After reading the above letter it is easy to see that Edward Cecil was called Edward after his godfather, the Earl of Rutland.

It is unsatisfactory to have to state that nothing is known of Edward Cecil's school or university life. It is more than probable that he was educated at Westminster School, where his younger brother Christopher1 was educated. It never does, however, to deviate from the beaten track of facts in biography, so this important point must perforce remain unsettled.2

In Lord Burghley's diary, written by himself, we find that in September, 1594, was granted "a license for Richard3 and Edward Cecyll, Sir Thomas Cecyll's sonnes, to travayle abroad for the space of three years." It is recorded of the great Lord Burghley, that if anyone came to the Lords of the Council for a license to travel, he would first examine him of England; and if he found him ignorant, would bid him stay at home and know his own country first.5

The two brothers, Richard and Edward Cecil, travelled under the most favourable auspices. Their grandfather's

In the Lansdowne MSS. is a letter in Latin from Christopher Cecil to his grandfather, Lord Burghley, dated from Westminster School, April vi., 1591, "thanking for his education." Christopher Cecil was drowned in Germany-when does not appear, but it must have been before Jan. 12, 1603-4, as Lord Burghley speaks in his letter to Sir John Hubert (already given) of three younger sons' portions.

I am informed by Dr. Scott, late head-master of Westminster School, that there is no complete list of Westminster scholars during the reign of Elizabeth among the school records.

3 Richard Cecil married Elizabeth, dau. of Sir Anthony Cope, Bart., by whom he had a son, David Cecil, who eventually succeeded as fourth Baron Burghley and third Earl of Exeter.

Extract from Lord Burghley's MS. Diary, Harl. 36. See same diary in Murdin's Continuation of Haynes' State Papers, 1542-1596.

The Compleat Gentleman, by Henry Peacham, p. 51,

name was known and reverenced throughout the length and breadth of Europe.

"There were many demonstrations of the reputation many princes had of him," wrote Peck, "as when his lordship's grandchild, Mr Wm Cecill, travayling in Italy, was brought before Cardinal Farnese, a man of great authority. Who, finding M1 Cecill to be the [grand] sonne of the great treasurer of England, lodged him in his owne house, appointed divers gents to attend him and his horses to be at his comandment. Speakinge most

reverentlie of his grandfather; and, never left enquiring of the manner of his life, [his] fashion, statue, speach, recreations and such like [matters relating to him]. Delighting to heare and talk of him and, at his departure, gave him presents and money in his purse. The like did the Duke of Florence' to Mr. Edward Cecill, a younger brother, and which was an extraordinary favoure the duke gave him leave to ride his own horse, and at his departure gave him gifts of price." 2

It was during his sojourn at Florence that Edward Cecil wrote to his uncle Sir Robert Cecil. This letter, which is written in Italian, is the earliest letter of Edward Cecil's that has yet been found. It is unfortunately not worth giving, being a mere effusion of gratitude for some favours received from Sir Robert Cecil. Its phraseology, indeed, reminds us of "a letter to an uncle, thanking for a gold watch," given in an old edition of The Ready Letter Writer. Edward Cecil had evidently profited by his kinship to Sir Robert Cecil, who was recognised at this time as a rising sun. "Sa bene ella," says young Cecil, in this letter to his uncle, "quant obligo m'ho al cielo e per esser stato favorito da lei, e annoverato fra gli suoi congiunti."3

' Ferdinand de Medicis I., Cardinal-Duke of Florence.

2 Peck's Desiderata Curiosa, i. p. 27.

3 Letter dated from Florence, Nov. 2, 1596, and addressed, All Illme Sige mie Collme il Sig' Ruberto Cecillio dal consiglio di sua Maiesta sereniss

Amongst those who extended their hospitality to Edward Cecil and his brother, when they were in Italy, was the Duke of Bracciano,1 chief of the Orsini family, near Rome, and a cousin of the Duke of Florence. When Henry IV. married Marie de Medicis, the Duke of Bracciano accompanied his cousin to France, and came over over to England in the winter of 1600–1. He was feasted by Sir Thomas Cecil (now Lord Burghley), as a return for the hospitality shown to his sons in Italy. Queen Elizabeth also graciously entertained him, "and danced," says Chamberlain in a letter to his friend Dudley Carleton, then at the Hague, "both measures and galliards before him to show that she is not so old as some would have her." However unaccustomed the duke may have been to the sight of a princess of nearly threescore years and ten indulging in terpsichorean delights, his courteous nature doubtless made him express his appreciation and delight at the honour shown him. At his departure the Queen sent him a gold cup of six score pounds and a jewel, for which he gave the bearer, Michael Stanhope, an £80 chain,3

mio zio, Londra."- Cecil Papers, Hatfield, 174/13. There is a letter similarly expressed as above, from Richard Cecil to Sir Robert Cecil, among the S. P. Dom., dated from Florence, Oct. 18, 1596.

