king's letter for his difcharge, telling her, that he left it wholly to her confideration. Her majesty thereupon took occafion to accufe the earl of opiniaftreté, of wilfulness and rafhnefs, alledging, that he would not be ruled; but that he would bridle and ftay him. The duke anfwer'd, that her majefty, in his opinion, might eafily govern his lordship, who was a man of fuch virtue, wisdom, judgment, and obedience, and whofe actions were wholly destined to her fervice, and the good of her ftate: and no doubt this voyage would have a good iffue under the conduct of fo worthy a general. But that her majefty might not feek to rule him with an iron bridle, but with a golden bridle, not as the fovereign only, but as mistress alfo; which he fpake alfo en fousriant. Well, faith fhe, I will both rule him, and stay him. Since that the duke found her in divers paffions, and knew, that fome underhand nourished her in them; and that there were divers factions; fo that monf. CARON, the Dutch refident, going to fpeak with the queen, was advised by the lord admiral's brother before his accefs, that if her majefty us'd any fpeech concerning the voyage, and of the fhipping furnished by the ftates, he fhould tell her, that he thought they would be content with what her majefty fhould ordain, and that he would affent to any good motions, which it would please her to propofe, and give his best furtherance to it; which he faid he knew the lord admiral his brother would well like of; for he defired to fatisfy her majefty therein. On the other fide monf. CARON communicating with fir ROBERT CECIL this motion, the latter utterly diflik'd it, and would in no cafe, that monf. CARON fhould make any fhew of hope to procure the states affent for this great charge and expectation. And yet the duke had been told by fome, who had credit, as he faid, with the queen, and men of good intélligence, that he was refolved to ftay the earl and the lord admiral, and the greater part of the fleet; and that fome part of it should go, and be difpofed for fome other fervice. The author of this report appear'd to mr. REYNOLDES from circumstances to be mr. HENRY BROOKE, fon of the lord COBHAM; and mr. REYNOLDES doubted much, that if the earl's expedition fhould be stayed, it would be turn'd into fome *** voyage, and then his lordship would eafily difcover the plot; and the delay of the rest of the fleet minifter'd this jealoufy. The duke added, that the gentleman, his informer, told him, that the earl began to have fome feeling of these things; and would be brought about and perfuaded to alter his refolution. Upon which, to fhew the earl's conftancy, mr. REYNOLDES interpreted to the duke his lordship's laft letter unto himself, which he had communicated before to mons. DE LA FONTAINE by his lordship's commandment, and particularly that part, in which the earl faid," that he was about to do more for the public and for all his "friends, than they could hope for; and that he would either go thro' with it, or "of a general become a monk at an hour's warning." In conclufion the duke deûred mr. REYNOLDES to tell the earl, that no man living' honour'd his lordship more than himself, as his brother and dearest friend; and that if in any thing he could do him fervice, his lordship should command his best means and life, as the perfon in the world, whom he moft admir'd and reverenc'd. He earnestly defir'd the earl not to conceive any jealoufy of him for any complaints, which he might hear: that he would do his best to fatisfy the king concerning his voyage, or any other fuggestions, which he might receive, tho' he knew, that he fhould find great

Of the 10th of May.

difficulty

difficulty to give fatisfaction concerning this voyage, whereby, it was pretended, allhis majesty's affairs were hinder'd; and it would be the more difficult to do it, because the king made his reckoning, that they fhould have been by this means rather advanc'd; which he gather'd out of the earl's letters both to himself and to ANTONIO PEREZ. Mr. REYNOLDES told the duke, that it might be, that his lordfhip wrote, that it was for the general good; and that they in particular might receive the fruit thereof, when he had the commandment of fuch an army, and authority to conduct it at his pleasure; and mr. REYNOLDES did not doubt, but that his lordship would make good whatever he had faid. The duke obferv'd, that at his last audience, the queen defired, that he might receive fometimes news from him, with continuance of all former correfpondence. He afked her, to whom she should address his letters, now the earl was abfent? She made choice of mr. HENRY BROOKE, and directed, that they might be firft fent to monf. DE LA FONTAINE to be delivered to mr. BROOKE. After the duke had commanded mr. REYNOLDES to take special care of his letters to the earl, and to recommend his beft love and affection to his lordship, he said, that he would likewife fend to his lordship by monf. DE LA FONTAINE'S means, whenever any worthy matter fhould occur. Mr. REYNOLDES then told the duke, that the earl had exprefsly left him behind for these services; which he liked very well. The duke was at firft doubtful to deal fo freely with mr. REYNOLDES in these things: "But, faid he, you are my lord's fecretary, and, I think, are acquainted with greater matters betwixt us.'

