description far less striking than that by which he was himself
upheld, was founded, as Leicester was well aware, on Elizabeth's solid judgment,
not on her partiality; and was, therefore, free from all those principles of
change and decay, necessarily incident to that which chiefly arose from personal
accomplishments and female predilection. These great and sage statesmen were
judged of by the Queen, only with reference to the measures they suggested, and
the reasons by which they supported their opinions in council; whereas the
success of Leicester's course depended on all those light and changeable gales
of caprice and humour, which thwart or favour the progress of a lover in the
favour of his mistress, and she, too, a mistress who was ever and anon becoming
fearful lest she should forget the dignity, or compromise the authority, of the
Queen, while she indulged the affections of the woman. Of the difficulties which
surrounded his power, »too great to keep or to resign,« Leicester was fully
sensible; and as he looked anxiously round for the means of maintaining himself
in his precarious situation, and sometimes contemplated those of descending from
it in safety, he saw but little hope of either. At such moments, his thoughts
turned to dwell upon his secret marriage, and its consequences; and it was in
bitterness against himself, if not against his unfortunate Countess, that he
ascribed to that hasty measure, adopted in the ardour of what he now called
inconsiderate passion, at once the impossibility of placing his power on a solid
basis, and the immediate prospect of its precipitate downfall.
    »Men say,« thus ran his thoughts, in these anxious and repentant moments,
»that I might marry Elizabeth, and become King of England. All things suggest
this. The match is carolled in ballads, while the rabble throw their caps up -
It has been touched upon in the schools - whispered in the presence-chamber -
recommended from the pulpit - prayed for in the Calvinistic churches abroad -
touched on by statists in the very council at home - These bold insinuations
have been rebutted by no rebuke, no resentment, no chiding, scarce even by the
usual female protestation that she would live and die a virgin princess. - Her
words have been more courteous than ever, though she knows such rumours are
abroad - her actions more gracious - her looks more kind - nought seems wanting
to make me King of England, and place me beyond the storms of court-favour,
excepting the putting forth of mine own hand to take that crown imperial, which
is the glory of the universe!