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Document Based Question Elizabeth and Mary Queen of Scots

During the reign of Elizabeth I, 1558-1603, and Mary, Queen of Scots, 1542-1567, tensions

between England and Scotland entered a climactic point. Mary, Queen of Scots experienced a

tumultuous reign as queen. As soon as she was forced to abdicate the throne, Mary fled to

England. From 1567-1587, Mary, Queen of Scots was held as prisoner by Elizabeth I in

England. Religious difference heightened the political tension between Elizabeth and Mary.

Political discrepancy threatened the internal stability in England and Scotland. Furthermore,

Mary’s Catholicism threatened Elizabeth’s Protestant state.

Identify and analyze the reasons for Elizabeth’s harsh treatment and policy towards Mary,

Queen of Scots, during the period of 1560-1593.

Answer the question using the documents provided below:

Document A

Elizabeth’s letter to the Estates of Scotland pressing them to force Mary, Queen of Scots to ratify

the Treaty of Edinburgh (1560), which would withdraw both English and French troops out of

Scotland on the condition that Mary did not use English or Irish arms and signs in the Scottish

military or state.

We must plainly let you all understand that this manner of answer without fruit, cannot

long content us…We think it strange [Mary] has no better advice, and require you all the Estates

of the realm, to consider the matter deeply, and make answer whereto we may trust. If you

support her breach of solemn promise, we shall accept your answer, and doubt not by the grace

of God, you shall repent it. If you will have it kept, we promise you the like, and all shall go well

with your Queen, yourselves and posterities.

Document B

Mary’s claim to the English throne was only hopeful as long as her uncle, the Duke of Guise was

alive. With his demise, Mary’s claim to the throne withered away. The Spanish Ambassador had

great interest in the political stability of England at the time. The remarks of Bishop Quadra, the

Spanish Ambassador to England, in terms of Mary’s right to the English throne around 1563.

[Mary’s] chance in the matter [of the English succession] has been quite spoiled by the

death of the Duc de Guise.

Document C

An excerpt from a poem, “The Doubt of Future of Foes,” which was written by Elizabeth I

between 1568 and 1570—about ten years after ascending the throne.

The doubt of future foes exiles my present joy,

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And wit me warns to shun such snares as threaten mine annoy;

For falsehood now doth flow, and subjects' faith doth ebb,

Which should not be if reason ruled or wisdom weaved the web

Document D

The following painting depicts the 1569 Rising of the North, which was led by Catholic

aristocracy and plotted to overthrow Elizabeth I and put Mary, Queen of Scots on the throne.

Document E

A letter written to Mary, Queen of Scots from Elizabeth I on October 12, 1586 and read at the

opening of Mary’s trial in Fotheringhay.

You have in various ways and manners attempted to take my life and to bring my

kingdom to destruction by bloodshed. I have never proceeded so harshly against you, but have,

on the contrary, protected and maintained you like myself.

Document F

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A letter written by Mary, Queen of Scots to her former brother-in law, Henry III of France six

hours before her execution on February 8, 1587.

Royal brother, having by God's will, for my sins I think, thrown myself into the power of

the Queen my cousin, at whose hands I have suffered much for almost twenty years, I have

finally been condemned to death by her and her Estates…The Catholic faith and the assertion of

my God-given right to the English crown are the two issues on which I am condemned, and yet I

am not allowed to say that it is for the Catholic religion that I die, but for fear of interference

with theirs.

Document G

An account of Mary, Queen of Scots’ execution on February 8, 1587 as given by Robert

Wynkfield, a witness of her death. Elizabeth I signed her death warrant after many years of

hesitation and an amount of pressure from Parliament.

Then Mr. Dean [Dr. Fletcher, Dean of Peterborough] said with a loud voice, 'So perish all the

Queen's enemies', and afterwards the Earl of Kent came to the dead body, and standing over it,

with a loud voice said, 'Such end of all the Queen's and the Gospel's enemies.'

Document H

An excerpt from a piece of legislation entitled “An Act Against the Papists” proposed in

Parliament during Elizabeth I’s reign in 1593.