"I have here, fays mr. REYNOLDES to the earl, delivered many particulars. "Your lordship knoweth, that the duke fpeaketh very thick, and I am very hard "of hearing. This difcourfe was in a retired place from all the reft. I hope I have "not erred in any principal point; for I did receive his speeches with all poffible "attention; and he defireth your lordship, that it may not come to the knowledge of any; and that his letters may be burned. Mine is of the same religion and therefore it ought to burn for company."

66

Mr. REYNOLDES remarks, that in his other letter written that morning, he had advertis'd his lordship of a mifchance, which had happened to monf. DE LA FONTAINE, and which he had fince understood to have been very dangerous, he having been carried by the violence of the ftream into the water-mill at London bridge, thro' the negligence of a young waterman. To fave himself the better, he leapt out of the boat before he came to the fall of the water, and was carried thro' under the wheel and divers lighters as far as Billingsgate, before he was recovered; and there he was miraculously preferved. He was very forely bruifed in the forehead, but without any great danger of life, the skull being found.

Sir ANTHONY STANDEN wrote the fame day, May 18, from Exeter to mr. BaCON', acquainting him of his arrival there the day before, and that he was to go immediately towards Plymouth, whence he heard by fuch, as he met continually coming from that town, that there was no fpeech of the departure of the fleet, there being no kind of news of fir WALTER RALECH, whofe ftay feemed to stay all, and

! Vol. XI. fol. 1.

1

to put the earl of Effex to infupportable charges: "And hereupon, fays fir AN"THONY, do want no comments of divers fenfes, all to the best, as you may judge "by the subject. I think they mean to make a fair riddance of us; or else they "would not send us into fiery Spain in this manner in the Canicular. I never faw "things proceed more backward, nor with lefs difcourfe or reafon. By the late "tempefts hath been left a bark of fir ANTHONY SHERLEY'S, as here the report 66 runs; another ominous toy, that likes me not.'

Sir ANTHONY's friend, mr. ROLSTON, in a letter to him from Fontarabia of the 19th of May 1596", inform'd him of his having been prevented by the old pain of his fide from returning to England, as he had intended; that being the third time fince he had feen fir ANTHONY, that his disease had put him in no small danger to end his days: "But GoD, fays he, of his mercy hath yet referved me; and I "beseech him, that I may by his grace employ the small time I have to live in his "service and the service of our deareft country. I mean, if it pleafe GOD, in reco"vering a little more strength, to come, affuring myself of the noble favour of 123, "and of other perfonages, by your good means."

Mr. ROBERT NAUNTON, who was returned to England, probably with the duke DE BOUILLON and ANTONIO PEREZ, having written to the earl of Effex, his lordship on the 20th of May 1596, returned him the following anfwer ".

"Mr. NAUNTON, I thank you for your letter; but my thanks must be short. "That, which concerneth ANTONIO PEREZ, I have anfwered in a letter to himself. "For you I fay, that tho' I have care of him, I would have no inconvenience befall 66 you. If you can in fome convenient time difpatch your business, I will either "fend for you, if you do like to be a feaman, and direct you how you fhall come "well to me; or give you a task in any place, where you would most willingly be; * for I would not have you ruft. And fo I reft

Your most affured friend,

ESSEX.

Mr. BACON in a letter to dr. HAWKYNS, dated the fame day, acknowledg'd the receit of one from him, accompanied with two from fign. JACOMO MARENCO, the one to the earl of Effex, and the other to himself. He likewife acquainted him, that the queen at the last, after many difficulties propounded and anfwer'd, was enter'd into a treaty of war offenfive and defenfive with France, and had accorded 4000 men to be defray' for five months; but for money, had at prefent only advanced 6000l. the employment of the men being alfo reftrain'd to Picardy, Normandy, and Bretagne: that the earl of Effex was royally accompanied at Plymouth: that there was daily expectation of Tyrone's public fubmiffion and of quietnefs in Ireland: and that Scotland was very peaceable, the king being lately folemnly invited by his brother-in-law the king of Denmark to affift at his coronation; which he being not able to perform in perfon, purpofed to fend the earl of Crawford.

Vol. XI. fol. 70:

Vol. XI. fol. 91.

• Vol. XI. fol. 21.

The

The zeal of the earl of Effex for the profecution of the expedition against Cadiz, having met with great oppofition and many objections, which, after all the preparations for it, had almost diffuaded the queen from fuffering the voyage to proceed, his lordship was obliged to write the following letter from Plymouth to the lords of the council*.

