CHAPTER VII.

IN May, 1612, death surprised Cecil at Marlborough, and took away Ralegh's bitterest enemy:—

"For they ne'er pardon who have done the wrong."

This event awakened in Sir Walter hopes of a speedy release which, however, were not immediately to be realised. Nevertheless, in 1614, the liberty of the tower was allowed him. About this time, seeing Carr, Earl of Somerset, brought into that fortress, he remarked, "that the whole history of the world had not the like precedent of a king's prisoner to purchase freedom, and his bosom favourite to have the halter, but in Scripture, in the case of Mordecai and Haman." The King, being told this, replied that Ralegh might die in that deceit. The King knew his own baseness better than Sir Walter: he pardoned Somerset, and executed Ralegh. In the above year, he had the misfortune of seeing his son Walter obliged to fly the country, on account of a duel in which he had been engaged with Mr. Robert Tyrwhit, a dependent of the Earl of Suffolk, Lord High Treasurer.* In this year likewise the History of the World" was published.

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* Mr. Gifford in his "Life of Ben Jonson," is exceedingly angry that a certain story should have gained such currency as to have found its way into our jest books. It is told by Wood; and is to the effect that Jonson, in 1593, was tutor to young Ralegh, who at length became weary of his governance, and making, or finding the poet drunk, caused him to be placed in a basket and carried by two men into the presence of his father, to show Sir Walter (to whom a drunkard was an abomination) what a tutor he had chosen for his son. Gifford triumphantly points out that in 1593 young Walter Ralegh was not born (he might have added that Jonson was hardly twenty years of age). But a story may be true although a date be wrong. An escapade similar to the above was committed, I am sorry to say, by the scapegrace, as Mr. Dyce has shown. He tells us :

"It is now ascertained that Jonson did act as tutor to Sir Walter, not, indeed, in 1593, but in 1613; and that young Ralegh, not in England but in France, did treat him in nearly the manner above mentioned. 'Sir W. Raulighe sent him (Jonson) governour with his son, anno 1613, to France. This youth, being knavishly inclyned, among other pastimes

caused

Villiers, afterwards Duke of Buckingham, was now the almost risen favourite, and to him did Ralegh appeal, and in a manner then very generally understood and practised. For fifteen hundred pounds, paid into the hands of Sir William St. John and Sir Edward Villiers (uncle of the minion) Ralegh procured his liberty, and forthwith proceeded to ponder the best means of prosecuting his old scheme of settling Guiana. During his imprisonment, Leigh and Harcourt had made voyages there-the former in 1604, the latter in 1609; he had himself sent thither several times, to encourage the natives to resist the encroachments and cruelties of the Spaniards; and he had proposed a voyage to Guiana, some years before, if his liberty were granted him. More than twenty years had elapsed since he had discovered that country, and taken possession of it in the Queen's name. Guiana belonged to England.

Ralegh having moved the new Secretary, Sir Ralph Winwood, to interest himself in favour of his proposal, the consent of the King, whose necessities were unusually urgent at this time, was soon obtained, and a commission, bearing date August 26, 1616, was procured from him. According to some authors, the commission was under the great seal of England, and directed to "Our trusty and well-beloved Sir Walter Ralegh, Knt.;" whilst others, and James amongst them, who, after Ralegh's execution, felt himself constrained to publish what he called a Declaration, assert that it was only under the privy seal, and contained no such expressions of grace and favour. Nevertheless, that commission constituted him general and commander-in-chief of the enterprisemade him governor of the new country, with ample authority to settle it, and committed to him the power of executing martial

him to be drunken, and dead drunk, so that he knew not where he was, thereafter laid him on a carr, which he made to be drawen by pioners through the streets, at every corner showing his governour stretched out, and telling them that was a more lively image of a crucifix than any they had; at which sport young Raulighe's mother delighted much (saying, his father young was so inclyned), though the father abhorred it.'”—Notes of Ben Jonson's Conversations, &c. I think it highly probable that Jonson was tutor to young Ralegh long before 1613, for the latter was at that date nearly twenty years of age. Obliged to fly to France on account of the fatal duel, I have no doubt it was at the earnest entreaty of Sir Walter that the poet accompanied or followed him thither. He assumed his governorship of a former pupil.

law, in such a manner as the king's lieutenant-general by sea or land was entitled to exercise it.

