LUCY HARRINGTON, COUNTESS Of Bedford * FRANCES HOWARD, COUNTESS OF SOMERSET MARGARET ELIZABETH, COUNTESS OF ESSEX CHRISTIAN, COUNTESS OF DEVONSHIRE In the title of the Memoir of this lady, through a mistake of the Printer, she is styled Duchess instead of Countess of Somerset. MEMOIRS OF EMINENT ENGLISHWOMEN. ELIZABETH STUART, QUEEN OF BOHEMIA. AMONGST the many interesting female characters who are conspicuous in the reign of James the First, one of the most remarkable is his beautiful daughter, whose early life began so prosperously, and who was destined to experience so many reverses. Her father, indeed, may be considered the only member of the ill-starred house of Stuart who enjoyed any continued happiness, and the changes in whose life were for the better. As his sensibilities were far from delicate, those untoward events, which to another would have been fraught with sorrow and regret, made but little impression on his mind as self was his ruling passion, his own good fortune, in inheriting the most powerful throne in Europe, and all the advan tages which such a position gave, quite compensated for his mother's wrongs and misfortunes; and, like an upstart suddenly enriched with the spoils of a miser's hoard, which he could hardly hope to obtain, he gave way to a vulgar delight, and determined to enjoy "the goods the gods provided him," which he contrived to do to the end, leaving the remaining scenes of the Stuart tragedy to be played by other actors. When Elizabeth, the great Queen, had breathed her last, and her silence had conferred the inheritance of England on James, the exulting prince lost no time in hastening to clutch his new possessions; and, although his ungraceful appearance and ungentlemanlike manners disgusted all the subjects of his magnificent predecessor, there were not wanting those in his train whose grace and beauty made up for his defects. His Queen and her children excited that interest and admiration which James himself failed to create; and, above all, the lovely child, Elizabeth, was a fairy vision, calculated to win all eyes her way as she appeared to the gazing multitude, seated in her carriage, surrounded by her young attendants; and, though it was by some objected that the more noble mode of travelling on horseback adopted by the Virgin Queen was disused by the new sovereign and his family, it was impossible to withhold from the youthful princess her due meed of praise, more particularly when it was understood that she was, |