themselves with ridiculing Dorset's dramatic effort; which, however, it has been proved they could never have read, for each of them speaks of Gorboduc as a woman: this tragedy is reprinted in the last edition of Dodsley's Collection of Old Plays. Pope was a great admirer of Lord Dorset's muse, and does credit to the purity of his style, and that freedom from bombast, which was the great fault of our early tragic writers. He styles him the best poet between Chaucer and Spenser.

Dorset, in his younger days, had been remarkable as a man of pleasure and a spendthrift. His vast hereditary fortune had at one time nearly passed through his hands; and in his appointment to the Treasurership, he afforded a by no means solitary instance of an individual, who had wantonly squandered his own fortune, being entrusted with the purse of the public. This is not mentioned as a matter of reproach; since, whatever may have been his early faults, no man ever administered the public revenues with more credit to himself, or advantage to his country. The incident which occasioned the Earl's reformation is curious. His necessities obliging him to borrow a sum of money, he applied to a wealthy alderman for his assistance. Happening one day to call at the citizen's house, he was allowed to remain a considerable time unnoticed and alone. This indignity, to which his misconduct compelled him to

submit, so wrought upon his feelings, that he resolved from that moment to alter his mode of life. It may be added that he conscientiously adhered to his resolution.

The Earl died suddenly at the Council Board, on the 19th of April, 1608. In the heat of argument he rose from his seat; and as he drew some papers from his bosom, exclaimed vehemently, "I have that here which will strike you dead." He fell down at the moment, and died almost immediately. The Queen was present when he expired. His funeral took place in Westminster Abbey, where he was buried with great solemnity, the Archbishop of Canterbury preaching his funeral sermon on the occasion. His body is said to have been afterwards removed, according to a request in his last will, to the parish church of Withiam, in Sussex.†

* Aubrey's Letters of Eminent Men, vol. ii. p. 334.

+ Athenæ Oxon. vol. i. p. 347; Biog. Brit. vol. v. p. 3543; Biog. Dram. vol. iii. p. 237; Granger, vol. ii. p. 18; Collins's Peerage, vol. ii. p. 159, in which works the life and character of this nobleman are most fully treated of. See also Osborne, Wilson, Naunton, Sir Egerton Brydges, Cibber, Warton, Walpole, Fuller, and Wotton. The Earl has no reason to complain of neglect.

234

ROBERT CECIL,

EARL OF SALISBURY.

His Genius as a Statesman-his Rise in power, and Elevation to the Earldom of Salisbury-his personal Character.- Lady Derby and Queen Elizabeth. Salisbury's Gallantry-his Knowledge of King James's Character-his Employment of Spies-his secret Correspondence with James during the Life of Elizabeth.-Critical Incident.-Salisbury's Account of his Situation as a Favourite-his miserable Death.-Account of his last Sickness by his Chaplain-his Funeral at Hatfield.

THE minister of two sovereigns, and the founder of Theobalds and Hatfield. With a genius almost equal to that of his father, the great Lord Burleigh, he possessed a wonderful knowledge of human character, and that insinuating art, which, while it worms out the secrets of others, preserves its own object in the dark. Artifice and dissimulation are unpopular qualities; and when practised by the statesman in his public capacity, are too apt to affect his character in private life. Such was the lot of Salisbury. Party feeling has added its withering curse, and the name of the greatest politician of his time is seldom mentioned without obloquy. Still, however, it would be difficult to discover a single instance where the wisdom of his

administration can justly be called in question. The appointments which he made were admirable : as High Treasurer he gave vigour to an exhausted exchequer, and in a corrupt age afforded proof that he was incorruptible. Temptations which even the great Bacon was unable to resist, were by him disregarded. There have been many worse men, and few wiser ministers, than Robert Cecil, Earl of Salisbury.

He was born on the 1st of June, 1563, and was early initiated into public life. Lloyd, in his Worthies, styles him a "courtier from his cradle." In June, 1591, he was knighted by Elizabeth, and on the 13th of May, 1603, was created by James, Lord Cecil of Essingden; and on the 20th of August, 1604, Viscount Cranbourn. He was the first Viscount who ever wore a coronet.* On the 4th of May, 1605, he was raised to the Earldom of Salisbury. It would be out of place to enter here into the details of his political history. Besides his state appointments, he was a Knight of the Garter, and Chancellor of the University of Cambridge. He was married to Elizabeth, daughter of William Brook, Lord Cobham, who died in child-bed, in 1591.

The Earl was deformed in his body, but his face is described as handsome. Lloyd says, "For his person he was not much beholden to nature,

* Coronets were not allowed to the Barons of England till the reign of Charles the Second.

though somewhat for his face, which was the best part of his outside."* He was cheerful and goodhumoured he delighted in all mirthful meetings, and had a laudable taste for magnificence. Gallantry, in the courtly cabinet of Elizabeth, was almost considered as a kind of duty, and the young secretary was not unmindful of his part. The following passage is from a letter to the Earl of Shrewsbury, dated 18th September, 1592 :—“ I send your Lordship here inclosed some verses, compounded by Mr. Secretary, who got Hales to frame a ditty unto it. The occasion was, as I hear, that the young Lady Derby, wearing about her neck in her bosom a picture which was in a dainty tablet, the Queen espying it, asked what fine jewel that was. The Lady Derby† was curious to excuse the showing of it; but the Queen would have it; and opening it and finding it to be Mr. Secretary's, snatched it away, and tied it upon her shoe, and walked long with it there; then she took it thence and pinned it to her elbow, and wore it some time there also, which Mr. Secretary being told of, made these verses, and had Hales to sing them in his chamber. It was told her Majesty, that Mr. Secretary had rare music and songs; she would needs hear them; and so this ditty was sung, which you see first written. More

* State Worthies, vol. ii. p. 16.

+ Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Edward, seventh Earl of Oxford, and wife of William, sixth Earl of Derby.