole protestant party, who relied on her as the protector and great bulwark of their faith.

The English queen had no kind mother to foster and expand the best affections of the heart; no husband to support and countenance her enactments; and the current of self-love was not diverted from its course by powerful, enduring, maternal affection; moreover those, who were bound by the ties of consanguinity, were her most deadly foes. That Elizabeth was harsh may have resulted from the unkindness to which she had been subjected in her early days, when she

had been compelled to practise duplicity, to screen herself from the jealousy of the bigoted Mary. These perverse circumstances, over which Elizabeth could have no control, may have formed those unpleasing features of her mind, which have tarnished and obscured the lustre of its higher and nobler feelings. The faults and fellies of Elizabeth have received but little indulgence, although incident to humanity, and her fondness for dress has exposed her to many sarcastic remarks; yet it may be presumed she was aware of the influence produced by pomp and show, and of course may have deemed it expedient to appear often in splendid attire, with a view to silence and dazzle those who were inclined to question the validity of her title to the crown. Nevertheless we are not disposed to question the taste of Elizabeth for showy habiliments, which it must be allowed has an imposing effect; neither was the more amiable Isabella, as we have seen, insensible to the influence produced by splendid pageantry on festive occasions. The foolish vanity, attributed to Elizabeth in reference to Mary, we are inclined to believe was excited, not so much on the score of beauty, as from an impression that a sensibility to superior personal qualifications forms a strong bias in favour of the one most highly gifted.

We should not however be willing to deprive Isabella of one particle of the fame so justly her due. Nothing is more truly honorable to the character of this admired queen than her patronage of Columbus. The knowledge, which enabled her to perceive and duly appreciate the probable results of the theory adopted by Columbus, forms a marked distinction be