that choice of words; what grace of utterance. Doth it not appear though her wit be as the adamant of excellencies, which draweth out of any book ancient or new, out of any writing or speech, the best, yet she refineth it, she enricheth it far above the value wherein it is received? And is her speech only that language which the child learneth with pleasure, and not those which the studious learn with industry? Hath she not attained, beside her rare eloquence in her own language, infinitely polished since her happy times, changes of her languages both learned and modern? so that she is able to negotiate with divers ambassadors in their own languages; and that with no [small1] disadvantage unto them, who I think cannot but have a great part of their wits distracted from their matters in hand to the contemplation and admiration of such perfections. What should I wander on to speak of the excellencies of her nature, which cannot endure to be looked on with a discontented eye? of the constancy of her favours, which maketh [her] service as a journey by land, whereas the service of other princes is like an embarking by sea? For her royal wisdom and policy of government, he that shall note and observe the prudent temper she useth in admitting access, of the one side maintaining the majesty of her degree, and on the other side not prejudicing herself by looking to her estate through too few windows; her exquisite judgment in choosing and finding good servants (a point beyond the former); her profound discretion in assigning and appropriating every of them to their aptest employment; her penetrating sight in3 discovering every man's ends and drifts; her wonderful art in keeping servants in satisfaction, and yet in appetite; her inventing wit in contriving plots and overturns; her exact caution in censuring the propositions of others [for] her service; her foreseeing [of 5] events; her usage of occasions; -he that shall consider of these, and other things that may not well be touched, as he shall never cease to wonder at such a queen, so he shall wonder the less, that in so dangerous times, when wits are so cunning, humours [so] extravagant, passions so violent, the corruptions so great, the dissimulations so deep, factions so many, she hath notwithstanding done such great things, and reigned in felicity. To speak of her fortune (that which I did reserve for a gar- A fortuna. A felicitate. land of her honour), [as there is but one point in which it seemeth incomplete], and that is that she liveth a virgin and hath no children, so it is that which maketh all her other virtues and acts more sacred, more august, more divine.1 Let them leave children that leave no other memory in their times: Brutorum æternitas soboles. Revolve in histories the memories of happy men, and you shall not find any of rare felicity but either he died. childless, or his line spent soon after his death, or else [he] was unfortunate in his children. Should a man have them to be slain by his vassals, as the posthumus3 of Alexander the Great was? or to call them his imposthumes, as Augustus Cæsar called his? Peruse the catalogue: Cornelius Sylla, Julius Cæsar, Flavius Vespasianus, Severus, Constantinus the Great, and many more. Generare et liberi, humana: creare et opera, divina. And therefore, this objection removed, let us proceed to take a view of her felicity. 5 4 A mate of fortune she never took; only some adversity she passed at the first, to give her a quicker sense of the prosperity that should follow, and to make her more reposed in the divine providence. Well, she cometh to the crown. It was no small fortune to find at her entrance some such servants and counsellors as she then found. The French king, who at this time by reason of the peace concluded with Spain and of the interest he had in Scotland mought have proved a dangerous neighbour, by how strange an accident was he taken away?" The King of Spain, who, if he would have inclined to reduce the Low Countries by lenity, considering the goodly revenues which he drew from those countries, [and] the great commodity to annoy her state from thence, might have made mighty and perilous matches against her reposc, putteth on a resolution not only to use the means of those countries, but to spend and consume all his other means, the treasure of his Indies, and the forces of his ill-compacted dominions, there and upon them. The Earls that rebelled in the North, 1 This sentence, as it stands in the MS., is evidently corrupt; I fear irrecoverably 80. A whole clause seems to have dropped out; probably to the effect of that which I have supplied between the brackets. The words at the end of the paragraph, "this objection removed," show that an objection had been suggested. 2 he omitted in MS. 4 impostors: MS. 5 Vespanianus: MS. 3 forthumus: MS. 6 generare at liberari humana creare et operare divina: MS. 7 Killed by accident at a tournament, July 1559. 8 and omitted in MS. 9 Carles: MS. The Earls were the Earls of Northumberland and Westmore before the Duke of Norfolk's plot (which indeed was the strength and seal of that commotion) was fully ripe, brake forth and prevented their time. The King Sebastian of Portugal, whom the King of Spain would fain have persuaded that it was a devouter enterprise to purge Christendom than to enlarge it (though I know some think that he did artificially nourish him in that voyage), is cut a pieces with his army in Africa. Then hath the King of Spain work cut out to make all things in readiness during the old Cardinal's time for the conquest of Portugal;1 whereby his desire of invading of England was slackened and put off some years, and by that means was put in execution at a time for some respects much more to his disadvantage. And the same invasion, like and as if it had been attempted before it had [had] the time much more proper and favourable, so likewise had it in true discourse a better season afterwards; for if it had been deferred 3 till time that the League had been better confirmed in France, which no doubt would have been, if the Duke of Guise, who was the only man of worth on that side, had lived (and the French king durst never have laid hand upon him, had he not been animated by the English victory against the Spaniards precedent), and then some