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t　happily　to　those；　and；　as　I　may　say；　to　these　times；　that　the　Queen　during　the　calm　time　of　her　reign　was　not　idle；　nor　rocked　asleep　with　security；　for　she　had　been　very　provident　in　the　reparation　and　augmentation　of　her　shipping　and　ammunition；　and　I　know　not　whether　by　a　foresight　of　policy；　or　any　instinct；　it　came　about；　or　whether　it　was　an　act　of　her　compassion；　but　it　is　most　certain　she　sent　no　small　troops　to　the　revolted　States　of　Holland；　before　she　had　received　any　affront　from　the　King　of　Spain；　that　might　deserve　to　tend　to　a　breach　of　hostility；　which　the　Papists　maintain　to　this　day　was　the　provocation　to　the　after…wars；　but；　omitting　what　might　be　said　to　this　point；　these　Netherland　wars　were　the　Queen's　seminaries　or　nursery　of　very　many　brave　soldiers；　and　so　likewise　were　the　civil　wars　of　France；　whither　she　sent　five　several　armies。

They　were　the　French　scholars　that　inured　the　youth　and　gentry　of　the　kingdom；　and　it　was　a　militia；　where　they　were　daily　in　acquaintance　with　the　discipline　of　the　Spaniards；　who　were　then　turned　the　Queen's　inveterate　enemies。

And　thus　have　I　taken　in　observation　her　DIES　HALCYONIII。E。；　these　years　of　hers　which　were　more　serene　and　quiet　than　those　that　followed；　which；　though　they　were　not　less　propitious；　as　being　touched　more　with　the　points　of　honour　and　victory；　yet　were　they　troubled　and　loaded　ever；　both　with　domestic　and　foreign　machinations；　and；　as　it　is　already　quoted；　they　were　such　as　awakened　her　spirits　and　made　her　cast　about　her　to　defend　rather　by　offending；　and　by　way　of　provision　to　prevent　all　invasions；　than　to　expect　them；　which　was　a　piece　of　the　cunning　of　the　times；　and　with　this　I　have　noted　the　causes　and　PRINCIPIUM　｛57｝　of　the　wars　following；　and　likewise　points　to　the　seed…plots　from　whence　she　took　up　these　brave　men　and　plants　of　honour　who　acted　on　the　theatre　of　Mars；　and　on　whom　she　dispersed　the　rays　of　her　grace；　who　were　persons；　in　their　kinds　of　care；　virtuous；　and　such　as　might；　out　of　their　merit；　pretend　interest　to　her　favours；　of　which　rank　the　number　will　equal；　if　not　exceed；　that　of　her　gown…men；　in　recount　of　whom　I　will　proceed　with　Sir　Philip　Sidney。


SIR　PHILIP　SIDNEY。


He　was　the　son　of　Sir　Henry　Sidney；　Lord　Deputy　of　Ireland；　and　President　of　Wales；　a　person　of　great　parts；　and　of　no　mean　grace　with　the　Queen；　his　mother　was　sister　to　my　Lord　of　Leicester；　from　whence　we　may　conjecture　how　the　father　stood　up　in　the　sphere　of　honour　and　employments；　so　that　his　descent　was　apparently　noble　on　both　sides；　and　for　his　education；　it　was　such　as　travel　and　the　University　could　afford　none　better；　and　his　tutors　infuse；　for；　after　an　incredible　proficiency　in　all　the　spheres　of　learning；　he　left　the　academical　for　that　of　the　Court；　whither　he　came　by　his　uncle's　invitation；　famed　after　by　noble　reports　of　his　accomplishments；　which；　together　with　the　state　of　his　person；　framed　by　a　natural　propensity　to　arms；　soon　attracted　the　good　opinions　of　all　men；　and　was　so　highly　praised　in　the　esteem　of　the　Queen；　that　she　thought　the　Court　deficient　without　him；　and　whereas；　through　the　fame　of　his　desert；　he　was　in　election　for　the　kingdom　of　Pole；　｛58｝　she　refused　to　further　his　preferment；　it　was　not　out　of　emulation　of　advancement；　but　out　of　fear　to　lose　the　jewel　of　her　time。　　He　married　the　daughter　and　sole　heir　of　Sir　Frances　Walsingham；　the　Secretary　of　State；　a　lady　destined　to　the　bed　of　honour；　who；　after　his　deplorable　death　at　Zutphen；　in　the　Low　Countries；　where　he　was　at　the　time　of　his　uncle　Leicester's　being　there；　was　remarried　to　the　Lord　of　Essex；　and；　since　his　death；　to　my　Lord　of　St。　Albans；　all　persons　of　the　sword；　and　otherwise　of　great　honour　and　virtue。

