Лекции по "Истории Англии"

     Lecture 7

     James I – Queen Anne

     At the death of Elizabeth a postman got from London to Edinburgh in 60 hours to inform the heir to the throne James VI of Scotland, that his hour had come and now he’s King of England. When he made the journey south to London, James marvelled at the wealth of his new kingdom, so apparent in the homes and castles of his noblemen.

     In Scotland at that time life was much poorer than it was in England. With his coronation (1603) he became not James VI of Scotland, but James I of England and he was the first of the Stuart dynasty. He returned only once to his native Scotland. [What for? The land was very poor. There weren't many castles, so he decided to seme in England] As the son of Mary, Queen of Scots, and the murdered Lord Dunley, he was religiously suspect in the eyes of Protestants. Yet neither was he accepted by a large army of Catholics.

     In 1605 a determined group of Catholics led by Robert Catesby and Thomas Persy plotted to blow up the King and the members of the House of Lords during the opening of Parliament and it happened to be on the 5^th of Nevember, 1605.  In the silent beforehand a veteran of the Spanish army in Guedow Fawkes was suprisingly good with the weapon and he was preparing the use of exploiceles. Fortunately, he was seized after one of the plotters wrote a letter to a friend, a member of Parliament, telling that he shouldn’t attend formalities. The letter in its turn was seized and was handed straight to the authorities. So Guy Fawkes was hanged. Although the use of torchure was elerged under England’s justice system, Fawkes endured … until he named his conspirators. And not only he, but all of them were hanged, then drawn and quartered on the 31^st January 1606. but heir activities are still marked annualy in England with fireworks on the 5^th of November and it’s called Guy Fawkes Day. Children sing songs:

     Remember, remember,

     The 5^th of November

     Gunpower, treason and plot,

     I know no reason

     Why gunpower and treason

     Should ever be forgot.

And they have a figure of a scarecrow which they burn.

       The question mark over state religion continued. Puritans, who were main living were … lawers and they went to sea seeking for New World. Catholic took refuge in Spain and France where their religion was strictly observed. There were other ways in which James lost favour with his people.

     He was a homosexual who showered reward on his lover George Billas finally elevating him to the Duke of Buckingham. Ultimately Buckingham was killed in 1620 by an lieutenant John Felton, who claimed he was ......... all money and be passed for promotion. Reflecting the unpopularity of Buckingham in the country Felton wrote: "He is unworthy of the name of a gentleman or soldier in my opinion, afraid to sacrifice his life for the honour of God, his king and the country." But Felton was hanged on the 27th of November, 1620. These events are deficted in a very famous book “Three Musketeers” by Duma.

     James inspired a panic about witchcraft, which led to mass persecution. He was convinced in the power of the Arc Sain strongly believing that a storm which lashed the ship bringing himself and his 15-year-old bride, Queen Anne, from Denmark was witches’ work. Because of that two women were burnt, at the stake one while still alive after admitting as much as she could. In 1597 he had written Deimo(no)logy - all about witches to counter reguinal Scots skeptical book"Discovery of Witchcraft" in 1583. The superstitious king went on tо introduce harsh new laws against witches. Yet he was intelligent enough and scholar enough to study the legal cases brought against witches and he grew to realize that many trials were unjust and unsound.

     He ended one of the most dubious forms of condemnation, that is actually not believing to children under the age of 14, because at that time the courts were prepared to accept any slight offence by youngsters as evidence.

     There was a case with John Smith of Leicester. He said that an old woman cast him for nothing and she put spells on him. Nine women before that old lady had already been hanged on his evidence(it was a terrible time for women). And James I as King decided to interfere. As the King … the boy was dispatched to the care of Archbishop of Canterbury. Within weeks this boy broke down confessing that he had imagined all this stuff and that all the case about those women had been complicated. After that the worth of children will so much badly power, so the children were not allowed to Court as witnesses and their words were not taken as evidence till the age of 14 the children were not let to court.