An act against popish recusants. For the better discovering and avoiding of all such

traitorous and most dangerous conspiracies and attempts as are daily devised and practised

against our most gracious sovereign lady, the queen's majesty, and the happy estate of this

commonweal by sundry wicked and seditious persons, who, terming themselves Catholics and

being indeed spies and intelligencers…and hiding their most detestable and devilish purposes

under a false pretext of religion and conscience, do secretly wander and shift from place to place

within this realm to corrupt and seduce her majesty's subjects and to stir them to sedition and

rebellion.

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Document I

The following is a family tree of the House of Tudor in England

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Document J

A painting by the Flemish Pieter van der Heyden, a product of the Northern Renaissance, which

portrays Elizabeth I as Diana and Pope Gregory XIII as Callisto. In Titian’s Diana and Callisto,

Diana is all-powerful and Callisto is fallen and weak.

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Document Summaries

Document A:

In this document, Elizabeth I asserts her authority over Mary, Queen of Scots and the

Scottish Parliament. In a threatening tone Elizabeth authoritatively demands that the Scottish

Parliament ratifies the Treaty of Edinburgh and in doing so, gives England leverage over Mary.

Document B:

Mary’s realistic claim to the English throne was only hopeful as long as her uncle, the

Duke of Guise was alive. With his demise, Mary’s claim to the throne withered away. Foreign

ambassadors, such as the Spanish Ambassador, had great interest in the political stability of

England at the time. Thus, this document reveals the Spanish interest in English politics as well

as the slow deterioration of Mary’s leverage over Elizabeth beginning in the 1560s.

Document C:

Elizabeth wrote this poem around the time of the Northern Rebellion, which attempted to

put Mary on the throne in place of Elizabeth. Although a piece of a poem, it does a very

interesting job of conveying the anxiety that Elizabeth must have felt during this period of time.

The excerpt of the poem reveals a feeling of vulnerability of instability that may have explained

her harsh reaction to Mary, as she was the subject of the various insurrections.

Document D:

This painting shows a renewed vigor in the Northern Rebellion for Catholicism. The

painting depicts the pope carried by militiamen. Various men, in armor, are kneeling as the pope

passes by showing their loyalty to Rome rather than Elizabeth as the head of the Church. In

addition, the document reveals the beckoning religious tension as men are gathered around two

main religious figures with military attire.

Document E:

This letter from Elizabeth reveals a defensive tone towards the trial of Mary. She readily

accuses Mary of causing political insurrection and instability in England. The short excerpt

reveals Elizabeth’s very apparent disdain for Mary. The most vital part of this document is

Elizabeth’s accusations against Mary: Elizabeth accuses Mary of attempting to murder and steal

her realm from her. This document does a very nice job of summing up the relationship between

the two queens.

Document F:

This document, written six hours before Mary’s execution, shows another side of the

conflict. Here, Mary attributes her execution to her “Catholic faith” and what she calls “[her]

God-given right to the English crown.” Both of these things elaborate on two of the main

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tensions that existed between Mary and Elizabeth. This document reveals that both Mary’s claim

to the throne as well as her strict adherence and endorsement of Catholicism were major factors

in Elizabeth’s uneasiness about Mary and Scotland.

Document G:

This account of Mary’s execution reveals the English government’s feeling toward Mary.

It shows that there was a prevalent belief that Mary, Queen of Scots was a volatile threat to

Elizabeth and her presiding government. Moreover, it reveals the religious tension and belief that

Catholicism was an enemy to Anglicanism as practiced as the official religion in England.

Document H:

This document, although after Mary’s execution, reveals a prevailing attitude toward

Catholicism, which contributed to the reason Mary was executed. The piece of legislation shows

that Catholicism was seen as a serious threat against the monarchy and the stability of England.

Thus, it fits in quite well with the religious tension that existed between Mary and Elizabeth

among their other issues.

