660 ENGL 
and the reft utterly difabled. The fame tempeft met the 
victorious fleet of England on its return ; but the (hips 
being lighter efcaped with little damage. It would be 
tedioirs to relate all the advantages obtained by the Eng- 
liih over the enemy at fea, where the capture of every 
fl'.ip muft have been made a feparate narrative ; or their 
various defeents upon different parts of the Spanifli main, 
which were attended with effects too tranlient for the 
page of hiftory. It is fufficient to obferve, that the naval 
commanders of that reign were conlidered as the boldeft 
men the world had produced ; among whom were Ra¬ 
leigh, Howard, Drake, Cavendifli, Hawkins, &c. The 
Englilh navy then firft began to take the lead, and has 
lince continued irrefiftible in all parts of the ocean. 
Among thofe who made the mod fignal figure in the 
army, was the young earl of Elfex, a nobleman of great 
bravery, generofity, and genius; and fitted, not only for 
the foremoft ranks in war by his valour, but to conduit 
the pitiigues of a court, by his eloquence and .addrefs. 
But with all thefe endowments, he wanted prudence; 
being impetuous, haughty, and totally incapable of 
advice or controul. The earl of Leicefter, who died fome 
time before, left room in the queen’s affections for a new 
favourite, which (lie was not long in choofing. The bra¬ 
very, the popularity, and the meridian of manhood, 
which now diftinguifhed Eflex, were recommendations 
too important not to engage her attention. Elizabeth, 
though Ihe refilled a hufband, yet appeared always defir- 
ous of a lover ; and flattery had rendered her fo infenfible 
to her want of beauty, and to the depredations of age, 
that ihe Hill thought herfelf as captivating by her per- 
fonal accompli ill meats, as by her authority. The new 
favourite was active, ambitious, witty, and handfome; 
in the field, and at court, lie always appeared with fupe- 
rior luifre. In all the mafks, which were then in fafhion, 
the earl and Elizabeth were coupled as partners ; and 
although ihe was near fixty, and he not half fo old, yet 
her vanity overlooked the difparity ; the world told her 
die was young, and Ihe vviflied to think fo. The earl’s 
advancement in the queen’s affections, as may naturally 
be imagined, promoted his interefts in the ftate ; and he 
at length conducted public meafures at his own difere- 
tion. Inexperienced as he was, he began to fancy that 
the popularity he poffeffed, and the flatteries he received, 
were acquired by bis merits, and not by court favour. 
His jealoufy alfo of lord Burleigh, bis only rival in 
power, began to make him vindictive; and the fucceffes 
he had obtained againft the Spaniards, increafed his confi¬ 
dence. In a debate before the queen, between him and 
Burleigh, about the choice of a governor for Ireland, he 
was fo heated, that he entirely forgot the rules both of 
duty and decorum. He turned his pofteriors to the queen 
in a contemptuous manner; which fo provoked her re- 
fe-ntment, that Ihe gave him a box on the ear. Infteadof 
making the apology of a gentleman, or recollecting the 
fubmiflion due to the fex and dignity of a queen, he clap¬ 
ped his hand to his fword, and fwore he would not have 
borne fuel) ufage from her father. This infult, though 
unprecedented, was overlooked by Elizabeth ; flie rein- 
ftated him in her favour, and love feemed to have acquir¬ 
ed new force from anger and refentment. The death 
alfo of his rival, lord Burleigh, which happened fhortly 
after, ferved to confirm his power. 1 
At that time the earl of Tyrone headed an infurreftion 
in Ireland ; to fubdue which, was an employment that 
Effex thought worthy of his ambition; nor were the 
courtiers difpleafed at the removal of a man who obftruCt- 
ed their private aims of preferment. The earl of Effex, 
upon taking the command, emplo’yed the earl of South¬ 
ampton, who had been long obnoxious to the queen, as 
general of horfe ; nor was it till after repeated orders 
from Elizabeth, that he could be prevailed on to difplace 
him. This indiferetion was followed by another: in¬ 
deed of attacking the enemy in their grand retreat in 
Ulfter, he led Iris forces into the province of Munfter, 
AND. 
