The Sun.
London, England, 1857-10-17 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

The Noble Traytour. A Chronicle. By Thomas,
' of Swarratou, Armiger. 3 vols. Smith, Elder,
and Co.
The days of Queen Elizabeth have always offered
a tempting epoch to poets and romancists. The
love tragedy of the great Earl of Leicester has been
immortalised by the pen of Sir Walter Scott, and
• authors of every degree have found, in the
excitement of public events or the stirring,
lives of the great men of the time, a most attrac-
tive combination of the authenticity of history, and
the startling contrasts of romance. The rulers of
that day were of no common order. Elizabeth
herself, Henry of Navarre, and William of Orange
were characters that could not fail to leave an im-
press on their times, and their subordinates,
whether civil or military, numbered many of the
most eminent names is the records of camps
and cabinets. And great as is the cele-
brity of the statesmen and the warriors,
it is ec!ipsed by the stars of another
sphere; and Burleigb, Leicester, and Sully, Make,
Don John of Austria, and Philip Sydney, do not fill
the first rank in the age of Kepler and Tycho Brahe,
of Raleigh and Cervantes, of Bacon and Shakspeare.
To this age, to all its warfare of nations and opi-
nions, to all its busy strife and plottinge, to the
society of its worthies and notabilities of every
degree, to the streets of its quiet London and the
company of its uncertain post carriers, even to its
quaint phraseology and typography, the reader is
transported by the chronicle before us, under the
guidance of Thomas of Swarraton. He has taken
for his hero one whose brilliant talents and suc-
cesses, whose high favour at court, and with the
people, whose early death within the walls of the
fatal Tower, especially fit him for the hero of a
romance. The Earl of Essex, the last of Queen
Elizabeth's favourites is " the Noble Traytour" of
these volumes, and his memory finds ate ingenious
and devoted defender in their author. He repre-
sents him, as indeed most historians have done, as
brave, impetuous, and ambitious to a peri!ous de-
gree, and from the frankness and openness of his
nature, as well as from his haughty and imperious
temper, quite unable to compete with t'e cold and
crafty policy of a court. Her Majesty, Queen
Elizabeth, however, receives some severe censures
and is represented as having, by her inconsistency
and harshness, mainly contributed to her favourite's
downfal. Two of the notabilities of the day,
Francis Bacon and Walter Raleigh, are not
shown in very favourable colours ; the latter
chiefly appears as the rival and enemy
of Essex. The story opens at Cambridge, with a
game of tennis, anti leads the victor of the tennis
court through the "paths of glory," which his
ambition foretold, to the grave, which he could
scarcely have anticipated, at the close of his career.
Philip Sidney, the Bayard of Eiglish chivalry, is
introduced in the first volume, an 1 his death at
Zutphen recorded at its close. His youthful widow
subsequently became Countess of Essex, and lost her
seeone husband on the scaffold. The great drama-
tist himself forms pat t of the motley company : we
meet him dining with Lord Southampten and his
friends at the " Groat Harry ;" again at the Globe
Theatre, where the presence of the Queen herself
cannot make him forget his part of counterfeit
royalty ; and lastly at the trial of the two Earls he
is represented as watching " the death struggle be-
tween the all-powerful law of offended England and
the gently youth who was his e irliest friend." A
good part of the story is occupied with the fertunee
of the family of Sir Thornes Chen, y, a country knight
of old decent, well versed in the science of heraldry.
He is a favourable specimen of the Eogl'sh country
gentleman of three centuries ago, and his wife,
Lady Erz ibeth, is a fitting comp 'llion picture.
Their only son William is the schoolfellow and
especial friend of the Earl of Essex, and in the
troubles that befal his father, he joins Sir
Francis Drake's expedition t tee West Indies,
in the hope of increasing his fortune. He
afterwards joins Essex in his disistrols visit to
Ireland. The author eagerly shows how sickness
and mortification, combined i•h rho malice of his
opponents, overthrew the Earl's judgment in h's
mad attempt to excite the populace and seize the
palace. He represents the Queen as stern and
implacable ; but it is somewhat callous he should
have ornitt,-(1 the romantic story of the ring, which
has been sufficiently well established to find a place
in the pages of history. The min-ir clyttacters of
the day, as a class, have been familiarieed to the
reader by many a gifted pen, and V.e present 1
writer is not unskilful in drawing ti:em. Here is
a description of the Queen iu her earlier days.
There wag a maidenly bashfulness in her gait: there
was a prudence in her conduct : there was an evidence of
lam ruing and thoughtfulness in her talk : wisdom for self,
counsel for others : with an offset of genial kindness in
the gesture of hat early life, which at once secured for her
the hearts of her people. She was (=b they said) a fre,h
Spring after the stormy Winter of her Sister's reign. And
the promise of her youth : has she yet betrayed it? In her
counsels she has engaged the most worthy or the most
zealous. Her severity, is it not just? Her clemency, are
there not few who need it? Yon will admit that, amidst
the general comtnotions of Europe, so wild and fearful at
this epoch, her realm rests profoundly. Neither the
subtlety of the serpent Mother-Queen of Fr.m.-”, Cathe-
rine of Medicis, her the Barabbas policy of her whilorn
brother-ha-law, remorseless Philip of Spain, shall affect her
while she rules in—and not over—the consciences of her
people !
The fo'lowing is a picture of her Majesty at
Court :