Document I:

This pedigree of the Tudor House shows the lineage of both Elizabeth and Mary. In doing

so, it allows the viewer to recognize that both had a claim to the English throne. It also shows

that Elizabeth’s claim to the throne was far stronger than Mary’s based purely on hereditary

inheritance as Elizabeth’s father was the King of England while Mary was solely the

granddaughter of the Henry VIII’s sister.

Document J:

This painting reveals a foreign perspective of the relationship between the Catholic

Church and England. Portrayed by Pieter van der Heyden, Elizabeth is seen as triumphant over

the Pope and, thus, over Catholicism as a movement. This translates to her actions towards

Catholicism in Scotland and England. Furthermore, it helps explain the tense relationship

between herself and Mary, Queen of Scots.

Document Inferences and Connections

Document A:

Elizabeth strongly dislikes Mary, Queen of Scots

The English government exercises an amount of power over the Scottish

Parliament

Mary does not want to ratify the treaty because she does not agree to the terms or

she does not the armies of either to be expelled from Scotland quite yet

Elizabeth has a great deal of leverage over the Scottish Parliament in order to

back-up her threats

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Connection to Document J: Elizabeth seems exercise an amount of control over

certain areas of European politics

Connection to Document I: Elizabeth’s inheritance of the English throne seems

to entitle her to power over Scotland in addition to England

Document B:

Mary, Queen of Scots, at one point, had a legitimate claim to the English throne

The death of the Duke of Guise has greatly lessened the possibility of Mary being

a threat to Elizabeth

Connection to Document E: Mary’s claim to the English throne has obviously

threatened English in various ways as shown in this document

Connection to Document F: Mary sincerely believed that she had rightful claim

to the English crown and she was meant to be Queen of England

Document C

This poem, by Elizabeth I, reveals an wariness about trusting her subjects

It seems that she feels that her kingdom is suffering from internal difficulties as

she writes, “subjects’ faith doth ebb”

Connection to Document D: The poem was written right around the time of the

Northern Uprising as depicted in the painting in this document

o Thus, the political instability may be referring to the Northern, Catholic

uprising

Connection to Document E: Elizabeth I’s attack on Mary, Queen of Scots

reveals that Elizabeth is feeling quite defensive after having to deal with the

Northern Rebellion and accuses Mary of attempting, “to take [her] life.”

Document D

The Northern Rebellion was heavily influenced by the surrounding Catholic

sympathies (the papal authority in the background of the painting)

Those who participated in the Northern Rebellion find more allegiance to the

papal authority than to the monarch of England

Connection to Document H: Elizabeth I passed “An Act Against the Papists”

after the Northern Rebellion and other Catholic threats because of her fear of

another Catholic uprising

Connection to Document J: The painting metaphorically shows Elizabeth I

conquering Pope Gregory XIII, or the Catholic Church. This shows the eternal

battle between Elizabeth and the Catholics and her ultimate victory.

Document E:

Elizabeth I has had a history with Mary, Queen of Scots

Mary has, in some way, participated in plots to displace Elizabeth from the throne

Connection to Document D: Mary, Queen of Scots was suspected of being a part

of the Northern Rebellion, which was an attempt to put Mary on the throne as a

Catholic monarch

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Connection to Document G: Elizabeth I ultimately order Mary’s death after

years of fear of being displaced by the Scottish queen.

Document F:

Religious issues between Mary and Elizabeth were a major impetus for

Elizabeth’s actions against her cousin

Mary felt as if she was dying in the name of Catholicism and, perhaps, had the

complex of a martyr

Connection to Document G: This letter was written six hours before her

execution, which is described in Document G

Connection to Document C: The insecurity in her position, as expressed in

Elizabeth’s poem, seems to have pushed Elizabeth to sign the execution order,

after years of deliberation and hesitation.

Document G:

Mary, Queen of Scots seemed to be thought of as one of the most influential of

the “Queen’s enemies.”

Mary was seen as an enemy to not only Elizabeth, but also Protestantism (Anti-

Catholic sentiment)

Connection to Document D: The Northern Rebellion resulted in an increase in

Anti-Catholic sentiment and punishment for those challenging Elizabeth’s throne

Connection to Document H: The “Act Against the Papists,” represents another

move against what the Earl of Kent calls, “the Gospel’s enemies.”

