Copy of letter to Elizabeth I, Queen of England

Title: Copy of letter to Elizabeth I, Queen of England
Creator: Sidney, Philip, 1554-1586
Date: c. 1580
Archive: Folger Shakespeare Library
Identifier: X.d.210
Rights: CC0
Type: Manuscript

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5 The Coppye Off a L[ette]re wrytten: by S[i]r Phillipp: Sidnye, to Queene Elizabeth, Touchinge hir Marryage w[i]th Mounstour:/

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The coppie of a Letter written by S[i]r Phillipp Sidney to Qu: Elizabeth touchinge his marriage w[i]th Mounsieur. / Most feared & beloved most sweet & gracious Couaigne to seeke out excuses of this my boldness & to arme the acknowledginge of a fault w[i]th Seasons for it, might better shew I knew I did amisse, then any whitt diminish the attempt, especially in yo[u]r iudgem[en]t who is able lively to discerne the nature of the thinge done, it were folly to hope w[i]th layinge on better Soullers to make it more acceptable, Therefore carryinge noe other Oliue branch of intercession, then the layinge my selfe at yo[u]r feete, nor noe other insinuac[i]on either for attention or pardon

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pardon, but the now vowed sacrifice of vnfained loue, I will in simple and direct tearmes (as hopinge they shall onely come to yo[ur] mercifull eies) sett downe the overflowinge of my mynde in this most important matter./ Importinge (as I thinke) the continuance of yo[ur] safetie & (as I know) the ioyes of my life./ And because my words (I confesse shal= lowe but) comeinge from the deepe well springe of most Loyall affecc[i]on, haue deliuered to yo[ur] gracious eares, what is the gen[er]all some of my tra= vellinge thoughts therein; I will now but onely declare what be the reasons that make me thinke the marriage of Mounsieur to be unprofitable for you. Then will I answeare the obiecc[i]ons of those feares, w[hi]ch might p[ro]cure soe violent a refuge./ The good or evill that will come to you by it, must be considered either according to 3r to yo[ur] estate or yo[ur] p[er]son./ To yo[ur] estate what can bee added? to the you beinge, an absolutely borne and accordingely respected Princesse. but (as they say) the Irishmen are wont to tell them that dye they are rich, they are faire, what neede they dye? Soe truely not vnfitly to you endowed w[i]th felicitie aboue all others, a man might well aske, what makes you in such a Calme to change course, to soe healthfull as bodye to applie such a waye doubtfull medecine! What hope can recompence soe hazardous an ad= venture? Hazardous indeede were it for noethinge, but a the alteringe of a well maineteyned & well appro= ued trade. for as in bodyes naturall any suddaine change is not w[i]thout pill. soe to this body polliticke. whereof you are the onely head, it is soe much the more dangerous as there

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there are more humo[ur]s to receiue a hurtfull impression. But hazards are then most to bee regarded, when the nature of the Agent & the patient are fully composed to occasion them The Patient I account yo[u]r Realme the Agent Mounsieur & his dessein designe for neither outward accidents doe much p[er]vaile against a true inward strength nor inward weakeness doth rightly subvert it selfe w[i]thout beinge thrust out by some outward force. Yo[u]r inwarde force ( for w for your treasures indeede the E[arl]s innev[er]s indeed of yo[u]r Crowne, yo[u]r Ma[jes]tie doth best & only know) consisteth in yo[u]r subiects./ Yo[u]r subiects gen[er]ally vnexpert in war like defence & (as they are) devided into two mighty factions, & farronbs bound vpon the neuer endinge knott of Re= ligion, The one is of them to whome yo[u]r happie gou[er]m[en]t hath graunted the 4 the free excercise of the æternall truth w[i]th these by the continuance of tyme, by the multitude of them, by the principall offices & Strengths they hold, & lastly by yo[u]r dealings both at home & abroad, against the aduerse partie, Yo[u]r estate is soe enwrapped, as it were impossible for you w[i]thout excessive trouble to pull yo[u]r selfe out of the partie soe longe mainetayned. For such a cause one & taken in hand is not much vnlike a shipp in a tempest w[hi]ch how dangerously soeuer it bee beaten w[i]th waves, yet is there no noe safety nor succour w[i]thout it./ Theise theirefo[ur] as theye soulles solely live by yo[u]r happie gou[er]m[en]t; soe are they yo[u]r cheife, if not yo[u]r sole strength. These (howsoeu[er] the necessitye of humane life make them