They　have　a　very　quaint　conceit　of　him；　that　Mars　and　Mercury　fell　at　variance　whose　servant　he　should　be；　and　there　is　an　epigrammatist　that　saith　that　Art　and　Nature　had　spent　their　excellences　in　his　fashioning；　and；　fearing　they　could　not　end　what　they　had　begun；　they　bestowed　him　up　for　time；　and　Nature　stood　mute　and　amazed　to　behold　her　own　mark；　but　these　are　the　particulars　of　poets。

Certain　it　is　he　was　a　noble　and　matchless　gentleman；　and　it　may　be　said　justly　of　him；　without　these　hyperboles　of　faction；　as　it　was　of　Cato　Uticensis；　that　he　seemed　to　be　born　only　to　that　which　he　went　about；　VIR　SATILIS　INGENII；　as　Plutarch　saith　it；　but　to　speak　more　of　him　were　to　make　them　less。


WALSINGHAM。


Sir　Francis　Walsingham；　as　we　have　said；　had　the　honour　to　be　Sir　Philip　Sidney's　father…in…law；　he　was　a　gentleman　at　first；　of　a　good　house；　and　of　a　better　education；　and　from　the　University　travelled　for　the　rest　of　his　learning。　　Doubtless　he　was　the　only　linguist　of　his　times；　how　to　use　his　own　tongue；　whereby　he　came　to　be　employed　in　the　chiefest　affairs　of　State。

He　was　sent　Ambassador　to　France；　and　stayed　there　LEGAR　long　in　the　heat　of　the　civil　wars；　and　at　the　same　time　that　Monsieur　was　here　a　suitor　to　the　Queen；　and；　if　I　be　not　mistaken；　he　played　the　very　same　part　there　as　since　Gondomar　did　here。　｛59｝　　At　his　return　he　was　taken　principal　Secretary；　and　for　one　of　the　great　engines　of　State；　and　of　the　times；　high　in　his　mistress's　（the　Queen's）　favour；　and　a　watchful　servant　over　the　safety　of　his　mistress。

They　note　him　to　have　certain　courtesies　and　secret　ways　of　intelligence　above　the　rest；　but　I　must　confess　I　am　to　seek　wherefore　he　suffered　Parry　｛60｝　to　play　so　long　as　he　did；　hang　on　the　hook；　before　he　hoisted　him　up；　and　I　have　been　a　little　curious　in　the　search　thereof；　though　I　have　not　to　do　with　the　ARCANA　REGALIA　IMPERII；　for　to　know　it　is　sometimes　a　burden；　and　I　remember　it　was　Ovid's　criminant　error　that　he　saw　too　much；　but　I　hope　these　are　collaterals；　and　of　no　danger。

But　that　Parry；　having　an　intent　to　kill　the　Queen；　made　the　way　of　his　access　by　betraying　of　others；　and　in　impeaching　of　the　priests　of　his　own　correspondency；　and　thereby　had　access　to　confer　with　the　Queen；　as　oftentimes　private　and　familiar　discourse　with　Walsingham；　will　not　be　the　query　of　the　mystery；　for　the　Secretary　might　have　had　an　end　of　a　further　discovery　and　maturity　of　the　treason；　but　that；　after　the　Queen　knew　Parry's　intent；　why　she　would　then　admit　him　to　private　discourse；　and　Walsingham　to　suffer　him；　considering　the　conditions　of　all　the　designs；　and　to　permit　him　to　go　where　and　whither　he　listed；　and　only　under　the　secrecy　of　a　dark　sentinel　set　over　him；　was　a　piece　of　reach　and　hazard　beyond　my　apprehension。　　I　must　again　profess　that　I　have　read　many　of　his　letters；　for　they　are　commonly　sent　to　my　Lord　of　Leicester　and　of　Burleigh　out　of　France；　containing　many　fine　passages　and　secrets；　yet；　if　I　might　have　been　beholding　to　his　cyphers；　they　would　have　told　pretty　tales　of　the　times；　but　I　must　now　close　him　up；　and　rank　him　amongst　the　TOGATI；　yet　chief　of　those　that　laid　the　foundations　of　the　French　and　Dutch　wars；　which　was　another　piece　of　his　fineness　of　the　times；　with　one　observation　more；　that　he　was　one　of　the　greatest　always　of　the　Austrian　embracements；　for　both　himself　and　Stafford　that　preceded　him　might　well　have　been　compared　to　him　in　the　Gospel　that　sowed　his　tares　in　the　night；　so　did　they　their　seeds　in　division　in　the　dark；　and　as　it　is　a　likely　report　that　they　father　on　him　at　his　return；　the　Queen　speaking　to　him　with　some　sensibility　of　the　Spanish　designs　on　France：　　〃Madam；〃　he　answered；　〃I　beseech　you　be　content；　and　fear　not；　the　Spaniard　hath　a　great　appetite　and　an　excellent　digestion；　but　I　have　fitted　him　with　a　bone　for　these　twenty　years　that　your　Majesty　should　have　no　cause　to　doubt　him；　provided　that；　if　the　fire　chance　to　slake　which　I　have　kindled；　you　will　be　ruled　by　me；　and　cast　in　some　of　your　fuel；　which　will　revive　the　flame。〃


