totally different person of the same name, who was a Sussex mechanic. When this is taken into account, and when we farther recollect the strong prejudices of his age in favor of unsullied descent, we may pardon our author much of the diffuseness and acrimony into which his wounded feelings have here betrayed him. It was, in fact assailing him on the very point from which his pride of birth derived its principal delight, and towards which he seems to have looked back as the surest support of his pretensions to hereditary distinction. "I am a Dudley in blood," he exclaims, "the duke's daughter's son-my chiefest honor is, to be a Dudley." But it is to be regretted that he did not apply himself with more minuteness and patience to lord Leicester's exculpation, and that he contented himself with pointing out a few of the inconsistencies and contradictions into which the libeller had fallen.

About the crisis of Sidney's life at which we have now arrived, he was inspired by an ardent desire to associate himself in a voyage of discovery with those hardy adventurers who were just beginning to exhibit that reckless intrepidity and skill, through which the navy of England has since covered itself with glory. His active mind had long led him to take a warm interest in the discoveries and projects of Sir Martin Frobisher and his comrades. We see him withal expressing, in a letter to Sir Edward Stafford, dated July 21, 1584, a sort of half inclination to join his fortunes with those of Sir Humphrey Gilbert, in a design, which the latter had for a considerable while meditated, of planting a colony in some unknown

Fulke

country and in 1585 Sir Philip conceived the idea of conducting an expedition to attack the Spanish settlements in South America, conjointly with Sir Francis Drake, who had previously circumnavigated the globe, and acquired considerable riches and great celebrity from his achievements. In the present instance, however, Sidney had undertaken to equip the necessary armament with the assistance of thirty gentlemen "of great blood and state," whom he had won over to his cause, each having agreed to contribute the sum of one hundred pounds. He had likewise determined to take upon himself a principal share in the command as soon as the fleet should have quitted the shores of England, an office for which we should imagine his habits and acquirements hitherto could have done little to qualify him. Greville was the confidant, and had consented to become the companion, of his enterprise: and all their measures were concerted with the utmost secrecy and circumspection. Yet their preparations did not escape the prying eyes of Elizabeth; and her acuteness was probably assisted by private information from Drake, who appears to have become dissatisfied with the division of power to which, at the outset of the business, he had most cordially acceded. A peremptory despatch, accordingly, came down from the court to Plymouth, whither Sir Philip had conveyed himself to be in readiness for sailing, forbidding his departure, and commanding his immediate return to his family. But so determined was he to carry his designs into effect, that he caused the government messenger to be forcibly deprived, on his journey, by

two soldiers in disguise, of the letters of recall with which he had been entrusted. This violent measure, however, was attended with no advantage to our author's schemes; for an order was delivered to him personally, by a peer of the realm, holding out, on the one hand, the most severe threats of displeasure if he continued to persist in executing his projects; and, on the other, promising him an employment under his uncle in the Low Countries, provided he yielded a dutiful and instant obedience to the mandate of his sovereign. In such circumstances, therefore, no expedient was left for his adoption, but to pursue, quietly, the course thus chalked out by the higher powers.

The queen certainly now owed him some distinguished appointment; especially, if it should be true, as has been often asserted, that she also prevented him, at this epoch, from being advanced to the regal dignity by the people of Poland. The crown of that kingdom, in which the monarchy was elective, had become vacant by the death of Stephen Bathori, the prince of Transylvania; and it is related that Sir Philip Sidney was put in nomination by the states, and might have possessed a fair chance of success, had Elizabeth condescended to further or support his pretensions. But, according to Sir Robert Naunton, she was indisposed to the measure "not only out of emulation, but out of fear to lose the jewel of her times" and, if Fuller may be believed to report more than the empty language of courtesy, our author was infinitely better pleased to be a subject of his present mistress "than a sovereign beyond the seas."

Our

Her majesty having taken the Protestants of the Netherlands under her protection in 1585, and promised to despatch a military force to their succour, Sir Philip Sidney was in that year nominated the governor of Flushing. This place, from its advantageous position close to the mouth of the Scheld, was then considered to be one of the most important posts in the whole range of the United Provinces. author set out to enter upon the duties of his new situation, actuated by an anxious zeal for the interests which had been committed to his charge; and on the 18th of November he arrived at his destination, and was received with the respect to which his eminence and character entitled him. He was instantly declared colonel of all the Dutch regiments; and captain of two hundred English foot, and one hundred cavalry. He was soon afterwards followed by lord Leicester, in command of a numerous reinforcement of auxiliary troops; and Sidney was straightway promoted to the rank of general of the horse under his uncle.

The earl was very inadequate to fulfil the important offices which he had undertaken; and his operations were therefore conducted with singular indiscreetness and want of success. He was indebted, however, to his nephew for many prudent and salutary counsels; and for several instances of skilful and fortunate enterprise. It was by Sidney that the town of Axell was surprised and escaladed without the loss of so much as a single man: and if he failed, as he did, in seizing Steenburg and Graveling, he was baffled by accidents which no degree of fore.

sight could have anticipated. In the one case a sudden thaw occasioned the miscarriage of his assault; and in the other he was overreached by the treachery of the governor of the town, who had promised to deliver it up to him, as soon as the allied army should advance to the attack.

Sir Philip's father died on the 5th of May, and his mother on the 9th of August, 1586. But these domestic calamities he was not suffered long to deplore; for the premature termination of his own brilliant career was now close at hand. On the twentysecond of the succeeding September a small detachment of the English, consisting of little more than five hundred men, encountered a convoy of the enemy amounting to three thousand troops, who were on their march to relieve Zutphen, a town in Guelderland, situated on the banks of the river Issel. A fierce and obstinate engagement, under the very walls of this fortress, was the result. The English, notwithstanding their great disparity in point of numbers, were completely victorious: but they considered their triumph was dearly purchased by the death of Sir Philip Sidney, the most distinguished hero of that hard-fought field. Early in the battle he had a horse killed under him, and had mounted another; he had, with daring intrepidity, rescued lord Willoughby from the most imminent peril, and gallantly charged his opponents three times in one skirmish; when he received a musketshot, from the trenches, a little above his left knee, which so brake and rifted the bone, and so entered the thigh upward, as the bullet could not be found