Document H:

Anti-Catholic sentiment was socially and politically enforced in England

Mary’s Catholic support posed a large threat to Elizabeth’s Protestant government

Connection to Document F: Mary believed she was dying in the name of

Catholicism at the hands of the Protestants

Connection to Document J: The painting reinforces the conflict between the

Catholic Church and Elizabeth (Elizabeth is shown conquering the Pope)

Document I:

Elizabeth I had a more immediate claim to the throne than Mary, Queen of Scots

Nonetheless, Mary had a legitimate claim to the English throne, especially to her

Catholic supporters in England

Connection to Document B: Mary’s claim to the throne was dependent on the

Duke of Guise and was considered less legitimate after his death

Connection to Document F: Here, Mary asserts her claim to the throne six hours

before her execution in a letter to her brother-in-law: “my God-given right to the

English crown”

Document J:

Pope Gregory XIII was weaker than Elizabeth I

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England ultimately gained more influence than the Catholic Church during

Elizabeth’s reign

Connection to Document D: Even with Catholic attempts to overthrow

Elizabeth, the Protestant government remained

Connection to Document H: “An Act Against the Papists” asserts Elizabeth’s

victory over the Catholic Church

Document Points of View

Document B:

o The Spanish Ambassador may be expressing disappointment that England still has a

protestant monarch and exaggerating Mary’s actual chance of ascending the throne

Document C:

o What Elizabeth I perceived to be a danger or traitorous action may have been neutral or

otherwise. Her poetry may be an over-dramatization of the actually conditions in

England, which she makes out to be a volatile and traitorous atmosphere

Document E: o Mary was on trial at the time that Elizabeth read her this very accusatory statement.

Perhaps, Elizabeth felt like she had to overwhelmingly provide evidence against Mary in

order to solidify her own power.

o Elizabeth makes a point of saying, “I have never proceeded so harshly against you,” but I

doubt that she would accuse herself of being too harsh or unjust while occupying the

most powerful position in all of England

Document F: o This letter was written six hours before Mary’s execution, which would influence her

rhetoric and, perhaps, make her more likely to make risky statements

o Mary, as appears in this letter, believes that she is a martyr and depicts her situation has a

martyrdom rather than a political assassination

Document G:

o The Earl of Kent proclaims the death of Mary the, “end of all the Queen’s and the

Gospel’s enemies,” but as a supporter of the Queen, he is, more or less, required to say

something as flamboyant as this.

o The Earl is at the execution of an enemy of the Queen, it is quite possible that he would

say anything to stay on the Queen’s good side

o Thus, this may be an extreme hyperbole

Document J: o As a Flemish painter, van der Heyden may have favored Protestant monarchs more so

than the Catholic Church

o Pieter van der Heyden was a product of the Northern Renaissance, which unified

individual and Christian doctrine. He may have simply taken on a subject dealing with

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religion and made personal judgments about the relationship of the Catholic Church to

England

Grouping the Documents

Religious Tension: Catholics and Protestants

1. Document D

2. Document F

3. Document H

4. Document J

Mary’s Claim to the Throne

1. Document B

2. Document D

3. Document E

4. Document F

5. Document I

Internal Political Turmoil (England) 1. Document C

2. Document D

3. Document E

Anti-Catholic Sentiment 1. Document C

2. Document D

3. Document F

4. Document H

5. Document J

Elizabeth’s Personal Fear/Emotional Reaction 1. Document A

2. Document C

3. Document E

4. Document H

Questions of Sovereignty and Control 1. Document A

2. Document D

3. Document E

4. Document I

External Threats to the English Throne

1. Document A

2. Document B

3. Document I

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4. Document J

Parliamentary Pressures/Actions

1. Document G

2. Document H

Possible Theses Statements:

1. Elizabeth I’s ostensibly harsh treatment of Mary, Queen of Scots is derived from an

amalgamation of religious tension, internal political turmoil, and Elizabeth’s own

personal fears of losing the throne.