The trumpets sound ! The doors of the Privy chamber
open. Ushers are seen pacing backwards clouds of muslin
and lace float about; a strong odour of Civet is perceived.
Gold stick and silver stick bend to the ground. The seven
Gentlemen, the Lord Chamberlain, yea, the Old High
Treasurer himself, fell on their very knees. The rest bow
low, very low, and repeatedly. Silence is audible in the
tread of Majesty.
erect heal and firm stop, the Virgin Queen of
England walks towards her Throne. The Ladies of the
Court prepare to arrange themselves around.
" Ha ! we had forgotten," quoth Elizeboth ; and, turn-
ing to the kneeling gentlemen, draws out the rapier of the
nearest, placing it suocessively on the shoulders of each.
" Rise up, Sir Walter Ralegh !"
" An the tide float him he'll rise, and high enough,"
saith one.
" Sir Francis Vere."
" Sir Horace Vere."
" Vera 7 De Vero, verily ! Amen ! amen !"
" Sir Christopher Hatton."
" Hat on ! eh ? and i' the presence ! Fio ! fie ! Sir Kit !"
" Sir Lamprey Ledger."
" And he'll enter that pon'orth in 's book new, and
write ' knight' on each page ! 'Twill be hard now but he'd
tit up till that mark of royal favour come to a noble at
least.'
" Sir Toby Fiegis."
"Marry, the Queen bath figged Sir Toby !"
" Sir Jasper Plum."
" An her Grace would fish for red herrings now ! Surely
these carpet knights 'll make sorry champions should a war
break out."
" Silence !"
" By my troth and holidame, Master Cecil, thon'rt out-
witted. Her Grace hath dubbed the Gentles before the
Grocers, maugre thy gross policy."
" Hush !"
" Mum 1 An the vixen Queen double not after the old
fox Treasurer, my name's no longer Richard Tarleton."
She passes on, glancing at her old Chancellor. Strange
woman ! His confusion is her triumph !
" May it please you Highness," says Sir Francis Vere,
" my former suit remembered—"
" God's body, Knight ! is't not honour enough for one
day to be dubbed—and by our own hand, too, oh? An
thou'lt be a Lord, sirrah l E'en wait our pleasure ! Whom
have we here?"
" 'Tis the worshipful company of Merchant Tailors,
may it please you Grace." And here the worshipful com-
pany crawled humbly ou their knees, presenting their
petition. It was a wordy document, tedious and selfish as
you would expect, yet fairly engrossed withal ; and setting
forth how that the woolstaplers, drapers, lacemakers, and
such kindred crafts, their charges being groat and grievous,
loft them (her Highness's petitioners and most bounden
bedesmen) little Profit and still less content.
" God gi' ye good e'en, gentlemen, both I" saith the
Queen.
" An they lack two o' the score there b just nine to the
man I By Mary ! the woman bath fitted the Tailor !
Grace hath no need of the natural wit ! Bess shall wear
Dick's cap and bells! The fool's sceptre and the Queen's
bauble : Handy-dandy, both's so like neither, you can't
toll t'other from which !"
The following extract relates a well*.nown quarrel
between the Queen and the Earl of Essex :
And there was talk that day of Ireland ; how a discreet
Governour should presently be sent, for it bath ever been
a difficulty to our Statesmen how to rule that disorderly
realm. And the Lords spake their minds : one praising
Sir William Knollys, another vaunting Sir George Carew.
And her Highness was for Sir William, but my Lord for
Sir George. At d this fanned up the smoking flax of
Essex's wrath ! for the Queen chafed him, harshly char B-
ing that he would thrust Carew on that desperate business
to the end he might rid himself of an enemy ; whereas he
ought to have honoured his uncle Knollys with so excellent
a dignity !
And the Earl, who hal contained himself to the utter-
most, could hold no more, his indignation was poured out!
'Twas as ranniog sulphur whereon a live coal falls. With
a fierce and contemptuous countenance, flushed and glar-
ing on her, he turned o' th' heel to leave the closet.
" Go, and be hanged !" screamed her Grace, striking my
Lord on the ear with an ontstretche 1 palm. " Go !"
Verily, there is no tempest comparable to the passionate
indignation of a Prince : nor yet at any time is it so un-
seasonable as when it lighteth upon those who might ex-
pect a harvest of their careful and painful labour
The Earl of Nottingham was a Nobleman born. He
was an honourable rival of Essex in glory. He was a kind
man, moreover, and ono (though not a courtier, sir), wise
and wary enough.
"Go to, my Lord !" quoth he, endeavouring to hurry
the flaming Earl from the presence. " Go to, my dear
Lord 1 For the sake of"---
"My Lord !" stammered out Essex, his hand yet on his
sword-hilt.
"Hush ! Go to !" said the valorous old pallor, gently
removing the treasonable hand from its dangerous place.
" My Lord ! Such an act !- from het"--
" Good, my Lord ! no more !"
" Had her boisterous fire"--
" Dear Lord ! your pardon !" continued Nottingham,
now at the door. " Have a care !"
And the hangings were closed by those solemn Ushers ;
they bowing to the Noblemen as unmoved as ever.
A short silence within. A dead hum as of voices whis-
pering. Elizabeth was eho shocked at her violent aul

