CONCERNING THE EARL OP ESSEX. 275 



that I had made a first draught thereof, and pro 

 pounded it to certain principal counsellors by her 

 majesty s appointment, it was perused, weighed, 

 censured, altered, and made almost a new writing, 

 according to their lordships better consideration; 

 wherein their lordships and myself both were as reli 

 gious and curious of truth, as desirous of satisfac 

 tion : and myself indeed gave only words and form 

 of style in pursuing their direction. And after it had 

 passed their allowance, it was again exactly perused 

 by the queen herself, and some alterations made 

 again by her appointment : nay, and after it was 

 set to print, the queen, who, as your lordship know- 

 eth, as she was excellent in great matters, so she was 

 exquisite in small, and noted that I could not forget 

 my ancient respect to my lord of Essex, in terming 

 him ever my lord of Essex, my lord of Essex, 

 almost in every page of the book, which she thought 

 not fit, but would have it made Essex, or the late 

 earl of Essex : whereupon of force it was printed 

 &quot; de novo,&quot; and the first copies suppressd by her 

 peremptory commandment. 



And this, my good lord, to my farthest remem 

 brance is all that passed wherein I had part ; which 

 I have set down as near as I could in the very words 

 and speeches that were used, not because they are 

 worthy the repetition, I mean those of mine own ; 

 but to the end your lordship may lively and plainly 

 discern between the face of truth, and a smooth tale : 

 and the rather also, because in things that passed a 

 good while since, the very words and phrases did 



