England, Elizabeth aided the Protestant nobles, or “Lords of the Congregation,” in Scotland in their struggle with Mary of Guise, who sought to crush out Protestantism. Lord Grey with 8,000 men was sent to help the Scotch against a French force, which the Regent had brought over, and which was now besieged in Leith. While the siege was going on, Mary of Guise died, and the French promised to leave the kingdom. The Scotch Lords also agreed that Elizabeth should be recognized as the queen of England, but Mary, the Scotch queen, would not be bound by this agreement. Shortly after this her husband, Francis II. of France, died, and she returned to rule over her own kingdom. She was warmly welcomed by Protestants and Roman Catholics alike, and her youth, beauty, and winning ways made her a general favourite. Her most powerful subjects and her Parliament were the followers of John Calvin of Geneva, a great Protestant teacher, and Mary did not attempt to force her own religious opinions on her people.
4. England’s Prosperity.—Elizabeth’s enemies abroad, France and Spain, owing to their jealousy of each other, left her at peace until they could settle their own quarrels. In the meantime the nation prospered greatly. Elizabeth’s economy filled the public treasury, and the order and good government she gave the nation encouraged the people to make improvements in tilling the soil, and to engage in trade and commerce. Manufactures increased rapidly, and new industries were introduced through the many people that came to England to escape from the wars and religious persecutions in Flanders and France. Cloth-weaving was greatly improved by the Flemings, while later on, through the French, came a greater skill in silk manufactures. Raw gold and silver were brought from America, gold dust and ivory from Africa, and silks and cottons from the Hast. Increase of trade caused an increase in shipping, and Elizabeth encouraged her subjects to build ships for adventures in the far east, west, and north. Frobisher discovered the straits of Hudson’s Bay, Sir Humphrey Gilbert tried to colonize Newfoundland, Hawkins opened up a traffic in slaves with the coast of Africa, and Sir Francis Drake, a famous sea-captain, sailed round the world in a little vessel, bringing home a great treasure, which he obtained by plundering Spanish settlements in America. So great was the increase of wealth among all classes
