his good service in that preservation was the principal guest, so did the king grant him any boon he would aske that day; but had such limitations set to his asking, as made his suit unprofitable unto him, as that he asked it for, was unserviceable to the king, and indeed did make the English believe as little the truth of that story, as the Scots themselves did; and yet, on my conscience, the good gentleman did in that, as a lyer often doth, by telling a lye often believeth it to be a very truth; but the truth was, (although he was not a man capable of much himself,) yet had it been true, there was too little done for him, being not true too much; for being an carl, he was in very little esteem, either with his master, or with the better sort of courtiers. And I pray God, that the effects of those sermons in the fathers time, for that service, cause no ill effects, or be not one

severed him, thrust him towards the staircase, where he was dispatched by Erskine and Harries, two of the king's attendants, who were in the act of ascending it. VOL. I.

10.

cause of Gods anger towards us in the sons reigne.

This Sir George Hewme being the only man that was the guider of the king and his affairs, all the wiser sort of English made their addresses unto him; amongst those Sir Robert Sir Robert Cecil, a very wise man, but much hated in England, by reason of the fresh bleeding of that universally beloved Earle of Essex, and for that was clouded

Cecil a fa

vourite.

2

I

' Afterwards Earl of Salisbury, and James's most able minister. He was second son of the celebrated Burleigh, and secretary of state to Queen Elizabeth; in which situation, he used to have the nickname of " Robert the Devil," after the title of an old romance.BIRCH'S Memoirs of Queen Elizabeth, vol. ii. p. 227.

*Essex was in high favour with James, whose resentment against Raleigh is said to have begun in the share which he had in accelerating the fate of that nobleman. There is extant a most singular letter, in which Raleigh urges Cecil to precipitate the death of his rival by the following arguments :

"For after-revenges, fear them nol; for your own father was esteemed the contriver of Norfolk's ruin, yet his son followeth your father's son, and loveth him. Humours of men succeed not, but grow by occasions and accidents of time and power. Somerset made no revenge on the Duke of Northumberland's heirs. Nor

also in the kings favour; he came to York, but lay close, unseen, or scarce knowne to be in the city, untill he knew what entertainment he should receive from the king; for he was in his own, and all mens opini-. ons, so under the hatches, as not ever to appeare above board againe, (nor did any of the counter faction to Essex, besides himself, ever attaine to the kings favour ;) but those friends raised by his wit and purse, did so co-operate, (of which Sir Roger Aston, that plain man, was principal, for which he

thumberland that now is thinks not of Hatton's issue. Kelloway lives that murdered the brother of Horsey; and Horsey let him go by all his life-time. I could name you a thousand of those; and therefore after-fears are but prophecies, or rather conjectures from causes remote-look to the present, and you do wisely. His son shall be the youngest earl of England but one, and if his father be now kept down, Will. Cecil shall be able to keep as many men at his heels as he, and more too. He may also match in a better house than his, and so that fear is not worth the fearing. But if the father continue, he will be able to break the branches, and pull up the tree, root and all. Lose not your advantage; if you do, I read your destiny."-CAYLEY's Life of Ralegh, i. 340.

"

11.

12.

lost not his labor,) that Sir George Hewme and Sir Robert Cecil had many secret meetings, and did so comply, that Sir Robert Cecil, to the admiration of all, did appeare, and come out of his chamber, like a giant, to run his race, for honour and fortune; and who in such dearness and privacy with the king as Sir Robert Cecil, as if he had been his faithful servant many years before; yet did not either his friends, wit, or wealth, raise him so much (as some believe) as the ill offices done by him to this nation, in discovering the nature of the people, and shewing the king the way how to enhance his prerogative so above the laws, that he might enslave the nation; which, though it took well then, yet it hath been of sad and dangerous consequence in aftertimes; for, first, he caused a whole cart-load of parliament presidents, that spake the subjects liberty, to be burnt; next, raising

Sir Anthony Welldon seems to have been ignorant of Cecil's secret correspondence with James before his accession to the English crown.

two hundred thousand pound for making
two hundred baronets, telling the king he
should finde his English subjects like asses,

on whom he might lay any burthen, and
should need neither bit nor bridle, but their
asses ears; and when the king said, It would
discontent the generality of the gentry, he
replied, Tush, sir, you want the money that
will do you good, the honor will do them.
very little; and by these courses he raised
himself, friends, and family, to offices, ho-
nors, and great possessions; yet, as a punish-
ment, he lived long enough to have lost all,
`had not death prevented him between the
Bath and London; for the Duke of Bul-
lion being then here, about the overture of
that unfortunate match between the Pals-
grave and the Lady Elizabeth, had so done
his errand and discovered his jugling;' it
is most certain he had been stript of all at
his return, which he well understanding

13.

This surmise is no where confirmed.