ESSEX S TREASON. Ixxxix 



and his constant efforts to serve him were well known; and 

 the Queen had of late looked coldly upon him, and might 

 herself suspect his fidelity for sad experience had proved 

 to her that a monarch has no true friend, (a) In the 

 interval between the commitment of Essex to the Tower, 

 and his arraignment, Bacon must have become fully aware 

 of the facts which would condemn Essex in the eyes of 

 all good men, and render him amenable to the heaviest 

 penalty of the law. Awakened as from a dream, with the 

 startling truth that Essex was guilty as well as imprudent, 

 he saw that all which he and others had deemed rashness 

 was the result of a long concocted treason. In whatever 

 light it could be viewed, the course which Essex had pur 

 sued was ruinous to Bacon. He had been bondsman again 

 and again to the Queen for the love and duty of Essex ; 

 and now he had the mortification of discovering that, in 

 stead of being open and entire with him, Essex had abused 

 his friendship, and had assumed the dissembling attitude of 

 humility and penitence, that he might more securely aim a 

 blow at the very life of his royal benefactress. This double 

 treachery entirely alienated the affections of Bacon. He 

 saw no longer the high-souled, chivalric Essex, open as 

 the day, lucid as truth, giving both faults and virtues to 

 the light, redeeming in the eyes of all men the bounty of 



(a) This day senight her Majestie was at Blackfriars, to grace the mar 

 riage of the Lord Herbert and his wife. The Bride mett the Queen at the 

 Waterside, where my Lord Cobham had provided a Lectica, made like 

 half a litter, wherein she was carried to my Lady Russell s by 6 Knights. 

 After supper the Mask came in, as I writ in my last ; and delicate it was, 

 to see 8 Ladies soe prettily and richly attired. Mrs. Fitton leade, and after 

 they had donne all their own ceremonies, these 8 Ladys Maskers choose 

 8 Ladies more to dawnce the measures. Mrs. Fitton went to the Queen 

 and woed her to dawnce ; her Majesty asked what she was; Affection, she 

 said. Affection ! said the Queen, Affection is false. Yet her Majestie 

 rose and dawnced. See also note 3 T at the end. Sidney Papers. 



