Episode 315: England Triumphant

her for his success. Seesil did everything he could to take the young man under his wing and groom him for future success, but Essex was too impatient, and he wanted to advance now Closs. He was terribly jealous of Cecil's son Robert, whose influence at court was also growing exponentially. Elizabeth herself was now fifty five years old, but she

remained remarkably healthy for her age. Age and victory had invested her with even greater dignity and presence, and when her people saw her pass by in her golden coach, she appeared to them like a goddess. Essex was clever enough to defer to her as such, conveying to her overtly and through subtle symbolism. Beloved of his age, his love and devotion, he told her, quote, I do confess that as a man I have been more subject to your natural beauty than as a subject to the power

of a king end quote. Naively, though he thought his influence would in the future be unchallenged, but it was not to be. Soon, another rival for the Queen's attention rose to prominence. Sir Charles Blount, son of the powerful Lord Mountjoy. Essex was so jealous of the young man he poked fun at him endlessly, so much so that Blount felt compelled to challenge Essex to a duel, which

he won, slashing the earl in the thigh and disarming him. Officially, Elizabeth was against dueling, but in private, when she heard what had happened, she was pleased someone had taken Essex down a peg. But when she later heard that Essex had challenged Sir Walter Raleigh to a duel, she was furious. Though Essex remained unconcerned. The bigger issue for Essex, however, remained money, i e. He didn't have it and lived

well above his means. The Queen made arrangements to support his lifestyle to some extent, at least for the moment. Now In the spring, Elizabeth decided to green light an English naval expedition to Portugal. The goal was to place the Portuguese pretender Don Antonio on the throne and thus removed forever the threat Philip posed to England. The Queen forbade Essex from going, but he went anyway. Desperate for

booty to clear his ever mounting debts. She sent a squadron to intercept his ship, but it was too late. The Queen then sent a series of angry letters demanding his return, but by then the English fleet had set sail for the Azores, hoping to intercept the Spanish treasure fleet. That move was directly contrary to Elizabeth's express orders, but the fleet went anyway. After the Portuguese failed to rise in rebellion, dooming the original endeavor, the fleet was ultimately

driven back by Gails. In the end, about eleven thousand englishmen died of disease, and Elizabeth was out forty nine thousand pounds. The expedition had been an unmitigated disaster, for which the Queen blamed one of the men in charge, Sir Francis Drake. Then, in July, as we learned last time, word reached England that Henri the third of France had been assassinated. Elizabeth was determined to see Henry of Navarre,

a Protestant, assume the throne in time. As we will see, her support of Navarre will prove crucial in his ability to become Henry the fourth. On April the sixth, Francis Walsingham died. The Queen did not immediately replace him. Walsingham had been an extremely effective in his role as chiefs Bymaster. His efforts were one of the reasons Elizabeth was both still alive and on her throne. Walsingham's duty were quietly

assumed by Robert Cecil Now. Robert Cecil had been born in fifteen sixty three, allegedly as the result of being dropped by his nurse maid. He had a deformed back and his growth had been stunted. Elizabeth called him her Pigmy or elf. He resented the name, but of course never said anything to the Queen herself. Robert had been educated at Oxford. He was quick and excelled as a courtier. While he was never as close to Elizabeth as her

father had been, the Queen trusted him implicitly. Essex's insistence on regarding Cecil as his chief rival led to the formation of the factions which were to dominate the last years of Elizabeth's reign and led to a lot of squabbling, bribery and outright opportunism. Essex and his younger followers were all keen for military glory and the continuance of the war with Spain, while the faction headed by Robert Cecil

and his stood for peace and stability. From fifteen ninety onwards, Essex began building an aristocratic following at court and in the country. Those who had been excluded from office by Cecil, as well as those who agreed that the war against Spain should be aggressively pursued, hastened to offer Essex their allegiance. He also courted the support openly of the London Puritans. Cecil meanwhile kept a vice like grip on court appointments

and political offices, and in the Parliament. His father led the House of Lords, while the younger Cecil led the Commons. So what we have here is a situation not unlike the later years of Henry the Eighth. All of Elizabeth's advisers were aging, slowing down, or in many cases dying. A younger, less easily meliable generation was coming into being. Men like Essex were dismissive of their elders and their opinions. Elizabeth, more often than not, now found herself simply trying to

keep the peace. In fifteen ninety one, Essex came under the increasing influence of the brilliant Francis Bacon. Francis Bacon was a thirty year old lawyer and member of Parliament. In his time, he had published great works of history, philosophy, and legal theory. One man wrote of him, quote of middling stature, his countenance had indented with age before he was old, his presence grave and comely end quote. He was the future Lord Chancellor, and he was cleverer than

