impiety and atheism. But his History of the World breathes a genuine spirit of piety, and independently of the moral vein of reflection throughout his poems in general, there are several distinctly religious :-one, perhaps the most singular and striking, we are tempted partly to extract. The mixture of sublime ideas with quaint and familiar images, is strongly characteristic of the age. The poem is entitled "His Pilgrimage," and is said to have been written the night previous to his execution; and, however extraordinary it may seem, the allusion, towards the close, to the manner and immediate approach of his death seems to confirm this belief:

No cause deferr'd, no vain-spent journey;
For there Christ is the King's attorney,
Who pleads for all without degrees,
And he hath angels, but no fees.

And when the twelve grand million jury
Of our sins, with direful fury,
'Gainst our souls black verdicts give,
Christ pleads his death, and then we live.
Be thou my speaker, (taintless Pleader,
Unblotted Lawyer, true Proceeder,)
Thou would'st salvation even for alms,
Not with a bribed lawyer's palms,
And this is mine eternal plea,

To Him that made Heaven, Earth, and Sea,
That since my flesh must die so soon,

And want a head to dine next noon,

Just at that stroke, when my veins start and spread,
Set on my soul an everlasting head.

Then am I ready, like a palmer fit,

To tread those bless'd paths which before I writ!
Of death and judgment, Heaven and Hell,

Who oft doth think must needs die well!

To die firmly, is often the test only of pride and resolution. The power which sympathy holds over man, his regard for the opinion of his fellows, are most strongly demonstrated in the examples which are to be found of bad men dying with resolution equal to that displayed by the good. But daring and bold as may be their courage, it is always deficient in the humility which is inseparable from the death of the virtuous. And this may reconcile us to the fact, which, otherwise, must weigh heavily upon the mind, that courage in death, as in life, does not belong exclusively to the worthy.

At this distance of time, it may be difficult exactly to appreciate the private character of Raleigh. That he was tenderly attached, however, to his wife and sons, may be gathered from his few domestic letters which remain, and his death bespeaks piety and great

ness of soul, in a most striking degree. He was so fearless of death, so resolute and confident, that Dr. Tounson, the divine who attended him in his last hours, to use his own expression "wondered at him," and thought it necessary to admonish him that the dear servants of God, in better causes, had shrunk back and trembled a little, while heathen men, through the humour of vain glory, or selfishness, had set as little by their lives as he would do, and seemed to die as bravely; to which Raleigh replied, he denied it not, but gave God thanks he had never feared death, and much less then, for it was but an opinion and an imagination, and the manner of death, although to others it might seem grievous, yet he had rather die so than of a burning fever; and he was persuaded, that no man that knew God, and feared him, could die with cheerfulness and courage, except he was assured of the love and favour of God unto him; "with much more to that effect, very christianly," as adds Dr. TounHis behaviour at the scaffold was consistent with these expressions; his speech shews his desire to exculpate his character from the aspersions which had been cast on his last voyage; his trust in the mercy of Heaven, and the firmness and equanimity of his courage. Shall we then say Sir Walter Raleigh was a hero without a blemish? a model, both in his life and in his death? Alas! where does history present us with such perfect beings? No; there is a blot upon the character of Raleigh, which his greatest admirers can never overlook. His rivalry with Essex, was the natural consequence of ambition, seeking preeminence and favour in the court of a queen liable to fits of caprice and favouritism; and the various occasions of offence were but the discords which must always

son.

occur between candidates for power, when party feelings heat the temper, and intrigues influence success. But there can be no excuse for the vile letter written to Sir Robert Cecil to goad his relenting enmity; for, although the ambiguity of its expressions may afford some grounds for believing that his dying words concerning Essex may have been no more than the selfdeceit which we are apt to exercise with regard to our actions the glossing which we so frequently put upon our conduct when a variety of motives have combined to influence, yet it will ever be a monument of the modes by which success in public life was often secured, and a most foul stain upon the character of Raleigh. His dying speech remains to show, either how totally men may deceive themselves, orwhich is more terrible-to convince us that to ensure the regard and sympathy of their fellow creatures, men— even such men as Raleigh-will quit this world with a lie in their mouths, while they die with the resolution which ought to belong only to truth. The letter and the speech, are too curious not to be recalled to our recollection:

"Sir, I am not wise enough to give you advice; but if you relent towards this tyrant, you will repent it when it shall be too late; his malice is fixed, and will not evaporate by any of your mild courses, for he will ascribe the alteration to her Majesty's pusillanimity, and not to your good nature, knowing that you work but upon her humour, and not out of any love toward him: the less you make him, the less he shall be able to harm you and yours; and if her Majesty's favour fail him, he will again decline to a common person. For after revenges, fear them not; for your father was esteemed to be the contriver of Norfolk's ruin, yet his

son followeth your father's son, and loveth him. Humours of men succeed not, but grow by occasions, and accidents of time and power. Somerset made no revenge on the duke of Northumberland's heirs. Northumberland, that now is, thinks not of Hatton's+ issue; Holloway lives, that murdered the brother of Horsey, and Horsey let him go by all his life time. I could name you a thousand of those, and, therefore, afterfears are but prophecies, or rather conjectures from causes remote: look to the present and you do wisely. His son shall be the youngest earl of England but one; and if his father be now kept down, Will. Cecil shall be able to keep as many men at his heels as he, and more too: he may also match in a better house than his, and so that fear is not worth the fearing. But if the father continue, he will be able to break the branches, and pull up the root and all. Lose not your advantage; if you do I read your destiny. Let the Q. hold Bothwell while she hath him; he will ever be the canker of her estate and safety. Princes are lost by security, and preserved by prevention: I have seen the last of her good days, and all ours, after his liberty. Yours, &c.-W. R."

After justifying his last voyage, Raleigh concludes his speech with these words,:-"I shall entreat a little more time to speak of the imputation cast upon me,

* The duke having influenced Edward VI. to deprive him of his lands and title.

+ Sir Christopher Hatton being suspected of the murder of the late earl of Northumberland in the Tower.

Sir Robert's only son.

§ Francis Stuart, grandson of James V. was created Earl of Bothwell by James VI. His restless and unruly spirit, his ambitious and factious conduct, occasioned repeated forfeitures, and the constant pardons he received occasions this application of his name to Essex.