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

L-ITERA TURF..

The .IVebte Traytour. A Chronic'). By Thomas,
of Swarraton, Armiger. 3 vols. Smith, Elder,
and Co.
The days of Queen Biz )Iseqr have always offersd
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 eveats or the stirring
lives of the great men of the time, a most attrac-
ti re combination of the authenticity of history, and
the startling contrasts of romance. The rulers of
that day were of no crinmon order. Elizabeth
herself, Henry of Navarre, and William of Orange
were chara'cters that could riot fail to have an im-
press on their times, and their subordinates,
whether civil or military, numbered many of the
most eminent names in the records of camps
and cabinets. And great as is the cele-
brity of the statesmen and the warriors,
it is eclipsed by the st in of another
sphere ; and. Burleigb, Leicester, and Sully, Di also,
Don John of Austria, and Philip Sydney, do not fill
the first rank in the age of Kepler and Tycho Mahe,
of Raleigh and Cervantes, of Bacon and Shakspeare.
To this age, to all its warfare of nations and opi-
nions, t 3 all its busy strife and plottings, to the
society of its worthies and no:abilities 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 ur under' the
guidance of Thomas of Swarraton. He has taken
toihis 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 Eat]. of Essex, the last of Queen
Elizabeth's favourites is " the Noble Traytour" of
these volumes, and his memory finds au ingenious
and devoted defender in their author. Ile repre-
sents him, as indeed most hiStoriatis have done, as
brave, impetuous, and ambitious to a perilous 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 :Fa) cold and
crafty policy of a court. Her Majes.y, Queen
Elizabeth, however, receives sumo severe censures
and is represented as having, by her inconsistency
and harshncss, 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
elms of tennis, and 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 English chivalry, is
introduced in the first volume, and his death at
Zutphen recorded at its close. His youthful widow
snbsequently became Countess of Essex, and lost her
second husband on the scaffold. The great drama-.
tist himself forms part of the motley company : we
meet him dining with Lord Southampton and hia
friends at the "Great 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 " tlfe death struggle be-
t wean the all-powerful law of offended England and
the gentle youth who was his earliest friend." A
good part of the story is occupied with the fortunes
of the family of Sir Thomas Chem y, a country knight
of old descent, well versed in the science of heraldry.
He is a favourable specimen of the English country
gentleman of three centuries ago,
.and his wife,
Lady Elizabeth, is a fitting companion picture.
Their only son William is the • schoolfellow and
especial friend of the Earl of Essex, and in the
troubles that befal his father, be joins Sir
Francis Drake's expedition to the West Indies,
in the hope of increasing his fortune, lie
afterwards joins Essex in his disastrous visit to
Ireland. The author eagerly fellows how sickness
and mortification, combined with the malice of his
opponents, overthrew the Earl's judgment in his
mad attempt to excite the populace and seize the
palace. He represents tho Queen as stern and
implacable ' • but it is somewhat curious he should
have omitted the romantic story 'of the ring, which
has been sufficiently well established to find a place
in the pages of history. The minor-characters of
the day, as a class, have been familiarised to the
reader by many a gifted pen, and the present
writer is not unskilful in drawing them. Hero id
a description of the Queen in her earlier days.
There was a maidenly bashfulness in her gait: there
was a prudence in her conduct : there was au evidence of
learning and thoughtfulness in her talk : wisdom for self,
counsel for others : with an offset of genial kindness in
the gestare of her early life, which at once secured for her
the hearts of her people. bhe was (so they said) a fresh
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? You will admit that, amidst
the general commotions of Europe, so wild and fearful at
this epoch, her realm rests profoundly. Neither the
subtlety of the serpent Mother-Queen of France, Cathe-
rine of Medicis, nor the Barabbas policy of her whilom
brother-in-law, remorseless Philip of Spain, shall affect her
while she rules in—and not over—the consciences of her
people
The following 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.
With erect head and firm atop, the Virgin Queen of
England walks towards her Throne. The Ladies of the
Court prepare to arrange themselves around.
" Ha 1 we had forgotten," quoth Elizabeth ; and, turn-
ing to the kneeling gentlemen, draws out the rapier of the
nearest, placing it successively on the shoulders of each.
" Rise up, Sir Walter Italegh 1"
"An the tide float him he'll rise, and high enough,"
saith one.
" Sir Francis Vere."
" Sir Horace Vera."
" Vera ? De Vero, verily ! Amen ! amen !"
" Sir Christopher Hatton."
" Hat on ! eh ? and i' the presence !—Fie ! fie ! Sir Kit !"
" Sir Lamprey Ledger."
"And he'll enter that pen'orth in 's book now, and
write knight' on each page ! 'Twill be hard now but he'll
tot up, till that mark of royal favour come to a noble at
least.'
" Sir Toby Figgie."
"Marry, the Queen bath figged Sir Toby 1"
" Sir Jasper Plum."
" An her Grace would fish for rod herrings now ! Surely
these carpet knights 'II make sorry champions should a war
break out."
"Silence !"
" By my troth and holidanao, Master Cecil, thou'rt out-
witted. Her Grace bath dubbed the Gentles before the
Grocers, maugre thy gross policy."
" Hush !"
"Mum An the vixen Queen double not after the old
fox Treasurer, my name's no longer Richard Tarleton."
She passes on, glancing at kor old Chancellor. Strange
woman ! His confusion is her triumph !
" May it please you Highness," Pays Sir Francis Vore,
" 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
thoult be a Lord, sirrah ! E'en wait our pleasure ! Whom
have wo here?"
"'Tie the worshipful company of Merchant Tailors,
may it please you Grace." And hero the worshipful com-
pany crawled humbly °sr their knees, presenting their
petition. It was a wordy docuuroat, tedious and selfish as
you would expect, yet fairly engrossed withal ; and setting
forth how that the wcolstaplers, drupors, lacommkere, and
such kindred crafts, their charges being great 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 1" saith the
Queen.
" An they lack two o' the scorn there ha just nine to the
man ! By Mary ! the woman bath fitted the Tailor !
Grace bath 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
tell t'other from which !"
The following extract relates a wall-known quarrel
between the Queen and the Earl of Essex :
And there was talk that clay of Ireland ' • how a discreet
Govereour should presently be sent, for it bath over boon
a difficulty to our Statesmen how to rule that disorderly
realm. And the Lords spako 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. And this fanned up the smoking flax of
Essex's wrath: for the Queen chafed him, harshly charg-
ing that ho 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 had contained himself to the utter-
most, could hold no more, his indignation was poured out
'Twas as running sulphur whereon a live coal falls. With
a fierce and contemptuous countenance, flushed and glar-
ing on,her, ho turned o' th' heel to leave the closet.
" Go, and be hanged 1" screamed her Grace, striking my
Lord on the ear with an outstretched 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 one (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 ! For the sakeof"----
" My Lord !" stammered out Essex, his hand yet on his
sword-hilt.
"Hush ! Go to !" said the valorous old sailor, gently
removing the treasonable band from its dangerous place.
"My Lord ! Such an act I-- from bee—
" Good, my Lord ! no more 1"
" 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.
glizabeth was she shocked at her violent atd