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Her Grace Descendeth.

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Some turned up their eyes in affectioned admiration, others caft down their brows as ashamed to deny their confciences. Only Tarleton faid, ""Tis a Physician's remedy-pretty enough without; but plaguy bitter within !"

"Go to!" quoth her Grace to my Lady Mary. ""Tis too fhort for us—eh?”

"Yea, Madam !"

" 'Tis too mean for our royal perfon, is't not?" "Yea, Madam!"

"Ha!" quoth her Grace, with a fcorn. "Then if it become us not, as being too short, we are minded it shall never become thee, as being too fine! We are i' the mind 'tis fit for neither!" Saying which, with an heroical state and mincing gesture commingled admirably, her Majesty retired. 'Tis the Mistress o' the Wardrobe knoweth of the coat: none else.

Another of a foft heart, loving the Earl with still more familiarity, carrying, as they fay, a venew under the girdle as an ostent of her frailty, her Grace forgave (look you) on promife of amendment and no future flips. Poor Mistress Vernon, though she had asked leave, might not marry my good Lord Southampton. So you fee the proverb holds.

Jack may not peep over the hedge while Tom be let rob the orchard. Mistress Southwell, though a mother, is yet a maid of honour. My lady, a wife, is shamed.

Now, we have nothing to do with Mistress Throckmorton. Sir Walter Ralegh hath made her amends; and her Grace is reconciled. But t'other day i' the privy Galleries the Queen calls

"Ha! who have we here?"

"Your Highness's fervants, Ruffell and Brydges.”

"What make you here?"

"Gracious Madam".

"What make you here, eh?"

"Your Highness "

"Go to! Go to!" quoth her Majesty, thrusting them back. Anon fhe miffeth them. One, a confederate, excuseth with a plea of physic.

"By the body of" quoth her Grace, " and without our leave? Ha!"

The girls had gone thorow the privy chambers into the coffer chamber; then down into the base court-thence to the field, where the Earl of Effex and fome other gallants were playing a ballon of football, vehemently, and to the great

Effex Confeffeth fomewhat.

33

pleasure of all byeftanders. He would not delight the Queen, coming any clofer.

'Twas in fuch free company my Lord used himself. And there were not wanting those who laid many things more to his charge than either he or they knew the measure of. You should have feen the letter my Lady Bacon wrote him of the incorrigible unshamefacedness of fome; exampling his making of his own fweet Countefs's heart forrowful, to the hindrance of her young fruit from time to time. 'Twas a stern testimony against backsliding, that—with all the fine quotations and folemn warnings of it! Then how my Lord took the fame flatly and kindly; vowing that he had rather with the poor publican fmite his breast, lie proftrate and confess, than Pharisaically justify himself! How he protested 'gainst some, admitted others! "You shall call me naughty and difpofed, an you lift, Madam, not an hypocrite: nor yet fo unchafte as they fay, howfoever." Was not that good?

But 'twas the talk o' the town: for Effex his doings were like the Kalendar. Folk muft ever be inquiring, "What o' the weather? How o' my Lord?" A jeering fellow, one Jack Wilfon (you know him), playing at the Friars in 'Love's Labour Loft,' a fpacious comedy, raised a pretty

VOL. III.

D

laugh with his "Fair as a text B in a copy-book," all the barren spectators knowing well of my Lord's "fairest B.,” whom and what. And this taking the ears o' the groundlings, Wilson ftinteth not, in the ballad o' Romeo and Juliet (Mr. Shakspeare's), to inject his joke again. "R. is for the dog:" hoping there were few who knew not how her Majefty with a round oath had said, " Earl Robin was a mere Dogge i' the Court."

Now to match thefe evil doings with fome good deeds. Awhile agone, of a furfeit, died Sir Roger Williams, a notable commander and faithful comrade.

Profligate

though; and a notorious evil liver. Him my Lord had at one time much jumped with concernful difcourfe. For proof: By this one's last confeffion, 'twas my Lord faved his foul; learning him to make a finer end than in a delirium tremens, or a melancholy moor ditch-repining at elapsed and confiscate pleasures. This Knight, therefore, having a just feeling of his end, parted well and very repentant; all rites feemly and fitting as you could wish. So Effex by Testament was willed his little all. The poor honest man's emblem of that treasured kindness, which neither jewels of filver nor jewels of gold, interest money, nor ready

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money, plate, garments, nor yet horses (fir) could recompenfate! And the Earl, not to decline from so noble a friendship, caused the body to be buried in S. Paul's in high state, and after a martial fort; fpending all the legacy thereon.

My Lord Burghley too, when he had lived long enough to nature, long enough to his glory, but (as some said) not long enough to his country, rendered his foul to God by a quiet death. At his funeral Effex carried the heaviest countenance of all the company; for though the Treasurer had been hard upon him from his youth up, Essex was too generous not to bury that evil memory in the grave; letting live the hope that he who had been fo faithful to his Queen and country was an honest and worthy man; and not perhaps, unkindly, though himself woted not.

It was he, you remember, fhewed my Lord those noble Psalms civ. and cvii., which the Earl in his voyages caufed to be read and improved upon (as the phrase is), to the furprise and behoof of the mariners and other incautelous and defperate men. But truly, my Lord was minded this way Timothy-like; having been trained to holiness, though he had, whilst, lived unvirtuously. And, as one of his degree may, was used to read his Bible in his house, orchard, and

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