and conferred upon him other solid marks of her favor. In return for these benefits, he zealously and actively exerted himself for the defence of her dominions against the Spaniards, in 1588; having not only been one of those patriot volunteers who sailed against the formidable Armada in the English Channel, but as a member of her majesty's council of war, contributed, by his advice and experience, to the maturing of those defensive arrangements which led to the discomfiture of the enemy. Elizabeth continued her favors to him for a long time without limit; but at length his troublesome importunities drew from her the pointed question, 'When, Sir Walter, will you cease to be a beggar?' to which, with his usual tact, he replied, 'When your gracious majesty ceases to be a benefactor. With all his elevated traits of character, it must, however, be confessed that Raleigh was not, at this period of his life, strictly conscientious; and by taking bribes, and otherwise abusing his power and influence at court, he became unpopular with the nation at large, and his fortunes now began, though at first imperceptibly, to wane. Perceiving the approaching consequences of his unfair practices at court, Raleigh prepared to ward off the blow by attaching to himself the men of science and learning of the day. With this view, he set up an office of address intended to serve the purposes now effected chiefly by literary and philosophical societies. The following description of this scheme is given by Sir William Petty: 'It seems to have been a plan by which the wants and desires of all learned men might be made known to each other, where they might know what is already done in the business of learning, what is at present in doing, and what is intended to be done; to the end that by such a general communication of designs and mutual assistance, the wits and endeavours of the world may no longer be as so many scattered coals, which, having no union, are soon quenched, whereas being but laid together, they would have yielded a comfortable light and heat.' Raleigh not only devised this general plan by which to surround himself with literary men, but he also sought the particular friendship of eminent individuals. Accordingly, when on a visit to his Irish estates, he formed an acquaintance with Spenser, which soon ripened into an intimate friendship. He brought the poet over to London, introduced him to Elizabeth, and otherwise benefited him by his encouragement and patronage; in return for which favor Spenser addressed a pastoral to him entitled Colin Clout's Come Home Again, where Raleigh is celebrated under the title of the Shepherd of the Ocean.

In 1592, Raleigh engaged in one of those predatory expeditions against the enemies of England, which, in Elizabeth's reign, were very common; a fleet of thirteen ships, besides two of her majesty's men-of-war, being intrusted to his command. This armament was destined to attack Panama, and intercept the Spanish plate fleet, but, having been recalled by Elizabeth soon after it set sail, came back with a single prize. Soon after his return Raleigh incurred the deep displeasure of the queen by an amour with one of her maids of honor; in consequence of which, though he married the lady, he suffered imprisonment for some months. While in banishment

from the court, he undertook, at his own expense, in 1595, an expedition to Guiana, concerning the riches of which country many wonderful tales were then current. He, however, accomplished nothing farther than to take formal possession of it in the queen's name. The next year after his return to England he published a work entitled Discovery of the Large, Rich, and Beautiful Empire of Guiana. This was Sir Walter's first important literary production, and it seems that about the same time he published it, he regained the queen's favor; for we find him holding, in the same year, a command in the expedition against Cadiz, under the Earl of Essex, and Lord Effingham. In the successful attack on that town, his bravery, as well as his prudence, was very conspicuous. In 1597, Raleigh was rear-admiral in the expedition which sailed under Essex to intercept the Spanish West India fleet; and by capturing Fayal, one of the Azores, before the arrival of the commander-in-chief, he gave great offence to the earl, who considered himself robbed of the glory of the action. A temporary reconciliation was, however, soon effected; but Raleigh afterward heartily joined with Cecil in promoting the downfall of Essex, and was a spectator of his execution from a window in the armory.

On the accession of James the First to the English crown, Raleigh's pros perity terminated, hatred toward him having been previously instilled by Cecil into the royal ear. Through the malignant scheming of the same hypocritical minister, he was accused of conspiring to dethrone the king, and place the crown on the head of Arabella Stuart. A trial for high treason ensued, and upon the most paltry evidence conceivable he was, by a servile jury, condemned. Sir Edward Coke, who was at the time attorneygeneral, abused him on this occasion in violent and disgraceful terms, bestowing upon him freely the lowest and most offensive epithets. Raleigh defended himself with such temper, eloquence, and strength of reasoning, that some, even of his enemies, were convinced of his innocence, and all parties were ashamed of the judgment pronounced against him. He was, however, reprieved, and instead of being executed, was committed to the Tower, in which his wife was permitted to bear him company. During the twelve years of his imprisonment, he wrote most of his works, especially the History of the World, of which only a part was finished, comprehending the period from the creation to the downfall of the Macedonian empire, about one hundred and seventy years before Christ.

