you in the mean time see that you lodge in the Court vvhich vvas then at White-Hall vvhere you may follovv your Book read and discourse of the Warres But to our purpose it fell out happily to those and as I may say to those times that the Queen during the calm of her raign vvas not idle not rockt a sleep vvith security for she had been very provident in the Reparation and Augmentation of her Shipping and Ammunition and I knovv not vvhether by a foresight of policy or an instinct it came about or vvhether it vvas an act of her compassion But it is most certain that she sent Levies and no small Troopes to the assistance of the revolted States of Holland before she had received any affront from the King of Spain that might deserve or tend to a breach in hostility vvhich the Papists to this day maintain vvas the provocation and cause of the after Warres but omitting vvhat might be said to this point those Netherland Warres vvere the Queens Seminaries and the Nurseries of very many brave Souldiers and so vvere likevvise the Civill Warres of France vvhither she sent five severall Armies the Fenceschooles that inured the youth and Gallantry of the Kingdome and it was a Militia wherein they were daily in acquaintance with the discipline of the Spaniardâ— who were then turned the Queens inveterate enemies And this have I taken into observation her Diâ—s Halciâ—nii those yeers of hers which were more serene and quiet then those that followed which though they were not lesse propitious as being touched more with the point of honour and victory yet were they troubled and ever clouded over both with domestiques and forraign macchinations and it is already quoted they were such as awakened her spirits and made her cast about how to defend rather by offending and by the way of diversion to prevent all invasions then to expect them which was a peice of policy of the times and with this I have noted the causes or principia of the Warres following and likewise pointed to the seed-plots from whence she took up those brave men and plants of honour which acted on the theatre of Mars and on whom she dispersed the rayes of her grace which were persons in their kindes of rare vertues and such as might out of height of merit pretend interest to her favour of which rank the number will equall if not exceed that of the Gown-men in recount of whom I proceed with Sir Philip Sydney Sir Philip Sydney HE was sonne to Sir Henry Sydney Lord Deputy of Ireland and President of Wales a person of great parts and in no mean grace with the Queen his Mother was Sister to my Lord of Leicester from whence we may conjecture how the Father stood up in the place of honour and imployment so that his descent was apparantly noble on both sides for his education it was such as travell and the university could afford or his Tutors infuse for after an incredible proficiency in all the species of learning he left the Academiall life for that of the Court whither he came by his Vncles invitation famed aforehand by a noble report of his accomplishments which together with the state of his person framed by a naturall propension to Armes he soon attracted the good opinion of all men and was so highly prized in the good opinion of the Queen that she thought the Court deficient without him and whereas through the fame of his deserts he was in the election for the Kingdome of Pole she refused to further his advancement not out of emulation but out of fear to loose the jewell of her times he married the Daughter and sole heir of Sir Francis Walsingham then Secretary of State a Lady destinated to the Bed of honour who after his deplorable death at Zutphen in the Netherlands where he was Governour of Vlâ—ishing and at the time of his Vncles being there was married to my Lord of Essex and since his death to my Lord of Saint Albons all persons of the sword and otherwise of great honour and vertue They have a very quaint and factious figment of him that Marâ— and Mercury fell at variance whose servant he should be and there is an Epigrammist that saith that Art and Nature had spent their excellencies in his fashioning and fearing they should not end what they begun they bestowed him on Fortune and nature stood musing and amased to behold her own work But these are the petulancies of Poets Certain it is he was a noble and matchlesse Gentleman and it may be justly said without hiperboles of fiction as it was of Coto 〈◊〉 that he seemed to be borne to that onely which he went about Versalitis ingenii as Plutarch hath it but to speak more of him were to make him lesse Sir Francis Walsingham SIR Francis Walsingham as we have said had the honour to be Sir Philip Sydneys Father in Law he was a Gentleman at first of a good house but of a better education and from the Vniversity travelled for the rest of his learning he was doubtlesse the best Lingâ—ist of the times but knew best how to use his own tongue whereby he came to be imployed in the cheifest affairs of State he was sent Ambassador into France and stayed there Leiger long in the heat of the Civill Warres and at the same time that Monsieur was here a Suitor to the Queen and if I be not mistaken he played the very same part there as since Gundamâ—re did heer at his return he was taken principall Secretary