Politics & government > Life of Sir Walter Raleigh

194 from raleigh’s restoration to favour
archbishop’s motion, to have a stool.”*' Under every
disadvantage he made a noble defence ; and nothing can
be more affecting than the patience and gentleness with
which he bore the envenomed accusations preferred
against him. It is mortifying to find Bacon’s name
amongst those whom the queen commanded to conduct
the prosecution; but however sincere in his wish to
avert it, this great man was not of a temper, when the
resolution was taken, to sacrifice his hopes of preferment
to his affection for his friend. Cecil when called upon
to deliver his opinion absolved the earl from all thoughts
of disloyalty, and treated him with more courtesy than
the rest of his judges ; but he declared that the queen
had presented to him the only way to save Ireland, and
that his quitting that kingdom and refusal to adopt the
queen’s advice had been the only cause of the ruin of
the royal army. There is every reason to believe that
the fate of the prisoner had been determined before he
entered the council-room. His sentence, as pronounced
by the lord-keeper, was degradation from his station as
a councillor of state, deprivation of his offices of earl-
marshal of England and master of the ordnance, and
imprisonment in his own house till her majesty’s pleasure
should be known.”+
All trusted this sentence would satisfy the queen, and
believed that they would soon see him restored, if not
to his former power, at least to a share of her favour.
But there is something in the conduct of Elizabeth
throughout this whole affair, which proves that age had
rendered her more tyrannical and revengeful, or that
she was exposed to the constant influence of the secret
enemies of the condemned lord. The earl had hitherto
restrained the haughtiness of his temper; he had borne
studied indignities not only with patience, but so humbly
and sorrowfully, that it drew tears from many of the
council. As he had been severely reduced by sickness
he retired to the country, and calmly awaited the return
* Birch’s Memoirs, vok ii. pp. 439, 440-447. + Ibid. p. 454.