where lie exhaufted his ftrengtli, and loft the favourable 
opportunity of a decifive victory; and thus, inftead of 
forcing the rebels to a fubmiflion, lie had concluded an 
inglorious ceffation of hoftilities. But his conduCt was 
Hill more abfurd and incomprehenfible, when quitting 
his command, and leaving the army inactive, he returned 
from Ireland on a vifit to the queen. Elizabeth, at firft, 
was pleafed with the interview ; but the-momentary fatis- 
faCtion of his unexpected appearance being over, file re¬ 
flected on the impropriety of the affair, and ordered an 
inveftigation of his conduCt before the council, fecure in 
their difpolition to do him no injury. In confequence of 
this he was only fentenced to refign his employments, and 
remain a prifoner in his own houfe during her majefty’s 
plea fure. 
The cloud which had obfeured the fortune of this 
heedlefs nobleman was now inclined to difperfe. A 
flight illnefs had foftened the heart of the queen, and by 
enquiry (he found that lie had fpent his hours in exercifes 
of devotion, an enthufiafm which always feized his mind 
when fortune was adverfe : but one unlucky expreflion 
of feverity occaiioned his deftruCtion. The date of a 
lucrative patent enjoyed by Effex bad juft expired, and 
he petitioned for its renewal. Elizabeth refufed it with 
this farcafm, “ an ungovernable beaft ihould be ftinted 
of its provender.” After this, he gave up all hopes of 
being reinftated in the favour of his Ibvereign ; and, hur¬ 
ried away by the impetuofity of his temper, lie rufhed 
headlong into violence, treafon, and ruin. He excited 
James of Scotland to take meafures to fecure his fuc- 
ceffion, which he faid was in danger from the machi¬ 
nations of a minilter who had placed Raleigh to command 
in Jerfey, Carew in Ireland, and lord Cobham at the 
Cinque Ports, merely to facilitate the acceftion of a Spa- 
niili princefs. But James was too cautious to rifle fo rich 
a prize by too much hurry. Effex alfo wrote to lord 
Mountjoy in Ireland, and almoft perftiaded him to in¬ 
vade England. He filently caballed with the catholics, 
and openly with the puritans; and he drove to form ai^- 
aft'oeiation againft Elizabeth among the magiftrates and 
citizens of London. He even proceeded to fettle the plan 
of an infurreCtion ; and it was determined that his friends 
ftiould overpower the guards and feize the palace ; and 
that himfelf (hould demand of the queen a new parlia¬ 
ment, a new miniftry, and a fettlement of the fuccellion. 
The fall of the mii'guided Effex opened the year i6ot . 
Driven to defpair by the apprehenfion of ruin, he madly 
attempted to arm the populace againft the throne of Eli¬ 
zabeth. Having garrifoned his houfe in the Strand, and 
imprifoned therein three of the privy-counfellors who had 
been fent to enquire into his proceedings, he traverled 
the city of London at the head of two hundred armed 
men, crying, “ For the queen! for the queen! my life is 
in danger.” But the lord mayor had ordered the citizens 
to keep within doors ; and Effex, having been proclaimed 
a traitor by the earl of Cumberland, faw his followers 
flirink from his banner; and it was not without the lofs 
of fome of his remaining friends, that he could fecure a 
padage back to Effex-houfe. There lie was affailed by 
the lord-admiral Nottingham with a corps of regular 
troops, and obliged to furrender at diferetion. The pri¬ 
vy-counfellors had been before releafed by fir Ferdinand 
Gorges, who is fuppofed to have aCted as a fpy on the 
motions of Effex. 
The trial and condemnation of this ill-fated nobleman 
quickly followed. It was then that the enthufiafm of 
piety again poffeffed the foul of Effex. He wept over 
his faults, confeffed his machinations, and even difclofed 
the intention of his friends in his favour; an avowal 
which, in his cooler moments, he would have abhorred. 
The queen figned the warrant for his death with an al¬ 
moft convulfive pang, and foon countermanded it, appa¬ 
rently waiting for fome fuppliant application, which might 
give her an occafion for fhewing mercy. No fupplication. 
