confuted by the fact that the earl's head was buried with his body.* So much was she delighted with her stay. at Basing, that at her departure she made ten knights,the greatest number ever created at one time during her reign,—and amongst these Sir Walter had the pleasure to see included his brother Carew Raleigh.

FROM ELIZABETH'S LAST PARLIAMENT, &c. 209

CHAPTER V.

From Elizabeth's last Parliament to the Trial of Raleigh.

Elizabeth opens her last Parliament-Raleigh returned a Member-His Conduct in Parliament-Opposes the Bill making it compulsory to sow Hemp-Debate on voting a Subsidy-Subserviency of Cecil and Bacon-Raleigh's Reply to their Speeches-Great Debate on Monopolies-Singular Speech of Secretary Cecil-His Condemnation of all Discussion without the Walls of Parliament-Pirates of Dunkirk-Debate on the Transport of Ordnance without the Kingdom-Raleigh's excellent Observations upon this Subject-Debates on the Statute of Tillage-Raleigh argues for the Removal of all Restrictions on Agriculture-Evident Decay of the Intimacy between Cecil and Raleigh-Amusing Parliamentary Anecdote-A "No" pulled out by the Sleeve Style of Parliamentary Speaking-Elizabeth's last Speech to the Deputation of the House of Commons-Raleigh sells his Irish Estate to the Earl of Cork-Character of this remarkable Man-Last Illness of Elizabeth-Her Death-Accession of James-Raleigh treated with Coldness and Neglect-Contrast between the Character of the King and that of Raleigh-Cecil's secret Correspondence with James-He is appointed his Secretary and Prime Minister-Raleigh deprived of his Office of Captain of the King's Guard, and of his Patent of Wines-Involved in an Accusation of Treason-History of this mysterious Transaction-Raleigh's Trial-Observations upon it-The whole Conspiracy regarding Arabella Stewart a FictionThe Plot against Raleigh to be traced to Secretary Cecil.

SOME time after returning from her progress, Elizabeth, who began to feel the approaches of that disease which put a period to her long and glorious reign, opened, on the 27th October, her last parliament, in which Raleigh

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sat as one of the knights for Cornwall. The session was occupied by many important matters; and Sir Walter's speeches, which have been preserved at considerable length in the journals of the house, are remarkable for an originality and freedom of thought much in advance of the times. An attempt having been made by government to introduce a bill to compel husbandmen to sow a certain portion of hemp, Raleigh opposed it on the ground of its retarding agricultural improvement. "For my part," said he, "I do not like this constraining of men to manure, or use their grounds at our wills; but rather, let every man use his ground to that which it is most fit for, and therein use his own discretion. For halsars, cables, cordage, and the like, we have plentifully enough from foreign nations; and we have divers counties here in England make thereof in great abundance; and the bill of tillage may be a sufficient motive to us in this case, not to take the course that this bill intendeth." Mr Comptroller replied and maintained the necessity of the measure; but on a division the proposal was rejected.*

Upon a subsidy being moved in a committee, a debate ensued, in which the principal speakers were Raleigh, Cecil, Sergeant Hale, and Mr Francis Bacon, still a commoner. Raleigh entreated them to remember that in the last parliament only three subsidies were granted upon an alarm that the Spaniards were coming. But now, as they had actually set foot in the queen's territories, the case required immediate attention; especially as her majesty had parted with her jewels, borrowed great sums which were unpaid, sold her lands, abridged her apparel and expenses, and was therefore obliged to call upon parliament for assistance. "I wish," said

he, "for my own part, as a particular member of this commonwealth, that we may not do less than we did before; and that we also would bountifully, according to our estates, contribute to her majesty's necessities, as now they stand."

* Townshend's Historical Collections, p. 188.

This appeared to meet the feelings of the house; but on the manner of raising the subsidy arose a difference of opinion; and Sir Walter opposed with great freedom the somewhat slavish principles of Cecil and Bacon. It was moved by Sir Francis Hastings, that the three-pound men should be exempted; but the secretary contended that separation might breed emulation, and suspicion of partiality. Sergeant Hale marvelled much that the house demurred upon the subject, "when," said he, "all we have is her majesty's, and she may lawfully at her pleasure take it from us; yea, she hath as much right to all our lands and goods as to any revenue of her crown." At this the house hummed and laughed. "Well," said the subservient orator, in the words used by Townshend, "all your humming shall not put me out of countenance;" and so he told them he could prove his former position in the time of Henry III., King John, King Stephen, &c., at which the house was louder than before, till they hummed the sergeant into his seat. Upon this Cecil launched out and carried the matter very high, observing, that "neither pots nor pans, nor dish nor spoon, should be spared when danger is at our elbows. But by no means I would have the three-pound men exempted; because I would have the King of Spain know how willing we are to sell all in defence of God's religion, our prince, and country." Mr Francis Bacon then spoke, and concluded by observing, that when all contributed alike it was "dulcis tractus pari jugo." To these obsequious statesmen Raleigh answered, "I like it not that the Spaniards our enemies should know of our selling our pots and pans to pay subsidies. Well may you call it policy, as an honourable person alleged ; but I am sure it argues poverty in the state. And for the motion that was last made, dulcis tractus pari jugo : call you this par jugum when a poor man pays as much as a rich, and peradventure his estate is no better than it is set at, or but little better, when our estates that are three or four pounds in the queen's books, it is not the hundredth part of our wealth? Therefore it is neither dulcis nor par."

* *

Another great question argued in this parliament touched Sir Walter more nearly,—that of the mischiefs produced by the "monstrous and unconscionable monopolies of starch, tin, fish, cloth, and other necessaries of life." As Lord Warden of the Stanneries he enjoyed a monopoly of the second article; but he defended himself successfully, though with some heat. He showed that, being one of the principal commodities in the kingdom, and the product of Cornwall, it had in ancient times belonged to the dukes of that county by special patents, and had now been granted to him. No one, however, could affirm, that the monopoly pressed hard upon the poor, so long as it was known that the workmen formerly could never earn more than two shillings a-week, however high was the demand, whereas now every labourer willing to work was certain of employment, and had four shillings a-week truly paid, whatever might be the price of tin. At the same time Raleigh professed his willingness to vote for its repeal, provided the house agreed that all the rest should fall along with it.

The queen, having been informed of the universal discontent on account of these grievances, and the distress which they occasioned amongst the poorer classes, directed the speaker to inform the house that she would take immediate steps for their removal. This he did, and then requested some one of the ministers, who had been present at the interview, and had a better memory than himself, to detail it; upon which Cecil delivered a speech, the peroration of which is a curiosity in the annals of parliament. After explaining that it was not the rich man, but the desolate widow, the simple cottager, the poor and ignorant husbandman, who groaned under the oppression, he proceeds :-" I say, therefore, there shall be a proclamation granted through the realm, to notify her majesty's resolution in this behalf. And because you may eat your meats more savourly than you have done; every man shall have salt as cheap as he can buy it or make it, freely without danger of that patent, which shall be presently revoked. The same benefit shall they have which have cold