358 HISTORICAL MEMORANDA OF 



ing storms, which served to apprize the enemy of their intention, 

 they sailed to the Azores. Here, as before, discord sprang up be- 

 tween Sir Walter Raleigh and Sir Gelly Meyrick. The former 

 was brought to a court martial and reprimanded, but the seeds of 

 envy were too deeply sown to be thus erased. Raleigh became a 

 tool in the hands of the Cecils to destroy Essex and his friends, to 

 be sacrificed in turn himself. The earl, it is well known, was 

 driven to desperation ; and, in order to drive the ministers from 

 their posts, was induced to take that ill-judged step that deprived 

 him of his head, and his trusty and staunch adherent. Sir Gelly, of 

 his life and property. 



In pursuance of his lord's design. Sir Gelly kept open house, 

 where preachers assembled, who delivered sermons, at Essex House, 

 with the utmost freedom of speech; and all persons dissatisfied 

 with the government were readily admitted. In the ill-digested 

 plan for obliging her majesty to change her cabinet. Sir Gelly had 

 the office of providing the earl's residence with military stores, and 

 the command of it while his lordship went into the city with such 

 adherents as he had assembled. The Aulicus Coquinarice, published 

 in 1650, mentions that the earl found his house too weak to with- 

 stand the force of a piece of ordnance mounted upon St. Clement's 

 church. Whether this was the case, or, distracted by the treachery 

 of pretended friends, he gave orders to surrender to the queen's 

 forces, and all within became prisoners. 



Sir Gelly was tried on the 5 th of March, 1600, having been pre- 

 viously examined on the 17th of February, according to the then 

 practice in England ; and the following, in the hand- writing of 

 Sir John Popham, is in his majesty's state-paper office : 



" He sayeth that upon Saturday last was sennyght he dyned at 

 Gunter's, in the company of the Lord Monteagle, Sir Christopher 

 Blont, Sir Charles Percye, Ellys, Jones, and Edward Busshell, and 

 whoe else he remembereth not ; and after dynner that daie, at the 

 mocyon of Sir Charles Percye and the rest, they went all together 

 to the Globe,* over the water, where the Lord Chamberlain's men 

 ys to play, and were ther sum what before the playe began ; Sir 

 Charles telling them that the play would be of Harry IV. Whe- 

 ther Sir John Davyes were there or noe this examinante cannot 

 tell, but he sayd he wold be ther yf he cold. He cannot tell whoe 

 procured that playe to be played at that time, except yt were Sir 

 Charles Percye ; but as he thyncketh yt was Sir Charles Percye. 



* Shakspeare's Theatre. 



