It is necessary that I touch on the religiousnesse of the others raigne, I meane the body of her sisters counsell of state, which she retained intirely, neither removing, nor discontenting any, although she knew them averse to her religion, and in her sisters time, perverse to her person, and privie to all her troubles, and imprisonments.

A prudence which was incompatible to her sisters nature, for she both dissipated and presented the major part of her brothers counsell; but this will be of certaine, that how complyable and obsequious soever she found them, yet for a good space she made little use of their counsells, more then in the ordinary course of the board, for she had a dormant table in her own privy-brest, yet she kept them together, and in their places, without any suddaine change; so that we may say of them, that they were then of the court, not of the counsell; for whilest she amazed them by a kind of promissive disputation concerning the points controverted by both churches; she did set downe her owne ghests without their privity, and made all their progressions, gradations, but for that the tenents of her secrets, with the intents of her stablishments were pitched before it was knowne where the court would sit downe.

Neither do I finde that any of her sisters counsell of state were either repugnant to her religion, or opposed her doings, Englefeild Mr. of the Wardes excepted, who withdrew himselfe from the board, and shortly after out of her dominions; so pliable and obedient they were to change with the times, and their prince; and of them will fall a relation of recreation: Pawlet Marquesse of Winchester, and Lord Treasurer, had served then 4 princes in as various, and changeable times and seasons, that I may well say, no time nor age hath yeelded the like president; this man being noted to grow high in her favor (as his place and experience required) was questioned by an intimate friend of his, how hee had stood up for 30 yeares together, amidst the change, and ruines of so many chancellors, and great personages; why, quoth the Marquesse, Ortus sume salice, non ex quercu, I am made of pliable willow, not of the stubborne oake? And truely it seemes the old man had taught them all, especially William Earle of Pembroke, for they two were alwaies of the king religion, and alwaies zealous professors of these it is sayd, that being both younger brothers, yet of noble houses, they spent what was left them, and came on trust to the court, where upon the bare stocke of their wits they began to traffique for themselves, and prospered so well, that they got, spent, and left more then any subjects from Normans con

quest, to their owne times: whereupon it hath beene pretily spoken, that they lived in a time of dissolution.

To conclude then, of all the former raigne, it is sayd, that those two lived, and died, chiefly in her grace and favor, by the letter written upp on his sonns marriage with the lady Catharine Gray; he had like utterly to have lost himselfe, but at the instant of consummation, as apprehending the unsafety, and danger of intermarriage with the blood royall, he fell at the queenes feet, where he both acknowledged his presumption, and projected the cause, and the divorce together; so quick he was at his worke, that in the time of repudiation of the sayd Lady Gray, he clapt up a marriage for his son, the Lord Herbert with Mary Sidney, daughter to Sir Henry Sidney, then Lord Deputy of Ireland, the blow falling on Edward the late Earle of Hartford, who to his costs tooke up the divorced lady, of whom the Lord Beauchampe was borne, and William now Earle of Hartford, is descended.

I come now to present them to their owne election, which were either admitted to her secrets of state, or tooke into her grace and favor, of whom in order I crave leave to give unto posteritie, a cautious description, with a short character,

or draught, of the persons themselves; for without offence to others, I would be true to my selfe, their memories, and merits, distinguishing those of Militæ, from the togati; and of both these she had as many, and those as able ministers, as had any of her progenitors.

Robert Dudley,

Earl of Leicester.

IT will be out of doubt, that my Lord of Leicester* was one of the first whom she made Master of the Horse, hee was the youngest sonne then living of the Duke of Northumberland, beheaded primo Maria, and his father was that Dudley which our histories souple with Empson: and both be much

On the death of his wife, who was reported to have died in consequence of a fall from a steep place, (not without shrewed suspicions of her being purposely precipitated in order to make way to his ambitious views) Elizabeth earnestly recommended him to Mary Queen of Scots, and promised her that if she would marry him, she should by authority of Parliament be declared her sister, or daughter, and heir of England, in case she should die without issue; and so intent was Elizabeth on the match, that she created him Baron of Denbigh, and a day after, Earl of Leicester; giving him Denbigh with large