Curiosities of Literature, Vol. 3 — Secret History of Sir Walter Rawleigh

FOOTNOTES:

[66] Rawleigh, as was much practised to a much later period, wrote his name various ways.

I have discovered at least how it was pronounced in his time--thus, _Rawly_.

This may be additionally confirmed by the Scottish poet Drummond, who spells it (in his conversations with Ben Jonson) _Raughley_.

The translation of Ortelius' "Epitome of the Worlde," 1603, is dedicated to Sir Walter _Rawleigh_.

See vol. ii.

p. 261, art.

"Orthography of Proper Names."

It was also written _Rawly_ by his contemporaries.

He sometimes wrote it _Ralegh_, the last syllable probably pronounced _ly_, or _lay_.

_Ralegh_ appears on his official seal.

[67] I shall give in the article "Literary Unions" a curious account how "Rawleigh's History of the World" was composed, which has hitherto escaped discovery.

[68] It is narrated in a letter to Sir Robert Cecil from Mr. (afterwards Sir) Arthur Gorges, and runs as follows:--"Upon a report of her majesty's being at Sir George Carew's, Sir W. Ralegh having gazed and sighed a long time at his study window, from whence he might discern the barges and boats about the Blackfriars stairs, suddenly brake out into a great distemper, and sware that his enemies had on purpose brought her majesty thither to break his gall in sunder with Tantalus's torments, that when she went away he might see death before his eyes; with many such like conceits.

And, as a man transported with passion, he sware to Sir George Carew that he would disguise himself, and get into a pair of oars to ease his mind but with a sight of the queen, or else he protested his heart would break."

This of course the gaoler refused, and so they fell to fighting, "scrambling and brawling like madmen," until parted by Gorges.

Sir Walter followed up his absurdity by another letter to Cecil, couched in the language of romance, in which he declares that, while the queen "was yet near at hand, that I might hear of her once in two or three days my sorrows were the less, but now my heart is cast into the depth of all misery."

[69] These letters were written by Lord Cecil to Sir Thomas Parry, our ambassador in France, and were transcribed from the copy-book of Sir Thomas Parry's correspondence which is preserved in the Pepysian library at Cambridge.

[70] He had undertaken the expedition immediately upon his release from the Tower in 1617. The king had never pardoned him, and his release was effected by bribing powerful court favourites, who worked upon the avarice of James I. by leading him to hope for the possession of Guiana, which, though discovered by the Spaniards, had never been conquered by them; and which Rawleigh promised to colonise.

[71] This occurred during the attack on the town of St. Thomas; a settlement of the Spaniards near the gold mines.

It ended disastrously to Rawleigh: his ships mutinied; and he never recovered his ill-fortune; but sailed to Newfoundland, and thence, after a second mutiny, returned to Plymouth.

[72] A friend informs me, that he saw recently at a print-dealer's a _painted portrait of Sir Walter Rawleigh, with the face thus spotted_.

It is extraordinary that any artist should have chosen such a subject for his pencil; but should this be a portrait of the times, it shows that this strange stratagem had excited public attention.

[73] A small coasting-vessel, made round at stem and stern like the Dutch boats.

The word is still used in some English counties to denote a _tub_.

[74] Stucley's Humble Petition, touching the bringing up Sir W. Rawleigh, 4to.

1618; republished in Somers' Tracts, vol. iii.

751. [75] The anecdotes respecting Stucley I have derived from manuscript letters, and they were considered to be of so dangerous a nature, that the writer recommends secrecy, and requests, after reading, that "they may be burnt."

With such injunctions I have generally found that the letters were the more carefully preserved.