is enemies, amongst whom he singled out by name Raleigh and lord
Cobham; found further grounds of complaint and alarm in the circumstance
of her majesty's having caused some troops to be called out under the
lord admiral, on pretext of fears from the Spaniard, but really with a
view of protecting her against certain designs imputed to himself: and
in her having granted to secretary Cecil during his absence the office
of master of the wards, for which he was himself a suitor.

Apprehensive lest by his longer delay her affections should be
irrecoverably alienated from him by the discovery of his traitorous
correspondence with Tyrone, he rashly resolved to risk yet another act
of disobedience;--that of deserting without license, and under its
present accumulated circumstances of danger, his important charge, and
hastening to throw himself at the feet of an exasperated, but he
flattered himself, not inexorable mistress. At one time he had even
entertained the desperate and criminal design of carrying over with him
a large part of his army, for the purpose of intimidating his
adversaries; but being diverted from this scheme by the earl of
Southampton and sir Christopher Blount his step-father, he embarked with
the attendance only of most of his household and a number of his
favorite officers, and arrived at the court, which was then at Nonsuch,
on Michaelmas eve in the morning.

On alighting at the gate, covered with mire and stained with travel as
he was, he hastened up stairs, passed through the presence and the
privy-chambers, and never stopped till he reached the queen's
bed-chamber, where he found her newly risen with her hair about her
face. He kneeled and kissed her hands, and she, in the agreeable
surprise of beholding at her feet one whom she still loved, received him
with so kind an aspect, and listened with such favor to his excuses,
that on leaving her, after a private conference of some duration, he
appeared in high spirits, and thanked God, that though he had suffered
many storms abroad, he found a sweet calm at home. He waited on her
again as soon as he had changed his dress; and after a second long and
gracious conference, was freely visited by all the lords, ladies, and
gentlemen at court, excepting the secretary and his party, who appeared
somewhat shy of him. But all these fair appearances quickly vanished. On
revisiting the queen in the evening, he found her much changed towards
him; she began to call hi