Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 16.djvu/128

Dudley and (at first) marry the queen, whose early infatuation for him decreased but never died. He was a clever tactician, and contrived to turn the least promising political crises into means of increasing his influence at court. The general policy of Elizabeth was unaffected by him. The piety with which he has been credited in later life does not merit serious attention. In person he was stated to be remarkably handsome, although 'towards his latter end he grew high-coloured and red-faced', tall in stature, dignified in bearing, and affable in conversation. The best portrait is that by Mark Garrard at Hatfield. Another (with a page) by Zucchero belongs to the Marquis of Bath. A third at Penshurst was painted in 1585. Others are in the University Library, Cambridge, and at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. In the large picture of Queen Elizabeth visiting Hunsdon House (1571), belonging to Mr. G. D. W. Digby, Leicester is the courtier standing nearest to the queen (Catalogue of Exhibition of National Portraits, 1866).

[There is no good biography of Leicester. 'The copy of a Letter wryten by a Master of Arte of Cambridge to his Friend in London concerning some talke past of late between two worshipfull and grave men about the present state and some proceedyngs of the Erle of Leycester and his friendes in England,' is the full title of the scurrilous libel attributed to Father Parsons, usually quoted as 'Leicester's Commonwealth,' and known from the green-edged leaves of the original edition as 'Father Parson's Green Coat.' Some letters in Cole's MSS. xxx. 129, show clearly that Father Parsons was not the author, but that it was the work of a courtier who endeavoured to foist responsibility on Parsons. This book, which treats Leicester as a professional poisoner and a debauchee, is the foundation of all the chief lives. It was first printed probably at Antwerp in 1584; it appeared in a French translation under the title of 'La Vie Abominable, Ruses, Trahisons, Meurtres. Impostures,' &c. (Paris? 1585), and in a Latin version by Iulius Briegerus at Naples in 1585 as 'Flores Calvinistici decerpti ex Vita Roberti Dudlei, comitis Leicestriæ.' It was republished in London in 1641 as 'Leicester's Commonwealth identified,' and was versified as 'Leicester's Ghost' about the same time. Orders were issued for its suppression in October 1641 (Cal. State Papers, 1641-3, p. 136). It formed the basis of Dr. Drake's 'Secret Memoirs of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester' (London, 1706, 2nd edit. 1706. 3rd edit. 1708), which was given in 1721 the new title 'Perfect Picture of a Favourite.' Drake pretended to print the libel 'for the first time from an old manuscript.' In 1727 Dr. Jebb issued a Life 'drawn from original writers and reoords,' which does not place less reliance than its predecessors on 'Leicester's Commonwealth,' but quotes many other authorities. The Amy Robsart episode has been the subject of numerous books. Ashmole's account, which Sir Walter Scott adopted, is printed in his 'Antiquities of Berkshire,' i. 140-54, and is drawn from 'Leicester's Commonwealth.' More critical examinations of the story appear in A. D. Bartlett's 'Cumnor Place' (1850), in Pettigrew's 'Inquiry concerning the Death of Amy Robsart' (1859), and in J. G. Adlard's 'Amye Robsart' (a useful collection of authorities and genealogical information about the Robsart family) (1861). Canon Jackson printed several manuscripts relating to Lady Amy, now at Longleat, in 'Wiltshire Archæological and Natural Hist. Mag.,' xvii. 47-93 (May 1877), and in 'Nineteenth Century' for March 1882 he argues strongly for Leicester's innocence. Mr. Walter Rye, in his 'Murder of Amy Robsart — a brief for the prosecution' (1885), attempts to convict him by treating 'Leicester's Commonwealth' as trustworthy evidence, and interpreting unfavourably much neutral collateral information. A valuable list of royal grants made to Leicester, and some contemporary documents at Hatfield, notably Appleyard's 'Examination,' appear in Mr. Rye's appendix. 'Cumnor Hall,' the well-known ballad on Amy Robsart, by W. J. Mickle, first appeared in Evans's Ballads, 1784, and first directed Sir Walter Scott's attention to the subject. His novel of 'Kenilworth' was issued in 1821. Its historical errors, often exposed, were fully treated of by Herrmann Isaac in 'Amy Robsart und Graf Leicester' in 1886. Leicester's important letters to Blount, written immediately after Amy's death, were first printed from the Pepys's Collection in Lord Braybrooke's edition of Pepys's 'Diary' in 1848. For Leicester's career in Holland the 'Leycester Correspondence,' ed. John Bruce (Camd. Soc. 1844), which covers his first visit. 15856, is, together with Motley's History, most valuable. 'A brief Report of the Militarie Service done in the Low Countries by the Earl of Leicester, written by one that hath served in a good place there,' is a contemporary eulogy (London, 1587). Contemporary accounts of his triumphal progress through Utrecht, Leyden, and the Hague are mentioned above, A Remonstrance (in French) against his conduct in Holland appeared at Utrecht in 1587. and his reply (in Dutch) at Dordrecht in the same year. Madame Toussaint wrote a Dutch novel entitled 'Leicester en Nederland,' and at Deventer in 1847 was issued Hugo Beijerman's 'Oldenbarneveld : de Staten von Holland en Leycester,' a discussion of his policy. See also Froude's History (very valuable for the Spanish accounts of Leicester); Lingard's Hist.; Naunton's Fragmenta Regalia; Camden's Annals; Stow's Annals; Sydney Papers, ed. Collins; Sir Dudley Digges's Compleat Ambassador (1655); Cabala (1671); Cal. State Papers (Domestic) (1547-88); Nichols's Progresses, especially ii. 613-24; Cal. Hatfield Papers, i.; Cooper's Athenæ Cantabr. ii. 30, 543; Wood's Athenæ Oxon.,ed. Bliss, ii. 74-5 ; Strype's