and was one of the great Engines of State and of the times high in the Queens favour and a watchfull servant over the safety of his Mistris They note him to have had certain curiosities and secret wayes of intelligence above the rest but I must confesse I am to seek Wherefore he suffered Parry to play so long on the hook before he hoysed him up and I have been a little curious in the search thereof though I have not to do with the Arcanâ— Imperii For to know is sometimes a burthen and I remember that it was Ovids câ—imen aut error that he saw too much But I hope these are Collateralls of no danger but that Parry having an intent to kill the Queen made the way of his accesse by betraying of others and impeaching of the Priests of his own correspondency and thereby had accesse and conference with the Queen and also oftentimes familiar and private conference with Walsingham will not be the quere of the Mystery for the Secretary might have had end of discovery on a further maturity of the Treason but that after the Queen knew Parryes intent why she should then admit him to private Discourse and Walsingham to suffer it considering the condition of all assaylngs and to permit him to go where and whether he listed and onely on the security of a dark sentinell set over him was a peece of reach and hazard
beyond my apprehension I must again professe that having read many of his Letters for they are commonly sent to my Lord of Leicester and Burleigh out of France containing many fine passages and secrets yet if I might have been beholding to his Cyphers whereof they are full they would have told pretty tales of the times but I must now close up and rank him amongst the Togati yet chief of those that layed the foundation of the French and Dutch Warres which was another peece of his finenesse and of the times with one observation more that he was one of the great allayes of the Austerian embracements for both himself and Stafford that preceded him might well have been compared to the fiend in the Gospel that sowed his tares in the night so did they their feeds of division in the dark and it is a likely report that they father on him at his return that the Queen said unto him with some sensibility of the Sâ—anish designes on France Madam I beseech you be content not to fear the Spaniard hath a great appetite and an excellent digestion but I have fitted him with a Bone for this twenty yeers that your Majesty shall have no cause to doubt him provided that if the fire chance to slack which I have kindled you will be ruled be me and now and then cast in some English fewell which will revive the flame Willoughby MY Lord Willoughby was one of the Queens first sword men he was of the ancient extract of the Bartâ—â—s but more ennobled by his Mother who was Dutches of Suffolk He was a great Master of the Art Military and was sent Generall into France and commanded the second of five Armies that the Queen sent thither in ayd of the French I have heard it spoken that had he not slighted the Court but applyed himself to the Queen he might have enjoyed a plentifull portion of her grace and it was his saying and it did him no good that he was none of the Râ—plitia intimating that he could not creep on the ground and that the Court was not his Element for indeed as he was a great Souldier so was he of a sutable magnanimity and could not brook the obsequiousnesse and aâ—â—iduity of the Court and as he then was somewhat descending from youth happily he had an animam reâ—crendi and to make a safe retreat Sir Nicholas Bacon I Come to another of the Togati Sir Nicholas Bacon an arch peice of Wit and Wisedome he was a Gentleman and a man of Law and of great knowledge therein whereby together with his other parts of learning and dexterity he was promoted to be Keeper of the great Seal and being of Kin to the Treasurer Burleigh had also the help of his hand to bring him into the Queens favour for he was abundantly factious which took much with the Queen when it was suited with the season as he was well able to judge of his times he had a very quaint saying and he used it often to good purpose that he loved the jest well but not the losse of his friend he would say and that though he knew it Vansquisque siâ—â— fortune â—ober was a true and good principle yet the most in number were those that marred themselves but I will never forgive that man that looseth himself to be rid of his jest He was Father to that refined wit which since hath acted a disasterous part on the publike stage and of late sate in his Fathers room as Lord Chancellor those that lived in his age and from whence I have taken this little modell of him gives him a lively Character and they decipher him for another Soloâ— and the Synon of those times such a one as Aedipus was in dissolving of riddles doubtlesse he was as able an instrument and it was his commendation that his-head was the Mawle for it was a great one and therein he kept the Wedge that entred the knotty peeces that came to the Table and now I must again fall back to smooth and plain away to the rest that is behinde but not from the purpose There were about these times two Rivals in the Queens favour old Sir Francis Knowles Controuller of the House and Sir Henry Norris whom she called up at a