The learning and genius of Raleigh, who, in the language of Hume, 'being educated amid naval and military enterprises, had surpassed, in the pursuits of literature, even those of the most recluse and sedentary lives,' have excited very general admiration. The style and manner of his celebrated history are vastly superior to any of the English historical productions which had previously appeared. Its style, though partaking of the faults of the age, in being frequently stiff and inverted, has less of these defects than the diction of any other writer of the time. Tytler justly recommends it as 'vigorous, purely English, and possessing an antique rich

ness of ornament, similar to what pleases us when we see some ancient priory or stately manor-house, and compare it with our more modern mansions.'

In 1615, Raleigh was liberated from the Tower, in consequence of having projected a second expedition to Guiana, from which the king expected to receive some advantage. His purpose was to colonize the country, and work gold mines; and with this view, in 1617, a fleet of twelve armed vessels sailed under his command. The whole detail of his intended proceedings, however, were either weakly or treacherously communicated by the king to the Spanish government, by which the scheme was entirely thwarted. Returning to England, he landed at Plymouth, and on his way to London was arrested in the king's name. The projected match between Prince Charles and the Infanta of Spain occupied, just at this period, James's attention; and to propitiate the Spanish government he determined that Raleigh should be sacrificed. After many varied attempts to discover valid grounds of accusation against him, it was found necessary to proceed upon the old sentence, and Raleigh was, accordingly, beheaded on the twentyninth of October, 1618. On the scaffold his behaviour was firm and calm. After addressing the people in justification of his character and conduct, he observed to the sheriff, 'This is a sharp medicine, but a sound cure for all diseases.' Having tried how the block fitted his head, he told the executioner that he would give the signal by lifting up his hand: 'and then,' added he, 'fear not, but strike.' He laid himself down, but was requested by the executioner to alter the position of his head. So the heart be right,' was his reply, 'it is no matter which way the head lies.' On the signal being given, the executioner failed to act with promptitude, which caused Raleigh to exclaim, 'Why dost thou not strike? Strike, man!' By two strokes, which he then received without shrinking, the head of this intrepid man was severed from his body, and his earthly career thus closed. While in prison awaiting his execution, Sir Walter addressed the following tender and affectionate valedictory letter to his wife:

You shall receive, my dear wife, my last words in these my last lines; my love I send you, that you may keep when I am dead, and my counsel, that you may remember it when I am no more. I would not with my will present you sorrows, dear Bess; let them go to the grave with me, and be buried in the dust. And seeing that it is not the will of God that I shall see you any more, bear my destruction patiently, and with a heart like yourself.

First, I send you all the thanks which my heart can conceive, or my words express, for your many travails and cares for me, which, though they have not taken effect as you wished, yet my debt to you is not the less; but pay it I never shall in this world.

Secondly, I beseech you, for the love you bear me living, that you do not hide yourself many days, but by your travails seek to help my miserable fortunes, and the right of your poor child; your mourning can not avail me that am but dust.

Paylie oweth me a thousand pounds, and Aryan six hundred; in Jersey also, I have much owing me. Dear wife, I beseech you, for my soul's sake, pay all poor men.

When I am dead, no doubt you shall be much sought unto; for the world thinks I was very rich; have a care to the fair pretences of men, for no greater misery can befall you in this life than to become a prey unto the world, and after to be despised. I speak, God knows, not to dissuade you from marriage, for it will be best for you, both in respect of God and of the world. As for me, I am no more yours, nor you mine; death hath cut us asunder, and God hath divided me from the world, and you from me. Remember your poor child for his father's sake, who loved you in his happiest estate. I sued for my life, but, God knows, it was for you and yours that I desired it for know it, my dear wife, your child is the child of a true man, who, in his own respect, despiseth death, and his mis-shapen and ugly forms. I can not write much (God knows how hardly I steal this time when all sleep), and it is also time for me to separate my thoughts from the world. Beg my dead body, which living was denied you, and either lay it in Sherburn or Exeter church, by my father and mother. I can say no more, time and death calleth me away. The everlasting God, powerful, infinite, and inscrutable God Almighty, who is goodness itself, the true light and life, keep you and yours, and have mercy upon me, and forgive my persecutors and false accusers, and send us, to meet in his glorious kingdom. My dear wife, farewell; bless my boy, pray for me, and let my true God hold you both in his

arms.

Besides the historical work already mentioned, and from which the first of the following extracts is taken, Raleigh composed a number of political and other pieces, some of which have never been published. Among those best known are his Maxims of State, The Cabinet Council, The Skeptic, and Advice to his Son; from the last of which we take the second of the following extracts:

THE BATTLE OF THERMOPYLÆ.

