Page:The house of Cecil.djvu/83

 WILLIAM, LORD BURGHLEY 63

as he could not forbid it, he sent Doughty with it as his secret agent, instructing him, one must suppose, to thwart Drake's plans in every way. The tragic sequel is well known. Doughty was executed in St. Julian's Bay, after numerous acts of insubordination, and Drake proceeded on his voyage round the world, returning after nearly three years with his ship filled with Spanish treasures, of which, very naturally, the Lord Treasurer refused to accept a share.

As time went on, Burghley's position became more and more difficult and burdensome to him. His increasing years and constant ill-health would have been enough in themselves to justify him in seeking some diminution of his labours. A far greater source of trouble was that he was no longer able to guide the affairs of the nation as he wished. His opponents in the Council were be- coming more powerful, and his friend and colleague Walsingham, who had taken his place as Secretary in 1581, now added his influence to that of Leicester and encouraged the Queen in a policy which could only result in war with Spain.

The death of William Wentworth, who had married his daughter Elizabeth in 1582, and fell a victim to the plague at Theobalds a few months later; and the fact that his friend the Earl of Sussex lay dying, 1 must have added to his

1 He died in June, 1583. The relations between the two men are shown in their correspondence. See, especially, a letter from Sussex (June a8th, 1580), in which, acknowledging a letter written by Burghley to the Countess, he says : " Both she and I do love, honour and rever- ence you as a father, and will do you all service we can, as far as any

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