virtuous character reflected the brightest lustre on the crown which he wore. This young prince was possessed of many valuable qualities in his disposition mild and humane, a lover and patron of arts and sciences, moderate in his principles with respect to religion, though frequently seduced from them by the artifices of bigots and Jesuits (2). The pompous retinue of Mr. Sidney's attendants was suitable to the dignity of his employment, and the honour of his sovereign. He assumed a generous pride, as well from a consciousness of his own merit, as from his noble parentage. A tablet, bearing the arms of his family (3), was fixed on the fronts of the different houses where he incidentally abode in the towns through which he travelled. On this tablet an inscription was engraven, denoting his illustrious descent, and the honourable office

which

(2) See Birch's Memoirs of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth, Vol. 1. p. 3. (3) Or, a Phaon's head azure. Crest. Or, a wreath, a bear sustaining a ragged staff, argent; his muzzle sable, and his plain collar and chain Or. Sometimes, on a wreath a porcupine azure, his quills, collar, and chain Or. The bear and ragged staff was the crest of the Dudleys, and was assumed by them as the old cognizance of the house of Warwick.

Now by my father's badge, old Nevil's crest,

The rampant bear chain'd to the ragged staff,

This day I'll wear aloft this burgonet.

Shakspeare's P. I, King Henry VI. A. 5. S...

which he then filled (4). The Queen's own penetration and discernment had promoted him to this appointment.It is remarked of this princess, that in the choice of her ambassadors she had a regard not only to the talents and abilities, but even to the figure and person of those to whom she consigned the administration of her affairs abroad. Nor can we blame this trait of her character. "A virtuous mind in a fair body, is indeed a fine picture in a good light (5)."

THE purport of this embassy was not confined to the imperial court; it was not the mere ceremonial act of congratulating the new Emperor. It had a more important and a more laudable object in view: the union of

(4) The following inscription was engraven on the tablet.

Illustrissimi et generosissimi viri

Philippi Sidnæi Angli

Pro-regis Hiberniæ filii, comitum Warwici

Et Leicestriæ nepotis, serenissimæ
Regina Angliæ ad Cæsarem legati.

all

(5) This predilection of the Queen in favour of exterior accomplishments, was observable in her appointment of Sir Christopher Hatton to the office of Lord Chancellor, on account of his graceful person and fine dancing. Yet his intellectual accomplishments were by no means superficial. He discharged his high office with applause; yet, distrusting his own legal abilities, he was always assisted by two lawyers.

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all the Protestant states in the defence of their common religion against the ruin that menaced them from the Popish powers, from the superstition of Rome, and the tyranny of Spain (6). He succeded in this attempt: he awakened their fears, convinced their judgment, and impressed upon their minds a due sense of the necessity of exerting the most vigorous efforts, by entering into an association which originated from the best and purest motives. Hence they were induced to conclude a religious league with England, with that country which was then justly acknowledged to be the firm support, the invincible bulwark, of the reformation.

He was directed at the same time to visit the court of John Casimir, Count Palatine of the Rhine. On this occasion Lord Leicester, in an elegant Latin epistle to that prince, recommended his nephew, as desirous of being received into a more intimate friendship with his highness,

for

(6) The cruelties of the Spaniards in the Low Countries drew upon them the most dreadful enemies in 1574, and particularly the seamen of Zealand. The latter undertook to relieve Leyden when it was besieged. They wore a crescent upon their hats, with this inscription: "Rather Turks than Papists" thus intimating, that the Turks had more humanity than the. Catholics. Brandt's abridged History, &c. p. 164. M

for whose character and attention to the interests of true religion he professes the greatest respect, whilst he makes a tender of his services and assistance, whenever they may be required.

FREDERICK III. the Elector Palatine, died on the fourteenth day of October, 1576, two days after the demise of Maximilian. He is represented by Gerard Brandt, as a prince endowed with great virtues. He had given the strongest proofs of his attention to the cause of the reformation, by liberally assisting the oppressed Protestants of France and the Low Countries. Mr. Sidney's uniform zeal for the welfare of the reformed religion did not permit him to decline his attendance on the electoral court, or to neglect the opportunity of executing another commission, by demanding the sums of money which had been advanced by his royal mistress towards the expense of carrying on a war with France. The English ambassador, of whom it was said, that from a child he started into

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a man, without ever being a youth," conducted himself in the mangement of these matters with all the sagacity and discretion of an able and experienced statesman. Lord Burleigh himself, who was not always friendly to the

connexions of the Earl of Leicester, very cheerfully pronounced the most flattering eulogy on his industry and judgment, which could not have been exceeded by the wisdom of maturer years, or the exertions of a more enlarged experience.

OF his introduction into the imperial court, and of his reception there, he has given a correct narrative in an official letter to Walsingham, who was then secretary of state. He had his first audience on Easter-Monday, when, in obedience to the Queen's command, he made known unto the Emperor, how greatly her Majesty was grieved at the loss of so worthy a prince as his father was, the fruits of whose wisdom appeared both in maintaining the empire, and preventing the invasion of the Turks. He farther expressed her Majesty's good hope of him, that he would second his father in his virtues, and in the manner of his government: he urged her advice to him, to avoid the turbulent counsels which arose from the indulgence of private passion. The Emperor answered in Latin in very few words, declaring his grateful sense of the Queen's attention, and his resolution to imitate his father. "The next day," they are Mr. Sidney's own words," I delivered her Majesty's letter to the Empress, with the singular signifi