tate, and some small practice of the law, I took
a wife, by whom I have had many children; the keeping of us all being a
great impoverishing to my estate, and the daily living of us all nothing
but my daily industry. Neither from my person not my nature doth this
choice arise; for he that supplieth this place ought to be a man big
and comely, stately and well-spoken, his voice great, his carriage
majestical, his nature haughty, and his purse plentiful and heavy: but
contrarily, the stature of my body is small, myself not so well spoken,
my voice low, my carriage lawyer-like, and of the common fashion, my
nature soft and bashful, my purse thin, light, and never yet plentiful.
If Demosthenes, being so learned and eloquent as he was, one whom none
surpassed, trembled to speak before Phocion at Athens, how much more
shall I, being unlearned and unskilful to supply the place of dignity,
charge, and trouble, to speak before so many Phocions as here be?
yea, which is the greatest, before the unspeakable majesty and
sacred personage of our dread and dear sovereign; the terror of whose
countenance will appal and abase even the stoutest hearts; yea, whose
very name will pull down the greatest courage? for how mightily do the
estate and name of a prince deject the haughtiest stomach even of their
greatest subjects? D'Ewes, p. 459.]

[Footnote 35: NOTE II, p. 299. Cabala, p. 234. Birch's Memoirs, vol.
ii. p. 386. Speed, p. 877 The whole letter of Essex is so curious and
so spirited, that the reader may not be displeased to read it. "My very
good lord Though there is not that man this day living, whom I would
sooner make judge of any question that might concern me than yourself,
yet you must give me leave to tell you, that in some cases I must appeal
from all earthly judges; and if any, then surely in this, when the
highest judge on earth has imposed on me the heaviest punishment,
without trial or hearing. Since then I must either answer your
lord-ship's argument, or else forsake mine own just defence, I will
force, mine aching head to do me service for an hour. I must first deny
my discontent, which was forced, to be a humorous discontent; and that
it was unseasonable, or is of so long continuing, your lordship should
rather condole with me than expostulate. Natural seasons are expected
here below; but violent and unseasonable storms come from above. There
is no tempest equal to the passionate indignation of a prince; nor yet
at