During this short reign, the city was afflicted by the presence of those merciless persecutors, Bishop Hopton and Chancellor Dunnings, at whose instigation several martyrs to the reformed religion were burnt here in 1557 and 1558. Happily the career of this bigoted, blood-thirsty, priest-ridden queen, was cut short, and a new and brighter era dawned upon the nation. THE REIGN OF QUEEN ELIZABETH. This queen ascended the throne on Nov. 7th, 1558, and was proclaimed here on the 17th of the same month. She was a zealous promoter of the Reformation. The form of worship used in the churches was similar to that in the time of Edward VI.; but the protestants were almost as intolerant in this reign as the Romanists had been before, though they claimed the right of private judgment; and the principle of toleration was not recognised for centuries by any church, or sect, or party. In 1561, on the Guild day, the Duke of Norfolk, and the Earls of Northumberland and Huntingdon, with many other nobility and gentry, dined with the Mayor, William Mingay, Esq., in St. Andrew’s Hall, which could scarcely contain the company and their retinue. The entertainment is said to have been very magnificent, and the expense of the feast amounted to 32s. 9d. In 1565, the prosperity of the city, which had begun to decline, was again revived by the settling here of 330 Flemings and Walloons, who had fled from the Netherlands, from the rigid persecution under the sanguinary Duke of Alva. In 1570, by the fostering encouragement of Queen Elizabeth, the number of these foreign settlers had increased to 3925, and by the introduction of bombazine, and other manufactures, they contributed much to the wealth and prosperity of Norwich. During the long reign of Elizabeth, numerous conspiracies were formed for the re-establishment of Popery, and in 1570, John Throgmorton, Thomas Brooke, and G. Redman, were hanged and quartered here for having joined in these traitorous enterprises. In 1572, the Duke of Norfolk and several other noblemen were attainted and beheaded for similar offences, at London, York, and other places. The Duke not only espoused the cause of Mary, Queen of Scots, but even offered to marry that Roman Catholic Princess. In 1574, a rumour was spread of invasion by the so-called invincible Armada. Norwich, towards the general defence, exhibited on its muster roll 2120 able men, of whom 400 were armed; the total number enrolled in the whole county of Norfolk, being at the same time, 6120 able men, of whom 3630 were armed. Happily there was no occasion for their services, the Armada being destroyed by a storm at sea.