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of Salisbury. We can only hope that Darcy's servant, who was evidently a constant thorn in the flesh of the orderly Lady Ralegh, was removed; no positive facts are known..

The letter discovers a side of Ralegh's life about which little has been written, but which is none the less interesting and valuable. Little Wat and little Will were bathing and getting fat by the sea-side, while Essex was under sentence of death, while the great Queen was growing old, and while huge disorders were pending in the kingdom on the event of the Queen's death. Little things and big are jostled strangely together in the course of a man's life.

Meanwhile Ralegh's new duties as Governor of Jersey were occupying his attention. Always he entered a position untrammelled by what had been done there before his coming, and determined to do the best possible. It was so in his Governorship of Jersey. His changes were entirely for the good. He found a compulsory system of defence which pressed heavily on the inhabitants in what was called the Corps-de-Garde. He did away with the Corps-de-Garde. While he pondered on the great issues which were pending in England, he settled the small disputes of the islanders under his rule; for he was supreme judge in civil and Crown causes. He was at the pains to see to the proper fortification of the island, and to all the many businesses that his office entailed.

During these years he travelled often backwards and forwards between Durham House and Sherborne and the island of Jersey. He found on one occasion that by some curious oversight the Duc de Biron, who had come on an embassy from Henry of France, was at Crosby Hall, with not one nobleman or gentleman to

accompany or guide him. "I never saw so great a person neglected," he writes to Sir Robert Cecil. "Wee have caried them to Westminster to see the monuments; and this Monnday we entertayned them at the Bear Garden, which they had great pleasure to see. . . . I sent to and fro and have labored like a moyle to fashion things so as on Wensday night they wilbe att Bagshoot and Thursday at the Vine." The Queen was at this time staying with the Marquis of Winchester at Basing, and to her the Duc de Biron rode, escorted by Ralegh. From Basing Ralegh wrote to Lord Cobham telling him of the Queen's wish for his attendance. He says that the French were only stopping three days, and were all wearing black. "So as I have only made mee a black taffeta sute to be in; and leave all my other sutes:" and he adds to the letter a postscript, which shows how punctilious he was in matters of dress: "I am yeven now going att night to London to provide me a playne taffeta sute and a playne black saddell, and wil be here agayne by Twesday night." He wrote late on Saturday night.

Little resulted from the Duc de Biron's embassy. But he had the audacity to question Elizabeth about the fate of Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex, and to express sympathy for him. Sully, the famous memoirist, reports their conversation, and points out the singular resemblance between the characters of Essex and of the Duc de Biron, and between the end each met. The Duc de Biron was beheaded ten months later for treason. This is the irony of things. Sully credits Elizabeth with the insight of knowing how like Biron was to Robert Devereux, that she almost augured his downfall, and warned him against his rash courses. The parallel between the two men is remarkable.

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So Ralegh went about his various business as Governor of Jersey, as Captain of the Guard, transacted, too, the affairs of his own estates in Munster, Sherborne, and Durham House, while he and every man of influence in England kept pondering on the great question, vital to the welfare of the country, vital to the welfare of each man, who should succeed to the Queen Elizabeth? And Elizabeth was growing old.

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CHAPTER XIV

SUCCESSION PLOTS

Possible successors to Elizabeth-Lord Henry Howard-Spies -Ralegh's position-The net is drawn round him-Letter of Cecil -Last illness and death of Elizabeth-Carey's ride to the North.

THE

HE position was one of acute interest. For Elizabeth had maintained her father's tradition that the sovereign reigned by divine right, and by her genius made the tradition credible. The responsibility of vesting any man or any woman with such power was immense. The choice might bring disaster to the nation, and it might bring disaster upon the men who opposed the final choice, even upon the men who supported it. And Elizabeth would not tolerate a mention even of her death, still less would she help to appoint a successor. Peter Wentworth had proposed to the House of Lords that a joint petition should be addressed to her, requesting her humbly to consider the question. Peter Wentworth was forthwith sent to the Tower, where he died after three years' imprisonment. All the hints of her higher ministers she treated with disdain. That she, Elizabeth, must die, it was impossible! But death was slowly approaching.

Sir Robert Cecil watched the approach of death, and made his secret preparations; for the greatest disaster of all would be that death should find the country unprepared. Mystery, carefully planned against the

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unravelling of chance or surprise, shrouds all the correspondence of the time. No one can properly tell what letters are authentic, what are written purposely to be discovered and to deceive. It was dangerous for any man to trust any man with his solution to the great problem. But Cecil was the political leader; in the Council he was informed of the undercurrents of opinion at home and abroad. He kept his hold upon that most important item-news, so difficult to acquire, so hard to test, that that alone made his position strong; and he determined that King James VI. of Scotland must succeed to the Crown. The accession of James would ensure his own prosperity, and James, being manageable, would ensure the prosperity of the country, for Cecil himself would continue to govern. He secretly corresponded with James; he explained his authority, and asserted his zeal on James's behalf.

Arabella Stuart and William Seymour, both of royal blood, were married in 1603, and their claim to the throne was strong and supported by those who desired the reintroduction of the Catholic religion. At one time Philip of Spain was anxious that the Infanta should become Queen of England. He thought that the Catholic party in England would welcome her. But he had neither the money nor the power to enforce such a claim, and the project was abandoned in favour of Arabella Stuart and William Seymour, as James VI. of Scotland, though his mother was a Catholic and he kept hinting that he was himself open to conversion, could not be trusted. Cecil, however, succeeded in proving to James that only through his own agency could he hope to wear the crown of England. Cecil's chief helper in this was Lord Henry Howard. They corresponded at length with James. Lord Henry