A Child's History of England.166

On the very day when Felton was brought to his trial, the poor Duke of Norfolk was released. It would have been well for him if he had kept away from the Tower evermore [for ever], and from the snares [圈套] that had taken him there. But, even while he was in that dismal place he corresponded with Mary, and as soon as he was out of it, he began to plot again. Being discovered in correspondence with the Pope, with a view to a rising in England which should force Elizabeth to consent to his marriage with Mary and to repeal the laws against the Catholics, he was re-committed [使收监] to the Tower and brought to trial. He was found guilty by the unanimous verdict of the Lords who tried him, and was sentenced to the block [被砍头时放头的木块].

It is very difficult to make out [想出来], at this distance of time, and between opposite accounts [陈述], whether Elizabeth really was a humane [仁慈的] woman, or desired to appear so, or was fearful of shedding the blood of people of great name who were popular in the country. Twice she commanded and countermanded [撤回] the execution of this Duke, and it did not take place until five months after his trial. The scaffold was erected on Tower Hill, and there he died like a brave man. He refused to have his eyes bandaged, saying that he was not at all afraid of death; and he admitted the justice of his sentence, and was much regretted by the people.

commanded and countermanded: 命令与反命令。Counter- is used to form words which refer to actions or activities that are intended to prevent other actions or activities or that respond to them.

Although Mary had shrunk at the most important time from disproving [证明有错] her guilt, she was very careful never to do anything that would admit it. All such proposals as were made to her by Elizabeth for her release, required that admission in some form or other, and therefore came to nothing. Moreover, both women being artful and treacherous, and neither ever trusting the other, it was not likely that they could ever make an agreement. So, the Parliament, aggravated by what the Pope had done, made new and strong laws against the spreading of the Catholic religion in England, and declared it treason in any one to say that the Queen and her successors were not the lawful sovereigns of England. It would have done more than this, but for [without] Elizabeth's moderation [节制].

Since the Reformation, there had come to be three great sects [教派] of religious people - or people who called themselves so - in England; that is to say, those who belonged to the Reformed Church, those who belonged to the Unreformed Church, and those who were called the Puritans, because they said that they wanted to have everything very pure and plain in all the Church service. These last were for the most part an uncomfortable people, who thought it highly meritorious [值得称赞的] to dress in a hideous manner, talk through their noses, and oppose all harmless enjoyments. But they were powerful too, and very much in earnest, and they were one and all the determined enemies of the Queen of Scots. The Protestant feeling in England was further strengthened by the tremendous cruelties to which Protestants were exposed in France and in the Netherlands. Scores [very many] of thousands of them were put to death in those countries with every cruelty that can be imagined, and at last, in the autumn of the year one thousand five hundred and seventy-two, one of the greatest barbarities ever committed in the world took place at Paris.

Puritan: member of the party of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who wanted simpler forms of church ceremony 清教徒.

六级/考研单词: correspond, plot, consent, guilt, unanimous, verdict, humane, desire, shed, execute, erect, bandage, regret, shrink, thereby, parliament, aggravate, catholic, successor, sovereign, moderate, reform, secular, potent, earnest, farther, tremendous, exposition, autumn, commit, ceremony