[Footnote 8: Grafton's Chron. p. 1350, 1351.]


* * * * *


Sir PHILIP SIDNEY.

This great ornament to human nature, to literature, and to Britain,
was the son of Sir Henry Sidney, knight of the Garter, and three times
Lord Deputy of Ireland, and of lady Mary Dudley, daughter to the duke
of Northumberland, and nephew to that great favourite, Robert, earl of
Leicester.

Oxford had the honour of his education, under the tuition of Dr.
Thomas Thornton, canon of Christ Church. At the university he remained
till he was 17 years of age, and in June 1572 set out on his travels.
On the 24th of August following, when the massacre fell out at Paris,
he was then there, [1] and with other Englishmen took shelter in Sir
Francis Walsingham's house, her Majesty's ambassador at that court.
When this storm subsided, he departed from Paris, went through
Lorrain, and by Strasburgh and Heydelburgh, to Francfort, in September
or October following; where he settled for some time, and was
entertained, agent for the duke of Saxony. At his return, her Majesty
was one of the first who distinguished his great abilities, and, as
proud of so rich a treasure, she sent him ambassador to Rodolph the
emperor, to condole him on the death of Maximilian, and also to other
princes of Germany. The next year, 1577, he went to the court of that
gallant prince Don John de Austria, Viceroy in the low countries for
the king of Spain. Don John was the proudest man in his time;