known (he said) that she never used syrups in her diet, but had an especial dislike to them. But when it clearly appeared that in shewing that jewel to the Queen he had made no mention whatever of poison, but had merely asked her in a dark manner whether it were lawful to meet deceit with deceit as snare with snare (by which however the Queen, as a wise and cautious woman, was not caught, but replied that she by no means approved of it), and when moreover it was given in evidence that he had seriously thought of taking flight and betake himself to a kinsman of his own race, one Solomon a Jew, who lived at Constantinople and was very rich, and that he had had a purpose so to do, his impostor's mask fell off, leaving the traitor's behind, as was fit.'

XII.

In

Upon the death of Ferdinand Stanley, Earl of Derby, in 1594, there arose a suit between his daughters and his brother William who succeeded to the earldom, for the dominion of the Isle of Man. the discussion of the title a flaw was detected by the Crown Lawyers which enabled them to put in a claim on behalf of the Queen. But the Queen (says Camden, p. 687.) waived that right, and an agreement was made between the uncle and his nieces. Here Bacon inserts (Faust. F. viii. fo. 76.) the words ut appareret illud potius ad competitores in ordinem redigendos, quam ad rigorem aliquem in medium adductum fuisse to shew that the claim was put in with a view of bringing the competitors to reason rather than of any rigour.'

XIII.

In the autumn of 1599, England was alarmed with rumours of a Spanish fleet approaching, and an army was hastily levied as in defence of the kingdom. But there was no such thing. It came to light some year and a half after, that about that time the Earl of Essex, then commanding a great army in Ireland and in high discontent with the Queen, was seriously thinking of crossing over to Wales with 2000 men, and marching up to London with such additional forces as would probably have joined him by the way, and so overpowering his enemies. Camden seems to have suspected that the rumour of the Spanish fleet had been got up by the Government in order to provide themselves against this danger; but leaves it doubtful. "Whether the Queen had any secret intimation of this (he says) I know not. Certain it is that at that very time, upon uncertain rumours eagerly credited of a Spanish fleet prepared, 6000 of the best-trained infantry were raised at London, of which 3000 were to guard the Queen's person and the rest to be ready for all occasions; while from the countries round about a more numerous and carefully selected army was sent for: of which Charles Howard, Earl of Nottingham, Admiral of England, was made commander-in-chief, with full authority as well against foreign enemies as domestic rebels. But this army was within a few days discharged."

Bacon seems to have had less doubt as to the secret history of this rumour and levy-may indeed have had positive knowledge of the fact and proposes (Faust. F. ix. fo. 33.) to substitute the following passage.

Atque hoc Reginæ occulto aliquo indicio innotuisse, probabile est. Etenim eodem tempore increbuerunt rumores et per totum regnum pervagati sunt (quales spargi solent cum Principe volente volitant), adesse classem Hispanam potentem et optime instructam, ad oras occidentales regni conspectam esse, neque quam partem peterent certum esse. Itaque delectus acriter ubique habiti, provincia maritima armari et in procinctu esse jussæ, nuntii assidue ad aulam missi, quinetiam exercitus regius sub duce Comite Notingamice Admirallo Angliæ conscriptus. Evulgata etiam fabella quæ vel prudentiores capere et fallere posset. Regem Hispanum, expeditionis in Lusitaniam cui idem Essexius adfuerat non oblitum, cum certior factus esset tantum exercitum ad motus Hybernicos compescendos apparari sub duce tam eminenti et florenti, in suspicionem venisse hæc prætextu rerum Hybernicarum ad Hispanic partem aliquam invadendam designata esse, atque idcirco in defensionem regnorum suorum classem numerosam atque etiam copias terrestres parâsse. Postquam autem comperisset exercitum revera in Hiberniam transmissum esse, atque illis rebus implicitum; submonitum a consilio suo, ut cum tantam classem et copias magnis impensis et rerum motu jam collegisset et paratas haberet, ne eas inutiliter dimitteret, sed in Angliam impressionem faceret, eo magis quod flos militiæ Anglicana cum Essexio transportatus esset, et Regina nihil tale eo tempore expectaret. Hæc omnia eo fiebant, ut Essexius, certior factus regnum in armis esse, ab aliquo conatu exercitum Hybernicum in Angliam transportandi injecto metu desisteret. Attamen hæc Regina consilia etiam vulgo in suspicionem venerant et in pejorem partem accipiebantur, ut etiam dicteriis non abstinerent, cum dicerent anno octogesimo octavo ab Hispania

appulisse classem illam invincibilem, at hoc anno alteram classem invisibilem, atque mussarent, si hujusmodi ludi florales a consilio Angliæ ineunte Maio celebrati fuissent, magis congruum existimari potuisse; verum ut plebs a messe sua avocaretur (erat enim adultus Autumnus) nimis serias ineptias esse.

'And it is probable that the Queen had some secret intimation of this design. For just at that time there grew up rumours (such as are commonly spread when the sovereign is willing they should circulate) and went abroad all over the land, that a mighty and well appointed Spanish fleet was at hand, that it had been seen on the western coast, and was doubtful for what part it was designed. Thereupon musters were diligently held on all sides, the coast counties were ordered to arm themselves and be in readiness, couriers were sent continually to the court, nay a royal army, under command of the Earl of Nottingham, Admiral of England, was levied. Moreover a tale was given out by which even the wiser sort might well be taken in: viz. that the King of Spain, who had not forgotten the voyage to Portugal in which the same Essex had been engaged, when he was informed that so great an army had been set forth to suppress the Irish rebellion, under so eminent and prosperous a commander, fell into a suspicion that it was designed, under pretext of Irish matters, to invade some part of Spain: and therefore got together a numerous fleet and also land forces for the defence of his own dominions: but that when he found that the army was in truth sent over into Ireland

1 The words at hoc — invisibilem are omitted in Hearne's edition, p. 795., having been omitted by the transcriber of the corrections in Rawlinson's copy.

and occupied with the work there, he was advised by his council, seeing that he had gathered together such a fleet and force with great charge and trouble and had them ready, not to discharge them without doing some service; but to strike a blow at England; the rather because the flower of the English army had been sent over with Essex, and the Queen expected nothing of the kind at that time. Now all this was done to the end that Essex, hearing that the kingdom was in arms, might be deterred from any attempt to bring the Irish army over into England. And yet these devices of the Queen were even by the common people suspected and taken in bad part; insomuch that they forbore not from scoffs, saying that in the year '88 Spain had sent an Invincible Armada against us and now she had sent an Invisible Armada; and muttering that if the council had celebrated this kind of Maygame in the beginning of May, it might have been thought more suitable, but to call the people away from the harvest for it (for it was now full autumn) was too serious a jest.'

The substance of this story is given by Fuller in his Church History (ix. 41.) on the authority of Camden's MS. Life of Queen Elizabeth, which it seems he had seen. It is the more worthy of notice because any one collecting the history of the time from the documents now remaining in the State Paper Office might easily conclude that the danger, or at least the alarm, was a real one. For though the occasion was pretended the preparations were in

earnest.

Fuller makes a remark upon the last sentence, which is strange for a man of his judgment. "My author