Page:The house of Cecil.djvu/134

 no THE CECILS

James expressed himself well satisfied, and so the incident ended.

Sir Dudley Carleton also succeeded at the same time in bringing about a reconciliation between Vere and Cecil, thereby greatly increasing the efficiency of the English army in the Netherlands.

Cecil, with the Dutch army, accompanied Vere and his regiment as far as Wesel, where he had the mortification of seeing his successful rival march off to the seat of war, while he himself remained inactive for a couple of months within sight of a force of 6,000 Spaniards, with whom, owing to the existence of a truce, they were on the most friendly terms. The only thing of interest connected with the campaign which need be recorded here is the following " Military Rhyme " :

" Some say Sir Edward Cecil can Do as much as any man ; But I say no for Sir Horace Vere Hath carried the Earl of Oxford where He neither shall have wine nor cheer. Now Hercules himself could do no more." l

On his return to England, Sir Edward was elected member for Chichester, and took his seat in the Parliament which met in January, 1621. He has been credited with a fine speech, during

1 Court and Times of James I., II. 208. The " dissolute and reckless " Earl of Oxford, who accompanied his cousin, Sir Horace Vere, to the Palatinate, was the son, by a second marriage, of the Earl who proved so bad a husband to Lord Burghley's daughter, as already related. He was himself connected with the Cecils through his marriage with Lady Diana, Sir Edward's niece.

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