Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 11.djvu/486

 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. The prosperity of England however was the creation of the people. The action of the Government was only sound when it was passive, and in its active aspects pre- sented the same features which characterized its diplo- macy. The public policy of the country was directed, so far as Elizabeth would permit, by Burghley and Walsingham, who with Sadler, Mildmay, Knowles, Bedford, and Bromley, were the healthy elements of the council. But by the side of these were the circle of favourites, hateful as the minions of Henry of France, who, not contented with monopolies, the farming of the customs, and the more common forms of corruption, polluted even the administration of justice itself, and took bribes to save felons from execution. 1 The Channel pirates, who had been first patronized into distinction by Lord Seymour of Sudley, had grown so bold by secret favour that they occupied the Solent in force, levied black mail upon the coasters, from St Helen's Roads to Poole, and carried on their trade in de mucho fructo a causa dc la can- tidad de estauo y plorao que llevan, mercaderias que pagan los Turcos casi a peso de ovo por ser el estano fonjoso para la fundicion de la ar- tilleria, y el plomo necessarissimo para la guerra, y tanta inrportancia cuanto se dexa ver, por la excom- munion y ipso facto que tiene puesta la Sede Apostolica a cualquiera que administre 6 vende a iuficles seme- j antes cosas.' &c. Ibid. Compare Mendoza to Philip, January 6, 1583 : SfSS. Simat'cas. 1 Fleet wood, the Recorder of London, writing to Burghley, says : ' My Lord, there is a saying, when the Court is farthest from London, then there is the best justice done in England. I once heard a great per- sonage in office, yet living, say the same words. It is grown for a trade now in the Court to make means for reprieves. Twenty pounds for a re- prieve is nothing, though it be but for ten days.' Fleetwood to Burgh- ley, July 7, 1585 : WEIGHT, vol. ii.