emean yourself, Elizabeth." The bishop,
it seems, had promised to exchange some part of the land
belonging to the see for a pretended equivalent; and did so,
but it was in consequence of the above letter. Annual
Register. 1761, p. 15.

But that in reality there was little of no avarice in the queen's
temper, appears from this circumstance, that she never amassed any
treasure; and even refused subsidies from the parliament when she had
no present occasion for them. Yet we must not conclude, from this
circumstance, that her economy proceeded from a tender concern for her
people; she loaded them with monopolies and exclusive patents, which are
much more oppressive than the most heavy taxes levied in an equal and
regular manner. The real source of her frugal conduct was derived from
her desire of independency, and her care to preserve her dignity, which
would have been endangered had she reduced herself to the necessity of
having frequent recourse to parliamentary supplies. In consequence of
this motive, the queen, though engaged in successful and necessary wars,
thought it more prudent to make a continual dilapidation of the royal
demesnes,[*] than demand the most moderate supplies from the commons. As
she lived unmarried, and had no posterity, she was content to serve her
present turn, though at the expense of her successors; who, by reason of
this policy, joined to other circumstances, found themselves on a sudden
reduced to the most extreme indigence.

The splendor of a court was during this age a great part of the public
charge; and as Elizabeth was a single woman, and expensive in no kind of
magnificence, except clothes, this circumstance enabled her to perform
great things by her narrow revenue. She is said to have paid four
millions of debt, left on the crown by her father, brother, and sister;
an incredible sum for that age.[**] The states at the time of her death
owed her about eight hundred thousand pounds; and, the king of France
four hundred and fifty thousand.[***]

* Rymer, tom. xvi. p. 141. D'Ewes, p. 151,457,525,629.
Bacon, vol. iv. p. 363.

** D'Ewes, p. 473. I think it impossible to reconcile this
account of the public debts with that given by Strype,
(Eccles. Mem. vol. ii. p. 344,) that in the year 1553 the
crown owed but three hundred thousand pounds. I own that
this last sum appears a great deal more likely. The whole
revenue of Queen Eli