PREFACE. XIX 



creasing too, and in September 1598 he was arrested on his 

 way from the Tower, where he had been engaged in the in 

 vestigation of a plot for the murder of the Queen. He com 

 plained of the indignity thus offered him to Sir Robert Cecil 

 and the Lord Keeper Egerton, but how he was relieved from 

 it we have no information. A history of the conspiracy from 

 his pen appeared in the following year. 



In the spring of 1599 Essex set out on his disastrous exped 

 ition to Ireland. Bacon had already so far renewed his 

 intercourse with the Earl as to write him two letters of 

 advice. A third Cassandra-like note of warning was sounded 

 just before his departure, containing two maxims which Essex 

 was only too apt to forget, that merit is worthier than 

 fame, and * that obedience is better than sacrifice. He 

 landed in Dublin on the isth of April, and on the 28th of 

 September he startled the Queen at Nonsuch, by rushing 

 travel-stained into her chamber while she was dressing, her 

 hair about her face, as a letter-writer of the time tells us. 

 And what had he done meanwhile ? Practically, as Mr. Sped- 

 ding puts it, * whatever might be said in justification of this 

 or that item of the account, the totals must stand thus : 

 Expended, 300,0007. and ten or twelve thousand men : re 

 ceived, a suspension of hostilities for six weeks, with promise 

 of a fortnight s notice before recommencing them, and a 

 verbal communication from Tyrone of the conditions upon 

 which he was willing to make peace. Between ten and 

 eleven o clock the same night he was ordered to keep his 

 room. His first plan of bringing over with him a part of 

 the army to enable him to make conditions with the govern 

 ment, had been abandoned by the advice of his stepfather 

 Blount, and his friend Southampton. But he took with him 

 a strong body-guard of trusty men, who might have secured 

 him against any commitment. On the ist of October he 

 was placed in the custody of the Lord Keeper at York 

 House. Bacon, who at this time had constant access to the 

 Queen, was charged by popular rumour with irritating her 

 against Essex. According to the ordinary charities of 

 b 2 



