Page:An English Garner Ingatherings from Our History and Literature (Volume 1 1877).pdf/480



Mr. H. F. BOURNE (my class-mate in 1860 at King's College, London; when my honoured Teacher, Professor HENRY MORLEY, there revealed to us what English Literature really was), in his Memoir of Sir PHILIP SIDNEY, 1863, gives the birth of STELLA as about 1563. SIDNEY, having been born on the 29th of November 1554, was therefore nearly nine years older than the Lady PENELOPE. PHILIP SIDNEY returned to London from his foreign tour about the 31st of May 1575, and thence journeying with the Queen's progress, first to the Triumphs and Pageants at Kenilworth, and afterwards in August to Chartley in Staffordshire, the home of Lady PENELOPE; where he, then 21, may have first seen STELLA, then aged 13. On the occasion of the death of her father, the 1st Earl, the following letter was written:—    EDWARD WATERHOUSE, Esquire. Letter from Chartley on the 14th November 1576, to Sir HENRY SIDNEY, Lord Deputy of Ireland.

[A. COLLINS, Letters &c.]

May it please your Lordship,

The funerals of [WALTER DEVEREUX] the Earl of ESSEX have been deferred till now that they be appointed to be honourably finished at Carmarthen, the 24th of this month. I have forborne to write to your Lordship since my arrival in this realm [i.e. of England] because I wowld give free scope to all men to utter their opinions concerning my behaviour here in such causes as I had to deal in; and I doubt not but you have heard enough of it. But if any reports have come unto your Lordship's ears that in the causes of my Lord of ESSEX I have dealt indirectly; I assure your Lordship they have done me wrong: for as I have justified him and his doings against all the world, without respect of fear or favour; so have I been free from malicious thoughts, and have quenched all sparks that might kindle any new fire in these causes which I hope be buried in oblivion—wherein I stand to the report of Master PHILIP SIDNTEY above any other.