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them looke) yet can they not looke for better condicons then presently they enioy./ Theise how theire hearts wilbe called, if not algened, when they shall see you take to husband, a french man & a Papist, in whome (how so= euer fyne witts may finde further dangers or painted excuses) the very com[m]on people well know this, that he is the sonne of the Iesabel of our age, that his brothers made oblatac[i]on of his owne sisters marri= age, the easier to make massacres of sex sexes. That he himselfe contrary to his promiss, & against all grate- fullness, havinge had his liberty & principall cheifely by the Hugonetts meanes did sack la charitè & vtterly spoile Isagre w[i]th fire & Sword, this I say euen at 5 at the first sight giues occasion, to all the true religious to abhorr such a master, & consequently to deminish much of the hopefull loue they haue longe held to you./ The other faction most rightly indeede to be called a faccon, is of the Papists, men whose spiritts are full of anguish, some beinge forced to oaths they accompted dampnable. some havinge theire ambition stopped, because they are not in the way of advancem[en]t. some in prison & disgrace, some whose best freinds are banished. practisers, many thinkinge you are an usurper, many thinkinge the right you had, disinulled by the Popes excomunicac[i]on, all burthened w[i]th the weight of theire Conscience, men of greate number of

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of greate riches, because the affaires of the state lay not on them. Of vnited mynds, as all men that deeme themselues oppressed natturally are. W[i]th these I would willingly ioyne all discontented p[er]sons such as want & disgrace keepes lower then they haue sett theire hearts such as are resolved what to look for at yo[u]r hand such as Cæsar said Omnius opus est bello ciuili, and are of Otho's mynde, mallem in acir quam in fero cadere. These be men soe much the more to be doubted, because as they doe embrace all estates, soe are they comonly of the brauest & wakefullest sorte & that know the advantage of the world most. This double ranke of people, how theire myndes haue stood the northeren rebellion & infinite other practises, haue well taught 6r taught you w[i]th if it be said it did not p[er]vaile; that is true indeede; for if they had p[er]vailed it were too late now to deliberate. But at this p[re]sent they want noe= thinge soe much as a head, who in effect neede but to receaue theire instrucc[i]ons, since they may doe mis= cheife enough onely w[i]th his countenance. Let the singinge man in H: the 4th tyme: Ierkin Warbecke in yo[u]r Grandfather, but of all the most liuely & is of Lewies the French kings sonne in H: 3d tymes (who havinge at all noe shew of Title, yet did halfe the nobilitye & more sweare direct ffealtie, & vassellage, & deliuered the strongest holds vnto him) be sufficient to proue that occasions giue myndes scope to stranger thinges then eu[er] would

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would haue beene imagined./ If then the affectionate side haue theire affection weakened, & the discontented haue a gappe to vtter their discontentac[i]on, I thinke it will seeme an ill p[re]paratiue for the patient (I meane yo[u]r estate) to a great sickness./ Now for the Agent partie w[hi]ch is Mounsieur, whether hee bee not apt to worke vpon the disadvantage of yo[u]r estate, H is to be iudged by his will & power. This will to be as full of light ambition as is possible, besides the french disposition & his owne educac[i]on his inconstant attempts against his brother, his thrustinge him= selfe into the lowe Country matters his sometymes seekinge the Kinge of Spaine's daughter sometymes yo[u]r Matie 7 yo[u]r Matie; are euident testimonies hee is carryed away w[i]th euery wynde of hope taught to loue greatness any way gotten, & havinge for the mocions & ministers of his mynde, onely such yonge men, as haue shewed they thinke evill contentm[en]t a sufficient grownd of any Rebellion, whose age giues them to haue seene noe com[m]on wealth but in faction, & diuerse of w[hi]ch some haue defiled theire hands in odious murders. W[i]th such fancies & fauouritels is it to be hoped for, that he wilbe conteyned w[i]thin the limitts of yo[u]r Condicion[es]? since (in troth) it were strange, hee that cannot be conten= ted to be the second p[er]son in France & heire apparent, would come to bee the second p[er]son, where he shall noe way p[re]tend Souaignety. This power I imagin is not to bee des

