350 DECLARATION OF THE TREASONS 



protestation of his alienation of heart from the 

 Spanish nation in any such condition, he still urged 

 the earl to name the reporter, that all the circum 

 stances might be known. But the earl still warily 

 avoiding it, Mr. Secretary replied, That seeing he 

 would allege no author, it ought to be reputed his 

 own fiction. Whereupon the earl of Essex said, 

 Though his own conscience was a sufficient testi 

 mony to himself that he had not invented any un 

 truth, yet he would affirm thus much for the world s 

 farther satisfaction in that behalf, that the earl of 

 Southampton also had heard so much reported of 

 Mr. Secretary ; but said still that he, for his part, 

 would name nobody. Whereupon Mr. Secretary 

 adjured the earl of Southampton, by all former 

 friendship, which had been indeed very great be 

 tween them, that he would declare the person ; 

 which he did presently, and said it was Mr. Comp 

 troller. At which speech Mr. Secretary straight 

 took hold and said, That he was glad to hear him 

 named of all others ; for howsoever some malicious 

 person might peradventure have been content to give 

 credit to so injurious a conceit of him, especially such 

 as were against the peace wherein he was employed, 

 and for which the earl of Essex had ever hated him, 

 being ever desirous to keep an army on his own de 

 pendency, yet he did think no man of any under 

 standing would believe that he could be so senseless 

 as to pick out the earl of Essex his uncle to lay open 

 to him his affection to that nation, in a matter of so 



