g and omnipotence[7]; but it is
highly probable Sir Walter's opinions might be misrepresented by his
enemies, or wrong conclusions drawn from those which he maintained;
and it would be a shocking injustice to the memory of so great a man
to suspect him of irreligion, whose writings contain not the least
trace of it, and whose History of the World in particular breathes a
strong spirit of real and genuine piety.

In the heighth of his favour with the Queen, he fell under her
majesty's displeasure, for being enamoured of Mrs. Elizabeth
Throgmorton, one of the Queen's maids of honour, whom he debauched;
and such it seems was the chastity of these times, that a frailty of
that sort was looked upon as the highest offence Her Majesty was so
exasperated, that she commanded him to be confined several months, and
after his enlargement forbid him the court, whence the poor lady was
likewise dismissed from her attendance about the maiden queen, who
appeared in this case the champion of virginity. Sir Walter soon made
her an honourable reparation by marriage, and they were both examples
of conjugal affection and fidelity. During the time our author
continued under her majesty's displeasure for this offence, he
projected the discovery of the rich and extensive empire of Guiana,
in the south of America, which the Spaniards had then visited, and
to that day had never conquered. For this purpose, having collected
informations relating to it, he sent an old officer to take a view
of the coast, who returned the year following with a very favourable
account of the riches of the country, which he had received from some
of the principal Cassiques upon the borders of it. This determined
Raleigh's resolution, who provided a squadron of ships at a very
great expence, and the lord high admiral Howard, and Sir Robert Cecil
conceived so good an opinion of the design, that both concurred in
it. He personally engaged in the attempt, and with no great number
of ships so far explored the unknown country, that he made greater
progress in a few months than the Spaniards had done for many years,
and having satisfied himself of the certainty of the gold mines of the
country, he returned home with honour and riches the latter end of the
summer 1595, and in the year following published in quarto An Account
of the Voyage and Discoveries, dedicated to lord admiral Howard and
Sir Robert Cecil.

The next year Sir Walter was so far restored to the Queen's fav