ral terms, that her
honor was much touched; your presumption had been intolerable, and that
she could not let it slip out of her mind. When I urged your access she
denied it, but so as I had no cause to be afraid to speak again. When I
offered in them both to reply, she fell into other discourse, and so we
parted." &c.

On the death of Walsingham he writes thus.... "Upon this unhappy
accident I have tried to the bottom what the queen will do for you, and
what the credit of your solicitor is worth. I urged not the comparison
between you and any other, but in my duty to her and zeal to her service
I did assure her, that she had not any other in England that would for
these three or four years know how to settle himself to support so great
a burden. She gave me leave to speak, heard me with patience, confessed
with me that none was so sufficient, and would not deny but that which
she lays to your charge was done without hope, fear, malice, envy, or
any respects of your own, but merely for her safety both of state and
person. In the end she absolutely denied to let you have that place and
willed me to rest satisfied, for she was resolved. Thus much I write to
let you know, I am more honest to my friends than happy in their cases."
&c.

As the fear of giving offence to the king of Scots was one reason or
pretext for the implacability of the queen towards Davison, Essex
hazarded the step of writing to request, as a personal favor to
himself, the forgiveness and good offices of this monarch in behalf of
the man who bore the blame of his mother's death. Nothing could be more
dexterous than the turn of this letter; but what reception it found we
do not discover. On the whole, all his efforts were unavailing: the
longer Elizabeth reflected on the matter, the less she felt herself able
to forgive the _presumption_ of the rash man who had anticipated her
final resolution on the fate of Mary. Other considerations probably
concurred; as, the apprehension which seems to have been of perpetual
recurrence to her mind, of rendering her young favorite too confident
and presuming by an uniform course of success in his applications to
her; the habitual ascendency of Burleigh; and, probably, some distrust
of the capacity of Davison for so difficult and important a post.

In conclusion, no principal secretary was at present appointed; but
Robert Cecil was admitted as an assistant to his father, who resumed on
this condition the duties of t