After such time as Xerxes had transported the army over the Hellespont, and landed in Thrace (leaving the description of his passage alongst that coast, and how the river of Lissus was drunk dry by his multitudes, and the lake near to Pissyrus by his cattle, with other accidents in his marches towards Greece,) I will speak of the encounters he had, and the shameful and incredible overthrows which he received. As first at Thermopylæ, a narrow passage of half an acre of ground, lying between the mountains which divide Thessaly from Greece, where sometimes the Phocians had raised a wall with gates, which was then for the most part ruined. At this entrance, Leonidas, one of the kings of Sparta, with 300 Lacedæmonians, assisted with 1000 Tegeatæ and Mantineans, and 1000 Arcadians, and other Peloponnesians, to the number of 3100 in the whole, besides 100 Phocians, 400 Thebans, 700 Thespians, and all the forces (such as they were) of the bordering Locrians, defended the passage two whole days together against that huge army of the Persians, The valour of the Greeks appeared so excellent in this defence, that, in the first lay's fight, Xerxes is said to have three times leaped out of his throne, fearing the destruction of his army by one handful of those men whom not long before he had utterly despised: and when the second day's attempt upon the Greeks had proved vain, he was altogether ignorant how to proceed further, and so might have continued, had not a runagate Grecian taught him a secret way, by which part of his army might ascend the ledge of mountains, and set upon the backs of those who kept the straits. But when the most valiant of the Persian army had almost inclosed the small forces of the Greeks, then did Leonidas, king of the Lacedæmonians, with his 300, and 700 Thespians, which were all that abode by him, refuse to quit the place which they had undertaken to make good, and with admirable courage, not only resist that world of men which charged them on all sides, but, issuing out

of their strength, made so great a slaughter of their enemies, that they might well be called vanquishers, though all of them were slain upon the place. Xerxes having lost in this last fight, together with 20,000 other soldiers and captains, two of his own brethren, began to doubt what inconvenience might befall him by the virtue of such as had not been present at these battles, with whom he knew that he shortly was to deal. Especially of the Spartans he stood in great fear, whose manhood had appeared singular in this trial, which caused him very carefully to inquire what numbers they could bring into the field. It is reported of Dieneces the Spartan, that when one thought to have terrified him by saying that the flight of the Persian arrows was so thick as would hide the sun, he answered thus:-'It is very good news, for then shall we fight in the cool shade.'

THREE RULES TO BE OBSERVED FOR THE PRESERVATION OF A MAN'S ESTATE.

Amongst all other things of the world, take care of thy estate, which thou shalt ever preserve if thou observe three things: first, that thou know what thou hast, what every thing is worth that thou hast, and to see that thou art not wasted by thy servants and officers. The second is, that thou never spend anything before thou have it; for borrowing is the canker and death of every man's estate. The third is, that thou suffer not thyself to be wounded for other men's faults, and scourged for other men's offences; which is, the surety for another, for thereby millions of men have been beggared and destroyed, paying the reckoning of other men's riot, and the charge of other men's folly and prodigality; if thou smart, smart for thine own sins; and, above all things, be not made an ass to carry the burdens of other men: if any friend desire thee to be his surety, give him a part of what thou hast to spare; if he press thee farther, he is not thy friend at all, for friendship rather chooseth harm to itself than offereth it. If thou be bound for a stranger, thou art a fool; if for a merchant, thou puttest thy estate to learn to swim; if for a churchman, he hath no inheritance; if for a lawyer, he will find an invasion by a syllable or word to abuse thee; if for a poor man, thou must pay it thyself; if for a rich man, he needs not; therefore, from suretyship, as from a man-slayer or enchanter, bless thyself; for the best profit and return will be this, that if thou force him for whom thou art bound, to pay it himself, he will become thy enemy; if thou use to pay it thyself, thou wilt be a beggar; and believe thy father in this, and print it in thy thought, that what virtue soever thou hast, be it never so manifold, if thou be poor withal, thou and thy qualities shall be despised. Besides, poverty is ofttimes sent as a curse of God: it is a shame amongst men, an imprisonment of the mind, a vexation of every worthy spirit; thou shalt neither help thyself nor others thou shalt drown thee in all thy virtues, having no means to show them; thou shalt be a burden and an eyesore to thy friends, every man will fear thy company; thou shalt be driven basely to beg and depend on others, to flatter unworthy men, to make dishonest shifts: and, to conclude, poverty provokes a man to do infamous and detested deeds; let no vanity, therefore, or persuasion, draw thee to that worst of worldly miseries.

If thou be rich, it will give thee pleasure in health, comfort in sickness, keep thy mind and body free, save thee from many perils, relieve thee in thy elder years, relieve the poor and thy honest friends, and give means to thy posterity to live, and defend themselves and thine own fame. Where it is said in the Proverbs, 'That he shall be sore vexed that is a surety for a stranger, and he that hateth suretyship is sure;' it is further said, 'The poor is hated even of his own neighbour; but the rich have many friends.' Lend not to him that is mightier than thyself, for if thou lendest him, count it but lost; be not surety above thy power, for if thou be surety, think to pay it.