Elizabeth Queen and Earl of Essex (Illustrated Collector's Edition)

Author: (English)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: His life was first struck by misfortune when the young Essex appeared at court. Just as Leicesters' aging seemed to pave the way for his future victory, and as Walter Raleigh expected the Queen's favor to increasingly concentrate on him, the young heir of the old favorite, Essex, with his childish charm, stepped onto the stage and completely captivated Elizabeth. Raleigh suddenly realized his position—like a once-conquering beauty gradually losing her allure. Perhaps the Queen would reward him with three or four estates of executed conspirators, or allow him to travel to America to establish a colony, or even sniff his tobacco and give him a playful grin while biting a potato—none of it mattered anymore: her heart, her body, were with Essex on the other side of the door of the Queen's bedchamber. He frowned deeply and resolved not to succumb with subservience. During a visit to the Earl of Warwick's estate in the countryside, he successfully provoked Elizabeth. The Countess of Warwick was a friend of Dorothy Percy, the sister of Essex. Dorothy had secretly married someone, and the Queen, in anger, forbade her from entering court again. However, the careless hostess, the Countess of Warwick, believed the Queen's anger had long subsided, so she invited Dorothy and her brother Essex to stay at her house. Raleigh flattered Elizabeth, claiming that Dorothy's visit was an intentional slight toward the Queen by Essex. Elizabeth, upon hearing this, ordered that Dorothy be confined to her residence and forbidden from leaving. Upon learning of this, Essex flew into a rage. After dinner, when he was with the Queen and the Countess of Warwick, he strongly protested, defending his sister and openly declared that Elizabeth's actions were "nothing more than an attempt to curry favor with that scoundrel Raleigh. I see her willing to make me and my family miserable for this man, and to humiliate me in front of the whole world." Elizabeth fiercely retorted, accusing him of "seeming unable to tolerate any criticism of Raleigh, repeatedly using the word 'contempt.' She accused me of having no reason to contemptuously treat Raleigh." This remark "distressed me greatly, so I spoke to her as kindly as possible, detailing Raleigh's past and present." The reckless young man grew bolder with each word. He shouted, "I have served my master to the best of my ability, yet he shows such respect and fear for such a character—how can I find comfort in this?" Meanwhile, the Captain of the Guard remained on duty. "I spoke many resentful words attacking Raleigh, and at the time, Raleigh stood outside. I imagined he heard every single insult." But Essex's passionate words were useless; the argument escalated further. In the end, to defend Raleigh, Elizabeth began to insult Essex's mother, the Countess of Leicester, whom she had always disliked. This pushed the young man beyond his limits. He said that even though it was late at night, he could take his sister back. He also told the agitated Elizabeth, "As for me, since I know my deep affection is so utterly disregarded, and that a scoundrel like Raleigh is so highly esteemed by the Queen, I can never be happy and will no longer be close to her." Elizabeth did not reply, "but simply turned toward the Countess of Warwick." At that moment, Essex rushed out of the room, first escorting his sister out of the Warwick estate, and then rode alone to Margate, determined to cross the channel to join the war in support of the Dutch. He wrote in a letter, "If I return, I will be warmly welcomed in the country; if I do not, then a glorious death is better than a troublesome life." However, the Queen's swift response prevented him from leaving. She sent Robert Carey in hot pursuit, catching up to him just as he was boarding the ship and bringing him back before the Queen. The two reconciled, and the Queen's favor once again burst forth like fire. Within a month or two, Essex became a cavalry commander and the Knight of the Garter. Although the clouds had dispersed, the sky remained unpredictable. The second quarrel was an inauspicious omen. The extraordinary quarrel at the Earl of Warwick's estate, on the surface, seemed to be one of jealousy over others and the frustration of his own feelings, but the deep-seated suspicion, even latent hostility, could suddenly manifest in an instant. Moreover, Essex discovered that he, a young man of his standing, could openly rebuke the great Queen without punishment. Although Elizabeth had raged and been fiercely demanding in defense of Raleigh, refusing to back down, she had not forbidden him from continuing his bold and reckless protests, and seemed almost to delight in hearing them. P44-46