The circumstances which led to the drawing up of this Defence of the Earl of Leicester, have been already briefly stated in our preliminary memoir, pp. 38, 39. It was first published by Arthur Collins in his Introduction to the Sidney Letters, and in his opinion was written in 1584, immediately after the appearance of Leicester's Commonwealth; which was originally circulated on the Continent in the commencement of that year. The MS. is still, we believe, among the family papers at Penshurst, which form altogether, as we have understood, no less than twenty volumes folio. It was this Defence which Lord Orford affected to consider as infinitely the most valuable of all Sir Philip's writings. "By far the best specimen of his abilities," says his lordship, "to us who can judge only by what we see, is a pamphlet published amongst the Sidney Papers, being an answer to the famous libel called Leicester's Commonwealth. It defends his uncle with great spirit. What had been said in derogation to their blood seems to have touched Sir Philip most." A DISCOURSE IN DEFENCE OF THE EARL OF LEICESTER. F late there hath been printed a book, in form of dialogue, to the defaming of the Earl of Leicester, full of the most vile re proaches, which a wit used to wicked and filthy thoughts can imagine. In such manner truly, that if the author had as well feigned new names, as he doth new matters, a man might well have thought his only meaning had been, to have given a lively picture of the uttermost degree of railing. A thing contemptible in the doer, as proceeding from a base and wretched tongue, and such a tongue, as, in the speaking, dares not speak his own Odious to all estates, since no man bears a name, of which name, how unfitly soever to the person, by an impudent liar, anything may not be spoken; by all good laws sharply punished, and by all civil companies like a poisonous serpent avoided. But to the Earl himself, in the eyes name. of any men, who, with clear judgments, can value things, a true and sound honour grows out of these dishonourable falsehoods. Since he may justly say, as a worthy senator of Rome once in like case did, that no man, these twenty years, hath borne a hateful heart to this estate, but that, at the same time, he hath showed his enmity to this Earl; testifying it hereby, that his faith is so linked to her Majesty's service, that who goes about to undermine the one, resolves withal to overthrow the other. For it is not now, first that evil contented, and evil minded persons, before the occasion be ripe for them, to show their hate against the prince, do first. vomit it out against his counsellors; nay certainly, so stale a device it is, as it is to be marvelled, that so fine wits, whose inventions a fugitive fortune hath sharpened, and the air of Italy perchance purified, can light upon no gallanter way, than the ordinary pretext of the very clownish rebellious. And yet that this is their plot of late, by name, first to publish something against the Earl of Leicester, and after, when time served, against the Queen's Majesty, by some of their own intercepted discourses, is made too manifest. He himself, in some places, brings in the examples of Gaveston, Earl of Cornwall, Robert Vere, Duke of Ireland, and Delapool, Duke of Suffolk. It is not my purpose to defend them, but I would fain know, whether they that persecuted those counsellors, when they had had their will in ruining them, whether their rage ceased, before they had as well destroyed the kings themselves, Edward, and Richard the Second, and Henry the Sixth? The old tale testifieth, that the wolves, that mean to destroy the flock, hate most the truest and valiantest dogs. Therefore, the more the filthy imposthume of their wolvish |