Although released from prison, Sir Walter had not obtained a pardon, nor was he at all solicitous to procure onee-declining the offer of Sir William St. John and Sir Edward Villiers, who engaged to get him a full pardon for £700. For Bacon, whom he had consulted on this point, told him, "Sir, the knee-timber of your Voyage is money. Spare your purse in this particular; for, upon my life, you have a sufficient pardon for all that is past already,

the King having, under his broad seal, made you admiral of your fleet, and given you power of the martial law over your officers and soldiers."

To undertake this voyage, Ralegh was compelled to call in £8,000 which he had lent to the Countess of Bedford, and which had been given to him in full satisfaction of his Sherborne estate (valued at £5,000 per annum). He induced Lady Ralegh likewise to sell her estate at Mitcham, in Surrey, for £2,500. He obtained

many co-adventurers, some of whom were foreign merchants; and about seven months after the date of the commission, the fleet, which consisted of seven sail, was ready for sea.*

"The Destiny" had been built at the sole charge of Ralegh, and his son Walter accompanied him as his captain. There were on board two hundred men, of whom about eighty were gentlemen— volunteers and adventurers, many being Sir Walter's relatives. This number was afterwards increased.

In the latter end of March, 1617, Ralegh dropped down the Thames; but it was late in June before his entire force joined company with him, enabling him to clear the port of Plymouth. He was obliged by stress of weather to put into port at Cork, and it was late in August before he could proceed. Early in September he made the Canaries; in October, the Cape de Verd Islands; and in November, the continent of South America. He had suffered great distress during the whole passage, which he describes in the following letter, written to his wife on his arrival:

"SWEETHEART,-I can write unto you but with a weak hand, for I have suffered the most violent calenture for fifteen days that ever man did, and lived. But God, who gave me a strong heart in all my adversities, hath also now strengthened it in the hell-fire of heat. We have had two most grievous sicknesses in our ship, of which forty-two have died, and there are yet many sick. But having reached the land of Guiana this 12th of November, I hope we shall recover them. We are yet two hundred men, and the rest of

Before the fleet left the English coast, it was joined by the following vessels, less particularly described :-"The Convertine," Keymis; "The Confidence," Woolaston; "The Flying Hart," Sir John Ferne; แ The ; a Fly-boat, Samuel King; another, Robert Smith; a

Chudley,"

Caravel,

our fleet are reasonably strong-strong enough, I hope, to perform what we have undertaken, if the diligent care at London to make our strength known to the Spanish king by his ambassador, have not taught the Spanish king to fortify all the entrances against us.* Howsoever, we must make the adventure; and if we perish, it shall be no honour for England, nor gain for his majesty, to lose, among many others, one hundred as valiant gentlemen as England hath in it.

"Your son had never so good health, having no distemper in all the heat under the line. All my servants have escaped but Crab and my cook; yet all have had the sickness. Crofts, and Maul, and the rest are all well. Remember my service to my Lord Carew, and Mr. Secretary Winwood; I write not to them, for I can write of nought but miseries. Yet of men of note we have lost our sergeant-major, Captain Piggott and his lieutenant, Captain Edward Hastings (who would have died at home-for both his liver, spleen, and brain were rotten), my son's lieutenant Payton, and my cousin Mr. Hughes, Mr. Mordaunt, Mr. Gardiner, Mr. Hayward, Captain Jennings, the merchant Keymis of London, and the master-chirurgeon, Mr. Refiner, Mr. Moore, the governor of the Bermudas, our provost-marshal, William Steed, Lieutenant Vescie; but to my inestimable grief, Hammon and Talbot. By the next I trust you shall hear better of us. In God's hands we are, and in Him we trust. The bearer, Captain Allen, for his infirmity of head, I have sent back-an honest, valiant man: he can deliver you all that is past. Commend me to my worthy friends at Lothbury; and my devoted and humble service to her majesty. To tell you that I might be here king of the Indians were a vanity; but my name hath still lived among them here. They feed me with fresh meat and all that the country yields. All offer to obey me. Commend me to poor Carew, my son."

The extreme illness of Ralegh, which continued for six weeks, debarred him from undertaking the discovery of the mine (of which Keymis had told him in England, and the existence of which had been certified to the king), and he was obliged to depute Captain Keymis to that service, and he ordered five small ships to sail into the Orinoco, aboard of which were five companies of fifty men each;

* It had taught the Spaniards in Guiana to be prepared for them.