all afterwards hear
of him in a high command in Ireland.

Military glory was the darling object of the ambition of Essex; and
jealous perhaps of the fame which sir John Norris was acquiring in the
French wars, he prevailed upon the queen to grant him the command of a
fresh body of troops destined to assist Henry in expelling the Leaguers
from Normandy. The new general was deeply mortified at being obliged to
remain for some time inactive at Dieppe, while the French king was
carrying his arms into another quarter, whither Essex was restrained by
the positive commands of his sovereign from following him. At length
they formed in concert the siege of Rouen; but when the town was nearly
reduced to extremity, an unexpected march of the duke of Parma compelled
Henry to desert the enterprise. Elizabeth made it a subject of complaint
against her ally, that the English soldiers were always thrust foremost
on every occasion of danger; but by themselves this perilous preeminence
was claimed as a privilege due to the brilliancy of their valor; and
their leader, delighted with the spirit which they displayed, encouraged
and rewarded it by distributing among his officers, with a profusion
which highly offended his sovereign, the honor of knighthood, bestowed
by herself with so much selection and reserve. Essex supported his
character for personal courage, and indulged his impetuous temper, by
sending an idle challenge to the governor of Rouen, who seems to have
known his duty too well to accept it; but his sanguine anticipations of
some distinguished success were baffled by a want of correspondence
between the plans of Henry and the commands of Elizabeth; perhaps also
in some degree by his own deficiency in the skill of a general. He had
the further grief to lose by a musket-shot his only brother Walter
Devereux, a young man of great hopes to whom he was fondly attached; and
leaving his men before Rouen, under the conduct of sir Roger Williams, a
brave soldier, he returned with little glory in the beginning of 1592 to
soothe the displeasure of the queen and combat the malicious suggestions
of his enemies. In this bloodless warfare better success awaited him.
His partial mistress received with favor his excuses; and not only
restored him to her wonted grace, but soon after testified her opinion
of his abilities by granting him admission into the privy-council.

The royal progress of this year in Sussex and Hampshire affords some
circ