     This act went virtually unnoticed. This same couldn't be said for the execution of Sir Walter Raleigh. As a court-favoured in the time of Elizabeth, Raleigh had enjoyed royal patronage, but he was suspected of plotting against James, who also loathes smoking, the habit which was introduced by Raleigh to the English society after one of his journeys to the New World. The king described smoking as “harmful to the eyes, hateful to the nose, harmful to the brain, dangerous to the lungs and in the black stinking fume they rose nearest resembling the horrible smoke of the pit that is bottomless”, so he was really against this habit.

     Generally well-played the sentiments made have been but Raleigh didn't deserve to die for importing tobacco. Raleigh had been condemned to death for treachery in 1603 but lived for 13 peaceful years in a very cosy cell in the Tower of London, from where he wrote his famous 'History of the World'. So the Tower of London at that time ws not only Royal prison, but it was quite a safe place for royal prisoners and other noble people to have some state peaceful years before death.

     Pergaps once again for a … adventure, but Raleigh convinced the king that he could find some gold in Guana. But, unfortunately his voyage wasn’t that successful and when he returned without money, without gold, having stirred up trouble by attacking a Spanish settlement, Raleigh was executed in old Palace Yard Westminster, in 1618. Better he would, probably, have lived in the Tower peacefully and died there.

     James's obsession with a union between England and Spain also severely dented his popularity. Spain, as you now understand, was a long-time enemy, but yet, he was determined his son Charles would marry the Enfanta - the Spanish princess. To secure the agreement James was even prepared to pay the way for a return to Catholicism. Parliament to that act was outraged. His dream fell араrt when Charles, accompanied by the Duke of Birmingham, visited Spain and behaved rudely towards his hosts. James, a man whose hands were constantly black, because he refused to wash them, was once branded by friends/prince Henry IV as the wisest fool in Christainland.

     By the time of his death, in 1625, he had foolishly sacrificed much of the Godwil(good will) won for the crown by Elizabeth I. As the king's eldest son, Henry, died of typhoid in 1612, it was his second son, Charles, who took the crown. Charles was a very great art-lover, who was a patron to Van Dyck and Rubence. He had built for his wife - Henrietta Maria of France, the fabulous Queen's House of Greenwich. But his artistic bent was lost on politicians who grew to loathe him. It was Canite succasion that caused the greatest row.

     In 1628 the House of Commons presented Charles with a Petition of rights, aimed at protecting people from royal taxes which didn't meet with the approval of Parliament. It also banned martial law and declared that no one could be arrested by the king's order without a name charge. Really furious at the challenge to his authority, Charles dissolved Parliament in 1629 and ruled without Parliament for 11 years. During this time he continued to raise money from taxes which was now, thanks to the Petition of rights, illegal. Charles was transed in a war of Scotland in 1639. The following year he was compelled to recall Parliament to secure more funds, as he was very much short of money. The Long Parliament as it was called later [because of it lasted 20 years] released Charles's enemies and imprisoned his advisers: Sir Thomas Wentworth, Earl of Strafford,  and Archbishop William Laud. Charles was forced tо sign the esomt needed to execute Strafford who died at Tower Hill in 1641.

     When he tried to avenge the death Charles met open anticipy to London. He left the capital and decided to go to Oxford effectively leaving the city to Parliament. Now the king and parliament were on a collision course. And the result was the Civil War. In essence the king's supporters were the majority of noblemen and the Catholics. Geographically the half land of the king's camp was in Wales, the south-west and the north. They were called Cavaliers, a name derived from the Spanish word "cav[b]aliero" used by their enemies to denote that they were p... Followers of Parliament were the crock head apprecingtons, the merchants and a few of the noblemen in London, the South-East and East Anglia, where support for the anti-royalty was the greatest. Crucially, the country's main ports were in the hands of Parliament.

     The first clash was in Warwickshire at Etchhue on October 23, 1642. That battle was indecisive but the Cavaliers had the best in the figthing in that and the following years. In September, 1643 the Roundheads attracted the vital support of the Scots. In return the Church of England was by law made Presbyterian. Oliver Cromwell rose too prominent in the ranks of the Roundheads. As a member of the Long Parliament he achieved brilliance and a military tactician and(as) propagandist. He despaired of the rambling strength of Parliament and its followers, and … the highly organized new model army which by his order, was composed of clan-living Puritans.