2. Mary, Queen of Scots was imprisoned and ultimately executed under Elizabeth’s reign.

There are a myriad of factors that contributed to the fate of Mary. Most notably, Anti-

Catholic sentiment, Mary’s threat to Elizabeth’s sovereignty, and parliamentary pressures

led to the final execution of Mary in 1587.

3. As soon as she was forced to abdicate the throne, Mary fled to England only to become

another prisoner. Elizabeth’s harsh treatment of Mary can be traced to three factors:

religious tension between the Catholics and Protestants, threats to Elizabeth’s claim to the

English throne, and external threats to Elizabeth’s power.

Sample Essay

Mary, Queen of Scots experienced a tumultuous reign as queen. As soon as she was

forced to abdicate the throne, Mary fled to England only to become another prisoner.

Elizabeth’s harsh treatment of Mary can be traced to three factors: religious tension between

the Catholics and Protestants, threats to Elizabeth’s claim to the English throne, and external

threats to Elizabeth’s power.

Only one generation before Elizabeth had England become an official Protestant country.

Elizabeth was not even Henry VIII’s first heir to throne—Mary Tudor and Edward VI had

each reigned very briefly before her (Document I). Edward had continued, if not accentuated,

the Protestant state that his father established, while Mary Tudor had harshly reinstituted

Catholicism and with it, punishment for heretical deviations.

When Elizabeth I ascended the throne, England had experienced religious tyranny.

Elizabeth reinstated the Protestant state, which polarized Catholics and Protestants. Mary,

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Queen of Scots, who had a claim to the English throne through her grandfather, James IV of

Scotland, was the epitome of a Catholic monarch (Document I). Catholics in northern

England were adverse to Elizabeth’s Protestantism and hoped to restore a Catholic monarch

to England. In 1569, a rebellion, the Rising of the North, occurred in hopes of putting Mary,

Queen of Scots on the throne (Document D). Although the rebels were suppressed, the

uprising inspired fear and anxiety in Elizabeth and her Protestant government. This uprising,

which challenged Elizabeth’s sovereignty, not only connected Mary with the rebellious

Catholics but also heightened the overall tension between the Catholics and Protestants in

England.

One of the major accusations against Mary was her part in Catholic plots against

Elizabeth. In 1586, during one of Mary’s trials, Elizabeth wrote to Mary, “You have in

various ways and manners attempted to take my life and to bring my kingdom to destruction

by bloodshed” (Document E). Although Elizabeth’s description of Mary’s involvement in

plots, such as the Rising of the North, may be accurate, they are very much reflections of

Elizabeth’s own fear and may have been slightly exaggerated. The anxiety expressed in

Elizabeth’s letter to Mary is paralleled by the subsequent anti-Catholic legislation that

occurred after the Rising of the North. “An Act Against the Papists” accused Catholics of,

“being…spies and intelligencers” (Document H). This tension between the Catholics and

Protestants, in a Protestant dominated state, pressured Elizabeth to take harsh action against

her cousin, who was the symbol of Catholicism for many English Catholics.

Even with religious contention, Elizabeth maintained the strongest claim to the throne.

The strength of Mary’s claim to the throne fluctuated: in 1563, after the death of her uncle,

the Spanish ambassador reported that, “[Mary’s] chance in the matter [of the English

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succession] has been quite spoiled by the death of the Duc de Guise” (Document B). The

ambassador may be disproportionately expressing Mary’s chances, or lack thereof, out of

sheer disappointment—Mary’s claim to the throne offered to put a Catholic monarch in

