1589. Henry IV. succeeded to the crown of France, and was opposed by the confederacy of the Catholic nobles, known as the League, as well as by the pope and Philip II. Elizabeth rendered him military and pecuniary aid. 1596. Cadiz captured by an armament under the earl of Essex and Lord Howard. 1598. Henry IV. granted toleration and protection to the Protestants by the =Edict of Nantes=. Death of Lord Burleigh, and of Philip II. of Spain. The English were defeated at BLACKWATER by the rebel earl of Tyrone (Aug. 14). 1599. The earl of Essex appointed lord-lieutenant of Ireland. In stead of resorting to active hostilities, he made a treaty with the earl of Tyrone. On returning home to justify his conduct, he was placed in custody, but was set at liberty the next year. 1600. =Establishment of the East India Company.= 1601. Essex plotted to seize the queen, and compel her to remove his enemies from power. He attempted to raise an insurrection in London, but failed, and was executed for high treason. Great complaints made in Parliament about monopolies. _Poor Law Act passed_: this act, with some modifications, remained in force till 1834. 1602. Submission of the earl of Tyrone. In the course of this reign several extremely severe laws were passed against the Catholics, and some very intolerant ones against the Protestant Nonconformists. COMMENCEMENT OF THE MARITIME GREATNESS OF ENGLAND. THE HOUSE OF STUART. JAMES I. =D.= James was the son of Mary, Queen of Scots, and of Lord Darnley. Mary was the granddaughter of Margaret, daughter of Henry VII. =B.= at Edinburgh, 1566. =M.= Anne, daughter of Frederick II., of Denmark. =Dd.= at Theobalds, in Hertfordshire, Mar. 27, 1625. =R.= 22 years (1603 to 1625). 1603. Two plots (the Bye and Main) formed against the king, but soon abandoned. Sir Walter Raleigh, charged with being one of the conspirators in the Main plot (the alleged object of which was to raise Lady Arabella Stuart, the king's cousin, to the throne), was convicted, and imprisoned in the Tower, where he remained for more than twelve years. 1604. The Puritans having petitioned for alterations in the ritual of the church, a conference was held between representatives of the Puritans, and of the conservative church party, before the king at Hampton Court, but very few concessions were granted to the petitioners. 1605. Discovery of a plot for blowing up the king and parliament with gunpowder. The principal conspirators were either killed in resisting their arrest, or executed. The executions took place early in 1606. 1607. James Town, in Virginia, founded;--the earliest permanent settlement of the English in North America. 1611. Commencement of British colonization of Ulster. Institution of the order of baronets. Publication of a new translation of the Bible (our present authorized version). 1612. Death of Robert Cecil (earl of Salisbury, and chief minister of the crown), and of Prince Henry, the king's eldest son.