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travels in england-第16部分
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the Order of Knighthood; and of the especial gentry; claiming the privilege of trial by the peers and baronage of the realm; so prevalent was that of his native genius and haughtiness of spirit which accompanied him to the last; and till; without any diminution of change therein; it broke in pieces the cords of his magnanimity; for he died suddenly in the Tower; and when it was thought the Queen did intend his enlargement; with the restitution of his possessions; which were then very great; and comparable to most of the nobility。
HATTON。
Sir Christopher Hatton came to the Court as his opposite; Sir John Perrot was wont to say; by the galliard; for he came thither as a private gentleman of the Inns of Court; in a masque: and; for his activity and person; which was tall and proportionable; taken into her favour。 He was first made Vice…Chamberlain; and; shortly after; advanced to the place of Lord Chancellor。 A gentleman that; besides the graces of his person and dancing; had also the endowment of a strong and subtle capacity; and that could soon learn the discipline and garb; both of the times and Court; and the truth is; he had a large proportion of gifts and endowments; but too much of the season of envy; and he was a mere vegetable of the Court that sprung up at night and sunk again at his noon。
〃Flos non mentorum; sed sex fuit illa virorum。〃
EFFINGHAM。
My Lord of Effingham; though a courtier betimes; yet I find not that the sunshine of his favour broke out upon him until she took him into the ship and made him High Admiral of England。 For his extract; it might suffice that he was the son of a Howard; and of a Duke of Norfolk。
And; for his person; as goodly a gentleman as the times had any; if Nature had not been more intentive to complete his person; than Fortune to make him rich; for; the times considered; which were then active; and a long time after lucrative; he died not wealthy; yet the honester man; though it seems the Queen's purpose was to render the occasion of his advancement; and to make him capable of more honour。 At his return from the Cadiz voyage and action; she conferred it upon him; creating him Earl of Nottingham; to the great discontent of his colleague; my Lord of Essex; who then grew excessive in the appetite of her favour; and the truth is; so exorbitant in the limitation of the sovereign aspect; that it much alienated the Queen's grace from him; and drew others together with the Admiral to a combination; to conspire his ruin; and though; as I have heard it from that party (I mean the old Admiral's faction) that it lay not in his proper power to hurt my Lord Essex; yet he had more fellows; and such as were well skilled in the setting of the train; but I leave this to those of another age; it is out of doubt that the Admiral was a good; honest; and brave man; and a faithful servant to his mistress; and such a one as the Queen; out of her own princely judgment; knew to be a fit instrument in her service; for she was a proficient in the reading of men as well as books; and as sundry expeditions; as that aforementioned; and '88; do better express his worth and manifest the Queen's trust; and the opinion she had of his fidelity and conduct。
Moreover; the Howards were of the Queen's alliance and consanguinity by her mother; which swayed her affection and bent it toward this great house; and it was a part of her natural propensity to grace and support ancient nobility; where it did not entrench; neither invade her interest; from such trespasses she was quick and tender; and would not spare any whatsoever; as we may observe in the case of the duke and my Lord of Hertford; whom she much favoured and countenanced; till they attempted the forbidden fruit; the fault of the last being; in the severest interpretation; but a trespass of encroachment; but in the first it was taken as a riot against the Crown and her own sovereign power; and as I have ever thought the cause of her aversion against the rest of that house; and the duke's great father…in…law; Fitz…Allen; Earl of Arundel; a person in the first rank of her affections; before these and some other jealousies made a separation between them: this noble lord and Lord Thomas Howard; since Earl of Suffolk; standing alone in her grace; and the rest in her umbrage。
PACKINGTON。
Sir John Packington was a gentleman of no mean family; and of form and feature nowise disabled; for he was a brave gentleman; and a very fine courtier; and for the time which he stayed there; which was not lasting; very high in her grace; but he came in; and went out through disassiduity; drew the curtain between himself and the light of her grace; and then death overwhelmed the remnant; and utterly deprived him of recovery; and they say of him that had he brought less to her Court than he did; he might have carried away more than he brought; for he had a time of it; but was an ill husband of opportunity。
HUNSDOWN。