Parliament to sit with the Peers in the higher House as Lord Norris of Râ—cott who had married the Daughter and Heir of the old Lord Williams of Tain a Noble person and to whom in the Queens adversity she had been committed to safe custody and from him had received more then ordinary observances Now such was the goodnesse of the Queens nature that she neither forgot the good turns received from the Lord Williams neither was she unmindefull of this Lord Norris whose Father in her Fathers time and in the businesse of her mother dyed in a noble cause and in the jnstification of her innocency Lord Norris MY Lord Norris had by this Lady an ample issue which the Queen highly respected for he had six sonnes and all Martiall brave men the first was William his eldest and Father to the late Earl of Bark-shire Sir Iohn Vulgarly called Generall Norris Sir Edward Sir Thomas Sir Henry and Maximilian men of an haughty courage and of great experience in the conduct of Millitary affairs and to speak in the Character of their merit they were such persons of such renown and worth as future times must out of duty owe them the debt of an honourable memory Knowles SIR Francis Knowles was somewhat of the Queens affinity and had likewise no incompetent issue for he had also William his Eldest and since Earl of Banbury Sir Thomas Sir Robert and Sir Francis if I be not a little mistaken in their names and Marshalling and there was also the Lady Lettice a Sister of these who was first Countesse of Essex and after of Leicester and these were also brave men in their times and places but they were of the Court and Carpet not led by the genious of the Camp Between these two Families there was as it falleth out amongst great Ones and Competitors for favour no great correspondency and there were some Seeds either of emulation or distrust cast between them which had they not been disjoyned in the residence of of their persons as it was the Fortune of their employments the one side attending the Court the other the Pavillion Surely they would have broken out into some kinde of hostility or at least they would have wrastled one in the other like Trees incircled with joy for there was a time when both these Fraternities being met at Court there passed a challenge between them at certain exercises the Queen and the old men being Spectators which ended in a flat quarrell amongst them all and I am perswaded though I ought not to judge that there were some reliques of this fewd that were long after the causes of the one Families almost utter extirpation and of the others improsperity
for it was a known truth that so long as my Lord of Leicester lived who was the main Pillar of the one side as having married the Sister none of the other side took any deep rooting in the Court though otherwise they made their wayes to honour by their swords and that which is of more note considering my Lord of Leicesters use of men of Armes being shortly after sent Governour to the revolted States and no Souldier himself is that he made no more accompt of Sir Iohn Norris a Souldier then deservedly famoused and trained from a Page under the discipline of the great Captain of Christendome the â—dmirall Castillion and of command in the French and Dutch Warâ—es almost twenty yeers It is of further observation that my Lord of Essex after Leicesters decease though initated to Armes and honoured by the Generall in the Portugâ—ll expedition whether out of instigation as it hath been thought or out of ambition and jealousie to be ecclipsed and over shadowed by the fame and splendor of this great Commander loved him not in sincerity Moreover certain it is he not onely crusht and upon all occasions queld the growth of this brave man and his famous Brethren but therewith drew on his own fatall end by undertaking the Irish Action in a time when he left the Court empty of friends and full fraught with his profest enemies but I forbear to extend my self in any further relation upon this Subject as having left some notes of truth in these two noble Families which I would present and therewith toucht somewhat which I would not if the equity of the Narration would have admitted an inteâ—mission Sir Iohn Perrot SIR Iohn Perrot was a goodly Gentleman and of the sword and as he was of a very ancient descent as an heir to many abstracts of gentry especially from Guy de Bryan of Lawhern so was he of a vast estate and came not to the Court for want and to these adjuncts he had the endowments of courage and height of spirit had it lighted on the allay of temper and discretion the defect whereof with a native freedome and boldnesse of speech drew him on to a clouded setting and laid him open to the spleen and advantage of his enemies amongst whom Sir Christopher Hatton was profest He was yet a wise man and a brave Courtier but rough and participating more of active then sedentary motions as being in his constellation destinated for Armes There is a quere of some denotations how he came to receive his foyl and that in the Catastrophe for he was strengthned with honourable allyances and the privy friendships of the Court My Lord of Leicester and Burleigh both his contemporaries and familiars But that there might be as the Adage hath it falsity in friendship and we may rest satisfied