some idea may be formed, from the lord-keeper's answer, of the extent to which this princess carried the regal power: "To your three demands, the queen answereth liberty of speech is granted you; but how far this is to be thought on, there be two things of most necessity, and those two do most harm, which are wit and speech. * * Privilege of speech is granted; but you must know what privilege you have. Not to speak every one what he listeth, or what cometh into his brain to utter that, but your privilege is Aye or no. Wherefore, Mr Speaker, her majesty's pleasure is, that if you perceive any idle heads, which will not stick to hazard their own estates; which will meddle with reforming the church, and transforming the commonwealth; and do exhibit any bills to such purpose, that you receive them not, until they be viewed and considered by those, who it is fitter should consider of such things, and can better judge of them."*

A complaint was made that certain Dutch manufacturers, settling in London, had undersold the queen's liege subjects, and it was proposed to bring in a bill forbidding the retail of foreign wares by aliens. Raleigh's speech on this subject evinced his intimate knowledge of the trade of the country. It had been argued that charity, honour, and good policy, forbade these artisans to be expelled. "In my opinion," said he, "it is no matter of charity to relieve them. For first, such as fly hither have forsaken their own king. And religion is no pretext for them; for we have no Dutchmen here but such as come from those provinces where the gospel is preached, yet here they live disliking our church. For honour; it is honour to use strangers as we be used among strangers; and it is a lightness in a commonwealth, yea, a baseness in a nation, to give a liberty to another nation which we cannot receive again. In Antwerp, where our intercourse was most, we were never suffered to have a tailor or shoemaker to dwell there. Nay, at

* Parliamentary History, vol. iv. pp. 345, 346, 349.

* *

Milan, where there are three hundred pound Englishmen, they cannot have so much as a barber among them. And for profit; they are all of the house of Almoigne, who pay nothing, yea, eat out our profits and supplant our nation. The nature of the Dutchman is to fly to no man but for his profit; and they will obey no man long, now under Spain, now under Mountfort, now under the Prince of Orange; but under no governor long. The Dutchman by his policy hath gotten trading with all the world into his hands; yea, he is now entering into the trade of Scarborough fishing, and the fishing of the Newfoundlands, which is the stay of the west countries. They are the people that maintain the King of Spain in his greatness; were it not for them he were never able to make out such armies and navies by sea. It cost her majesty £16,000 a-year to maintain these countries, and yet for all this they arm her enemies against her. Therefore I see no reason that such respect should be given to them; and, to conclude, in the whole, no matter of honour, no matter of charity, no profit in relieving them."

That Raleigh's efforts in parliament procured his partial restoration to the royal favour is evident, from his obtaining at this time a grant of the manor of Sherborne in Dorsetshire, which he embellished magnificently. These improvements when still fresh were seen by Coker, author of the Survey of that county. The place was beautified, he declares," with orchards, gardens, and groves of much variety and great delight; so that, whether you consider the pleasantness of the seat, the goodness of the soil, or the other delicacies belonging to it, Sherborne rests unparalleled by any in these parts."+ Sir Walter was a rural improver and horticulturist; and a tradition is mentioned by Fuller, that at Beddington, near Croydon in Surrey, the first orange-trees that ever grew in England were planted by him; for which, says this writer," he deserves no less commendation than * D'Ewes' Journal, pp. 508, 509.

+ Coker's Survey of Dorsetshire, p. 124. Oldys's Life, p. 175.

Lucullus met with for bringing cherry and filberd trees out of Pontus into Italy." ""* Carew, the proprietor of Beddington and kinsman of Raleigh, was himself addicted to experiments in horticulture; and on occasion of a visit from the queen gave an example of his skilfulness in such matters, much thought of in those days, although in our own it would be lightly regarded. After a splendid entertainment he led her majesty to a cherry-tree in his garden, which had on it fruit in their prime above a month after all cherries had taken their farewell of England. This retardation had been performed by straining a canvass cover over the tree, and wetting it as the weather required; so by obstructing the sunbeams they grew both great, and were very long before they gained their perfect cherry colour, and when he was assured of the time her majesty would come he removed the tent, and a few sunny days brought them to their maturity.†