"My very good lords,

"Because my words fhall not offend her majefty, I am refolved never to use argu"ment to perfuade or defend our journey, but to leave it to her majefty's choice, "whether the will break it, or have us proceed. Yet that your lordships may fee, "that I understand both myself and it, I have fet down certain questions, for all the "idle difcourfers and envious croffers of our journey to answer. What shall be "done with the 30,000l. worth of victuals of her majefty already provided, fince "it cannot be fold to London nor to the ports, they themselves having provided "more than they can utter? What fhall come of the preparations of the city and "the coafters; and how it may be hoped for, that upon the like fummons they "will fhew the like readiness, fince they fhall fee, that our alarms are but falfe, ❝and our journies but dreams? The like may be faid of them of the Low Coun"tries: what account shall be given of the great fums of money already laid out for impreffing and rigging the fhips, that shall serve for victuallers and tranfporters; "the most of which money Flemings have received? What my lord admiral and "I shall do with the victuals we have provided for ourselves and our companions for "five months; fince it is not fuch fea-victual, as is used in ordinary journies? "What shall be recovered of the money laid out at Flushing, for fhips and all things necessary for the transporting of the foldiers, that come out of the Low "Countries, fince it is ten days fince, that we fent one authorised and furnished "for that purpofe? What fhall be answered to the ftates of the Low Countries, "to whom the queen wrote fo earnestly, ufing this motive, that her intended pur"pose was as well for their good as her own? And what fhall be pretended to the "world for this fudden change of counsel, fince your lordships know what cenfure "is given of baud putaveram? What shall be done to keep France from making peace with Spain; when we neither affift them against the invasion there, nor prevent invafions of our own countries; but like men, that are only ftrong in fuffering, ftand ftill, and bear off all with head and shoulders? How fhall

"we prevent his fending of forces into Ireland, when, if nothing be done against "him at home, he will weary us out with charge, and fend till we are able to keep "our fleet to impeach him no longer at fea? Laftly, what the infolent rebels of "Ireland may think, when they both find themfelves profper, and fee all our pre"parations but fmoke, and our threatnings prove but wind?

"If it be faid, the queen may feem to do fomewhat, and fend her fleet, but stay her 66 army; I am perfuaded, that tho' fome ignorant foul both of fea-actions and of

Certain letters written by the right honourable ROBERT late carl of Effex to the queen, the council, and others his honourable friends, with fome of their answers to the fame: with an addi

tion of divers other letters of noble perfonages, gather'd out of the collected writings of many worthy gentlemen. By M. K. MS. in 4to. in my poffeffion, p. 55.

"the

"the wars, may by the fire-fide make fuch a propofition; yet there cannot any man be found fo vain, that will undertake the action. But if there be, I would ask him, where he would fave himself; or how he will get a port, if he have not a <land-force to command the fhore? Next, how he will diftrefs, or burn the "maritimes of Spain, if he go not to them where they are? or how he dare go "into them, or fhall be able to take fuch forts, as they make for their defences in "the harbours? Laftly, when he hath spent his victuals, and must return, after he hath failed unprofitably up and down fome few months, why shall not the "Spaniard, that without impeachment prepares all that while, follow him; and "when the Englifh fhips are laid up, execute any thing upon them, that "they lift?

"But I have faid enough. Thus much my duty to her majefty and love to my "country did challenge of me. Of my own intereft I will not fpeak, fince every "day I do more and more incline to the ftoics opinion, and will, if I can attain unto "it, bring myfelf to their temper.

"I have written this to your lordships, because your lordships from the beginning "have been acquainted with the counfel and proceeding of our journey. And fo I "reft at your lordships commandment,

R. ESSEX."

Mr. YATES, who was waiting in France for the directions of Mr. BACON what course he should take, either of returning into his fervice in England, or pursuing a defign of his own of attending fir CHARLES DAVERS to Italy, gave him in a letter from Roan of the 22d of May 1596O. S. *, fome account of the French occurrences, prefuming, that mr. BACON had already understood of the taking of Ardres * and the death of monf. MONLUC, who, as it was reported at Roan, was kill'd in a fally against the enemy; upon which monf. BELIN made his compofition, and furrender'd the place, bag and baggage fafe; tho' this was wholly against the opinion, and contrary to the will of monf. BODENBOURG, the governor. Some faid, that the occafion of their furrender was, that the enemy had turn'd their water from them, and fo deprived them of their mills. But the commonly receiv'd opinion was, that monf. BELIN was too wife and provident for his own regard; to expose his person to the utmost danger or hazard, of which lafchété BODENBOURG accus'd him to the king; and the charge appear'd the better founded, as he had made so abfolute a compofition, without waiting for a breach, mine, or any likely means, whereby the enemy could any way hope to poffefs themselves of the place.

A gentleman arriv'd at Roan from la Fere gave out, that the king had found there victuals and provifions for two months, left by the Spaniards. But it was generally thought, that the king had caufed that report to be fpread, on account of the good compofition, which he had granted the place after feven months fiege.

a Vol. XI.

METEREN, lib. XVIII. fol. 387. THUANUS, tom.

* It furrender'd on the 23d of May, N. S. I. . cxvi. cap. viii. p. 603-606.

VOL. II.

C

The