Princess Elizabeth, a slender, athletic, extremely
             intelligent young woman, recieved an ideal Rennaissance
             education in Latin, Greek and modern languages, in history
             and Scripture. As Henry VIII's second eldest child, shunted
             back to third in line for the throne by the complex politics
             of the period, she also had a very practical education in
             political intrigue - and the fine art of political survival.
             She came in 1558 to the royal throne shaken by a decade of
             misgovernment, religious fanaticism, and economic problems.
             She proceeded to give England 45 years of strong government,
             moderate religious policies, and unexplained prosperity.
             Elizabeth was a prudent ruler. She avoided costly
             wars, however, supported the war with Ireland. "The
             creation of this English colony (Ireland) led to the
             expansion of markets for English goods and the growth in
             imports of desirable commodities." Elizabeth sought for
             religious compromise rather than religious crusades, worked
             through her appointed ministers, and dealt firmly with an
             increasingly vocal Parliament. She was well served by
             lifelong royal counselors such as Lord Treasurer Burghley
             and veteran warriors such as Francis Drake. She was less
             well supported by dashing younger cavaliers such as the
             "Queen Elizabeth supported colonization ventures only
             if they did not detract from what she believed was the
             primary purpose of her government: to defend the nation and
             its territory and to consolidate royal authority within the
             realm. She was much more concerned with with preventing
             invasions of Scotland and Ireland and protecting the
             English Channel against the Armada, the Spanish Fleet that
             threatened English ships on the high seas.
             But her government's hesitance ebbed after the English
             gained access to the seas with their seemingly miraculous
             victory over the Spanish in 1...