iety and expectation,
consisted in her company, and in reading with her those instructive
and entertaining authors, which, even during the time of his greatest
prosperity, he had never entirely neglected.

There were several incidents which kept alive the queen's anger against
Essex. Every account which she received from Ireland, convinced her more
and more of his misconduct in that government, and of the insignificant
purposes to which he had employed so much force and treasure. Tyrone, so
far from being quelled, had thought proper, in less than three months,
to break the truce, and joining with O'Donnel and other rebels, had
overrun almost the whole kingdom. He boasted that he was certain of
receiving a supply of men, money, and arms from Spain: he pretended
to be champion of the Catholic religion: and he openly exulted in the
present of a phoenix plume, which the pope, Clement VIII., in order to
encourage him in the prosecution of so good a cause, had consecrated,
and had conferred upon him.[**]

* Birch's Memoirs, p. 444.

** Camden p. 617

The queen, that she might check his progress, returned to her former
intention of appointing Mountjoy lord deputy; and though that nobleman,
who was an intimate friend of Essex, and desired his return to the
government of Ireland, did at first very earnestly excuse himself on
account of his bad state of health, she obliged him to accept of the
employment. Mountjoy found the island almost in a desperate condition;
but being a man of capacity and vigor, he was so little discouraged,
that he immediately advanced against Tyrone in Ulster. He penetrated
into the heart of that country, the chief seat of the rebels; he
fortified Derry and Mount-Norris, in order to bridle the Irish: he
chased them from the field, and obliged them to take shelter in the
woods and morasses: he employed, with equal success, Sir George Carew
in Munster: and by these promising enterprises, he gave new life to the
queen's authority in that island.

As the comparison of Mountjoy's administration with that of Essex
contributed to alienate Elizabeth from her favorite, she received
additional disgust from the partiality of the people, who, prepossessed
with an extravagant idea of Essex's merit, complained of the injustice
done him by his removal from court, and by his confinement. Libels were
secretly dispersed against Cecil and Raleigh and all his enemies: and
his popularity, which was always grea