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ESS these adventurers, who, upon one pretence or another, returned home, disgusted with the hardships and privations to which they were exposed. In spite of these desertions, and of the numerous obstructions which were thrown in his way by the lord-deputy. Sir Walter Fitzwilliam and his abetters, Essex set himself vigorously to crash the insurgents, by cutting broad roads through the woods, and by driving off their cattle, and burning their standing crops. He succeeded in checking the rebellious chieftains of Ulster, and in inducing Sir Brian MacPhelim and the earl of Desmond to make their submission; but in a public view his expedition was of little permanent benefit, while he reaped nothing for himself but annoyances of every kind, and vexation and heavy pecuniary loss. His efforts were constantly thwarted by the authorities at Dublin, and their opposition was aided by the sinister influence of Leicester at home, and by the jealousies and caprices of the queen herself. Having remonstrated in vain both with Elizabeth and the privy council in letters equally spirited and judicious, and which exhibit his character in a most favourable point of view, Essex resigned his government of Ulster and his military command in March, 1575, and returned to England in the following November. He now gave open vent to his indignation against Leicester, whose treacherous conduct he deeply resented; but the perfidious favourite not only found means to appease the earl, but "by his cunning court tricks," says Camden, "and by a peculiar court mystery of wounding and overthrowing men by honours," succeeded in persuading Essex to return again to Ireland in the spring of 1576, with the office of earl-marshal of that kingdom. Here he soon found himself subjected to a repetition of his former ill usage; his counsels were systematically neglected, and all his active efforts thwarted. He survived his return only a few months; he died on the 22nd of September of dysentery, brought on by anxiety and grief. His death was popularly attributed to poison, administered through the instigation of Leicester, who married the earl's widow; but of this there is no satisfactory evidence. Essex was not only a man of great intellect, but was eminent for generosity, amiability, and loyalty. His fame has been somewhat overshadowed by that of his more brilliant son, but in true nobility of character, the first earl was greatly superior to his successor.

, second earl of Essex, was born on the 10th November, 1567. His father on his deathbed, in a most beautiful and pathetic letter, recommended to the protection of the queen all his children, and especially "him upon whom the continuation of his house dependeth," and requested Lord Burleigh to superintend his education. The great statesman sent the young earl in 1577 to Trinity college, Cambridge, where he pursued his studies with diligence and success, and received the degree of M.A. in 1581, at the age of fourteen. Three years later he was introduced at court by his stepfather Leicester, who was then in the height of his power; and no sooner did he appear, says a contemporary writer, than his "goodly person and a kind of urbanity and innate courtesy, combined with the recollection of his father's misfortunes won him the hearts of both queen and people." In 1584 the young earl accompanied Leicester as general of the horse on his expedition to the Low Countries, spending on the occasion £1000 as an outfit for his troop—an act of extravagance which drew forth a merited reproof from his grandfather, Sir Francis Knollys. He saw but little service in this campaign, but he displayed the most brilliant courage at the battle of Zutphen, 22d September, 1586, and for his gallantry on this occasion was knighted by Leicester. On his return to England it soon became apparent that the young earl was regarded with special favour by Elizabeth; she kept him continually about her, and, according to a contemporary, occupied him in the evening "playing at cards, or one game or another, with her, that he Cometh not to his own lodging till birds sing in the morning." In 1587 he succeeded Leicester as master of the horse, and in the year following was made general of the horse in the army levied to repel the Spanish armada. Elizabeth soon after conferred upon him the order of the garter, and on the death of Leicester, which took place in the same year, he attained to the supreme place in the favour of the queen. He seems, however, to have speedily become wearied of a court life, and resolved to join the expedition which at this time was fitted out under Sir John Norris and Sir Francis Drake, for the purpose of assisting Don Antonio in the recovery of the crown of Portugal. He knew that it was impossible to obtain the queen's leave, and therefore quitted the court, secretly hurried with all speed to Plymouth, and set sail some hours before the arrival at that port of Sir Francis Knollys, who had been hastily despatched with letters from the queen "to stay him." He joined Norris and Drake at Corunna, took part in all their adventures and shared in all their dangers, and remained with them until June, when he received a peremptory order from Elizabeth, commanding his instant return. When he at length presented himself at court, his flight and disobedience to the queen's orders were speedily forgiven and forgotten, and his supremacy in the royal favour was more firmly established than ever. It was probably at this period that his well-known quarrel with his chief rivals, Raleigh and Blount, took place. He obtained an order for the former "to go and plant" his grant of ten thousand acres in Ireland, and he fought a duel with the latter, who disarmed and wounded him in the knee. But they were soon after reconciled, and their friendship was terminated only by death.

In 1590 Essex privately married the only daughter of Sir Francis Walsingham, the widow of Sir Philip Sydney. The queen was exceedingly enraged, as she always was with those about her who married without her consent, and affected to think that Essex had married below his degree. But he soon made his peace, and it seemed as if there was scarcely any offence which could not be forgiven him by his fond mistress. In 1591 he was despatched with four thousand troops to the assistance of Henry IV. of France in the siege of Rouen, against the league and the Spaniards. Essex, as usual, distinguished himself by his chivalrous gallantry, but the expedition was unsuccessful, and the earl's only brother was killed by a musket shot.

In 1596 a new invasion of Spain was undertaken by the advice of the Lord High-Admiral Howard and of Essex, who were appointed to the joint command of the expedition which was directed against Cadiz. It was completely successful. The Spanish fleet was defeated, with the loss of thirteen men-of-war. A great number of merchant vessels were captured, and Cadiz was taken, plundered, and burned, but the citizens were treated with great clemency. Dissensions, however, now unfortunately sprung up among the English commanders, and Essex, who had greatly distinguished himself in these operations, urgently recommended that they should follow up their successes; but the majority, anxious to secure their plunder, resolved to return home. This result excited general dissatisfaction. Essex, however, completely vindicated his conduct, and defeated the malice of his enemies, by his publication of the "Censure of the Omissions in the Expedition to Cadiz." He was appointed master of the ordnance for life in March, 1597, and in July was sent as commander-in-chief, with Lord Thomas Howard as vice-admiral and Sir Walter Raleigh as rear-admiral, of a new expedition against the Spanish fleet. They succeeded in making some valuable captures, but the expedition was generally regarded as a failure, and the queen received Essex with angry reproaches. The earl was on his part displeased on account of the manner in which Lord Howard's services at Cadiz were rewarded, and of the appointment of Sir Robert Cecil to the secretaryship of state; and though he was pacified at the time by his own elevation to the high office of hereditary earl-marshal of England, the relation between the queen and him was by no means on a satisfactory footing. A few months later, in a dispute with Elizabeth concerning the choice of a governor for Ireland, he contemptuously turned his back upon her majesty, who, taking fire at the insult, gave him a box on the ear, and bade him "go and be hanged." The angry favourite clapped his hand upon his sword, and said that "he neither could nor would put up with such an affront." It is believed that his ruin may be dated from this incident. A few months later, March, 1599, he was induced by his enemies to accept the office of lord-lieutenant of Ireland, with the view of suppressing the disorders which, as usual, prevailed in that country. He entered upon the undertaking with reluctance, and he performed nothing of importance. His measures were severely criticised and blamed; and, disgusted with the whole affair, he suddenly quitted his command without permission and returned to England. The queen received him at first with apparent satisfaction, but afterwards, at the instigation of the high-admiral and Cecil, committed him to custody, and called him to account for his conduct. He was deprived of his seat in the privy council, and of all his offices except that of master of the horse, and detained a prisoner in his own house for several months. He was at length set at liberty, but denied access to the court by the queen, who also refused him the renewal of his