Leicester Coming To The Contestation, Said Publicly,
Which Was None Of His Wonted Speeches, That He Was A Knave, And
Should not long continue in his office; and so turning about to go
to the Queen, Bowyer, who was a
Bold gentleman and well-beloved,
stepped before him, and fell at Her Majesty's feet, relates the
story, and humbly craves Her Grace's pleasure, and in such a manner
as if he had demanded whether my Lord of Leicester was King, or Her
Majesty Queen: whereunto she replied (with her wonted oath, GOD'S-
DEATH) "My lord, I have wished you well, but my favour is not so
locked up for you that others shall not participate thereof; for I
have many servants unto whom I have, and will, at my pleasure,
bequeath my favour, and likewise resume the same; and if you think
to rule here, I will take a course to see you forthcoming; {23} I
will have here but one MISTRESS, and no MASTER; and look that no ill
happen to him, lest it be severely required at your hands:" which so
quailed my Lord of Leicester, that his faint humility was, long
after, one of his best virtues.
Moreover, the Earl of Sussex, then Lord Chamberlain, was his
professed antagonist to his dying day; and for my Lord Hunsdown, and
Sir Thomas Sackville, after Lord Treasurer, who were all
contemporaries, he was wont to say of them, that they were of the
tribe of Dan, and were NOLI ME TANGERE, implying that they were not
to be contested with, for they were, indeed, of the Queen's nigh
kindred.
From whence, and in many more instances, I conclude that she was
absolute and sovereign mistress of her graces, and that all those to
whom she distributed her favours were never more than tenants-at-
will, and stood on no better terms than her princely pleasure, and
their good behaviour.
And this also I present as a known observation, that she was, though
very capable of counsel, absolute enough in her own resolution;
which was ever apparent even to her last, and in that of her still
aversion to grant Tyrone {24} the least drop of her mercy, though
earnestly and frequently advised thereunto, yea, wrought only by her
whole Council of State, with very many reasons; and, as the state of
her kingdom then stood, I may speak it with assurance, necessitated
arguments.
If we look into her inclination, as it was disposed to magnificence
or frugality, we shall find in them many notable considerations; for
all her dispensations were so poised as though Discretion and
Justice had both decreed to stand at the beam, and see them weighed
out in due proportion, the maturity of her paces and judgments
meeting in a concurrence; and that in such an age that seldom
lapseth to excess.
To consider them apart, we have not many precedents of her
LIBERALITY, nor any large donatives to PARTICULAR men, my Lord of
Essex's book of PARKS excepted, which was a princely gift; and some
more of a lesser size to my Lord of Leicester, Hatton, and others.
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