CONCERNING THE EARL OF ESSEX. 259 



than stood at that time with her will and pleasure. 

 About the same time I remember an answer of mine 

 in a matter which had some affinity with my lord s 

 cause, which though it grew from me, went after about 

 in others names. For her majesty being mightily in 

 censed with that book which was dedicated to my 

 lord of Essex, being a story of the first year of king 

 Henry IV. thinking it a seditious prelude to put 

 into the people s head boldness and faction, said, 

 She had an opinion that there was treason in it, and 

 asked me if I could not find any places in it that 

 might be drawn within case of treason : whereto 

 I answered ; For treason surely I found none, but 

 for felony very many. And when her majesty 

 hastily asked me, Wherein ? I told her, the au 

 thor had committed very apparent theft ; for he had 

 taken most of the sentences of Cornelius Tacitus, 

 and translated them into English, and put them 

 into his text. And another time, when the queen 

 would not be persuaded that it was his writing 

 whose name was to it, but that it had some 

 more mischievous author ; and said with great in 

 dignation, That she would have him racked to pro 

 duce his author : I replied ; &quot; Nay, madam, he is a 

 &quot; doctor, never rack his person, but rack his stile; 

 ts let him have pen, ink, and paper, and help of 

 &quot; books, and be enjoined to continue the story 

 &quot; where it breaketh off, and I will undertake by 

 &quot; collating the stiles to judge whether he were the 

 &quot; author or no.&quot; But for the main matter, sure I 



