Page:The Annual Register 1758.djvu/501

 ACCOUNT OF BOOKS.

487

he buril into her bed-chamber as their enemies: that was not the

fli? was riling, ftie talked to him cafe with Elzabeth ; fhe was more

long with coolnefs and kindnefs ; jealous of the greatnefs Ihe beltow-

when her other counfeilors had re- ed, than her fubjefls could be. How

prefented his boldnefs, Ihe rei'ented did {he mortify Leicefter, when the

it too. She fufpendcd him from States heaped unufuai honours oa

all his offices but the mailerlhip of him ! For EfTex. it is evident from

the horfe ; ftie gave him a keeper, multiplied infiances, that his very

but who was foon withdrawn. On foiiicitation was prejudicial. Bacon

hearing Effex was ill, flie fent him word wi'^h tears in her eyes, ' That

• if fhe might with her honour,

more than fymptoms of favour :
 * fhe would vifit him ' — Thefe are

fay> to his brother Antony, ' Againft ' rne fhe js never peremptory, but the papers of the Bacons is a moft extraordinary letter from Lord
 * to my Lord of Effex.' Air.ongft

royal favour is not romantic ; it is Treafurer Burleigh to Lord Effex,

extravagant, not gallant. recounting unmeafured abufe that

If thefe inllances are problematic, he had received from the queen,

are the following fo ? In one of the on her fulpetting Burleigh of fa-

curious letters of Rowland White, he fays, ' The Queen hath of late ' ufed the fair Mrs. Bridges with

a fubfequent letter he fays, ' The
 * words ai^d blows of anger.' In


 * earl is again fallen in love with


 * h'xs faireji B. it cannot chufe but


 * come to the queen's ears, and


 * then he is undone. The coun-


 * tefs hears of it, or rather iufpeds

think there can be no doubt but that x^-.z fair eft B. and x\\efair Mrs. Bridges Were the fame : If fo, it is evident why fhe felt the weight of her majefty'c difpleafure.
 * it, and is greatly unquiet.' 1

It is indeed a very trifling matter for what reafon a prince chufes a favourite: nor is it meant as a re- proach to this great woman, that

vouring the earL So quick was

her nature to apprehend union where fhe loved to difunite; and with what refinement did old Cecil colour his inveteracy*! Her ma- jefly was wont to accufe the earl of opiniaftrtte, and that he luould not be ruled, but foe njoould bridle and ftay him. On another occafion flie faid, * fjje obferved fuch as follow- ' ed Her : and thofe which accom- ' panied fuch as were in her dif- ' know as much before it were ' long.' No wonder the earl com- plained, ' that he was <js much ' diitaited with the gloriou- great- ' nefs of a favourite, a5 he was be- ' fore with the fuppofed happinefs ' of a courtier-' No wonder his
 * pleafure, and that they fhould

/he could not divell herlelf of all mind was toft with fo contradictory

feitfibility. Mqt feeling and mafter- paffions, when her foul, on whom

ing her pafiion adds to her cha- he depended, was a compo/ition of

racter. Tlie favourites of other tendernefs and haughtinefs ! — nay,

princes never fail to infufe into when even osconomy combated her

them their own prejudices againll afl^ieclion ! He profeffes, ' that her

that wife min forgot himfelf tT\o(t indecently, ipeaking or Hmry the Foxnth to his embafTador in the molt illiberal teims, and wiih t!.e greatell contempt tor the perlbn of the ennbaffador himfelf. Bacon- fapers, vol. i. p. 323.
 * It may be worth while to direft the reader to another curious letter, in which

114 * fond