And now the Earl was just a whit better, to say better— no more. Yet was he fo far recovered as on some days to fit up and eat at board. Therefore the Queen hardened her heart against him. It is ftrange, when you have injured a man, how you learn to hate him-how one wrong, no fooner than born, begets another (like the small beasts in foul water incontinently multiplying). Elizabeth, irritate that her lieges prefume to question her treatment of my Lord; yet, in truth, having had all poffible questions answered-seeing, too, that the amount of misconduct reaches fo fhort, that no punishment was mean enough to meet it, resolveth now (in her high prerogative) to make a Star-Chamber matter of it; for she knew, upon her life's experience, how much in that Court can be made of nothing.

So, when this conceit was put out of her Grace's head, the Secretary not being willing to expose himself to their Lordships, her Highness, in a petty fpite, refuseth little Hereford access to his father, confining Lady Rich to her house; for that she and my Lady Leicester, and the Earl of Southampton, from a high window overtopping York House, faluted Effex.

My Lord, his ailment in the entrails being now staunched, waxeth, as they fay, crazy; as in truth the Phyficians had prognofticated. He fpake foolishly, his body fervant faid; and, being at his wits end, he would fain write unto the Queen in fulfome style of yore: to wit, in Euphues' vein. 'Twas a Cacoethes fcribendi' he was now troubled with; and it will go hard but his moral fhall receive a greater wrench from this humour, than ever his bowels had from the Irish fickness.

Now was he fent home to Effex-house, his mother, the Earl and Countess of Southampton, Mr. Greville, Mr. (A.) Bacon being removed therefrom, yet ftill under charge, Sir D. Drury (who had care of the Scots' Queen, you may remember), and Sir R. Barklay; none to come and speak with him but with her Majesty's leave. 'Twas not much change of air;' yet, presently, he gat more cheerful, playing occasionally at Tennis, right hand against left hand, with fome odds; and then a walk on the leads or in the garden, for exercise.

Yet was this little respite, but a lull in the storm. If her Majesty may not make a Star-Chamber matter of it, how fhall fhe be juftified before the world for keeping the

Earl fo long in durance? Her Grace fayeth not now, "A fig for the opinion of people!" And the longer she restraineth Effex, the more neceffitous feems her cafe. "Tis often easier to go on than to tread your way back, especially if the road be through dirty paths-you have hope of a turn, or a dry spot presently, perhaps. And, when you have knowingly persevered in an injury, oh! who shall stay you till you have worked out that deftruction you have aimed at ? If you have a vindictive temper, thank God that you be not an abfolute Sovereign, as was the fair Tudor, who had the power to carry out her wicked will.

Now, by Master Francis his advice, fecretly given to the Queen (yet under a modest parce mihi, precor'), he being bounden to my Lord. By Master Francis his advice, a Commiffion of eighteen hath been formed, to try the Earl upon all these matters over again. You fhall not be farther vexed, but you should know what Master Francis did. He being junior Counsel, having truly nothing to the purpose in his brief, volunteers these two impertinent charges: "First, that two years agone (being angered by the box on his ear), my Lord wrote to the Lord Keeper, 'There is

no tempeft to the paffionate indignation of a prince,' as if, quoth he, her Majesty was devoid of reafon, and carried away by paffion; and, fecondly, 'Her Majesty's heart is obdurate,' by which," faid he, "the Earl compared her Grace to Pharaoh, which was very odious." He touched too very unneceffarily on Hayward's book about the putting down of K. Richard; and made himself, as fome faid, rather remarkable for officious zeal and an ungrateful heart, than for honesty or prudence. "Ever since the Queen changed the courfe of proceeding against me," said my Lord, with much paffion and forcible expreffion, "I refolved to give up all attempt to justify myself, and to acknowledge, with grief and contrition, whatever faults or errors, negligence or rashness, it pleafed her Majefty to impute to me;" but, being charged with fome disloyalty, "I fhall do God great wrong," cried he, "and my own confcience wrong, if I do not justify myself an honest man!"

So they held this poor fick man kneeling at bottom of the table, from eight in the morning till nine at night, neither with food nor refreshment; concluding with a joint fentence: to wit, that Effex fhould no longer execute the office of a Councillor, nor that of Earl Marshal of England,

nor yet Master of the Ordnance: and that he should return to his own house, there continuing a prifoner 'till it should please her Majefty to release both this and the rest.

Ralegh, who would fain have stuck to the Star-Chamber process, which he well knew would have iffued in fo great a fine as ever was fet upon any man's head, with perpetual imprisonment in the Tower (for fo my Lord Keeper had plainly faid): Ralegh, now in dudgeon, uttereth fuch unmannerly taunts upon her Grace, that she, fhrewdly pricked already, taketh it in fnuff, and, with worse names than cat and dog, bids him begone! He, to lay her by the Courtremedy, first falling fick, taketh wife and children, bag and baggage, and off for Sherborne, where he revived as ufual his unapproachable magnificence.

Meanwhile, Cecyl having taken unto himself a wife-her Majesty became indignant withal; affirming roundly, that he had promised her he would never marry. Nor would she have made him Secretary but for so discreet a bond.

What avail was Sir Robert's denial, though he vouched 'twas but for three years he was refolute to forbear? Her Grace knew better.

So her Majesty, being offended with her Captain of the