My Lord of Hunsdown was of the Queen's nearest kindred; and; on the decease of Sussex; both he and his son successively took the place of Lord Chamberlain。 He was a man fast to his prince; and firm to his friends and servants; and though he might speak big; and therein would be borne out; yet was he the more dreadful; but less harmful; and far from the practice of the Lord of Leicester's instructions; for he was downright; and I have heard those that both knew him well and had interest in him; say merrily of him that his Latin and dissimulation were alike; and that his custom of swearing and obscenity in speaking made him seem a worse Christian than he was; and a better knight of her carpet than he could be。 As he lived in a roughling time; so he loved sword and buckler men; and such as our fathers were wont to call men of their hands; of which sort he had many brave gentlemen that followed him; yet not taken for a popular and dangerous person: and this is one that stood among the TOGATI; of an honest; stout heart; and such a one; that; upon occasion; would have fought for his prince and country; for he had the charge of the Queen's person; both in the Court and in the camp at Tilbury。
RALEIGH。
Sir Walter Raleigh was one that; it seems; Fortune had picked out of purpose; of whom to make an example and to use as her tennis…ball; thereby to show what she could do; for she tossed him up of nothing; and to and fro to greatness; and from thence down to little more than to that wherein she found him; a bare gentleman; and not that he was less; for he was well descended; and of good alliance; but poor in his beginnings: and for my Lord Oxford's jests of him for the jacks and upstarts; we all know it savoured more of emulation; and his honour than of truth; and it is a certain note of the times; that the Queen; in her choice; never took in her favour a mere viewed man; or a mechanic; as Comines observes of Lewis XI。; who did serve himself with persons of unknown parents; such as were Oliver; the barber; whom he created Earl of Dunoyes; and made him EX SECRETIS CONSILIIS; and alone in his favour and familiarity。
His approaches to the University and Inns of Court were the grounds of his improvement; but they were rather extrusions than sieges; or settings down; for he stayed not long in a place; and; being the youngest brother; and the house diminished in his patrimony; he foresaw his destiny; that he was first to roll through want and disability; to subsist otherwise before he came to a repose; and as the stone doth by long lying gather moss。 He was the first that exposed himself in the land…service of Ireland; a militia which did not then yield him food and raiment; for it was ever very poor; nor dared he to stay long there; though shortly after he came thither again; under the command of the Lord Grey; but with his own colours flying in the field; having; in the interim; cast a mere chance; both in the Low Countries and in the voyage to sea; and; if ever man drew virtue out of necessity; it was he; and therewith was he the great example of industry; and though he might then have taken that of the merchant to himself;
〃Per mare; per terras; currit mercator ad Indos。〃
He might also have said; and truly; with the philosopher; 〃OMNIA MEA MECUM PORTO;〃 for it was a long time before he could brag of more than he carried at his back; and when he got on the winning side; it was his commendation that he took pains for it; and underwent many various adventures for his after…perfection; and before he came into the public note of the world; and thence may appear how he came up PER ARDUA:…
〃Per varios casus; per tot discrimina rerum。〃
Not pulled up by chance; nor by any great admittance; I will only describe his natural parts; and these of his own acquiring。
He had; in the outward man; a good presence; in a handsome and well… compacted person; a strong natural wit; and a better judgment; with a bold and plausible tongue; whereby he could set out his parts to the best advantage; and these he had by the adjuncts of some general learning; which by diligence he enforced to a great augmentation and perfection; for he was an indefatigable reader; by sea and land; and one of the best observers; both of men and of the times; and I am somewhat confident that among the second causes of his growth there was variance between him and my Lord General Grey; in his second descent into Ireland; which drew them both over to the council… table; there to plead their own causes; where what advantage he had in the case in controversy I know not; but he had much the better in the manner of telling his tale; insomuch as the Queen and the lords took no slight mark of the man and his parts; for from thence he came to be known; and to have access to the lords; and then we are not to doubt how such a man would comply to progression; and whether or no my Lord of Leicester had then cast a good word for him to the Queen; which would have done him no harm; I do not determine; but true it is; he had gotten the Queen's ear in a trice; and she began to be taken with his election; and loved to hear his reasons to her demands: and the truth is; she took him for a kind of oracle; which nettled them all; yea; those that he relied on began to take this his sudden favour
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