cepting the Indian fleet; which had at first been CHA P. considered only as the second enterprise which he was to attempt. THE Indian fleet in that age, by reason of the imperfection of navigation, had a stated course as well as season, both in their going out and in their return; and there were certain islands at which, as at fixed stages, they always touched, and where they took in water and provisions. The Azores being one of these places where about this time the fleet was expected, Essex bent his course thither; and he informed Raleigh, that he, on his arrival, intended to attack Fayal, one of these islands. By some ac cident the squadrons were separated; and Raleigh, arriving first before Fayal, thought it more prudent, after waiting some time for the general, to begin the attack alone, lest the inhabitants should by farther delay have leisure to make preparations for their defence. He succeeded in the enterprise; but Essex, jealous of Raleigh, expressed great displeasure at his conduct, and construed it as an intention of robbing the general of the glory which attended that action: He cashiered therefore Sydney, Bret, Berry, and others, who had concurred in the attempt; and would have proceeded to inflict the same punishment on Raleigh himself, had not lord Thomas Howard interposed with his good offices, and persuaded Raleigh, though high-spirited, to make submissions to the general. Essex, who was placable as well as hasty and passionate, was soon appeased, and both received Raleigh into favour, and restored the other officers to their commands." This incident, however, though the quarrel was seemingly accommodated, laid the first foundation of that violent animosity which afterwards took place between these two gallant commanders. Monson, p. 173. ESSEX XLIII. 1597. С НА Р. 1597. ESSEX made next a disposition proper for intercepting the Indian galleons; and sir William Monson, whose station was the most remote of the fleet, having fallen in with them, made the signals which had been agreed on. That able officer, in his Memoirs, ascribes Essex's failure, when he was so near attaining so mighty an advantage, to his want of experience in seamanship; and the account, which he gives of the errors committed by that nobleman, appears very reasonable as well as candid. The Spanish fleet, finding that the enemy was upon them, made all the sail possible to the Terceras, and got into the safe and well-fortified harbour of Angra, before the English fleet could overtake them. Essex intercepted only three ships; which however, were so rich as to repay all the charges of the expedition. THE causes of the miscarriage in this enterprise were much canvassed in England, upon the return of the fleet; and though the courtiers took part differently, as they affected either Essex or Raleigh, the people in general, who bore an extreme regard to the gallantry, spirit, and generosity of the former, were inclined to justify every circumstance of his conduct. The queen, who loved the one as much as she esteemed the other, maintained a kind of neutrality, and endeavoured to share her favours with an impartial hand between the parties. Sir Robert Cecil, second son of lord Burleigh, was a courtier of promising hopes, much connected with Raleigh; and she made him secretary of state, preferably to sir Thomas Bodley whom Essex recommended for that office. But, not to disgust Essex, she promoted him to the dignity of earl marshal of England; an office which had been vacant since the death of the earl of Shrewsbury. Essex might perceive from this conduct, that she never intended to give him the entire ascendant over his rivals, and might t Monson, p. 174. XLIII. 1597. might thence learn the necessity of moderation and c HAP. caution. But his temper was too high for submission; his behaviour too open and candid to practise the arts of a court; and his free sallies, while they rendered him but more amiable in the eyes of good judges, gave his enemies many advantages against him. THE war with Spain, though successful, having 24th Oct. exhausted the queen's exchequer, she was obliged to assemble a parliament; where Yelverton, a lawyer, was chosen speaker of the house of commons." Elizabeth took care, by the mouth of sir Thomas Egerton, lord keeper, to inform this assembly of the necessity of a supply. She said, That the wars formerly waged in Europe had commonly been conducted by the parties, without farther view than to gain a few towns, or at most a province, from each other; but the object of the present hostilities, on the part of Spain, was no other than utterly to bereave England of her religion, her liberty, and her independence: That these blessings, however, she herself had hitherto been able to preserve, in spite of the devil, the pope, and the Spanish tyrant, and all the mischievous designs of all her enemies: That in this contest she had disqursed a sum triple to all the parliamentary supplies granted her; and, besides expending her ordinary revenues, had been obliged to sell many of the crown lands: And that she could not doubt but her subjects, in a cause where their own honour and interest were so deeply concerned, would willingly contribute to such moderate taxations as should be found necessary for the common defence. The parliament granted her three subsidies and six fifteenths; the same supply which had been given four years before, but which had VOL. V. x C c See note [HH] at the end of the volume. * D'Ewes, p. 525. 527. Townsend. p. 79. then CHAP. then appeared so unusual, that they had voted it XLIII. should never afterwards be regarded as a precedent. 1597. THE Commons, this session, ventured to engage in two controversies about forms with the house of peers; a prelude to those encroachments which, as they assumed more courage, they afterwards made upon the prerogatives of the crown. They complained, that the lords failed in civility to them, by receiving their messages sitting with their hats on; and that the keeper returned an answer in the same negligent posture: But the upper house proved to their full satisfaction, that they were not entitled by custom and the usage of parliament to any more respect. Some amendments had been made by the lords to a bill sent up by the commons; and these amendments were written on parchment, and returned with the bill to the commons. The lower house took umbrage at the novelty: They pretended that these amendments ought to have been written on paper, not on parchment: and they complained of this innovation to the peers. The peers replied, that they expected not such a frivolous objection from the gravity of the house; and that it was not material whether the amendments were written on parchment or on paper, nor whether the paper were white, black, or brown. The commons were of fended at this reply, which seemed to contain a mockery of them; and they complained of it, though without obtaining any satisfaction." AN application was made, by way of petition, to the queen from the lower house, against monopolies ; an abuse which had arisen to an enormous height; and they received a gracious, though a general answer, for which they returned their thankful acknowledgments Y D'Ewes, p. 539, 540. 580. 585. Townsend, p. 93, 94, 95. z D'Ewes, p. 576, 577. XLIII. 1597. knowledgments. But not to give them too much CHAP encouragement in such applications, she told them, in the speech which she delivered at their dissolution, "That with regard to these patents, she hoped that "her dutiful and loving subjects would not take 66 away her prerogative, which is the chief flower in "her garden, and the principal and head pearl in "her crown and diadem; but that they would ra"ther leave these matters to her disposal." The commons also took notice, this session, of some transactions in the court of high commission; but not till they had previously obtained permission from her majesty to that purpose. b ELIZABETH had reason to foresee that parliamentary supplies would now become more necessary to her than ever; and that the chief burden of the war with Spain would thenceforth lie upon England. Henry had received an overture for peace with Philip; but before he would proceed to a negotiation, he gave intelligence of it to his allies, the queen and the States; that if possible a general pacification might be made by common agreement. These two powers sent ambassadors to France in order to remonstrate against peace; the queen, sir Robert Cecil, and Henry Herbert; the States, Justin Nassau, and John Barnevelt. Henry said to these ministers, That his early education had been amidst war and danger, and he had passed the whole course of his life either in arms or in military preparations: That after the proofs which he had given of his alacrity in the field, no one could doubt but he would willingly, for his part, have continued in a course of life to which he was now habituated, till the common enemy were reduced to such a condition as no longer to give umbrage either to him Cc 2 a D'Ewes, p. 570. 573. • Ibid. p. 557, 558. b Ibid. P. 547. or 1598. |