Being still interdicted from court, Raleigh employed himself in drawing up a paper upon "the dangers which might grow by a Spanish faction in Scotland," —a subject which had lately occupied the attention of the government. This he communicated to the queen; but from the following letter, addressed by him to his sovereign, little notice appears to have been taken of his labours :

"I presumed to present your majesty with a paper, containing the dangers which might grow by the Spanish faction in Scotland: How it pleased your majesty to accept thereof I know not. I have since heard, that divers ill-disposed have a purpose to speak of succession. If the same be suppressed I am glad of it; yet, fearing the worst, I set down some reasons to prove the motive

* In Fuller's time the famous orange-trees were 100 years old; and even when Oldys wrote, several trees of the ancient orangery were the stateliest and most perfect bearers in England. Raleigh was related through his wife to Sir Francis Carew and in Beddington House, in the time of Oldys, was preserved a splendid bed said to be his, with furniture of green silk, legs carved in the shape of dolphins and richly gilded.

+ Plat's Garden of Eden, p. 165.

H

merely vain, dangerous, and unnecessary. And because I durst not myself speak in any matter without warrant, I have sent your majesty these arguments, which may perchance put others in mind of somewhat not impertinent, and who, being graced by your majesty's favour, may, if need require, use them among others more worthy. Without glory I speak it, that I durst either by writing or speech satisfy the world in that point, and in every part of their foolish conceits, which, for shortness of time I could not so amply insert. This being upon one hour's warning, but one hour's work, I humbly beseech your majesty not to acquaint any withal, unless occasion be offered to use them. Your majesty may perchance speak hereof to those seeming my great friends; but I find poor effects of that or any other supposed amity; for your majesty having left me, I am left all alone in the world, and am sorry that ever I was at all. What I have done is out of zeal and love, and not by any encouragement; for I am only forgotten in all rights and in all affairs, and mine enemies have their wills and desires over me. There are many other things concerning your majesty's present service, which methinks are not as they ought remembered, and the times pass away unmeasured of which more profit might be taken. But I fear I have already presumed too much, which love stronger than reason hath encouraged; for my errors are eternal, and those of others mortal, and my labours thankless, I mean unacceptable, for that too belongeth not to vassals. If your majesty pardon it, it is more than too great a reward. And so most humbly embracing and admiring the memory of the celestial beauties (which with the people is denied me to view), I pray God your majesty may be eternal in joys and happiness. Your majesty's most humble slave.-W. R."

About the same time, in a letter to Sir Robert Cecil, Raleigh evinces his intimate acquaintance with the con

* Cayley's Life of Raleigh, vol. i. p. 134.

*

dition of Ireland,-then on the eve of a dangerous rebellion, and exposes the ambitious policy of Spain. "Of this Irish combination," he observes, "her majesty shall find it remembered to herself not long since; but the Trojan soothsayer cast his spear against the wooden horse, but was not believed. * I had been able myself to have raised two or three bands of English well armed, till I was driven to relinquish and recall my people, of which the loss shall not be alone to me; howsoever I am tumbled down the hill by every practice. We are so busied and dandled in these French wars, which are endless, as we forget the defence next the heart. Her majesty hath good cause to remember that £1,000,000 hath been spent in Ireland not many years since. A better kingdom might have been purchased at a less price, and that same defended with as many pence if good order had been taken. * * The King of Spain seeketh not Ireland for Ireland; but, having raised up troops of beggars in our back, shall be able to enforce us to cast our eyes over our shoulders, while those before us strike us on the brains." In the same letter Sir Walter entreats the good offices of Cecil, as his enemies would not even allow him to rest in his rural banishment. "I am myself here, at Sherborne, in my fortune's fold. Wherever I be, and while I am, you shall command me. I think I shall need your further favour for the little park; for law and conscience is not sufficient in these days to uphold me. Every fool knoweth that hatred are the cinders of affection, and, therefore, to make me a sacrifice shall be thankworthy."*

But, although thus complaining, it was not the nature of Raleigh to sink into indolent despondency: He was denied indeed all access to court; but in his seclusion at Sherborne, his inventive genius projected the conquest of Guiana,- —a scheme which forms an interesting episode in his life. His youthful imagination had caught fire from the perusal of the romantic adventures of the Spa

* Cayley's Life of Raleigh, vol. i. pp. 135, 136.