ESSEX LORD LIEUTENANT. xv 



tered themselves in their marshes and forests, and grew 

 every da^ more intractable and dangerous; it became 

 necessary, therefore, that some vigorous measures should 

 be adopted to restrain their excesses. 



A powerful army was raised, of which the command was 

 intended by the Queen to be conferred upon Lord Mount- 

 joy ; but Essex solicited an employment, which at once 

 gratified his ambition and suited the ardour of his cha 

 racter, and which his enemies sought for him more zealously 

 than his friends, foreseeing the loss of the Queen s favour, 

 from the certainty of his absence from court, and the 

 probable failure of his expedition. 



From the year 1596 till this period there had been some Difference 

 interruption of the intimacy between Bacon and Essex, w 

 arising from the honest expression of his opinion of the 

 unwise and unworthy use which Essex made of his power 

 over the Queen. Notwithstanding the temporary estrange 

 ment which this difference of opinion occasioned, Essex 

 was unwilling to accept this important command without 

 consulting his intelligent friend. 



Bacon s narrative gives a striking picture of both parties. 

 He says, u Sure I am (though I can arrogate nothing 

 to myself but that I was a faithful remembrance to his 

 lordship) that while I had most credit with him his fortune 

 went on best. And yet in two main points we always 

 directly and contradictorily differed, which I will mention 

 to your lordship, because it giveth light to all that followed. 

 The one was, I ever set this down, that the only course to 

 be held with the Queen was by obsequiousness and observ 

 ance ; and I remember I would usually engage confidently, 

 that if he would take that course constantly, and with 

 choice of good particulars to express it, the Queen would 

 be brought in time to Assuerus question, to ask, What 

 should be done to the man that the king would honour ? 



