The Soldiers' journal. (Rendezvous of Distribution, Va.) 1864-1865, 1864-08-10
far Elizabeth could give up to any one in court
matters she deferred to Essex

SplcuOuS Unan WnoI, aIGof repeated aCtenpUS on
the part of Essex to re-establish his mother in
her good graces, she at length consented to a
meeting after twenty years separation. This was
nine years after the death of Leicester, and when
Elizabeth might well have forgiven the trans
gression of the youthful Lettice for marrying
him-for it was on this point and not on that of
forsaking her husband, that the queen had show
ed enmity toward her. There was tenderness in
| her manner when they did meet; but Elizabeth's
old obstinacy came up before it ended and she
| denied her request to come again.
Meantime, through the reckless love of mis-
| chief, which the sister of Essex, Lady Rich de-
lighted n the favorite found his disgrace certain
She and her husband had opened a correspond
ence with the King of Scots, in which court gos
sip was conspicuous. In this correspondence,
unintentional wrong was done to the frail ladys
brother; for, under false names, it was repre-
scented that Essex tired of his present situa-
ton, and longed for the queens death. Burleigh
had spy in Scotland, who communicated vari-
Gus reports to him, and he was only too glad to
carry them to Elizabeth.
A tempestous scene, in which the favorite pre-
summed too much upon his power fully disgraced
him. Contempt for the queen earned him the
memorable box on the ear, and his own action
| of grasping his sword bilt, and his rash speech
| which ended in " a king in petticoats" completed
| his ruin. Some faint show of fOrgivness was
extended afterwards, but it died away. The
queens temper was completely soured; and it's
violence, instead of wearing out with her years,
| increased. Not even the clergy were exempted
from her stern rebukes sarcastic retorts.-
Whitehead, Goodwin, Vaughan, all came under
the ban of her displeasure. Alexander Novel,
Dean of st. Pauls, preached before her in pub
lie, and happening to Introduce sentence not
| agreeable to her, she called out to him "Leave
that ungodly DEPRESSION and return to your
| text"
She was now sixty years old; JUST double the
| age of Essex still wearing her neck uncov
cred, and dressing in white silk, witha profusion
| Of jewels. Tt is to be doubted whether personal
vanity or the love of power were her greatest
passion.
The star of Essex had set. He was prisoner,
| not being allowed to write to his wife, who had
just given birth to an infant, and who was sor-
| rowing that she could not see or hear from it's
father, although her mother, Lady Walsingham,
| besought the queen to permit a correspondence.
Not even his own physician was allowed access
| to him when suffering from sickness. Lady
Essex underworld TO propitiate her with jewels,
but even these did not move her. In o moment
of despair, the unhappy countess appeared at
| court dressed In black, and inaplored Lady Hun
tngton to prevail upon Elizabeth to allow her TO
visit her husband in his Illness. She was con-
| tenptuously refused. When the tardy permits
sion at length came, the affectionate wife found
him but the shadow Of the handsome and lordly
Robert Devereux.
| AT length the sentence Is gone forth from the
hand that he might once have called his own.
No weak, trembling, woman's handwriting is
the fatal signature to the death warrant, but firm