25. The Golden Days of Good Queen Bess 25. Die goldenen Tage der guten Königin Bess 25. Los días dorados de la buena reina Bess 25. Les jours d'or de la bonne reine Bess 25. I giorni d'oro della buona regina Bess 25.グッド・クイーン・ベスの黄金時代 25. Gerosios karalienės Bess auksinės dienos 25. Złote dni dobrej królowej Bess 25. Os dias dourados da boa rainha Bess 25. Золотые дни доброй королевы Бесс 25. İyi Kraliçe Bess'in Altın Günleri 25. Золоті дні доброї королеви Бесс 25. 好贝丝女王的黄金岁月

"Upon this land a thousand, thousand blessings, Which time shall bring to ripeness." "Su questa terra mille, mille benedizioni, che il tempo porterà a maturazione". "На этой земле тысяча, тысяча благословений, Которые время принесет". —SHAKSPERE

And what shall we say of this great queen, Elizabeth, in whose reign England first rose to be a world-power? E cosa diremo di questa grande regina, Elisabetta, sotto il cui regno l'Inghilterra divenne per la prima volta una potenza mondiale?

At the age of twenty-five she had mounted the throne, at a moment when the fortunes of the country were low and the mighty empire of Spain was growing ever more and more mighty. All'età di venticinque anni era salita al trono, in un momento in cui le sorti del Paese erano basse e il potente impero di Spagna cresceva sempre di più. At the age of seventy she died, leaving her country united and prosperous, with the power of Spain broken.

"Though you have had and may have many princes more mighty and wise sitting in this seat," were her last words to the people, "yet you never had any one that will be more careful and loving." "Anche se avete avuto e avrete molti principi più potenti e più saggi seduti su questo seggio", furono le sue ultime parole al popolo, "tuttavia non ne avete mai avuto uno più attento e più amorevole". This was true. She had many faults, but she cared for England, and Englishmen rallied round her. With scanty means at her command, she succeeded in guiding England safely through the dangers which threatened her on every side. Con i pochi mezzi a sua disposizione, riuscì a guidare l'Inghilterra in modo sicuro attraverso i pericoli che la minacciavano da ogni parte. Freed from the power of Spain, the country began to realise her position with regard to the sea power of Europe. Liberato dal potere della Spagna, il Paese cominciò a rendersi conto della sua posizione rispetto alla potenza marittima dell'Europa. Men awoke to a sense of the great possibilities before their country, and they all worked to make her greater. But it was Elizabeth herself who made it all possible, she who "gave to each his opportunity." Thus she had Drake for her great sea-captain, Raleigh for her courtier and colonist, Spenser for her poet, and Shakspere for her dramatist. Così ebbe Drake come grande capitano di mare, Raleigh come cortigiano e colonizzatore, Spenser come poeta e Shakspere come drammaturgo. Zo had ze Drake als haar grote zeekapitein, Raleigh als haar hoveling en kolonist, Spenser als haar dichter en Shakspere als haar toneelschrijver. She herself had been brought up amid the new culture of her father’s Court. She could shoot and ride, she could dance and play, she was a good Greek scholar and spoke two foreign tongues.

Fourteen years old when her father died, she had seen her little ten-year-old brother, Edward VI., ascend the throne. On his death, six years, later, she had ridden by the side of her sister Mary when she was proclaimed Queen of England. Alla sua morte, sei anni dopo, aveva cavalcato al fianco della sorella Maria quando questa fu proclamata regina d'Inghilterra. После его смерти, шесть лет спустя, она ехала рядом со своей сестрой Марией, когда та была провозглашена королевой Англии. Mary’s marriage with Philip of Spain had brought the country to the verge of war, and it was perhaps well for England that her death, five years later, set Elizabeth upon the throne. Il matrimonio di Maria con Filippo di Spagna aveva portato il Paese sull'orlo della guerra e forse fu un bene per l'Inghilterra che la sua morte, cinque anni dopo, facesse salire al trono Elisabetta.

