protest against certain rumours which had been afloat as to his having been acting a treacherous part with the Queen against the Earl. Leicester had been in some disgrace with her Majesty, and Raleigh in a postscript says: "The Queen is in very good tearms with yow, and, thanks be to God, well pacified, and yow are agayne her 'sweet Robyn.'" On the 1st of April the Queen herself writes to Leicester a letter, which will repay perusal. And on the same day, Walsingham, at the express instance of the Queen, signifies to Leicester that Rawley, "upon her honor," had done Leicester good offices; and that, during the time of her displeasure, he dealt as earnestly for him as any other of his friends. All this shows Raleigh in high favour and standing at the court; and it is most improbable that he could, at such a moment, absent himself no less than three months from it. These letters appear to have been unusually long in reaching Leicester; in the early part of April he complains of not getting letters from the Queen, and on the 27th a great many reached him all at once. On the 31st of May, Leicester writes to Walsingham, and speaks of Rawley's pioneers; saying that he had written to him saying that they were ready to come. This could not refer to Raleigh's letter of 29th of March, because in it he states that the matter had been stayed; it must refer to one of a later date, which does not appear, but which was written, in all probability, some time on in May; it could not have been in Leicester's possession on the 29th of May, because on that day he writes to Walsingham, and mentions the same subject; namely, his wish for a reinforcement of 1000 men, which led him to speak of Rawley's pioneers on the 31st. With regard to the time it took to communicate with Leicester, he was at the Hague on the 30th of July, and on that day he knew of Drake's arrival at Portsmouth, stated in Hakluyt's account of Drake's voyage to have taken place on the 28th; although it is true, Governor Lane, who came home in the fleet, says the 27th of the same month. This was very speedy communication; but the arrival of Drake, and the results of his enterprise, were looked for with the utmost anxiety by the English ministry; and, no doubt, their satisfaction on the subject was communicated to Leicester by a rapid express. On the 9th of July we find Walsingham writing to Leicester: "And lastly, that yt shall in no sorte be fyt for her Majestye to take any resolutyon in the cause until Sir Francis Drake's returne, at lest untyll the successe of his vyage be seene; wheruppon, in verry trothe, dependethe the lyfe and death of the cause according to man's judgment." In a letter from Burleigh to Leicester, dated 20th of June, 1586, occurs the following: