THE REAL ELIZABETH.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 20019, 7 August 1920, Page 10

THE REAL ELIZABETH.

A SCANDALISED QUEEN.

Every historical writer who has touched upon the character of Elizabeth lias told of the scandals with which: (ho great Queen has been maligned. Repetition has given to them far too much credit. That she was wilful, perverse, too “ fond”—in the old senso of forward—with those whom sho was content the world should accept as her is allowed. Was there immorality!’ That is a plain issue to which Dr Frederick Chamberlain, the American historian, has devoted years of patient investigation. The results he gave in his second lecture at the Royal Institution in May. The charges collected together number twenty-six. Seven are derived from prosecutions instituted in the Queen's reign for scandalising Elizabeth, and proved to be mere idle gossip. Lingard, the Catholic writer, is responsible for half a dozen others. He declared there were letters at Simancas which proved Elizabeth’s immorality with Leicester. There were no such letters at Simancas. said Dr Chamberlain. As to charges with respect to Anjou, ‘ the French correspondence showed that Catherine de Medici and the King of France themselves did not believe them. De Pereira, Elizabeth’s bitter enemy, could only report to bis master that "it. is even said” Elizabeth visited Leicester in his chamber day and night. A more detailed statement was that of Mr Walter Rye, an antiquary, that there was in Shrewsbury evidence of an illegitimate son of Elizabeth and Leicester haying been educated there, to be found in a parish book, the entry being in the hand of a former vicar of the town. In fact, there was 110 such entry, no such parish 'book existed, and there bad never been such a tradition at Shrewsbury. Of move importance Dr Chamberlain regarded a letter purporting to bo from Mary Queen of Scots to Elizabeth, retailing a number of accusations made by tho Countess of Shrewsbury. If tbo letter was authentic, and it had been read by Elizabeth, it would open iui unbridgeable gulf between tho two Queens, and would go far to explain Elizabeth’s later implacability towards Mary. The letter charged that a, certain man had been many times in the Queen’s chamber at night, and that tho iMpnch Prince cl'Aleucon hncl soon at her chamber door, where she met him insufficiently clothed, and that she later allowed him to enter and remain there for three hours in her chamber. The handwriting was like that of Mary Stuart, but it differed in certain respects from all tho other 736 letters of hers that he had examined. Ifc was the only, letter without formal address and close, and contained a good deal of very bad or obscure French, Mary being a writer of elegant and polished French'! He gravely doubted its authenticity. In any case, the document twice repeated that tlie writer did, not believe the charges. Burgh ley, who knew everything; had placed flatly on record that Elizabeth was guiltless. In a letter to one of the diplomatic agents abroad ho had declared, with reference to the Queen and Leicester, " there is nothing more in their relations than that which is consistent with virtue and is most foreign to the baser sort of love,” He writes to another, one of his dearest friends, "in truth, she is blameless, and hath no spot of evil intent.” De Silva, long the Spanish Ambassador in London, reported to his Sovereign that (hero was "certainly nothing wrong,” An entirely new piece of evidence was olfcred in fac-simile from the report of the Ambassador of King Eric of Sweden. who bad offered Elizabeth his hand. ‘‘l saw,” wrote the Ambassador, "no signs of an immodest life, but 1 did see many signs of chastitr’ of virginity and of true modesty’; so that I would stake my life itself that she is most chaste.” Unhappily ■Elizabeth had herself deliberately circulated reports in foreign countries against her own character to promote her policy for the moment.

Dr Chamberlain visualised Elisabeth as the most remarkable monarch -who ever sat on the Throne of England, and one of the greatest of Sovereigns. Three centuries of slander and libel had assailed her character. He closed effectively with Elizabeth's own words, given as a message to her people from across the ages: “1 am young and Leicester is young, an dfherefore we have been slandered. God hnows they do ns grievous wrong, and Iho time will e«m/whe7i the world will .know it also. My lif ( . i s in Hie open MV cannot mo-. - body’.-- month, bnf must emit-mt (|M „_ selves with doing mm duty, and Inis* in God. for Ihe (r nlh will at las' made nmnife-f TV knows niv heart c . as yon will ail some day.’'