The whole country, now at peace, broke out into wonderful new life. L'intero Paese, ormai in pace, scoppiò in una nuova e meravigliosa vita. Into the Old World was poured the wealth of the New World. Spain could no longer keep secret the riches of America. English eyes were strained across the seas, English hands were eagerly grasping the treasure that had belonged to Spain and Portugal for years. Gli occhi inglesi erano tesi oltre i mari, le mani inglesi afferravano avidamente il tesoro che da anni apparteneva alla Spagna e al Portogallo. For the first time since Vasco da Gama had sailed round the Cape to India, and Columbus had discovered America, Englishmen dashed aside the curtain drawn by Spain and Portugal across their conquests in the East and West. Per la prima volta da quando Vasco da Gama aveva doppiato il Capo per raggiungere l'India, e Colombo aveva scoperto l'America, gli inglesi avevano squarciato la cortina tracciata da Spagna e Portogallo sulle loro conquiste in Oriente e in Occidente.

Contact with the New World brought commerce, commerce brought money, money brought luxury. Personal comforts increased. I comfort personali sono aumentati. Carpets replaced the dirty flooring of rushes used up to this time, pillows came into general use, wooden plates were replaced by metal or silver, glass windows adorned the new houses and manors which sprang up all over the country. I tappeti sostituirono la sporca pavimentazione di giunchi usata fino a quel momento, i cuscini entrarono nell'uso comune, i piatti di legno furono sostituiti da quelli di metallo o d'argento, le finestre di vetro adornarono le nuove case e i manieri che sorsero in tutto il paese.

With new luxuries and comforts came a love of beauty and display. The queen herself boasted of having 3000 dresses in her wardrobe. Her courtiers vied with one another in the splendour of ruffs and velvet coats. I suoi cortigiani si sfidavano a colpi di gorgiere e cappotti di velluto. The old ideas of thrift melted before the fortunes made by adventurers sailing to the East or West. Le vecchie idee di parsimonia si sono dissolte di fronte alle fortune degli avventurieri che navigavano verso l'Oriente o l'Occidente. Visions of ships laden with pearls, diamonds, and gold dazzled the humblest sailor, while dreams of an El Dorado where everything was made of gold tempted the most indolent beyond the seas. Visioni di navi cariche di perle, diamanti e oro abbagliavano il marinaio più umile, mentre i sogni di un El Dorado dove tutto era fatto d'oro tentavano il più indolente dei mari. Visioenen van schepen beladen met parels, diamanten en goud verblindden de nederigste zeeman, terwijl dromen van een eldorado waar alles van goud was gemaakt, de meest luie buiten de zeeën verleidden.

This love of travel quickened men’s minds. L'amore per il viaggio accelerava le menti degli uomini. England was ready for her great awakening. Poets burst forth into song, writers into prose. The full glory arose with Spenser and his "Fairy Queen." For two hundred years no great poem had broken the silence of English song. It expressed the Elizabethan age as no other poem had done. It did for poetry what William Shakspere did for the drama, representing

"The very age and body of the time, Its form and pressure." So all these men—adventurers, explorers, poets, dramatists, philosophers, and statesmen—helped to make Elizabeth’s England great, splendid, triumphant; fit to take her place in the world’s history, and to play the great part for which she was destined.

With the queen’s death in 1603 the golden days ended for a time. But she had fulfilled the prophecy of Shakspere at her birth. Ma alla sua nascita si era avverata la profezia di Shakspere. She had showered upon the land

"A thousand, thousand blessings, Which time shall bring to ripeness." Good had grown with her, man had sung the "merry songs of peace to all his neighbours." Peace, plenty, love, truth, strength—these were her servants. And Shakspere was but voicing the feelings of the queen when he speaks of—

"This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England, This land of such dear souls, this dear dear land, England, bound in with the triumphant sea." "Questa trama benedetta, questa terra, questo regno, questa Inghilterra, questa terra di anime così care, questa cara terra, l'Inghilterra, legata al mare trionfante".