brought him renown, and Mars (his
admirers said) vied with Mercury for his allegiance. He travelled on the
Continent, and finally, in 1598, he accepted a subordinate place in the
suite of the Queen's Secretary, Sir Robert Cecil, who was going on an
embassy to Paris. But Mistress Vernon was still fated to be his evil
genius, and Southampton learnt while in Paris that her condition rendered
marriage essential to her decaying reputation. He hurried to London and,
yielding his own scruples to her entreaties, secretly made her his wife
during the few days he stayed in this country. The step was full of
peril. To marry a lady of the Court without the Queen's consent
infringed a prerogative of the Crown by which Elizabeth set exaggerated
store.

Imprisonment, 1601-3.

The story of Southampton's marriage was soon public property. His wife
quickly became a mother, and when he crossed the Channel a few weeks
later to revisit her he was received by pursuivants, who had the Queen's
orders to carry him to the Fleet prison. For the time his career was
ruined. Although he was soon released from gaol, all avenues to the
Queen's favour were closed to him. He sought employment in the wars in
Ireland, but high command was denied him. Helpless and hopeless, he late
in 1600 joined Essex, another fallen favourite, in fomenting a rebellion
in London, in order to regain by force the positions each had forfeited.
The attempt at insurrection failed, and the conspirators stood their
trial on a capital charge of treason on February 19, 1600-1. Southampton
was condemned to die, but the Queen's Secretary pleaded with her that
'the poor young earl, merely for the love of Essex, had been drawn into
this action,' and his punishment was commuted to imprisonment for life.
Further mitigation was not to be looked for while the Queen lived. But
Essex, Southampton's friend, had been James's sworn ally. The first act
of James I as monarch of England was to set Southampton free (April 10,
1603). After a confinement of more than two years, Southampton resumed,
under happier auspices, his place at Court.

Later career. Death on Nov. 10, 1624.

Southampton's later career does not directly concern the student of
Shakespeare's biography. After Shakespeare had congratulated Southampton
on his liberty in his Sonnet cvii., there is no trace of further
relations between them, although there is no reason to doubt that they
remained friends t