Walter Bayly, sometime fellow of New College, then living in Oxford, and professor of purgative in that university whom, because he would not consent to take away her life by poison, the Earl endeavoured to displace him the court. This, it seems, was proved by the reputation of Dr.
“ Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, a very goodly personage, and singularly well featured, being a great favorite to Queen Elizabeth, it was thought, and normally reported, that had he been a bachelor or widower, the Queen would have made him her husband to this end, to free himself of all obstacles, he commands, or possibly, with fair flattering entreaties, desires his wife to repose herself here at his handmaid Anthony Forster’s house, who then lived in the aforesaid manor-house and besides prescribes to Sir Richard Varney ( a prompter to this design ), at his coming here, that he should first attempt to poison her, and if that did not take effect, then by any other way whatsoever to dispatch her. There is besides in the said theater a chamber called Dudley ‘s chamber, where the Earl of Leicester ‘s wife was murdered, of which this is the fib following :. “ In the hall, over the lamp chimney, I find Abington arms cut in stone-namely, a patonee between four martletts and besides another escutcheon-namely, a leo rampant, and respective mitres cut in gem about the house. At the Dissolution, the said manor, or lordship, was conveyed to one-Owen ( I believe ), the owner of Godstow then. “ At the west end of the church are the ruins of a manor, anciently belonging ( as a cell, or place of removal, as some report card ) to the monks of Abington. In the pursuit excerpt of the passing, the reader will find the agency I had for the floor of the romance :. If we can trust Ashmole’s Antiquities of Berkshire, there was but besides much ground for the traditions which charge Leicester with the murder of his wife. But the about general part of the times attached the most filthy suspicions to the death of the unfortunate Countess, more specially as it took place so very opportunely for the indulgence of her lover ‘s ambition. It is possible that aspersion, which identical rarely favours the memories of persons in exalt stations, may have blackened the character of Leicester with dark shades than truly belonged to it. The interest of the narrative is thrown upon that time period when the sudden death of the inaugural Countess of Leicester seemed to open to the ambition of her conserve the opportunity of sharing the crown of his sovereign. I have endeavoured to describe her as at once a exalted sovereign, and a female of passionate feelings, hesitating betwixt the sense of her rate and the duty she owed her subjects on the one hand, and on the other her fastening to a lord, who, in external qualifications at least, amply merited her privilege.
But he hopes the determine of a prejudice, about as natural to him as his native air, will not be found to have greatly affected the sketch he has attempted of England ‘s Elizabeth. He will not, however, pretend to have approached the job with the same feelings for the blunt Robertson himself confesses having felt the prejudices with which a Scottishman is tempted to regard the subject and what indeed free a historian avows, a poor romance-writer dares not disinherit.
Reading: Kenilworth, by Sir Walter Scott, Bart.Ī sealed degree of success, real or supposed, in the word picture of Queen Mary, naturally induced the author to attempt something exchangeable respect “ her sister and her foe, ” the lionize Elizabeth.