d cousins;

"Being given to understand from our cousin of Leicester how honorably he
was not only lately received by you our cousin the countess at
Chatsworth, and his diet by you both discharged at Buxtons, but also
presented with a very rare present, we should do him great wrong
(holding him in that place of favor we do) in case we should not let you
understand in how thankful sort we accept the same at both your hands,
not as done unto him but to our own self; reputing him as another self;
and therefore ye may assure yourselves that we, taking upon us the debt,
not as his but our own, will take care accordingly to discharge the same
in such honorable sort as so well deserving creditors as ye shall never
have cause to think ye have met with an ungrateful debtor." &c.

* * * * *

Lord Talbot, on another occasion, urged upon his father the policy of
ingratiating himself with Leicester by a pressing invitation to
Chatsworth, adding moreover, that he did not believe it would greatly
either further or hinder his going into that part of the country.

CHAPTER XIX.

1577 TO 1582.

Relations of the queen with France and Spain.--She sends succours to the
Dutch--is entertained by Leicester, and celebrated in verse by P.
Sidney.--Her visit to Norwich.--Letter of Topcliffe.--Notice of sir T.
Smith.--Magical practices against the queen.--Duke Casimir's visit to
England.--Duke of Anjou urges his suit with the queen.--Simier's
mission.--Leicester's marriage.--Behaviour of the queen.--A shot fired
at her barge.--Her memorable speech.--First visit of Anjou in
England.--Opinions of privy-councillors on the match.--Letter of Philip
Sidney.--Stubbs's book.--Punishment inflicted on him.--Notice of sir N.
Bacon.--Drake's return from his circumnavigation.--Jesuit
seminaries.--Arrival of a French embassy.--A triumph.--Notice of Fulk
Greville.--Marriage-treaty with Anjou.--His second visit.--His return
and death.

About the middle of the year 1576, Walsingham in a letter to sir Henry
Sidney thus writes: "Here at home we live in security as we were wont,
grounding our quietness upon other harms." The harms here alluded
to,--the religious wars of France, and the revolt of the Dutch provinces
from Spain,--had proved indeed, in more ways than one, the safeguard of
the peace of England. They furnished so much domestic occupation to the
two catholic sovereigns of Europe, most formidable by their power,