Raleigh's. His initials are subscribed to it; but not his name and
the style is not like his. But as for seeing 'unforgiveness and
revenge in it,' whose soever it may be, I hold and say there is not a
word which can bear such a construction. It is a dark letter: but
about a dark matter and a dark man. It is a worldly and expediential
letter, appealing to low motives in Cecil, though for a right end;
such a letter, in short, as statesmen are wont to write nowadays. If
Raleigh wrote it, God punished him for doing so speedily enough. He
does not usually punish statesmen nowadays for such letters; perhaps
because He does not love them as well as Raleigh. But as for the
letter itself. Essex is called a 'tyrant,' because he had shown
himself one. The Queen is to 'hold Bothwell,' because 'while she
hath him, he will even be the canker of her estate and safety,' and
the writer has 'seen the last of her good days and of ours after his
liberty.' On which accounts, Cecil is not to be deterred from doing
what is right and necessary 'by any fear of after-revenges' and
'conjectures from causes remote,' as many a stronger instance--given-
-will prove, but 'look to the present,' and so 'do wisely.' There is
no real cause for Cecil's fear. If the man who has now lost a power
which he ought never to have had be now kept down, then neither he
nor his son will ever be able to harm the man who has kept him at his
just level. What 'revenge, selfishness, and craft' there can be in
all this it is difficult to see; as difficult as to see why Essex is
to be talked of as 'unfortunate,' and the blame of his frightful end
thrown on every one but himself: the fact being that Essex's end was
brought on by his having chosen one Sunday morning for breaking out
into open rebellion, for the purpose of seizing the city of London
and the Queen's person, and compelling her to make him lord and
master of the British Isles; in which attempt he and his fought with
the civil and military authorities, till artillery had to be brought