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XXXIII.

From a consideration of all the preceding circum- CHAP. stances, it may not be an unfair conclusion, to reject the private scandals as the exaggeration of popular surmise by wilful or credulous malignity; but to infer, that he chose to take in political society, the peculiar and hazardous position of mingling in the dealings and of obtaining the confidence of all parties, and especially of those whom he knew or suspected to be inimical to government, or weaving plots against it, in the dangerous period between 1566 and 1572; in order that he might choose whether he should ultimately promote or subvert them, and advance his own importance by their success, or by betraying them. Eagerly courted by

the shame thou hast spoken is thine own. So if I do not, having my life and liberty, prove this upon thee, I am content that this lie which I have given thee, return to my perpetual infamy.' p. 68. I admit that the sword is no decider of moral evidence, nor bravery a criterion of moral truth. But sir Philip could not do more than to meet what were mere assertions, by contradictory assertions: to hold up their author as a liar in their publication, and to put his own life to the hazard, if his epithet was incorrect. No Christian can approve a duel, nor a challenge to fight one: but neither would any Christian have written such a book. As nothing like evidence accompanies the charges, common justice to each other seems to require us, in this unsubstantiated state, to deem them but a fugitive portion of that circulating scandal which, tho it amuses society, neither benefits nor becomes it. That Mary's party strove with peculiar industry against Leicester, we see from many indications. When he was in Holland, her confidential agent Morgan, at Paris, assured her, in March 1586, My poor advice and labor shall not want to give Leicester all dishonor, which will fall upon him in the end with shame enough, tho for the present he be very strong in the fields and towns of that country.' Murd. 494. On 20 July 1585, the same Morgan wrote to her, Leicester is a great tyrant in the realm, where Catholics be so plagued. Leicester is not born to do good to God's people.' ib. 449. Leicester had many channels of connexions with Mary's friends. We see one instance in what Morgan also told her: The said Hotman is a great Huguenot, and much addicted to Leicester. He is a kinsman to the Hotman that serveth your majesty in your council here.' Murd. 444. But Morgan, as if to counterwork Leicester, said he would get her ambassador to deal with old Hotman, to see whether the other may be made an honest man, and an instrument to serve your majesty.' ib.

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the disaffected and conspiring, from his high station and commanding influence he became inevitably their governing head, so far as he chose to act; and yet, by always so shrouding and limiting his agency as never to commit himself beyond what he could safely avow or plausibly explain, he was enabled to govern the combining aristocracy by their hopes and by their fears; and to have the benefit of their recommendation and support; while he kept at the same time, through their powerful confederation, the queen his mistress always in his power.

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Possessed of her confidence, from her ignorance of his secret conduct, he knew how far she trusted him, and was enabled to discern, at what point or time she was beginning to doubt. In the instance of his confessing at once, when questioned about Norfolk, with apparent frankness and duty, as much as he could consistently with his personal security acknowlege, and then making the most humble and loyal submission as to his future conduct, we perceive how he turned the eye of further suspicion from himself, and could even assume a merit in the allegation, that he had acted to reconnoitre and explore, in order that he might baffle or control. While his own mind was undecided whether to subvert or support the government, his very hesitations would benefit it by procrastinating the execution of the ripening schemes; and as events led him, after his temporary disgrace, to resolve to uphold his royal mistress, he could make himself an important instrument of her personal and political

61 See before, note 32.

XXXIII.

safety, by continuing still in apparent concert with CHAP. the conspirators; and by embarrassing or baffling their projects with insidious advice or by private partial discoveries to his royal mistress, who, supposing him to know only what he revealed, would admire his penetration, while she reaped the good effects of his counsels."2 If Mary had chosen him for her husband instead of Darnley or Norfolk, he might have fulfilled the whole wishes of the grand confederacy, by dispossessing Elizabeth and seating the Scottish princess in her stead. But, failing in this object, it never became his superior interest to dethrone his English benefactor; and therefore whatever may have been his original intentions, or might have been his conduct, if the secret plotters had decreed him, instead of Norfolk, to have the hand of the northern Helen; yet when that became impossible, either from the opposition of Rome, because he was a heretic, or from the pride of the more highborn nobles, on account of his inferior ancestry, it was no longer his advantage to throw down

