OF ROBERT EARL OF ESSEX. 321 



mortified estate of mind, he began to practise afresh 

 as busily as ever, reviving his former resolution ; 

 which was the surprising and possessing the queen s 

 person and the court. And that it may appear how 

 early after his liberty he set his engines on work, 

 having long before entertained into his service, and 

 during his government in Ireland drawn near unto 

 him in the place of his chief secretary, one Henry 

 Cuffe, a base fellow by birth, but a great scholar, 

 and indeed a notable traitor by the book, being 

 otherwise of a turbulent and mutinous spirit against 

 all superiors. 



This fellow, in the beginning of August, which 

 was not a month after Essex had liberty granted, fell 

 of practising with Sir Henry Nevil, that served her 

 majesty as leiger ambassador with the French king, 

 and then newly come over into England from Bul- 

 loign, abusing him with a false lie and mere inven 

 tion, that his service was blamed and misliked, and 

 that the imputation of the breach of the treaty of 

 peace held at Bulloign was like to light upon him, 

 when there was no colour of any such matter, only 

 to distaste him of others, and fasten him to my lord, 

 though he did not acquaint him with any particu 

 lars of my lord s designs till a good while after. 



But my lord having spent the end of the sum 

 mer, being a private time, when every body was out 

 of town and dispersed, in digesting his own thoughts, 

 with the help and conference of Mr. Cuffe, they had 

 soon set down between them the ancient principle of 

 traitors and conspirators, which was, to prepare many, 



VOL. VI. Y 



