The Cecil Family (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III WILLIAM CECIL, LORD BURGHLEY (continued) Mary died on November 17th, 1558, and when the Lords of the Council arrived at Hatfield to announce Elizabeth's accession, they found that Cecil had forestalled them. He had already drawn up a memorandum of all the immediate measures to be adopted for the security of the young Queen and for carrying on the business of the country. Moreover Elizabeth and he together had decided upon the new ministers, Cecil himself being appointed Secretary of State. It was on this occasion that the Queen addressed to him the often-quoted words: ? " I give you this charge, that you shall be of my Privy Council, and content yourself to take pains for me and my realm. This judgment I have of you, that you will not be corrupted with any manner of gift; and that you will be faithful to the State; and that, without respect of my private will, you will give me that counsel that you think best; and if you shall know anything necessary to be declared to me of secrecy, you shall show it to myself only; and assure yourself I will not fail to keep taciturnity therein. And therefore herewith I charge you." ' He justified her confidence by forty years of loyal and honourable service. 1 Harington, Nuga Antiqua. ed. 1679, II. 311. One of the first things that claimed his attention was the state of the Church, and the religious settlement of 1559 was largely due to his moderation and statesmanship. He had to steer his course between the Romanists on the one hand and the Puritans on the other, and the best proof of the wisdom of his policy lies in the fact that each party complained that he favoured the other. His difficulties were increased by the fact that Elizabeth was, at least at the beginning of her reign, personally attracted to many o...