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62 That he was in correspondence with some of the exiles in 1570, we learn from lord Morley's letter to him from Bruges, in the September of that year, who intreats his assistance to obtain the queen's clemency; who writes to her by his advice; puts his son under his protection; informs him of lord Seton's coming to Flanders, and promises, From thence I will give your lordship such advices as I can learn.' Haynes, 604, 5. In October he was more earnest, as he found Elizabeth more indisposed to favor him. ib. p. 621. On 20th July 1585, Morgan wrote to Mary, from Paris, I am always full jealous of such as depend or have to do with Leicester, unless I know them.' He adds, of one Blunt, 'His father was kin to Leicester. This Blunt and his elder brother, and their mother, being all Catholics, are all forced to fawn upon Leicester, to see if thereby they may live quiet; and by Leicester's means they have been more quietly handled than some others. I have warned and prayed him earnestly to deal with your son to beware of Leicester.' Murd. 448, 9. The epithet Machiavelite,' given to the earl in the French title-page, would lead us to infer that the Romanists considered him to have been playing a double part with them.

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Elizabeth. She increased her favors as his services became more signal; and in such conspiracies as incessantly attacked her from 1570 to 1586, abundant opportunities must have offered to a man with his connexions, to have contributed frequently to her welfare. Raised gradually by her to all the affluence, consideration, and honors, which he could safely desire, both his vanity and his ambition were satisfied. He could not be greater unless he was seated on her throne, and to that, her resolution was fixed never to exalt any one; contented therefore with being the second person in the kingdom, after Norfolk's fall, he applied the whole energies of his powerful mind, for he had an intellect of more than ordinary vigor and perspicacity, to make that crown secure and permanent to her, from whom, all the grandeur and enjoyment of his worldly idolatry, so profusely and pre-eminently flowed upon him. But this deciding conduct frustrating for ever all the hopes of his papal friends, may have been the cause that he became the object of their bitterest hatred and most vindictive reprobations. From the time of Norfolk's execution, we may believe that he served his queen ably and faithfully; and in conjunction with the intelligent and straight-forward Burghley, and with the far-searching and ever-vigilant Walsingham, mainly contributed to her preservation and triumph, amid attacks and dangers, which no other English sovereign has had equally to endure, or has succeeded in surmounting.

He was received at Flushing by its governor, and his nephew, the justly applauded sir Philip Sidney, and welcomed there, and by the cities of Zealand and

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Holland, with triumphal arches, votive tablets, CHAP. feastings and every public honor, which joy, gratitude and patriotism could devise. They were so exuberant in their confidence, as to convey to him at once, as if he had been a Roman dictator, the chief government and absolute authority over their provinces, by a solemn instrument, appointing him their governor and captain-general. Attended by a goodly guard, he began to assume a kingly spirit and courage, when Elizabeth, who knew his ambitious temper, and dreaded the effect of this excited. flattery and elated mind, rebuked them for investing him with a power which she never meant herself to assume over them, and desired them to revoke it; and severely reprimanded him for accepting a princely title and authority, inconsistent with her own decla. rations, with the instructions he had taken with him, and with the subordination to her cabinet council, by whom she meant his conduct to be guided.

63 Camd. 292.

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64 Ib.

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66

65 She wrote to the estates general, That to her disgrace, they had without her knowlege passed the absolute government of their provinces to Leicester her subject, whereas she had utterly refused it herself, and had in writing declared to the whole world that she would only relieve the afflicted state of her neighbors, and in no ways take upon her any sovereignty over them. She directed them therefore to turn Leicester out of that absolute authority, whose commission she had limited.' Camden, p. 293.

66 How severely must his swelling pride have been mortified, to receive from her, in the midst of his princely dreams, this emphatic letter! How contemptuously you have carried yourself towards us, you shall understand by the messenger whom we send unto you for that purpose. We little thought that one, whom we have raised out of the dust, and surrounded with singular honor above all others, would with so great contempt have broken our commandment, in a matter of so great weight, and so highly concerning us and our honor. Of this, tho you have but small regard, contrary to what you owed by your allegiance, yet think not that we are so careless of repairing thereof, that we can bury so great an injury in silence or oblivion. We therefore COMMAND YOU, that, all excuse set apart, you do forthwith, upon your

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