maritime town had been gotten into the hands of the League, it had been a great surety and strength to the enterprise. The Popes, to consider of them whose course and policy it had been (knowing her Majesty's natural clemency) to have temporized and dispensed with the Papists coming to church, that through the mask of their hypocrisy they mought have [been] brought into places of government in the state and in the country: these contrariwise by the instigation of some fugitive scholars that advised them,7 not that was best for the see of Rome, but what agreed best with their eager humours and desperate states, discover and declare themselves so far by sending most seminaries and taking of reconcilements, as there is now severity of laws introduced for the repressing of that sort, and men of that religion are become the suspect. What should I speak of so many conspiracies miraculously detected? The records show the treasons: but it is yet hidden in many of them The Cardinal would not designate a successor to the crown of Portugal, for which there were several competitors. See 'Observations on a Libel.' 2 had omitted in MS. 3 dissolved: MS. 4 So MS. But there is certainly something wrong. 6 shee: MS. 7 him: MS. how they came to light. What should I speak of the opportune death of her enemies, and the wicked instruments towards her estate? Don Juan died not amiss.1 Dawbeney, Duke of Lenox, who was used as an instrument to divorce Scotland from the amity of England, died in no ill season ; a man withdrawn indeed at that time to France, but not without great help. I may not mention the death of some that occur to mind; but still methinks they live that should live, and they die that should die. I would not have the King of Spain die yet; he is seges gloriæ: but when he groweth dangerous, or any other besides him, I am persuaded they will die. What should I speak of the fortunes of her armies, which, notwithstanding the inward peace of this nation,5 were never more renowned? What should I recount Leith and Newhaven for the honourable skirmishes and services? they are no blemish at all to the militiæ of England. In the Low Countries, the Lammas day, the retreat of Ghent, the day of Zutphen, and the prosperous progress of this summer;6 the bravado in Portugal, and the honourable exploits in the aid of the French king, besides the memorable voyages in the Indies;7 and lastly, the good entertainment of the Invincible Navy, which was chased till the chasers were weary [and] after infinite loss, without taking a cock-boat, without firing a sheep-cot, sailed on the mercies of the wind and the discretion of their adventures," making a perambulation or pilgrimage about the northern seas, and ennobling1o many shores and points of land by shipwreck : and so returned home with scorn and dishonour much greater than the terror and expectation of their setting forth. These11 virtues and perfections, with so great felicity, have made her the honour of her times, the admiration of the world, the suit and aspiring of greatest kings and princes, who yet durst never have aspired unto her, but as their minds were raised by love. 2 Darleigh: MS. 3 1583. But why do I forget that words do extenuate and embase 1 October, 1578. 4 If the allusion here be to the Prince of Parma, for whose death (3rd December, 1592) Elizabeth is said to have allowed no rejoicing, this oration cannot have been composed so early as the Queen's Day in 1592. But Mary of Scotland may be the person meant, whose removal could not be alluded to, yet in such a connexion could not but be remembered. 5 nations: MS. 6 In the summer of 1592 things went so well in the Low Countries, that a considerable body of the English force there was sent into Brittany. 7 Indians: MS. 10 ignobling: MS. 8 and omitted in MS. 9 So MS. matters of so great weight? Time is her best commender, which never brought forth such a prince; whose imperial virtues contend with the excellency of her person, both [person and1] virtues contend with her fortune, and both virtue and fortune contend with her fame. Orbis amor, famæ carmen, cœlique pupilla; Tu decus omne tuis, tu decus ipsa tibi! 9. It may be thought perhaps that an oration like this,-which for spirit, eloquence, and substantial worth may bear a comparison with the greatest panegyrical orations of ancient or modern times,—is too long and elaborate to have been used with good effect as part of a Court entertainment. But (not to suggest that it may have been worked upon and enlarged afterwards) there was a special circumstance which would give it at that time a peculiar and serious interest. The Responsio ad edictum Regina Angliæ had just appeared; a laboured invective against the government, charging upon the Queen and her advisers all the evils of England and all the disturbances of Christendom. It was written directly in favour of Spain and the Catholic cause, and addressed itself to all disaffected spirits both at home and abroad. A copy of it had been sent the week before to Anthony Bacon by one of the Lord Keeper's secretaries, with a request that "it might be kept from any but such as were well affected and knew how to use such things;"3 so it was quite a fresh matter. Now Francis Bacon's oration, though not directly alluding to this book (which might be thought inexpedient, as tending to give it notoriety) did by implication meet and answer the principal allegations which it contained; and therefore might well find at Court a more patient and attentive audience than a mere Court-compliment could have commanded. Or if still it be objected that a thing so far out of the common way could hardly have passed on such an occasion without being more spoken of at the time and remembered afterwards, we may suppose if we will (a possibility never to be wholly lost sight of with regard to papers of this kind which have come down to us without any explanation but what their own contents supply), that, though designed and prepared, it was not presented. At any rate, whatever the view with which it was composed or the use to which it was put, it is not likely that it was allowed to remain 1 both virtues : MS. For a full account of it before it was out, see Harl. MS. 35. p. 372. Father Parsons is supposed to have been the writer. 3 Birch, i. 90. |