Mafter Secretary retired.

181

capital traitors cannot be affayled but in faftneffes and strengths, whereby the Queen's forces are daily wafted."

"Haft written ?-What a coil without!"

"Sooth, your honour!"

"Write, 'My Lord is now on a journey toward the Northern frontier, from which he will be returned to Dublin the 29th September; and then, for this winter only, place garrisons in the inner parts of the kingdom, fo as, in my opinion, he shall be revoked.' Now conclude."

"To whom address, Sir ?"

"Stay! add this: His Lordship, praise be to God! is yet in good health; and therefore, in the winter season, it were not well to hazard him in fo moist a country. Enough.""

"Mr. Secretary, the Lord Grey de Wilton is at door, craving an instant audience; 'll knock in presently!

"Say, I cannot attend his Lordship; I am now engaged."

"His Lordship will not fo be answered, Sir; he's peremptory; 's well nigh wrenched!”

"He must: I say I will not fee him.

Ho! there,

Master Hush! write, Ajax from the camp telleth how one thousand "".

"His Lordship, Sir Robert, is resolved you shall admit him. A fpake thro' the burst Grate! "

"Stay, Clerk, dispatch them to Sir Henry Neville at Paris: tie them, immediately. Now, my good Lord of Wilton, I am afhamed to keep your Lordship waiting. But the Queen's affairs "———

""Tis on the Queen's affairs I come, Sir Robert.” "They lie on me, my Lord, more

"Belike! Belike! But I have this that craves your care,

too!"

"From Ireland?"

"Marry!"

"Overthrown?"

"Ay! overthrown himself!"

"How? Routed? I have no advice."

"Nay! and for that I fpurred hotly this hot morning. You would mar my heat from London by your cold queftioning. In few, Effex is now here!"

"In England! Ay, marry, if Nonfuch be in England!"

"And I no note of his leaving Ireland!"

"His Lordship is even now in the Privy Chamber with

the Queen!"

"Could not this be helped?"

"Not now! Had you admitted me when I rapped the ring, he had been foreftalled. From the corridor I saw him pass to the prefence chamber, and anon one told me he was i' the very Bedchamber."

"I pray your Lordship give me leave. I muft to her Grace. I humbly pray your Lordship pardon my uncivil entertainment. I have many cares, and little time for bald unjointed chat, which makes me peevish and retired often from them I honour moft. Good, my Lord, I am eternally bounden to your Lordship in this matter. May I farther bind myself that your Lordship vouchsafe to keep this matter hushed?"

"No boot! no boot! 'Tis known, or will be known anon!"

"Your Lordship is o' the Council; I pray what cause did the Lord Deputy yield?"

66 Truly, I do not know. He is no chum of mine; nor would I speak with him, though one feemed to defire it of me."

"Good, my Lord!

Farewell, my honoured Lord!

What hoa! without there! who's in attendance? Hie, firrah, to Sir Walter Ralegh; commend me to his honour, and crave a foon conference."

Cecyl was, for once, aback. To him it appeared the

wildest thing imaginable my Lord's return in fecret. What caufe? None could he conceive. Had he caught Tyr Oen? was he overthrown? Why no notice? How

stood it?

Rapidly did he revise the whole course of recent policy. He re-read each letter Effex had written to himself, to the Lords of the Council, to the Queen-for even of these latter had he contrived to get copies taken. Again he perused the several instructions fent to Ireland; referring anon to the fecret correfpondence from Dublin, from the camp, nay, from the very household of the Earl. Still was he at a lofs to discover why Effex had taken this strange courfe. He had hardly time to shut up the latter papers in a chest, the secret spring of which was a marvel of mechanical ingenuity, when Sir Walter entered.

The frank bearing of this remarkable man, how would it at any time lull the fufpicion even of his avowed

enemies! "My good friend Ralegh," you fay incontinently yet he is no fuch thing the while. Common obfervers, who be no observers at all, are at once off their ward. His animated countenance affureth the stranger. Changes pafs acrofs his face exactly correfponding to the fentiment he will utter. Oh, his abundant gaiety of humour! Oh, his ready wit! And, the gravity which can support those wife faws with which he powders his converfation!

Cecyl was not his match in diffimulation, though well used to deal with him. Cecyl was afraid of him, cowering as beneath a fuperior mind: for in great thoughts Ralegh was great; Cecyl was altogether wanting. In petty things-in intrigues and plots, fimulations and cajollings --Sir Walter ftill had the better of Sir Robert. Either hated the other utterly, intenfely; but the adventurous discoverer despised the Secretary of State. Ralegh was not of the Privy Council; yet none knew better the Queen's fayings and opinions. To obtain an infight into them, and it may be, through the fame channel, to fuggeft his own views to the Royal closet, the Minister courted Sir Walter's favour. As a means to have his grants and