that there is no dispute against fate They quote him for a person that loved too stand to much alone and on his own legs of too often recesses and discontinuance from the Queens presence a fault which is incompetible with the wayes of Court and favour He was sent Lord Deputy into Ireland as it was thought for a kinde of haughtinesse of spirit and repugnancy in Councels or as others have thought the fittest person then to bridle the insolency of the Irish and probable it is that both these considering the sway that he would have at the board and head in the Queens concurred and did a little conspire his remove and his ruine But into Ireland he went where he did the Queen very great and many services if the surplusage of the measure did not abate the value of the merit as after times found that to be no Paradox for to save the Queens purse which both her self and my Lord Treasurer Burleigh ever took for good services he imposed on the Irish the charge of bearing their own armes which both gave them the possession and taught them the use of weapons which proved in the end a most fatall work both in the profusion of bloud and treasure But at his return and on some accompt sent home before touching the state of the Kingdome the assiduous testimonies of her grace towards him till by his retreat to his Castle at Caâ—y where he was then building and out of desire to be in command at home as he had been abroad together with the hatred and practise of Hatton then in high favour whom not long before he had too bitterly tanted for his dancing he was accused of high Treason and for high words and a forged letter condemned though the Queen on the news of his condemnation swore by her wonted oath that they were all knaves and they deliver with assurance that on his return to the Tower after his Tryall he said in oaths and in fury to the Lieuteuant Sir Owen Hopâ—on what will the Queen suffer her Brother to be offered up as a Sacrifice to the envy of my frisking adversaries which being made known to the Queen and the warrant for his execution tendered and somewhat enforced she refused to signe it and swore he should not dye for he was an honest and a faithfull man and surely though not altogether to set up our rest and faith upon tradition and upon old reports as that Sir Thomas Perrot his Father was a Gentleman of the privy Chamber to Henry the eigth and in the Court married to a Lady of great honour of the Kings familiarity which are presumptions of some implication But if we go a little further and compare his Picture his qualities gesture and voyce with that of the Kings which memory retains yet amongst us they will plead strongly that he was a subreptious childe of the bloud Royall Certain it is that he lived not long in the Tower and that after his decease Sir Thomas Perrot his sonne then of no mean esteem with the Queen having before married my Lord of Essex Sister since Countesse of Northumberland had restitution of all his Lands though after his decease also which immediately followed the Crown resumed his estate and took advantage of the former attainder And to say the truth the Priests forged letter was at his arraignment thought but as a fiction of envy and was soone after exploded by the Priests own confession but that which most exasperated the Queen and gave advantage to his enemies was as Sir Walter Rawleigh takes into his observation words of disdain for the Queen by sharp and reprehensive Letters had nettled him and shortly after sending others of approbation commending his service and intimating an invasion from Spain which he no sooner perused but he said publiquely in the great Chamber at Dublin Lo now she is ready to pisse her self for fear of the Spaniard I am again one of her white Boys Words which are subject to a various construction and tended to some disreputation of his Soveraign and such as may serve for instruction to persons in place of honour and command to beware of
and dyed a constant Courtier of the Ladies Essex MY Lord of Essex as Sir Henry Wotton a Gentleman of great parts and partly of his times and retinue observes had his introduction by my Lord of Leicester who had married his mother a tye of affinity which besides a more urgent obligation might have invited his care to advance him his fortune being then and through his Fathers infelicity grown low but that the sonne of a Lord Ferrers of Charley Viscount Hartford and Earl of Essex who was of the ancient Nobility and formerly in the Queens good grace could not have a room in her favour without the assistance of Leicester was beyond the rule of her nature which as I have elsewhere taken into observation was ever inclineable to favour the nobility sure it is that he no sooner appeared in Court but he took with the Queen and Courtiers and I beleeve they all could not choose but look thorough the Sacrifice of the Father on his living sonne whose Image by the remembrance of former passages was a fresh like the bleeding of men murdered represented to the Court and offered up as a Subject of compassion to all the Kingdome There was in this young Lord together with a most goodly person a kinde of urbanity or innate curtesie which both wonne the Queen and too much took upon the people to gaze upon the new adopted sonne