There is a most curious and startling anecdote regarding a subsequent Duke of Bracciano, given in Wheatley's edition (1884) of The Historical and Posthumous Memoirs of Sir Nathaniel William Wraxall, i. p. 186.

2 Feb. 3, 1601.-S. P. Dom.

3 Aubery du Maurier, in his Mémoires pour servir à l'histoire de la République des Pays-Bas, gives an amusing anecdote (which he says was related to his father by Prince Maurice) of a young Dutch gentleman who accompanied the Envoys from the United Provinces on one of their visits to London. When the Envoys were granted an audience by Elizabeth, this young Dutchman accompanied them and gazed so long and admiringly at the Queen that she could not but remark it. She also perceived that he spoke occasionally to a young English gentleman of the Court, never taking his eyes off her all the time. Directly the audience was over, and the Envoys had departed, the Queen summoned the young English courtier she had seen talking to the

Whilst Richard and Edward Cecil were pursuing their travels and studies in Italy, one of them (it will never be known which1) had the honour of receiving a letter from the learned Sir Francis Bacon-that king of letter-writers. Though not connected by blood, the families of Sir Thomas Cecil and Francis Bacon were closely connected by marriage-Sir Thomas's stepmother being Bacon's maternal aunt. The two families were also closely connected by friendship; and from a letter in Bacon's own hand we gather that he wished to be the second husband of the young and beautiful widow, Lady Hatton-one of Edward Cecil's sisters.2 This fancy, or passion, of the great philosopher's ended, as first loves often do, in nothing, and the bright young widow soon after gave her hand in marriage to the elderly Sir Edward Coke. This ill-assorted union created a nine-days' wonder, and England's most learned judge got a wife who kept him in hot water for the rest of his life.

The next news we have of young Edward Cecil is given by himself in a letter to his uncle, Sir Robert Cecil, in which he informs him he had determined to follow the wars

young Dutchman, and asked what he had been saying. On being told of the admiration the Dutch gentleman had expressed to him for her Majesty's beauty, the Queen dismissed the courtier without any remark, but when the Dutch Envoys received the usual gold chains and presents on their departure from London, Elizabeth sent a chain of gold, twice as large and heavy as those sent to the Envoys, to the humble follower in their train who had appeared so dazzled by her incomparable beauty. He wore the chain round his neck all his life. ii. p. 78.

1 Bacon's letter, which is published in Spedding's Letters and Life of Bacon (ii. 38), is unaddressed and undated. It has been endorsed "To M' Robert Cecil." But as the able editor of Bacon's Letters remarks, it could not have been to Robert Cecil, Earl of Salisbury, as he never was in Italy, and the contents of the letter leave no doubt that it was addressed to a young man in Italy, who had written the philosopher a letter in Italian. The date also is ascertained by a reference to the fleet having just sailed for Cadiz, which was in 1596, the year that Richard and Edward Cecil were in Italy.

2 See Bacon's Letters, ii. pp. 53-4.

in the Low Countries, under the command of that great and worthy general, Sir Francis Vere. This letter is from the Hague, and is dated February, 1598-9. The hiatus from November, 1596, to February, 1599, is a long one, and cannot be bridged over comfortably. We may, however, readily suppose that part of the intervening time had been spent in travel. It is also pretty certain that Edward Cecil had been a few months in the Low Countries when he wrote to his uncle in February, 1599, as when referring to his length of military service in some of his later letters, he always appears to date back from 1598. It is also a curious fact that in a letter from Thomas, Lord Burghley,' to his half-brother Sir Robert Cecil, dated October 30, 1598, the former says, "Your letter for the passports for my sons is lost; send the bearer for another, as they are to depart to-morrow if the wind serves." Might not one of the writer's sons, who required a passport, be Edward Cecil? His former license to travel abroad for three years had expired in the autumn of 1597. He would require a new license on leaving England again. The passports Lord Burghley asked for were not wanted for his eldest son, Will Cecil, as we find a license granted on June 28, 1599, to "William Cecil to travel abroad with 2 servants and 3 horses." Edward Cecil being a younger son had his

William Cecil, the great Lord Burghley, had died on August 4, 1598, aged 77.

2 S. P. Dom. June, 1599. Will Cecil's taste for travelling must have been very great, as he had only recently married (for a second time) Elizabeth Drury, eldest dau. of Sir Wm. Drury, of Hawsted, Suffolk She did not accompany her husband on his travels, as we find her writing to Sir Robert Cecil (her uncle by marriage) in Jan. 1599-1600, begging him to assure the Queen that her husband had no intention of going to Rome as had been reported. "But when I considred what dangerous effects such Reportes may breed in the thought of a Prince thought (sic) of meere malice sugges'ed, I do ounce agayne humbly besech your furtherance to put it out of her Matie head that he hath or will have anny intencionne of going to roome." This letter is signed "Elisa Cecill," and endorsed "1599, Jan: Mres Cecyll to my Mr."-Cecil Papers, Hatfield, 68/7.