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despised since he is to come into a Country, where the way of evill doeinge wilbe p[re]sented vnto him, where there needes noethinge but a head to draw togeather evill affected humo[ur]s. Himselfe a Prince of greate revenews, of the most populous nation of the world, full of Solbery & such as are vsed to serue w[i]thout pay, soe they may haue shew of spoile, & w[i]thout Question shall haue his brother in such a Case ready to helpe him, as well for old revenges, as for to divert him from troublinge France & to deliuer his owne Country from evill humo[ur]s. Neither is Kinge Phillippes marriage heere in any example since then it was betwixt two of one religion, soe that hee in England stood onely vpon her strength and had 8r had abroad Kinge Hen: of France ready to impeach any enterprize, he should make for his greatness that way. And yet what events tyme would haue brought forth, of that marriage, yo[u]r most blessed raigne hath made vaine all such considerac[i]ons./ But thinges holdinge in the estate p[re]sent I thinke I may iustly con= clude, that yo[u]r Country beinge as well by longe peace & fruites of peace as by the poyson of division, (where by the fruite faith full shall by this meanes be wounded & the contrary enabled) made fitt to re= ceiue hurt & Mounsieur beinge eu[er]y way apt to vse the occasion to hurt there can allmost happen noe worldly thinge of more euident danger to yo[u]r estate Loyall And

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And as to yo[ur] p[er]son, indeede the seale of our happiness, what good there may come by it, to ballance w[i]th the losse of soe honourable a constancie, truely yet I preiue not. I will not shew soe much mallice as to obiect, the vnusfall doubt of all that Iacob vnhealthfullness neither will I lay to his charge, the Agew like manner of proceedinge, sometymes hott & sometymes cold in the tyme of pursuite, w[hi]ch allways likely is most fervent, & I will tem= per my speaches from any other vnreuerent disgracings of him in p[ar]= ticuler, (though they might bee neuer soe true) this onely will I say, If he doe come hither, hee must liue heere in farr meaner reputac[i]on then his mynd will well brooke, ha= vinge noe other Royalty to countenance himselfe w[i]th or else you must deliu[er] him 9 him the keyes of yo[ur] kingedome, and live at his discrec[i]on, or lastly hee must seperate himselfe w[i]th more dishono[ur] & further disunitinge of heart then ever before. Often haue I heard you w[i]th p[ro]tes= tac[i]ons say, Noe private pleasure, noe selfe affecc[i]on, could leade you vnto it. But if it bee both vnprofitable fo[ur] yo[ur] Kingedome, & vnpleasant to you, certaintely it were a deere purchase of repentance. Noethinge can it add vnto you, but onely the bliss of Children, w[hi]ch I confess were a most vnspeakeable comfort, but yet noe more appertai= ninge to him then to any other, to whome the hight of all good happes were allotted to be yo[ur] husband, & therefore I must assuredly affirme that what good soeu[er] can follow marriage, is noe more his then any

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any bodyes, but the evills & dangers are p[ar]ticularly annexed to his p[er]son & Condicon. for as for the enrichinge of yo[u]r Country, Treasure, w[hi]ch either he hath not, or hath other ways to bestow it, or the stayinge of yo[u]r servants mynds w[i]th new expectac[i]ons & liberalitye w[hi]ch is more dangerous then fruitfull, or the easinge of yo[u]r Matie of yo[u]r Carets, w[hi]ch is as much to say the easinge you of beinge a Queene & Woveraine, I thinke eu[er]y body p[re]ceiues this way either full of hurt or voyde of helpe. Now resteth to consider what be the motions of this suddaine change As I haue heard you in most sweete wordes deliuer. feare of standinge alone, in respect of forraine dea= lings; & in home respect, doubt of contempt. truely w[i]thstandinge w[i]th good foresight, both of yo[u]r 10r gentleman ; defence, is the most honourable thinge that can bee to a well established Monarchie, those buildings beinge eu[er] most strongly durable, w[hi]ch leauinge to noe other, remaine firme vpon theire owne foundac[i]on; soe yet in the p[ar]ticula= rities of yo[u]r estate p[re]sent I will not alltogether denye that a true Massinissa were very fitt, to countermine the Enterprices of mighty dartage, but how this ge= nerall truth can be applyed to Mounsieur, in truth I p[re]ceiue not. The wisest that haue giuen best Rules, w[i]th whome strongest leagues bee to be made, haue euer said, that it must be betweene such as either vehement desire of a third thinge, or as vehement feare doth knitt theire mynds to= geather