WILLOUGHBY。


My　Lord　Willoughby　was　one　of　the　Queen's　first　swordsmen；　he　was　of　the　ancient　extract　of　the　Bartewes；　but　more　ennobled　by　his　mother；　who　was　Duchess　of　Suffolk。　　He　was　a　great　master　of　the　art　MILITARY；　and　was　sent　general　into　France；　and　commanded　the　second　army　of　five　the　Queen　had　sent　thither；　in　aid　of　the　French。　　I　have　heard　it　spoken　that；　had　he　not　slighted　the　Court；　but　applied　himself　to　the　Queen；　he　might　have　enjoyed　a　plentiful　portion　of　her　grace；　and　it　was　his　saying；　and　it　did　him　no　good；　that　he　was　none　of　the　REPTILIA；　intimating　that　he　could　not　creep　on　the　ground；　and　that　the　Court　was　not　his　element；　for；　indeed；　as　he　was　a　great　soldier；　so　he　was　of　a　suitable　magnanimity；　and　could　not　brook　the　obsequiousness　and　assiduity　of　the　Court；　and　as　he　was　then　somewhat　descending　from　youth；　happily　he　had　an　ANIMAM　REVERTENDI；　or　a　desire　to　make　a　safe　retreat。


BACON。


And　now　I　come　to　another　of　the　TOGATI；　Sir　Nicholas　Bacon；　an　arch…piece　of　wit　and　of　wisdom。　　He　was　a　gentleman；　and　a　man　of　law；　and　of　a　great　knowledge　therein；　whereby；　together　with　his　after…part　of　learning　and　dexterity；　he　was　promoted　to　be　Keeper　of　the　Great　Seal；　and　being　of　kin　to　the　Treasurer　Burleigh；　and　｛61｝　also　the　help　of　his　hand　to　bring　him　to　the　Queen's　great　favour；　for　he　was　abundantly　facetious；　which　took　much　with　the　Queen；　when　it　suited　with　the　season；　as　he　was　well　able　to　judge　of　the　times；　he　had　a　very　quaint　saying；　and　he　used　it　often　to　good　purpose；　〃that　he　loved　the　jest　well；　but　not　the　loss　of　his　friend；〃　and　that；　though　he　knew　that　〃VERUS　QUISQUE　SUAE　FORTUNAE　FABER；〃　was　a　true　and　good　principle；　yet　the　most　in　number　were　those　that　numbered　themselves；　but　I　will　never　forgive　that　man　that　loseth　himself　to　be　rid　of　his　jests。

He　was　father　to　that　refined　wit　which　since　hath　acted　a　disastrous　part　on　the　public　stage；　and　of　late　sat　in　his　father's　room　as　Lord　Chancellor；　those　that　lived　in　his　age；　and　from　whence　I　have　taken　this　little　model　of　him；　give　him　a　lively　character；　and　they　decipher　him　to　be　another　Solon；　and　the　Simon　of　those　times；　such　a　one　as　OEdipus　was　in　dissolving　of　riddles；　doubtless　he　was　an　able　instrument；　as　it　was　his　commendation　that　his　head　was　the　mallet；　for　it　was　a　very　great　one；　and　therein　kept　a　wedge；　that　entered　all　knotty　pieces　that　com