England and, thus, ally a Catholic Spain to England. With mitigated chances, the ambassador

may be exaggerating her original chances or her underestimating Mary’s chances after her

uncle’s death. Nonetheless, minorities always supported Mary’s claim to the English throne,

especially during her imprisonment in England. Minorities were enough to cause Elizabeth

anxiety about her sovereignty. Around the time of the Rising of the North, Elizabeth wrote a

poem, “The Doubt of Future Foes,” which reads, “For falsehood now doth flow, and

subjects’ faith doth ebb,/Which should not be…” (Document C). Threats to Elizabeth’s

throne seemed to be the greatest concern and Mary happened to be the impetus of these

threats. As aforementioned, in her 1586 letter to Mary, Elizabeth most notably says that Mary

had, “in various ways and manner attempted to take [her] life and to bring [her] kingdom to

destruction” (Document E). Ultimately, these pressures and threats from Mary’s followers,

led to Elizabeth signing Mary’s death warrant in 1587. At her execution, the Earl of Kent

emphatically says, with Mary’s death, that, “Such end[s]…all the Queen’s…enemies”

(Document G). The Earl of Kent was, obviously, an ally of the Queen and was expected to

say something as flamboyant as the death of Mary ended all the Queen’s woes, but his

statement does appropriately mirror the mindset of Parliament and Elizabeth. Mary’s

imprisonment and execution seemed to be the only way to bring peace to Elizabeth’s mind

over her throne.

With threats to the stability of her kingdom and monarchy, Elizabeth felt pressured by

any external force that threatened her sovereignty. After proposing the Treaty of Edinburgh

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in 1560, Elizabeth bypassed Mary and went straight to the Estates of Scotland in order to

pressure them to pass the Treaty of Edinburgh and thereby remove both English and French

troops (Document A). Although seemingly benign, Elizabeth’s letter represents a need for

control and power—a power that would overwhelm Mary and remove her as a threat. The

Estates of Scotland represented an external threat to Elizabeth unless she had power over

them and, thus, over Mary. In her letter, she asserts control: “If you support [Mary’s] breach

of solemn promise, we shall accept your answer, and doubt not by the grace of God, you

shall repent it” (Document A). Similarly, Elizabeth saw the Catholic Church and the Pope as

a threat. As portrayed in Pieter van der Heyden’s painting, Elizabeth is shown conquering

Pope Gregory XIII (Document J). With Mary in England, Elizabeth experienced threats to

her kingdom within the realm, but she also dealt with pressure from external forces.

Elizabeth practiced aggressive policy against any external threat, like that of the Catholic

Church, just as she harshly punished Mary and her autonomous followers. The culmination

of external pressure, perhaps, forced Elizabeth to take more extreme action against Mary.

Elizabeth I was notably harsh towards Mary, Queen of Scots. This behavior was not

simply a product of her personality. Indeed, she hesitated for years before finally signing

Mary’s death sentence. Instead, it was a complex amalgamation of the religious and political

tensions building up internally and externally. Perhaps, without these pressures on the

English government, Elizabeth may have been more lenient. Or, perhaps, without as much

anxiety, she would have simply signed the warrant without hesitation.

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Bibliography

Calendar of Letters and State Papers Relating to English Affairs, Preserved Principally in the

Archives of Simancas, Elizabeth. Ed. M. A. S. Hume et al. 1892-99.

English Parliament. “An Act Against the Papists.” Gunpowder Plot Society.

http://www.gunpowder-plot.org/archives/eliz5.htm

Mary, Queen of Scots. “Letter to Henry III of France”. Primary Sources.

http://englishhistory.net/tudor/maryqos-letter.html (accessed Jan 10, 2011).

“Queen Elizabeth I as Diana and Pope Gregory XIII as Callisto.” Painting. Bridgewater Titian.

http://www.nationalgalleries.org/collection/online_etour/4:328/6013/4

Queen Elizabeth I. “Letter to Mary, Queen of Scots”. Primary Sources.

http://englishhistory.net/tudor/scot-letters.html

Queen Elizabeth I. “The Doubt of Future Foes”. Elizabeth I: Poetry.

http://englishhistory.net/tudor/eliz1-writings.html

“Rising of the North.” Painting. Hulton Archive.

http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/77329456/Hulton-Archive

State Papers. Spanish, I, 315.

“Tudor Succession.” Life in Elizabethan England.

http://elizabethan.org/compendium/succession.html

Wynkfield, Robert. “The Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots.” Tudor History: Electronic Texts

and Documents. http://tudorhistory.org/primary/exmary.html