ESSEX S TREASON. Ixxxvii 



the cold and severe aspect of offended justice, can be con 

 ceived only by those who had seen his patient watchfulness 

 over his wayward friend. Through the whole of his career, 

 Bacon had anxiously pursued him, warning him, when it 

 was possible, to prevent the commission of error ; excusing 

 him to his royal mistress when the warning had proved 

 fruitless ; hoping all things, enduring all things ; but the 

 time seemed fast approaching, when, urged by his own 

 wild passions, and the ruffian crew that beset him, he 

 would commit some act which would place him out of the 

 pale of the Queen s mercy. 



Irritated by the refusal of his patent, he readily listened 

 to the pernicious counsels of a few needy and interested 

 followers. Essex House had long been the resort of the 

 factious and discontented ; secretly courting the Catholics, 

 and openly encouraging the Puritans, Essex welcomed 

 all who were obnoxious to the court. He applied to the 

 King of Scotland for assistance, opened a secret corres 

 pondence with Ireland, and, calculating upon the support 

 of a large body of the nobility, conspired to seize the 

 Tower of London and the Queen herself, and marshalled 

 his banditti to effect his purposes. 



The Queen, who had been apprised of the unusual con 

 course of persons to Essex House, was now fully acquainted 

 with the extent of his treasons. In this emergency she 

 acted with a firmness worthy of herself. She directed the 

 Lord Mayor of London to take care that the citizens were 

 ready, every man in his own house, to execute such com 

 mands as should be enjoined them. To Essex she sent 

 the Lord Keeper, the Lord Chief Justice, and the Earl of 

 Worcester, to learn the cause of this treasonable assembly. 

 He said &quot; that there was a plot against his life ; that some 

 were suborned to stab him in his bed; that he and his 

 friends were treacherously dealt with, and that they were 



