Beauchamp Tower, that after nearly four centuries it stands as clear as at that day. It remained for a fardistant age in the reign of Queen Victoria to piece together the pathetic story, and to place side by side in everlasting memory the names of those two who spent together a few stormy years on earth, and together passed through to eternal peace in the great Beyond.

XII

THE KNIGHT ADVENTURER

Sir Walter Raleigh three times prisoner in the Tower-His first misadventure-A maid of honour to the Queen-Marriage leads to the Tower-Queen Elizabeth much displeased-A theatrical fracas―The golden bridge to royal favour—The "Madre de Dios "-Her precious cargo-£2,500,000-The Queen's share-Ransom of Raleigh-The Queen dies-James I dislikes Raleigh heartily-Tried for treason-Second imprisonment in the Tower-Eleven years in the Bloody Tower-The Balsam of Guiana-The Prince of Wales dies of it-James I baits the bears-The potato and tobacco-The second expedition to Guiana-Failure-Return to the TowerTried again-Sentenced to death-Executed in Palace Yard— His head embalmed and taken by his wife.

ST

IR WALTER RALEIGH1 was one of the most famous men who have been imprisoned in the Tower, and he must have known the place well, for first and last he lived there for upwards of thirteen years. His first incarceration was due to a slight error of judgment in making love to one of Queen Elizabeth's maids of honour, at a time when that august sovereign considered him her own private property. He was at this time and had been for some years, the Queen's favourite, whatever that may mean; but it evidently precluded making love to anybody else. The maid of honour in question was Elizabeth Throgmorton, a goddaughter of the Queen, and the daughter of Sir Nicholas Throgmorton, who had died when she was an infant. There seems little doubt that Sir Walter was, as may be the way with soldiers and sailors, perhaps a little too

1 Sir Walter spelt his name "Rawely" in an early document, which gives an indication as to the pronunciation.

impetuous in this matter, so that an early marriage became of some importance, at any rate to the lady.

Sir Walter was on the eve of sailing on his great Panama Expedition, indeed he had actually sailed and was well at sea, when he was overtaken by a fast ship with orders for him to hand over command to Frobisher, and to return to England at once. The reason for recall was no great State crime or misdemeanour, but the discovery by Queen Elizabeth of the clandestine correspondence between Raleigh and Elizabeth Throgmorton. Sovereigns were absolute in those days, and could without tedious formalities, or much legal justification, commit to the Tower persons who had incurred their displeasure. Thither therefore went Sir Walter Raleigh for his first period of imprisonment. It was not onerous, and he was allowed freedom to walk about within the Tower walls, and to dine at the table of the Lieutenant. He was also permitted, not, we may imagine, by Queen Elizabeth, but by those who saw therein a deadly certainty of undermining his influence with Her Majesty, to marry Elizabeth Throgmorton. This ceremony, according to tradition, took place in St. Thomas' Tower, and probably in St. Thomas' Oratory, which forms part of that building. This was in 1591.

In spite, however, of this very seemly marriage, Sir Walter, knowing his sovereign's weaknesses, still professed unbounded admiration for her. With the intent doubtless of impressing this view on the bystanders, and hoping that thus it would reach the notice of the Queen, he on one occasion engaged in a melodramatic brawl with Sir George Carew, the Master of the Ordnance, in whose care he was. Having selected a prominent position, probably in the Lieutenant's Lodgings, which is very visible from the river, he took the occasion when the Queen was passing beneath by boat to fall upon Sir George Carew, and to wrestle and strive with him, in the ostensible effort to break forth, and cast himself at his mistress's feet. Sir Arthur Gorges, Raleigh's cousin, who was standing by, quaintly describes the scene.

According to him Sir George Carew "the trusty jailer would none of that; for displeasing the higher powers, as he said, which he more resented than the feeding of his humour, and so flatly refused to permit him. Upon this dispute they fell flat to choleric outrageous words, with straining and struggling at the doors, and in the fury of the conflict, Carew he had his new periwig torn off his crown, and yet here struggle ended not, for at last they had gotten out their daggers. Which when I saw, I played the stickler between them, and so purchased such a rap on the knuckles that I wished both their pates broken, and so with much ado they stayed their brawl to see my bloody fingers. At first I was ready to break with laughter to see them two scramble and brawl like madmen. . . . Sir Walter swears that he shall hate Carew for so restraining him from the sight of his mistress. . . . Thus they continued in malice and snarling.

Raleigh also wrote respectfully amorous letters to the Queen, which, however, there is no evidence to show he first submitted to the inspection of his lawful spouse. But the Queen felt deeply injured, not perhaps so much in the matter of the heart as in the more sensitive centre, which in the French language is known as amour propre. To be supplanted, and that secretly, under her own royal nose, by her maid of honour, and not a great beauty at that, was indeed a wound that could not easily be healed. How long the Queen would have remained obdurate one cannot say; probably only until her next quarrel with the Earl of Essex warmed her middle-aged heart towards her old admirer. But fortunately for Raleigh a golden bridge, which made an arch straight to the Queen's cupidity, suddenly shortened his imprisonment. Great Queen though she was, Elizabeth was not only a lady with a large heart, but also it must be confessed singularly fond of money; she might even by the more critical have been termed avaricious.

The single great prize of the Panama Expedition,

which had now returned, was the Spanish galleon the Madre de Dios. She was of 600 tons burden, and had seven decks, whilst her cargo, which consisted of spices, musk, amber, ebony, precious stones, and pearls, was valued at £500,000, equal to £2,500,000 at the present day. The prize crew, who were mostly ruffians of the piratical type, insisted on taking the ship into several ports before returning to England, and there disposed, for their own benefit, of a goodly portion of this valuable cargo.

Even after the ship came to anchor at Dartmouth the pillaging continued, and the officers could in no way stop it. Queen Elizabeth after the manner of the times had a considerable sum privately invested in this venture, and was sorely annoyed that her dividends should thus be squandered. In this dilemma Raleigh, who was beloved of the sailors, was called in to settle matters, and to divide the booty. For this purpose he was conditionally released from the Tower, and sent to Dartmouth. There he found that depredations, and the purloining of easily removable articles, such as pearls and precious stones, had reduced the value of the prize to £150,000 or £750,000 of our money. The Queen's share had been calculated at one-tenth of all booty taken, but Raleigh determined to forgo entirely his own share and to award to Her Majesty half the total sum realized. This in the blunt habits of the age was a direct bribe to the Queen, though ransom it was called. In Raleigh's own words, "Four score thousand pounds1 is more than ever a man presented Her Majesty as yet. If God hath sent it for my ransom I hope Her Majesty of Her abundant goodness will accept it." Perhaps it is needless to say that Her Majesty gladly accepted the offer. Raleigh was consequently released from the Tower, and allowed to retire to Sherborne Castle, his country seat.

On Raleigh's great and stormy career we can here only touch but lightly, for our business is with the 1£400,000 of our money.

1