And, sooth to say, it is no sort of life For shepherd fit to lead, in that same place, Where each one seeks with malice, and with strife, To thrust down other into foul disgrace,Himself to raise; and he doth soonest rise That best can handle his deceitful wit In subtile shifts, and finest sleights' devise, Either by slandering his well-deemed name, Through leasings lewd, and feignèd forgery; Or else by breeding him some blot of blame, By creeping close into his secrecy; To which him needs a guileful hollow heart, Masked with fair-dissembling courtesy.

SPENSER.

I.—LETTERS OF LADY RALEGH.

I 594.

I.

LADY RALEGH TO SIR ROBERT CECIL.

From the Original. Cecil Papers, vol. xxii. § 50 (Hatfield). Holograph.
Without date.

SUR,

I RESEVED your tabells of no less rare device then the sentans within was cumforttabell. If faith wear broken with mee I was yet farr away, but I feare that my Mistris, if all hartes weare opene and all desiars knowne, might without so gret curiosetye of desciphering reed her owne desteni in a playne alphebett, but wee ar both great belevars, and therin wee flatter our seulevs and nurishe our owne mindes with what wee would.

LETTER I.

1593-1594.
Feb. 8.

Lady
Ralegh to
Sir R.

Cecil.

Thanks for a book of

tablets.

Allusion to some

instance

Now, Sur, for the rest I hope for my sake you will rather 5/ draw fur watar towardes the est then heulp hyme forward of the

toward the soonsett, if ani respecke to me or love to him
be not forgotten. But everi monthe hath his flower and
everi season his contentment, and you greate counselares
ar so full of new councels, as you ar steddi in nothing;
but wee poore soules that hath bought sorrow at a high
price desiar, and can be plesed with, the same misfortun
wee hold, fering alltarracions will but multiply misseri,
of wich we have allredi felte sufficiant.
your parswadcions ar of efecke with him, and hild as

I know unly

Queen's

curiosity of deciphering."Entreaty will not

that Cecil

forward

Ralegh's plan of an enterprise "toward

the sunset."

LETTER I. orrekeles tied to them by Love; therfore I humbelle 1593-1594. besiech you rathar stay him then furdar him. By the wich you shall bind me for ever. As yet you have ever geveng me caus to love and serve you for ever,

Feb. 8.

as shee that honnereth you most,

E. RALEGH.

Addressed: "To my veri honarabell frind, Sur ROBERT CISCIL, Knight.”
Endorsed: "8 Feb. 1593. Lady Rawleigh to my Master. Tra. I."

I 595.

II.

LADY RALEGH TO SIR ROBERT CECIL.

From the Original. Cecil Papers, vol. xxxi. § 29 (Hatfield). Holograph LETTER II. SUR,

AMOUNGEST many vertus hit is not your least to be a comfort to the greeved, and so ar you to mee with your honnorabell and kind lettar, whearby you fullfill the desiar of your absent frind, as allso bind me for ever to honnor you.

Sur WATTAR'S remembrans of me to you at his last departur shall ad and incres, if itt weer possibell, mor love and dew respect to him. I am in hope, er hit be longe, to heer of him, thought not of longe time to see him. In which tim I shall fly to you in all my cumbars, as to the shurest staf I trust to in Sur WATTAR'S absens

1 These words in italics are strongly erased by pen-scratches and with an ink different from that of the letter; but they are now legible beneath the erasure. 2 though.

1594-1595. March 20.

I thank my honnorabell mistris1 for wishing me neer LETTER II. heer. To doo heer sarvis, and to injoy both your companies, I oft wish hit with heer; els, is an hermit's sell most fit for me and my mind at this time; beeing for a tim thus desevered from him that 2 I am.

I must intret your faforabell word to me Lord Keppar that hee will suffar me to folow the cours of law to me Lord of HUNTINGTON.3 I desiar noo fafor ther in, but only sufferans. This berar can tell you the mattar. I rathar chuus this time to folow hit in Sur WATTAR'S absens, that my selfe may bear the unkinnes, and not hee; the moni being long time past dew to me. This,1 for ever wishing you all honnar and happines, I end. Sherbon Loge, the xx of March.

From the Original. Cecil Papers, vol. xxxi. § 77 (Hatfield). Holograph.
SUR,

THOUGHT I fere I shall be trubbellsum to you with my desiaring lettars, yet I can not but wryt to you

1 Lady Cecil.

'that' is evidently here used in the sense of 'whose.'

3 Into whose hands Lady Ralegh's marriage portion, or part of it, had passed upon bond or mortgage. 5 Though.

4 Thus.

LETTER

III.

1595. April 7.

LETTER

III.

1595. April 7. Lady Ralegh to Sir R. Cecil. From

at this time, in the behalfe of this bearer, hee being to Sur WATTAR as hee is; wich I knoo is a sufficent reson of your fafor and car of him. Not withstanding, to sattisfi myselfe in leavinge nothing undon, as nere as I may, to ani of his, I presum to desiar you that in this his desiar of gooing to see, hee may be grassed1 and Sherborne. helped by you, wich I noo wayes dout of. And so, with all happi wishis to you and my honnarabell mistris, I end. Sherbon Loge, the vii of Aprill.

Recommendation of Arthur Radford, who is desirous of

serving at

Your poore frind that honereth you,

E. RALEGH.

To the most honnarabell Sur ROBARD CISCILL, &c. &r.

Endorsed:

7 April, 1595. The Lady Raleigh to my Master. In favour of Arthur Radford.

LETTER
IV.

1595. July 28?

IV.

LADY RALEGH TO SIR ROBERT CECIL.

From the Original. Cecil Papers, vol. xxxiii. § 53 (Hatfield). Holograph.

SUR,

PRESUMENG of your honnarabell fafor ever to me, I am bould to trobell you in the behalfe of this my kinsman Mr. BRETT; yet noo wayes fardar then I knoo in rit and honnar you may. Nether wold I requist, nether will hee intret, fardar your fafor then unly to hold a indeffrant openion of him, tell you heer the mattar of a suit of hooly.

Lady
Ralegh to
Sir R.
Cecil.

Recommendation

Mr. Brett. 1

1 graced.