Cecil and Essex. But the Queen never liked him and never appointed him to the high office that he deserved. Both Francis and his elder brother Anthony were also homosexual, and this may have something to do with her aversion. But Essex always ignored Bacon's most important piece of advice. Bacon told Essex over and over again he had to forget all of these notions of military glory. He needed

to seek advancement through peaceful means. But Essex wanted the glory, so he just kept doing what he was doing, never perceiving that was the exact opposite of what the Queen wanted, and that she was the source of all his influence. But there remained larger issues for Elizabeth than court factionalism. There remained squabbles over the succession, a taboo subject with

the Queen, which men avoided if they were wise. Elizabeth had a tremendous aversion than ever before now towards naming her successor, fearing that the factions at her court would be easy prey for would be conspirators as she grew older. She was apprehensive in case that there are already moves to replace her with a younger, preferably male sovereign. Already several of her courtiers were secretly ingratiating themselves with James

of Scotland, the likeliest candidate for succession. Therefore, that August, when the hot headed MP Member of Parliament Peter Wentworth impertinently published a tract entitled A Pithy Exploration to Her Majesty for establishing the succession, he was summarily thrown into prison and then of course, there was the issue of France. For months, Henry the fourth that Henry of Navarre had been begging Elizabeth for aid, as the French Catholics had

effectively allied themselves with Philip of Spain. As we learned last week, Elizabeth initially hadn't really wanted to get involved, but neither did she want a victorious Spanish army on the other side of the channel. So eventually she relented and sent about four thousand men to Normandy, but she was determined not to spend any additional money unless she

absolutely had to. Essex requested command, and Elizabeth initially said no, but when Henry the fourth asked for him personally, she agreed reluctantly, and she had been right to say no. From the word goo. Essex treated the war like some sort of grand game, like a sport. Well, Henry the fourth besieged Noah, Essex failed to do the same to Rouent, which is what he was supposed to have been doing. The English campaign ended miserably. Essex took one small town

and that was about it. Most of the English soldiers died of disease. When Elizabeth ordered him to resign his command and returned he did so, blaming Robert Cecil for poisoning her mind against him. Cecil had done no such thing. Matters grew. When Essex returned in January fifteen ninety two. He had expected to be elected the chancellor of Oxford University, though he was no scholar, and was infuriated that Cecil's

candidate had been elected instead. That next month, Essex forged a partnership with Anthony Bacon, Sir Francis's brother, who agreed to help him build his own network of spies to impress the Queen. Essex also continued to reach out to Henry the Fourth for support. Essex's hope for advancement got a sudden boost that summer when Sir Walter Raleigh fell from favor. Raleigh had committed the mortal sin of impregnating one of Elizabeth's ladies in waiting. Worse still, he had

married the girl in secret, without royal permission. Raleigh was summoned back from Panama, where he was presently harassing Spanish ships, and promptly escorted to the Tower. He wasn't there very long. By August, Raleigh had been pardoned, but never again enjoyed royal favor under Elizabeth. At the new year, the court was diverted with masks and other novelties of the season.

By February fifteen ninety three, Essex's intelligence service was well established, and the Queen was so impressed with it that she at last appointed him a Privy Councilor at the age of only twenty seven. He could now play his part as a statesman, and he did it diligently, attending every council meeting and cooperating with his rivals for the benefit

of the state. A colleague later would write, quote, his lordship has become a new man, clean forsaking all his former youthful tricks, carrying himself with honorable gravity, and singularly liked for his speeches and judgment end quote. Where a knowledge of foreign affairs was concerned, there were few now to match him. But being Essex, he was also determined to explore his position and virtually bankrupted himself and extending

his patronage. When the post of Attorney General, which was in the Queen's gift, became vacant in April, he exerted his influence to secure it for Francis Bacon. But Bacon had recently challenged the granting of a subsidy to the crown in Parliament, and Elizabeth was not at all pleased with him. When Essex put his name forward, she erupted

in fury and barred Bacon from her presence. Now, meanwhile, Philip the Second had not forgotten about England, nor given up on the idea of retaking the island for the Catholic faith. England once more looked like a prime target for foreign exploitation. But Elizabeth told Parliament, my fear not all his threatenings, his great preparation and mighty forces, do

not stir me. For though he come against me with a greater power than ever was, I doubt not, but God assisting me, I shall be able to defeat and overthrow him. For my cause is just, and it standeth upon a sure foundation that I shall not fail. God assisting the quarrel of the righteous, Parliament, at the end of the proceedings duly voted her a treble subsidy, just in case she did not need it. In the end, unfavorable winds prevented the Spanish fleet from sailing, and Elizabeth

once more chalked it up to divine favor. In the meantime, Elizabeth continued to support Henry the Fourth in his war against the Catholic League in Spain, even after he converted to Catholicism, a point that I'm going to cover in greater detail next week. Henry had been quick to pass religious edicts granting freedom of worship kind of, and those allayed any fears the English queen might have had. That summer saw an even worse epidemic of plague than previous years.

