In His Youth, Part Whereof He Spent Before He Came To Reside At
Court, He Was A Very Fine Gentleman,
And the best horseman and
tilter of the times, which were then the manlike and noble
recreations of the court,
And such as took up the applause of men,
as well as the praise and commendation of ladies; and when years had
abated those exercises of honour, he grew then to be a faithful and
profound counsellor; and as I have placed him last, so was he the
last liver of all her servants of her favour, and had the honour to
see his renowned mistress, and all of them, laid in the places of
their rests; and for himself, after a life of very noble and
remarkable reputation, and in a peaceable old age, a fate that I
make the last, and none of my slightest observations, which befell
not many of the rest, for they expired like unto a light blown out
with the snuff stinking, not commendably extinguished, and with an
offence to the standers-by. And thus I have delivered up my poor
essay, or little draft of this great princess and her times, with
the servants of her state and favour. I cannot say I have finished
it, for I know how defective and imperfect it is, as limned only in
the original nature, not without the active blessings, and so left
it as a task fitter for remoter times, and the sallies of some
bolder pencil to correct that which is amiss, and draw the rest up
to life, than for me to have endeavoured it.
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