'8o The HISTORY of the PURITANS. Chap. III. S2; Mary, had loft their hearts; the government at home being fo unacceptable, that I 5 they were not much concerned to fupport it, for they began to think heaven itfelf was againft it. vid. Ref. Indeed there were ftrange and unufual commotions in the heavens. vo1. II. :Great mifchief was done in many places by thunder and lightening; by p. 366. deluges ; by exceffive rains ; and by ftormy winds. There was a con- tagious diftemper like the plague, that fwept away great numbers of people, fo that in many places there were not priefls to bury the dead, nor men enough to reap the harveft. Many bithops died, which made way for proteftant ones, in the next reign. The parliament was dif- .fatisfied with king Philip's demands of men and money, for the recovery of Calais ; and the queen herfelf grew melancholy, upon the lofs of that place, and the other misfortunes of the year. She had been declining in health ever fince her pretended mifcarriage, which was vaftly encreafed by the abfence of her hufband, her defpair of iffue, and the crois acci- dents attending her government. Her fpirits being now decayed, and a dropfy coming violently upon her, put an end to her unhappy life and reign, Nov. 57, 1558. in the 43d year of her age, and 6th of her reign; cardinal Pool archbifhopof Canterbury dying the fame day. g. Mary's Queen Mary was a princefs of fevere principles, confiant at her prayers, death and and very little given to diverfions. She did not mind any branchof go- çharaEter. vernment fo much as the church, being entirely at the difpofal of her clergy, and forward to give a fan&ion to all their cruelties. She had deep refentments of her own ill ufage, in her father's and brother's reigns, which eafily induced her to take revenge, though (he coloured it over with a zeal againft herefy. She was perfeftly blind ih matters of religion, her confcience being abfolutely directed by the pope and her confeffor, who encouraged her in all the barbarities exercifed ,againft the proteflants, affuring her, that the was doing God and his church good fervice. There is but one inflance of apardon of any condemned for herefy, during her whole reign. Her natural temper was melancholy; and her infirmities together with the misfortunes of her government, made her fo peevifh, that her death was lamented by none but her popifh "clergy. Her reign was in every refpeét calamitous to the nation, and ought to be tranfmitted .down to pofterity in charaéiers of blood. C H A P.
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