her
home, wrote some of his best poems.

The queen forgave Sidney, all too soon for him, for he had to be
persuaded, nay, almost forced back into her silken fetters. The Earl of
Leicester was already reinstated in her Majesty's good-will when Sidney
came back, with reluctant grace, to be again an ornament of her court.

But he was not an ornament merely. He was soon elected to Parliament,
and through his fearless and untiring zeal did much toward making
England great.

Sidney was now becoming more and more prominent as a literary man, and
was closely associated with Raleigh, Lyly, Hooker, Christopher Marlowe,
Sir Francis Bacon, and Edmund Spenser. He was also one of the first to
patronize a rising young actor and playwright by the name of Will
Shakespeare.

In 1583 Philip Sidney was knighted, and became "_Sir_ Philip Sidney,
knight, of Penshurst." This was, however, but a poor acknowledgment of
his virtues, his high attainments, and his services to the State. He was
appointed by the queen to several minor offices, but he was never given
what he merited at her hands--so much for being better and greater than
those who have the power to reward.

For some years Sidney's friends had been pressing him to marry, for they
felt that it would be an irrevocable loss to England for such a man to
die without sons to perpetuate his talents and sterling qualities. But
Sidney for a long time turned a deaf ear to their persuasions. He had
loved one woman passionately, and she had become the wife of another
man. Since that time he had paid devoted attention to none, though he
always held the gentler sex in deepest respect.

Considering his natural attractions, and the exalted place he had won
for himself among both the writers and the statesmen of the day, it is
not to be wondered at that he was much sought after. One chronicle
tells us that "many noble ladies ventured as far as modesty would permit
to signify their affections for him."

Sidney himself thought it his _duty_ to marry, and in the fall of 1583
took to wife the daughter of his old friend, Sir Francis Walsingham. The
queen objected bitterly, being selfish enough to want her courtier's
whole attention; but she finally relented. She afterwards stood
godmother to Sidney's only child--a daughter--who was named for herself.

Sidney's married life was a very happy one. Frances Walsingham made him
a good wife, and he was very tenderly attached to her.

Always jealous fo