expose him to the suspicion of puritanism. In his private capacity he
was benevolent, friendly, and accounted a man of strict integrity: but
it is right that public characters should principally be estimated by
that part of their conduct in which the public is concerned; and to
Walsingham as a minister the unsullied reputation of virtue and honor is
not to be conceded. Unlike that pure and noble patriot who "would have
lost his life with pleasure to serve his country, but would not have
done a base thing to save it," this statesman seems to have held that
few base things ought to be scrupled by which his queen and country
might be served.

That Walsingham was of unimpeached fidelity towards his sovereign
requires no proof; that he was not stimulated by views of private
emolument seems also to be satisfactorily evinced, though somewhat to
the discredit of his mistress, by the load of debt incurred in his
official capacity under the pressure of which he lived and died: but
here our praise of his public virtue must end. It is impossible to
regard without indignation and disgust the system of artifice and
intrigue which he contrived for the purpose of insnaring the persecuted
and therefore disaffected catholics; and while due credit is given to
his unwearied diligence and remarkable sagacity in detecting dangerous
conspiracies, it cannot be doubted that the extraordinary encouragements
held out by him to spies and informers,--those pests of a
commonwealth,--must in numberless instances have rendered himself the
dupe, and innocent persons the victims, of designing villany. Looking
even to the immediate results of his measures, it may triumphantly be
demanded by the philanthropist and the sage, whether a system less
artificial, less treacherous and less cruel, would not equally well have
succeeded in protecting the person of the queen from the machinations of
traitors, with the further and inestimable advantage of preserving her
government from reproach, and the national character from degradation.

That the system of Walsingham was in the main that also of his court and
of his age, is indeed true; and this consideration might in some degree
plead his excuse, did it not appear that there was in his personal
character a native subtilty and talent of insinuation which, aptly
conspiring with the nature of his office, might truly be said to render
his duty his delight:--a feature of his mind which is thus happily
delineated by