The London theaters were closed, and apart from brief visits to Sutton Palace in Surrey and Parham Park and Cowdrey Park in Sussex, essentially remained at Windsor until Christmas. Here she celebrated her sixtieth birthday and spent her time translating Boethius, mostly in her own hand. Just twelve days the manuscript actually survives. You can still go and see it. That winter, Essex uncovered a quote unquote plot against the Queen's life.

I'm putting plot in air quotes here because it's pretty clear that Essex, through torture and downright deceit, fabricated the entire thing just to whip up anti Spanish sentiment. In fact, William Cecil told Elizabeth such the unfortunate accused was drawn and quartered. Regardless, that same summer was townright miserable for just about everyone in England. It reigned constantly, ruining the harvest,

which invariably meant high prices and famine. In July, Elizabeth gave Essex four thousand pounds to pay his debt, but indicate he would get nothing for his friends. At this point it was mattering less and less. Honestly, he had grown enough as a statesman that English ambassadors were sending him his own reports. James the sixth was now his friend. The following summer was just as wet, and there was

a second poor harvest. Thousands died that winter, and the jubilant mood that swelled the nation after the Armada was defeated was now but a distant memory. In fact, in July fifteen ninety five, the Spanish were able to raid Cornwall, sacking one small town. Alarmed, Elizabeth ordered that England's coastal defenses be strengthened. Sir Francis Drake was now back in favor and suggested a further rate on Panama in the hope of diverting King Philip and of course, seizing even

more Spanish treasure, and the Queen agreed to this UD's. Unfortunately, England's great hero never came home. When his fleet returned, having achieved nothing in the spring of fifteen ninety six, it brought with him news of his death, not from some gallant conduct, but from dysentery on the twenty ninth of January in Panama, where he was buried at sea. By fifteen ninety six, state business was effectively run by the leaders of the two factions within the Privy Council,

Robert Cecil and Essex. Spurred by news and rumors that Philip intended to launch a second armada, Elizabeth prepared an expedition to destroy the new fleet before it could get moving. Essex seemed like the obvious choice to command. In March, Elizabeth pointed Essex and Lord Howard, who had previously defeated the Armada, as joint commanders, the latter having vastly more experience. Both made for Plymouth to muster their men in ships. But then, on May the sixteenth, alarming news reached the

Queen the Spanish had taken Calais. She immediately recalled Howard and Essex to her side. The fleet, she said was needed to defend the coast. Both men grudgingly returned, as did Raleigh, who had only recently just come back from Guinea. He was reluctantly by the queen appointed Rear Admiral, and the expedition once more received the green light. On the third of June, Elizabeth formally appointed cecil Secretary of State opposed he had filled an all but name since fifteen ninety.

On the same day, the expedition sailed for Spain, where the following month Essex carried out a daring and very successful raid on the rich port of Cadiz quote the Pearl of Andalusia. Some of Philip's ships were being kept in readiness there for the invasion of England. Taken unawares, Spanish forces in the area could do little, and for about two weeks, English troops ransacked and burned the town, mostly ignoring Essex's orders to spare its churches and religious houses.

Raleigh would later observe quote, if any man had a desire to see Hell itself, it was then most lively figured end quote. He had actually distinguished himself, particularly during the fighting, although he was severely wounded in the leg and had to walk with a stick for a long time thereafter. It was in fact he who had made many of the critical decisions that had ensured success, but his rival, Essex, was determined to take all the credit himself.

Raleigh's praises remained unsung. Predictably, the reconciliation between the two didn't long survive cad Is. When Elizabeth received the first reports of victory, she wrote to Essex, quote, you have made me famous, dreadful, and renowned, not more for your victory than for your courage. Let the army know I care not so much for being queen as that I am the sovereign of such subjects. Now Full of success,

Essex botched the ransoming of a Spanish merchant fleet. Trapped in the harbor, its owners decided to burn their ships rather than lose the twenty million ducats on board of the English. Undaunted, Essex decided that rather than to go on and attack Lisbon, where the bulk of Phillips or Modelae, his forces should try to intercept the Spanish treasure fleet as it left ports bound for the Indies. But his colleagues overreled him thereby depriving the English of the chance

to sive thousands of pounds worth of booty. To make matters worse, Essex gave most of the loot from Catas to his men, rather than reserving it for the Queen. That being said, Essex had finally achieved his ambition and proved himself a hero. And when he returned to England he looked like a second Drake or even Scipio. For Connus, one wrote, quote, he took a charter of the people's hearts,

which was never canceled end quote. Preachers raised him as the champion of Protestantism and spoke of his honor, justice and wisdom. There was no doubt he was the most popular and important man in the kingdom. Next week we shall see how Essex flies too close to the sun, And then that same sun sets on Elizabeth in England, ending what is relatively short but pivotal reign of the Tudor dynasty. On