of her favour and as I go along it were not amisse to take into observation too notable quotations the first was a violent indulgency of the Queen which incident to old age where it encounters with a pleasing and sutable object towards this Lord all which argued a none perpetuity the second was a fault in the object of her grace my Lord himself who drew in too fast like a childe sucking on an over uberous Nurse and had there been a more decent decorum observed in both or either of those without doubt the unity of their affections had been more permanent and not so in and out as they were like an instrument ill tuned and lapsing to discord The greater errour of the two though unwillingly I am constrained to impose on my Lord of Essex or rather on his youth and none of the least of his blame on those that stood Sentinels about him who might have advised him better but that like men intoxicated with hopes they likewise had suckt in with the most and of their Lords receipt and so like Caesars would have all or none a rule quite contrary to nature and the most indulgent parents who though they may expresse more affection to one in the abundance of bequests yet cannot forget some Legacies just distributives and dividents to others of their begetting and how hatefull partiallity proves every dayes experience tells us out of which common consideration might have framed to their hands a maxime of more discretion for the conduct and management of their now graced Lord and Master But to omit that of infusion and to do right to truth my Lord of Essâ—x even of those that truly loved and honoured him was noted for too bold an ingrosser both of fame and favour and of this without offence to the living or treading on the sacred urne of the dead I shall present a truth and a passage yet in memory My Lord Mouâ—â—â—â—y who was another childe of her favour being newly come to Court and then but Sir Charles â—luns for my Lord William his Elder Brother was then living had the good fortune one day to runne very well a Tilt and the Queen therewith was so well pleased that she sent him in token of her favour a Queen at Chesse of gold richly ennameled which his servants had the next day fastned on his Arme with a Crymson ribband which my Lord of Essex as he passed through the Privy Chamber espying with his cloak cast under his Arme the better to commend it to the view enquired what it was and for what cause there fixed Sir Foulk Grevill told him that it was the Queens favour which the day before and after the Tilting she had sent him whereat my Lord of Essex in a kinde of emulation and as though he would have limited her favour said now I perceive every fool must have a favour This bitter and publikely affront came to Sir Charles Bluâ—ts eare who sent him a challenge which was accepted by my Lord and they met neer Marrybone Park where my Lord was hurt in the thigh and disarmed the Queen missing the men was very curious to learn the truth and when at last it was whispered out she swore by Gods death it was fit that some one or other should take him down and teach him better manners otherwise there would be no rule with him and here I note the innition of my Lords friendship with Mountâ—oy which the Queen her self did then conjure Now for fame we need not go farre for my Lord of Essex having borne a grudge to Generall Norris who had unwittingly offered to undertake the action of Britain with fewer men then my Lord had before demanded on his return with victory and a glorious report of his valour he was then thought the onely man for the Irish Warre wherein my Lord of Essex so wrought by despising the number and quality of Rebels that Norris was sent over with a scanted force joyned with the reliques of the veterane Troops of Britain of set purpose as it fell out â—o ruine Norris and the Lord Buâ—rows by my Lords procurement sent â—his heels and to command in chief and to confine Norris onely to his Government at Munser which brake the great heart of the Generall to see himself undervalued and undermined by my Lord and Burrows which was as the Proverb speaks it Imberbes docere senes My Lord Burrows in the beginning of his persecution dyed whereupon the Queen was fully bent to have sent over Mountioy which my Lord of Essex utterly disliked and opposed vvith many reasons and by arguments of contempt against Mountioy his then professed friend and familiar so predominant vvere his vvords to reap the honour of closing up that Warre and all other Novv the vvay being opened and plained by his ovvn Workmanship and so handled that none durst appear to stand for the place at last vvith much ado he obtained his ovvn ends and vvithall his fatall destruction leaving the Queen and the Court vvhere he stood firm and impregnable in her grace to men that long had sought and vvatcht their times to give him the trip and could never finde any opportunity but this of his absence and of his ovvn creation and these are the true observations of his Appetite and inclinations vvhich vvere not of any true proportion but carried and transported vvith an over desire and thiâ—stines after fame and that deceitfull fame of popularity and to help on his Catastrophe I observe likevvise tvvo sorts of people that had a hand in his fall the first vvas the