ber, boon after the dispersion of the Spanish armada, died
the earl of Leicester, the queen's great but unworthy favorite. Her
affection for him continued to the last. He had discovered no conduct in
any of his military enterprises, and was suspected of cowardice; yet she
intrusted him with the command of her armies during the danger of the
Spanish invasion; a partiality which might have proved fatal to her, had
the duke of Parma been able to land his troops in England. She had
even ordered a commission to be drawn for him, constituting him her
lieutenant, in the kingdoms of England and Ireland; but Burleigh and
Hatton represented to her the danger of intrusting such unlimited
authority in the hands of any subject, and prevented the execution of
that design. No wonder that a conduct so unlike the usual jealousy of
Elizabeth, gave reason to suspect that her partiality was founded on
some other passion than friendship. But Elizabeth seemed to carry her
affection to Leicester no farther than the grave; she ordered his goods
to be disposed of at a public sale, in order to reimburse herself
of some debt which he owed her; and her usual attention to money was
observed to prevail over her regard to the memory of the deceased. This
earl was a great hypocrite, a pretender to the strictest religion, an
encourager of the Puritans, and founder of hospitals.]

[Footnote 30: NOTE DD, p. 264. Strype, vol. iii. p. 542. Id. append, p.
239. There are some singular passages in this last speech, which may be
worth taking notice of, especially as they came from a member who was no
courtier; for he argues against the subsidy. "And first," says he, "for
the _necessity_ thereof, I cannot deny, but if it were a charge imposed
upon us by her majesty's commandment, or a demand proceeding from her
majesty by way of request, that I think there is not one among us all,
either so disobedient a subject in regard of our duty, or so unthankful
a man in respect of the inestimable benefits which by her or from her
we have received, which would not with frank consent, both of voice and
heart, most willingly submit himself thereunto, without any unreverend
inquiry into the causes thereof. For it is continually in the mouth of
us all, that our lands, goods, and lives, are at our prince's disposing.
And it agreeth very well with that position of the civil law, which
sayeth, 'Quod omnia regis aunt,' But how? 'Ita tamen ut omnium sint. Ad
regem enim potestas