     When the king's forces were eventually defeated at Masty in Northumbria on 14^th June, 1645, the eventual outcome of the Civil War was certain: first of all the Roundhead outnumbered the King’s Army. But yet the fighting continued with Charles witnessing for himself a further out at Rountonhead in Chester. He finally surrendered himself to the Scottish army at Nirwerk in Nothingshire. For a flat ransom he was handed over to Parliament. There was discord among the Protestant victure. Centring on the degree to which the faith should now be followed. Charles made capital out of the grievances carrying out secret negotiations and hoping to win back the throne. For a while he was imprisoned by Oliver Cromwell on the Isle of Wight in Carosbrooke Castle to remove him from intrigue. But when fresh fighting irrupted in May 1648, Charles was roundly blamed and was put on trial for his life. The charge against him was that he was a tiran, a trator and the public enemy of the Commonwealth. [Cromwell actually introduced this term and he called England like that. it wasn't the Commonwealth as we understand it now].

     Charles refused to plead signifying that he didn't recognize the Court, which was making a trial over him. There were 78 commisioners (people who were in the court) at the hearing held in Westminster Hall, and many of these people were unwilling to fight against the King and to find him guilty. But it was thanks to the real enthusiasm of Cromwell that they were persuaded to make/return a guilty verdict. Charles lived long enough to see the result of the Long Parliament as it declared itself a republic at the start of 1649. So on the 13th of January, 1649 Charles marched from St. James's Palace to the s… sound of br… drums steadying himself on a gold cane. The line of the balcony of his palace at Whitehall featured an especially low block, a calculated insult to the King’s dignity. [He sat on what was much lower than the ground to show that he really insulted the country and Cromwell wanted, on the other hand, to insult the dignity of the king].

     Two executioners were present, both were wearing black clothes, they had heavily disguised themselves because they didn't want to suffer from the attacks by royalists. They wore masks, false beards and heavy coats to alter their shapes. But the history knows, one of them was Richard Brendon(Bradshaw-?)nicknamed young Gregory' and it was he who put the axe against King Charles. Some people say that his assistant was William Louvan(Laud). The king asked his executioners not to swing the axe until he gave a sign. The signal was to be the stretching of his arms. He began saying prayers for 13 minutes. Ten he spread his arms. The axe fell and Britain was without a monarch.

     Some people say that Brendon(Bradshow) paid for that deed. And he was paid by Oliver Cromwell £30 in half crowns, the king's cap and launge sprikled with clothes was given to him. Soon he fell ill and died suddenly. Many people believed that he died because of killing the king.

     Although hundreds of people attended the execution, the atmosphere was very mutinous and most felt that it was just the beginning of a national disaster and many feared Oliver Cromwell himself. The king's execution diminished support for Cromwell, because many people believed that a king is given to the counry by God and it should have a roya monarch. So Oliver Cromwell became unpopular through a ban on theatre and mayfairs and people were displeased because of that.

      His insistence on religious toleration for Protestants sacks incuritated the Presbyterians who considered themselves to have the only acceptable faith. Consequently, the Scots backed Prince of Wales who was an exile in Holland for a long time and on the 1^st of January, 1651,  had him crowned Charles II. However, a bead to install Charles on the English throne was smashed when Cronwell fought the Scots and Cavaliers at Worcester 1651. The adventures of Charles II thereafter became a legend. He is said to have hidden in an oak tree in the grounds of Boscable House in Shockshire while Commonwealth soldiers gossiped below looking for him. Then he was dressed as a woman and he finally arrived at Shockham in Sussex and he went to France by the name of "Sunrise”, a ministrel.

     History puts Cromwell in a bad light giving his vicious repression of the Catholics in Ireland, and the existence he inflicted on the English. While he was undoubtedly … by his bigergy against Catholics he was in fact highly principle and strongly motivated. Until his death in 1658 Cromwell continued to resell with the blackdemmas thrown up by … colleagues. He became so frustrated with his fellowers of his party, that he dissolved Parliament and made himself Lord Protector. His son Richard briefly held the title until he was thrown out by the army of generals in April 1659. Disputes continued until Parliament decided to restore Charles II to power.

