greatest power at hand to quell the hopes of all contrary pretenders, at that time more then a few; having long been imboldened, either through her majesties indulgence or prudence, an artifice dangerous for her people, and not unpossibly now destructive to her selfe, the love of whome was by good government for forty years, so deeply root-ed in her subjects, as it could be buried in nothing but her grave. Nor did he alone beat her eares with these sounds, no lesse terrible to her age at that day, then they had beene formerly ungratefull to her youth: But the generality of all about her, there remaining, after Essex remove, no faction at court able to rescue any from the present or future revenge of this man, with whom the most did comply, for feare of having their hopes blasted by this northern sunne, that began to rise proportionable to the declension of the queens health. The truth of which, the most incredulous may find throughout the whole arraignment of Cobham, Gray, and Rawly, professed antago

nists to Essex, under whose shelter they might have been protected in relation to their cause, though by them imprudently managed. This proves it no great hyperboly to affirme, the queene did not only bury affection, but her power, in the tombe of Essex, who, having the love of the people, would execute without feare any command, which they wanting, durst not undertake the cause Cecil thought it more prudence to rely upon the promise of a prince his father had made motherlesse, than in the forgivenes of a multitude, whose odium he had by many proceedings contracted; but especially in being instrumentall in the death of Essex, and those hopefull young gentlemen that lost their lives and fortunes with him. Amongst whom was Sir Henry Lee, for only wishing well to the three earles in the Tower, and an other executed in Smithfield, for writing the newes of their apprehension to his father that was out of London. But, not to exceed the designe of this piece, which was not to asperse any,

especially one allied so neerly to my grandmother, and a family now rendered illustrious by two earldomes, and a number of glorious matches; I shall relate only his wise indeavours to make James succeed, by whom he was courted with many letters, and larger promises than, as I have heard, were ever performed, and other proposals made, amongst which was a treaty of peace with Spaine, passionatly desired of the Scotish king, who, by this gratefull service, thought to muzle the mouthes of the jesuites, and to have his offers of connivance more secretly and successfully presented at Rome: and, upon the same score, Tyrones pardon was moved to the queene, and though at first refused by her with high disdaine, yet after brought about for want of strength and counsell to oppose it. Nor was an inquisition after the will of Henry the Eighth omitted, which a cursiter did. about that time justify he had inrolled, though then not to be found, having before been taken off the file, by some as small

friends to the Scotish title as any other but their owne;' Harfords, Huntingtons, &c. being then rife in every man's discourse. But, to avoide all semblance of triumph over a right allready under the weight of the severest misfortune, I shall conclude with the most happy condition this unparallel'd princess left the kingdome of England in.

25. It had no considerable enemy besides the catholicke king, and his power so maim-1 ed by the frequent blowes received from her maritime militia, that he sought peace in a posture far below the usuall pride and rhodomontado gallantry of that nation; apparent in the rich donatives bestowed on

There was no mention of the Scottish title in the will of Henry VIII. But, after entailing the crown upon his own children, and Frances and Eleanor, daughters of his younger sister Mary, Duchess of Brandon, he declared, that, failing them and their issue, it should go to the next rightful heirs, under which must be implied, the reigning family of Scotland, descended from Margaret, wife of James V., and eldest sister of Henry. Why they were postponed to the descendants of his younger sister, can only be accounted for by the strong and rooted effect of national antipathy.

all about King James, who were any way likly to farther or obstruct it. As for the wild Irish, (a terme that age bestowed on the rebels,) they were dayly found dead in bogs and woods, with grass in their mouthes, giving no farther trouble to the English souldiers, (at her death not numerous, many having quitted the imployment out of grief for their generall,) than to burne and spoile the corne, and other provisions of the natives; far easier done, than they overtaken in their fastnesses and bogs, impassable to our army. The French were, by obliga

1

* Even the gentle Spenser recommends this mode of harassing the Irish kerne, and gives the following striking picture of the misery which it occasioned:

"The proofe wheraf I saw sufficiently exampled in these late warres of mounsters, for notwithstanding, that the same was a most rich and plentiful country, full of corn and cattle, that you would have thought they should have been able to stand long; yet, ere one year and a halfe, they were brought to such wretchednesse, as that any stony hart would have rued the same. Out of every corner of the woodes and glynnes, they came creeping forth upon their hands, for their legges could not beare them; they look like anatomies of death; they spake like ghosts, crying out of their graves; they