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in detail the history of the Earl's campaign against the rebels in Ireland. His imputed misconduct in that expedition was the subject of a censure before commissioners appointed by the Queen, on his return to England; but as the circumstances which induced that proceeding were totally unconnected with the subject of his subsequent trial for treason, it is unnecessary to relate them particularly here. It will be sufficient to direct the reader's attention generally to such parts of his conduct during his government in Ireland as tended to prepare the way for the total overthrow of his fortunes which ensued.

Almost the first act done by him on reaching Ireland, was to appoint his friend, the Earl of Southampton, General of the Horse, in direct opposition to the express orders of the Queen; which appointment, after much angry correspondence with the Council, he was compelled by a peremptory order from the Queen to revoke. The next offence charged against him was, that instead of cutting off at once the head of the rebellion, by attacking Tyrone in the province of Ulster with his whole force, he occupied more than two months on an expedition into Munster, which led to no decisive results, and occasioned great loss of men and money. At last, on the 24th of August, he marched against Tyrone with his whole army; but upon meeting him, instead of fighting, a parley took place, and the Earl agreed to an armistice for six weeks, and so from six weeks to six weeks until May-day following, with liberty to either party to terminate the armistice upon giving fourteen days' notice. Immediately upon the conclusion of this armistice, the Earl of Essex dismissed the army, and went himself to Dredagh, while Tyrone retired with all his forces into the heart of his country*. Long and loud were the reproaches of * Birch's Memoirs, vol. ii. p. 429.

Elizabeth upon this inglorious termination of a campaign upon which such vast expense had been incurred, and from which so much had been expected; and upon receiving them, the Earl, who usually acted upon momentary impulse, without taking time for reflection, instantly resolved to return to England. He therefore left the government of Ireland in his absence to the Archbishop of Dublin and Sir George Carew, and sailed directly for England.

His arrival at the Court, which was then at Nonsuch, and the circumstances of his reception cannot be better related than in the lively language of Rowland White, in his Letters to Sir Robert Sidney: "Upon Michaelmas-eve," says he*, "about ten o'clock in the morning, my Lord of Essex lighted at the court-gate in post, and made all haste up to the presence, and so to the privy chamber, and stayed not till he came to the Queen's bed-chamber, where he found the Queen newly up, with her hair about her face: he kneeled unto her, kissed her hands, and had some private speech with her which seemed to give him great contentment; for when he came from her Majesty, he was very pleasant, and thanked God though he had suffered much trouble and storms abroad, he found a sweet calm at home. 'Tis much wondered at here that he went so boldly to her Majesty's presence, she not being ready, and he so full of dirt and mire, that his very face was full of it. About eleven he went up to the Queen again, and conferred with her till half an hour past twelve. As yet all was well, and her usage very gracious towards him. He was visited frankly by all sorts here of lords and ladies, and gentlemen; only strangeness is observed between him and Mr. Secretary, and that party. After dinner he went up to the Queen, but found her much changed in that small * Sidney Papers, vol. ii, p. 127.

time, for she began to call him to question for his return, and was not satisfied in the manner of his coming away, and leaving all things at so great hazard. She appointed the Lords to hear him, and so they went to council in the afternoon, and he went with them, where they sat an hour, but nothing was determined on, or yet known: belike it is referred to a full council, for all the Lords are sent for to be here this day. It is mistrusted that for his disobedience he shall be committed." In his next letter, Mr. White says, "On the 28th of September, at night, between ten and eleven o'clock, a commandment came from the Queen to my Lord of Essex that he should keep his chamber: on Michaelmas-day the Lords sat in council in the forenoon, but the Earl was not there before two in the afternoon; and Mr. Smith was sent from the Lords to call him. When he came, all the Lords rose and saluted him; but when they sat again, my Lord stood at the upper end of the board, his head bare, to answer all that was objected against him. I heard that never man answered with more temper, more gravity, or discretion. After the Earl's coming from the Lords, he went again to his chamber, where as yet he continues captive. The Lords sat a quarter of an hour afterwards, and then went all to the Queen, and delivered unto her what had passed; but her answer was that she would pause and consider of his answers." In a letter of the 2nd of October, he says, "Upon Monday the Earl was commanded from Court, and committed to my Lord Keeper's. At his going from Court few or none of his friends accompanied him. I hear he takes all things very patient, and endures his affliction like a wise man; and God, I trust, will turn the Queen's heart again towards him, for it will not enter into my soul or conscience, but that he is an honest, true subject to her Majesty and her proceedings, though in

some things he may have erred in his courses in Ireland."

The Earl of Essex remained in free custody* at the Lord-Keeper's and at his own house till the 5th of June, 1600; on which day certain commissioners, consisting of Lords of the Privy Council, Peers, and Judges, specially appointed by the Queen for the purpose, but without any legal authority, even as the law then stood, resolved upon a censure upon him, "That he should not execute the offices of a Privy Councillor, or of Earl-Marshal, or of Master of the Ordnance; and remain a prisoner in his own house during the Queen's pleasure." On the 26th of August following he was finally released from custody, but the Queen signified to him that he was not to come to Court without leave. His popularity at this time was undiminished; in fact he appears during his whole life to have been the favourite of the people; his youth, the frankness and generosity of his character, his splendid hospitality, and his military renown, all tended to raise him to that dangerous pinnacle where those must always stand whom the populace" delighteth to honour." On this occasion, men publicly pitied his case, and condemned Cecil, Cobham, and Raleigh, who were supposed to have incited the Queen to this severity. During the whole of his long imprisonment, the Earl of Essex affected the deepest humility and submission; his letters to the Queen at this period are filled with expressions of the deepest contrition and self-humiliation. " In his letters and discourses," says Camden, 'he declared that he had discarded all the gaieties of life,

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* A person was said to be in "free custody" (in liberá custodia), when he was committed to the charge of some individual, who detained him in his own house, and was answerable for his appearance this was the opposite of what was called "close custody" (arcta custodia), where the prisoner was committed to the Tower, or other place of confinement.

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and drowned his ambition in his tears, and that he had but one request to make to the Queen, namely, 'that she would let her servant depart in peace.'

The following letter*, written about May 1600, is quite in this temper, though it will be perceived that when he mentions those to whom he ascribes his misfortunes, "his drops of tears are turned to sparks of fire:".

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'Before all letters written with this hand be ba'nished, or he that sends this enjoin himself eternal 'silence, be pleased, I humbly beseech your Majesty, ' to read over these few lines. At sundry times, and by several messengers, I received these words as your Majesty's own, that you "meant to correct, but not to ruin." Since which time, when I languished ' in four months' sickness, forfeited almost all that I ' was able to engage, felt the very pangs of death upon me, and saw that poor reputation, whatsoever * it was, that I had heretofore enjoyed, not suffered to die with me, but buried and I alive; I yet kissed your Majesty's fair correcting hand, and was con'fident in your Royal words. For I said unto my'self, "between my ruin and my Sovereign's favour 'there is no mean; and if she bestow favour again, 'she gives with it all things, that in this world I ' either need or desire." But now the length of my 'troubles, and the continuance, or rather the increase ' of your Majesty's indignation, hath made all men so afraid of me, as mine own estate is not only ruined, but my kind friends and faithful servants are like to die in prison, because I cannot help my'self with mine own. Now I do not only feel the 'intolerable weight of your Majesty's indignation, ' and am subject to their wicked information, that ⚫ first envied me for my happiness in your favour, and now hate me out of custom, but as if I were thrown *Birch's Memoirs, vol. ii. p. 444.

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