from six weeks to six weeks; but which might be broken
off by either party upon a fortnight's warning.[**] Essex also received
from Tyrone proposals for a peace, in which that rebel had inserted many
unreasonable and exorbitant conditions: and there appeared afterwards
some reason to suspect that he had here commenced a very unjustifiable
correspondence with the enemy.[***]

* Sydney's Letters, vol. ii. p. 112, 113.

** Sydney's Letters, vol. ii. p. 125.

*** Winwood, vol. i. p. 307. State Trials. Bacon, vol. iv.
p. 514, 585, 537.

So unexpected an issue of an enterprise, the greatest and most expensive
that Elizabeth had ever undertaken, provoked her extremely against
Essex; and this disgust was much augmented by other circumstances of
that nobleman's conduct. He wrote many letters to the queen and council,
full of peevish and impatient expressions; complaining of his enemies,
lamenting that their calumnies should be believed against him, and
discovering symptoms of a mind equally haughty and discontented. She
took care to inform him of her dissatisfaction: but commanded him to
remain in Ireland till further orders.

Essex heard at once of Elizabeth's anger, and of the promotion of his
enemy, Sir Robert Cecil, to the office of master of the wards, an office
to which he himself aspired: and dreading that, if he remained any
longer absent, the queen would be totally alienated from him, he hastily
embraced a resolution which, he knew, had once succeeded with the
earl of Leicester, the former favorite of Elizabeth. Leicester, being
informed, while in the Low Countries, that his mistress was extremely
displeased with his conduct, disobeyed her orders by coming over to
England; and having pacified her by his presence, by his apologies, and
by his flattery and insinuation, disappointed all the expectations
of his enemies.[*] Essex, therefore, weighing more the similarity of
circumstances than the difference of character between himself and
Leicester, immediately set out for England; and making speedy journeys,
he arrived at court before any one was in the least apprised of his
intentions.[**] Though besmeared with dirt and sweat, he hastened
upstairs to the presence chamber, thence to the privy chamber; nor
stopped till he was in the queen's bed-chamber, who was newly risen, and
was sitting with her hair about her face. He threw himself on his knees,
kissed her hand, and had some private conference wi