w in suffering every thing that can or shall be imposed upon
me. Your lordship, in the beginning of your letter, makes me a player,
and yourself a looker on: and me a player of my own game, so you may see
more than I: but give me leave to tell you, that since you do but see,
and I do suffer, I must of necessity feel more than you." [*] [35]

* See note II, at the end of the volume.

This spirited letter was shown by Essex to his friends, and they were
so imprudent as to disperse copies of it; yet, notwithstanding this
additional provocation, the queen's partiality was so prevalent, that
she reinstated him in his former favor; and her kindness to him appeared
rather to have acquired new force from this short interval of anger and
resentment, The death of Burleigh, his antagonist, which happened about
the same time, seemed to insure him constant possession of the
queen's confidence; and nothing indeed but his own indiscretion could
thenceforth have shaken his well-established credit. Lord Burleigh died
in an advanced age; and, by a rare fortune was equally regretted by his
sovereign and the people. He rad risen gradually from small beginnings
by the mere force of merit; and though his authority was never entirely
absolute or uncontrolled with the queen, he was still, during the course
of near forty years, regarded as her principal minister. None of her
other inclinations or affections could ever overcome her confidence in
so useful a counsellor; and as he had had the generosity or good sense
to pay assiduous court to her during her sister's reign, when it was
dangerous to appear her friend, she thought herself bound in gratitude,
when she mounted the throne, to persevere in her attachments to him. He
seems not to have possessed any shining talents of address, eloquence,
or imagination; and was chiefly distinguished by solidity of
understanding, probity of manners, and indefatigable application in
business; virtues which, if they do not always enable a man to attain
high stations, do certainly qualify him best for filling them. Of
all the queen's ministers he alone left a considerable fortune to his
posterity; a fortune not acquired by rapine or oppression, but gained by
the regular profits of his offices, and preserved by frugality.

The last act of this able minister was the concluding of a new treaty
with the Dutch; who, after being in some measure deserted by the king of
France, were glad to preserve the queen's