self-degra4ing act 2—at that intolerable wrong she had done
both to herself and to the Earl. Anon she withdraws
into her privy closet. There, alone, did she reflect at all ?
Essex was very pale when my Lord Southampton, hearing
from Raleigh somewhat of all this, met him in the ante-
TOM.

" How is't, nun?" said he, grasping the Earl's right
hand, p'ncing his left on my Lord's shoulder.
Trembling with excitement, Essex could scarcely, and
but in curt speech tell his tale.
"Not only broken all laws of affection"-
" Fear not:"

" False, inConstant, beguiling pleasures"-
" Go to !"
"I was never proud till she sought to make me too
base."

" Patience, dear Essex Patience ! Her Grace"
" Nay, nay ! She which governs this world is weary of
me, and I of the world !"
The author, in his quaint and characteristic pre-
face, apologises for the darns and patches in his
tapestry, but they must be severe critics who take
exception to parts, when the general effect i,s so
good. The author has completely identified'
himself with the age and epoch of which
he writes, Ms very mottoes being invari-
ably selected from plays whose very names are
almost extinct, and the labour of spelling in' such
an antediluvian manner cannot have been trifling
to a writer of modern habits. The imita-
tion is well kept up, and the writer never descends
from his stilts, even the title page being in accord-
ance with the quaintness of the style. As a his-
torical romince the narrative is highly interesting,
but as a picture of life, three centuries ago, it is of a
higher value, and the authbr, besides the dramatic
interest of his tragedy, has undertaken the labours
of another department, and may claim credit for
the brilliancy and variety of his stags aceemories,
and the fidelity and success of his scene painting.