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 THE FIRST EARL OF SALISBURY 161

me that his daily provocations were so bitter and sharp against him, and his comparisons so odious, when he put us in a balance, as he thought thereupon he had very great reason to use his best means, to put any man out of hope of raising his fortune, whom the Earl with such violence, to his extreme prejudice, had endeavoured to dignify."

Bodley, considering " how very untowardly these two Councillors were affected unto me," how ill it became him to be known as a partisan, and how well he was able to live for the " short time of further life," if he could be content with a " competent livelihood," resolved to take fare- well of State employments, and to " set up his staff at the Library door in Oxford." 1 The Bodleian thus owes its foundation ultimately to the jealous arrogance of the Earl of Essex.

The Cecils, of course, opposed Essex in the matter of the Cadiz expedition of 1596. ' This day," writes the Earl to Anthony Bacon, " I was more braved by your little cousin than ever I was by any man in my life. But I am not now nor was, angry, which is all the advantage I have of him." 2 Yet, when it was once decided upon, Sir Robert gave him all the help in his power. In the same way he provided for all his needs in the " Islands Voyage " of 1597, and in his Irish campaign two years later, so much so that Essex was led to exclaim, " You heap coals

1 Life of Sir Thomas Bodley written by Himself. Some years after- wards (1604) Cecil tried to induce Bodley to be his associate in the Secretary's office, but he refused.

a September 8th, 1596 (Birch, II. 131)

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