     When Charles entered London in May, 1660, the streets were lined with his cheering supporters. First of all, Charles was a handsome, intelligent man who loved theatre, horse racing and, of course, women. Among his mistresses was Nell Gwin, an orange seller, turned into actress who caught the eye of the king. She was honest and truthful and she became a national English folk heroine. When her carriage was mistaken carrying another of the king's Catholic lover and it was robed by a ... she put her head out of the window and said "Don't hurt me, good people. I'm the Protestant whart". The dying words of Charles to his brother, James, were very severe and undoubtful: "Let not poor Mary stuck". But unfortunately, he didn’t keep to his word and she died.

     The atmosphere of paranoya between the two main religions during Charles's reign culminated in the so-called Popish plot. Protestant Titus Oates spread a rumour that Catholics were planning to kill king Gharles. Several Catholics were executed on his word, while a wave of anti-Catholicism swept over the country. In Parliament, the Wig -- a protestant political group pressed for an Exclution Bill which would bar James, the Catholic brother of the king, from taking the throne. Charles refused it and again dissolved Parliament. He decided to make an alliance with the king Louise XIV of France. And until his death in 1685 he ruled as a dictator without any Parliament.

     The reign of James II opened in 1685 with an invasion by the Duke of Monmarl, the illegitimate son of Charles II, and a popular Protestant. Monmarl's forces were crushed by the army of Somerset. It was the last battle to take place on the English soil. Afterwards James persued Catholic interests vigorously and elevated thorough belief to be the highest strength of government. The outlook got even bleaker for Protestants when his second wife - Mary of Modena gave birth to a son who would be raised a Catholic and would one day inherit the throne. James's enemies were convinced the child was an imposter who had been smuggled in the palace in a bad … to insure a Catholic succession.

     It was the last straw. A committee of seven eminent Protestants pleaded with William of Orange, the Dutch ruler. William was married to Mary, James II's daughter by Anne Hyde, and was himself the grandson of Charles I. A north wind brought William and his forces from Holland to Buckingham(Birckingham) in Devon in 1688. James soon realized his course was hopeless and and he fled to France not on the heels of his wife and son. There was no armed resistance to William and Mary, so-called the Glorious Revolution, because it was bloodless. However, an attempt by James and his supporters, the Jacobists, to win back the English crown was fought out on Irish soil and was decided in William's favour at the battle of the Bones in 1690. The harsh penalties imposed subsequently on the Irish Catholics, who fought for James and had cared Ireland to be very ...

     William escaped the city smog by having Kensington Palace built for him by Sir Christopher Wren. Wren also redesigned much of Hampton Court for William and Mary. William outlived his wife, but died in 1702 after a horse-riding accident in the grounds of Hampton Court when his horse stumbled in a mowhill and threw him out. Queen Anne, Mary's sister, was me successor. Parliament passed the Act of Settlement in 1701 to insure a Protestant would always take the throne. For her survival Queen Anne had to thank the soldiery skill of the Duke of Melborol. His power in the field insured the clutch of victories against the French king - Louis XIV, who was blacking James Stuart the old pretender for the English throne.

     Only after the treaty in 1713 Louis XIV withdraw his support for James ans recognized Queen Anne as a rightful ruler of England. Queen Anne was a very unfortunate woman: she wanted to have children, but she suffered ten miscourages and the doctor says that she was unable to provide a successor. And the crown would go to Germany to the Can(l)ibrian offspring of a granddaughter of James I.

     The colourless Queen Anne died in 1714, bringing to a close one of the most vivid eras of English History. And she didn’t leave much to remember after her. However, the foundations had been laid for a new age -  the future glory years of Industrial Revolution and Empire. As we can say, with Anne’s death Ancient History was at an end. Her centuries of prosperous nationhood and royal power were dawning. And the necrute ways of pre-history were about to spread its queens. And after that the History of Great Britain appeared.