His early marriage with the widow of sir Philip Sidney, did not look as if he himself had any idea of her majesty's inclination for him: perhaps he had learned from the example of his father-in-law, that her majesty's passions never extended to matrimony". Yet before this he had insulted sir Charles Blount, on a jealousy of the queen's partiality. Instead of a sentimental softness, the spirit of her father broke 7 [Mr. Warton thinks it difficult to say why Elizabeth's virginity should have been made the theme of perpetual and excessive panegyric: since it does not immediately appear, that there is less merit or glory in a married than a maiden queen. He overcomes this difficulty however by observing, that it was in conformity to the sentiments of chivalry, which still continued in vogue; chastity being esteemed the characteristical ornament of the heroines, as fantastic honour was the chief pride of the champions of the old barbarous romance. Hist. of E. P. vol. iii. p. 422. That this maiden boast continued to be thought a lasting distinction, is inferable from the compliments which were paid to it by the late writers of her reign, and among others by Henrie Lok, who dedicated his Sundry Cristian Passions, in 1597, to the "right renowned vertuous virgin Elizabeth, worthy queen of happie England." Her majesty must then have been in her 65th year.] Sir Charles Blount, afterwards earl of Devonshire, a very comely young man, having distinguished himself at a tilt, her majesty sent him a chess-queen of gold enamelled, which he tied upon his arm with a crimson riband. Essex perceiving it, said with affected scorn, "Now I perceive every fool must have a favour!" On this sir Charles challenged, fought him in Marybone-park, disarmed and wounded him in the thigh. Bacon Papers, vol. ii. p. 191. out on that occasion; she swore a round oath, "that unless some one or other took him down, there would be no ruling him." Lord Clarendon, in his sensible answer to sir Harry Wotton's Parallel of the Earl of Essex and the Duke of Buckingham, observes, that the former "endeavoured rather to master the queen's affection than to win it." If he was crossed in a suit, he absented himself from court, and made her purchase his return. A fond woman may be moulded thus; it is not the method practised on princes by mere favourites. When Charles the first, on some jealousy, restrained the earl of Holland to his house, the queen would not cohabit with the king till the restraint was taken off. Whenever Essex acted a fit of sickness, not a day passed without the queen's sending often to see him; and once went so far as to sit long by him, " and order his broths and things." It is recorded by a diligent observer of that court, that in one of his sick moods he took the liberty of going up to the queen in his nightgown. In the height of these fretful fooleries, • Bacon Papers, vol. i. p. 312. • Rowland White, in the Sidney Papers. VOL. II. G there was a mask at Blackfriars 3, on the marriage of lord Herbert and Mrs. Russel. Eight lady maskers chose eight more to dance the measures. Mrs. Fitton, who led them, went to the queen, and wooed her to dance. Her majesty asked, what she was?" AFFECTION," -she said. "AFFECTION!" said the queen; -"AFFECTION is false."-Were not these the murmurs of a heart ill at ease?-Yet her majesty rose and danced. She was then sixtyeight:-sure it was as natural for her to be in love! That her court and cotemporaries had an uniform opinion of her passion, is evident from many passages. Sir Francis Bacon, in a letter 4 of most sensible advice to the earl, in which he dissuades him from popular courses, which the queen could not brook in her greatest favourites, says to him, "Win the queen; I will not now speak of favour or affection, but of other correspondence and agreeableness:"—that is, do not be content with her prepossession in your favour, but humour and make yourself agreeable to her. "How dangerous," adds he, "to have her think you a man not to be ruled; that has • Bacon Papers, vol. ii. p. 203. Ib. vol. ii. p. 159.` her affection and knows it; that seeks a popular reputation and a military dependence." He advises the earl not to play or stratagem with too long journeys from her; and bids him consult her taste in his very apparel and gestures. He concludes remarkably with advising the earl even to give way to any other inclination she may have; "for whosoever shall tell me that you may not have singular use of a favourite at your devotion, I will say he understandeth not the queen's affection, nor your lordship's condition." The queen herself sir Francis advised, as knowing her inclination, to keep the earl about her for society 5. Osborne ascribes Essex's presumption to the fond opinion which he entertained that the queen would not rob her eyes of the dear delight she took in his person But the most marked expression is one of Henry the fourth of France to the queen's own embassador sir Antony Mildmay, "Que sa majesté ne laisseroit jamais son cousin d'Essex s'esloigner de son cotillon"." Sir Antony reporting this to the queen, she wrote four lines. with her own hand to the king, Bacon Papers, vol. ii. p. 432. • Osborne's Deduction, p. 608. 7 Bacon Papers, vol. ii. p. 305. which one may well believe were sharp enough; for he was near striking sir Antony, and drove him out of his chamber. When the earl had offended the queen so much by his abrupt return from Ireland, he was treated with a whimsical fond mixture of tenderness and severity. Though he burst into her bedchamber as she was rising, she talked to him long with coolness and kindness. When her other counsellors had represented his boldness, she resented it too. She suspended him from all his offices but the mastership of the horse; she gave him a keeper, but who was soon withdrawn. On hearing Essex was ill, she sent him word with tears in her eyes, “That if she [Oldmixon, who termed the language of Drayton, obsolete; his verses rude and unharmonious; his thoughts often poor and vulgar, affected and unnatural; and therefore presented his own Amores Britannici to the public as a substitution for ingenious Michael's Heroidum Epistolæ; this same modest Mr. Oldmixon penned a pair of rhyming epistles on the subject of lord Essex's abrupt return from Ireland, in the first of which the queen thus addresses her favourite: See, Essex! see, how weakly I maintain |