"Mr. Secretary Cecil, his Negociation into France, with the Instructions for his Guydance therein from Queen Elizabeth, in the Year of our Lord 1597." "Several Speeches in Parliament;" and "many Letters 4." "One in the Cabala to his Father." "Another to Sir Francis Segar 5." "Some Notes on Dr. Dee's Discourse on the Reformation of the Calendar." [The Harleian MSS. 305 and 354, contain "The State of a Secretaries Place and the Perill: written by Robert Earle of Salisbury." This was printed in 1642, 4to. with his lordship's "Excellent Instructions to the late Earle of Bedford, for the Government of Barwick." In No. 737 of the same repository is "A Collection of such Things as Robert late Earle of Salisbury thought fitt to offer unto hir Majestic uppon the Occasyon of callinge a Parliamente.” And in No. 36 is "A Memoriall or Diary, kept by Mr. Secretary Cicill; beginninge Anno primo Elizabeth R. Coppied out of the Originall in Mr. Secretary Cicill's Hand." learnedly, and religiously," p. 52. Dr. Lort points out a copy of the pamphlet referred to by Mr. Reed, in the public li brary, Cambridge.] • Vide Sawyer's Memorials, in three vols. folio. s Vide Howard's Collection, p. 196. This diary is curious and extensive, comprising a record of political events, or the personages engaged in them; and a chronicle of passing occurrences in the sphere of the court, from Nov. 17, 1558, to April 13, 1603. Much of it might have formed a desirable appendage to his father's diary, published by Murdin. The following articles will convey its general tenour: "Aug. 4, 1598. In the morninge about seven of the clocke died my lord treasurer Burleigh, at the Strand-house, being Friday. "Aug. 29. The lord treasurer Burley's funerall solempnized at Westm. and the dynner was kepte att Cecill-howse in the Stronde." King James gave to lord Salisbury the familiar appellation of his little beagle; it is presumed, from his unshapely figure, and from the intelligence which he was enabled to procure by means of the -secret agents he employed at the different courts of Europe. Sir Anthony Weldon charges him with having induced James the first to raise £.200,000, by making two hundred baronets; telling the king, "He should find his English subjects like asses, on whom he might lay any burden; and should need neither bit nor bridle, but their asses ears;" and when the king said, "It would discontent the generality of the gentry ""Tush, sire," he replied, "you want the money; that will do you good, the honour will do them very little "." He is also accused by Osborn of • Court and Character of King James, p. 12. having sold great quantities of crown timber3; but the person who brings this accusation observes, at the same time, that millions of oaks were felled and sold, not only during the life of the carl of Salisbury, but through the whole reign of king James. Lord Clarendon has likewise depicted the earl with very unfavourable features 4. But Dr. Birch has drawn together a concentrated view of his character, from fuller and more impartial light than the ignorance or envy of his own time would allow; and which may therefore be opposed to the prejudiced representations of Weldon, Wilson, Osborn, and the secret-hunting historiographers of that age; as well as to the partial estimate of his character drawn by Turneur, in Harl. MS. 36. "He was evidently," says the learned Doctor, "a man of quicker parts, and a more spirited writer and speaker than his father, to whose experience he was at the same time obliged for his education and introduction into public business; in the management of which he was accounted, and perhaps justly, more subtle and less open. And this opinion of his biass to artifice and dissimulation was greatly owing to the singular address which he shewed in penetrating into the secrets and reserved powers of the foreign ministers with whom he treated; and in evading, with uncommon dexterity, such points as they pressed, when it was not convenient to give them too explicit an He appears to have been invariably attached answer. to the true interest of his country, being above corruption from, or dependence upon, any foreign courts; which renders it not at all surprising, that he should be abused by them all in their turns; as his attention to all the motions of the popish faction made him equally odious to them. He fully understood the English constitution, and the just limits of the prerogative; and prevented the fatal consequences which might have arisen from the frequent disputes between king James the first and his parliaments. In short, he was as good a minister as that prince would suffer him to be, and as was consistent with his own security in a factious and corrupt court; and he was even negligent of his personal safety, whenever the interest of the public was at stake 5. He has been thought too severe and vindictive in the treatment of his rivals and enemies but the part which he acted towards the earl of Essex seems entirely the result of his duty to his mistress and the nation. It must however be confessed, that his behaviour towards the great but unfortunate sir Walter Raleigh, is an imputation upon him, which still remains to be cleared up: and it probably may be done from the ample materials of his administration in the Hatfield library, which, with those of his illustrious father, are a treasure which the public has reason to regret should be longer confined there"." 5 He stands charged, however, by Dr. Robertson, with having defeated the proposal for obtaining a capitulation or charter of liberties, on the accession of James the first. Hist. of Scotland, vol. ii. p. 246. • Historical View of the Negotiations between the Courts Dr. Birch, in his Historical View, has published Cecil's dispatches relative to his embassy in France; and in his Memoirs of Queen Elizabeth has given a number of this minister's letters, written on different occasions. Thirteen others may be seen in his Life of Prince Henry; and as many in the Secret Correspondence of Sir Robert Cecil with King James, published by sir D. Dalrymple, though written from lord Northampton, proceeded (it would seem) from Cecil. One occurs in Murdin's Collection of State Papers; several are in the British Museum, and still more are likely to be preserved in the library at Hatfield-house, a judicious of England, France, and Brussels, from 1592 to 1617, P. 349. Davies of Hereford thus panegyrised this "councellor of councellors" as the rudder of the state: "Achilles to his friend Patrocles had; Scipio had Lælius; but the best of them Steeded much lesse then thou their king and realme." Scourge of Folly, p. 185. Ben Jonson has a similar tribute to Robert earl of Salisbury, which is not uncharacteristic of the poet's self-importance: ""Tofore, great men were glad of poets; now I, not the worst, am covetous of thee, Epigrams, lib. 1. ep. xliii. |