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together, desire is counted the weaker bond, but yet that bound soe many greate Princes to the ex= pedition of the holy land, that united the invincible L[or]d the 5th w[i]th Phillipp the good Duke of Burgan= die, the one desiringe to winn the Crowne of France from the Dol= phine the other desiringe to revenge his fathers murder vpon the Dol= phine, w[hi]ch both tended to one That Coupled Lewys the 12 and Ferdinando of Spaine to the Conquest of Naples./ Of feare there are innumerable examples. Mounsieurs designes & yo[u]rs how they should meete in publique matters, I thinke noe Oracle can tell. for as the Geometricians saye, that pa= ralells because they maintaine di= 11r 11 diverse lines, can neuer ioyne, soe truely for them who hath hath in the begin= ninge contrary principles, to bring forth one doctrine must bee some myracle./ Yee of the Romish religion & if he bee a man must needes haue that manlike disposition to desire that that all men bee of his mynde. You the erecto[u]r & defendo[u]r of the Contrary, & the onely sume that dazleth their eyes./ Yee French & desiringe to make France greate./ Yo[u]r Ma[jes]tie English & desiringe noethinge lesse then that France should grow great./ Yee both by his owne fantacie & his youthfull gou[er]nors embrace= ing all ambitious hopes, havinge Alex=

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Alexanders Image in his heade but p[er]chance ill painted./ Yo[u]r Ma[jes]tie w[i]th excellent vertue taught, / what you should hope & by noe lesse wisdome, what you may hope, w[i]th a Councell renounced over all Christendome for theire well tempered mynds havinge sett the vttermost of theire am= bition in yo[u]r favours & the study of theire soules in yo[u]r safetie. Feare hath litle shew of reaso= nable appearance to match you together. For in this estate he is in, whom should he feare? his brother? alas his brother is afraid of him, since the kinge of Naverr is to steppe into his place. Neither can his brother be the suerer by his fall but hee may bee the greater by his 12r 12 his brothers, whereto whether you will be accessary you are to determine./ 33 The kinge of Spaine! Certainly the kinge of Spaine cannot make warr vpon him, but it must be vpon all the Crowne of France w[hi]ch is noe liklihood he will doe./ Well may Mounsieur (as he saith) hath done) seeke to enlarge the blood of France vpon this state w[hi]ch likewise whether it bee safe for you to bee a countenance, vnto any may be seene. Soe that if neither feare nor desire be such in him, as are to binde any pub= lique fastenesse: it may be said that the onely foretresse of this peace yours marriage, is of his private affecc[i]on a thinge soe incident to yo[u]r person, w[i]thout layinge it vpp in such Ivy knotts./ The

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The other obiecc[i]ons of contempt in yo[u]r subiects I assure yo[u]r Ma[jes]tie if I had not heard it p[ro]ceede out of the mouth, I doe of all other most durely reverence, It would as soone (consideringe the p[er]fecc[i]ons of yo[u]r body & mynde, sett to all mens eies by the height of yo[u]r estate) haue come to the possibilitie of my ima= gina[ti]on, as if one should haue told me on the contrary side, that the Greatest Princess of the world should envie the estate of some poore deformed pilgrim. What is there either w[i]thin you or w[i]thout you that can possibly fall into the degree of contempt. to whome our fortunes are tyed by soe longe descent of yo[u]r Royall Ancesto[ur]s our mynd ioyned w[i]th the experience of yo[u]r inward vertues, & our eies delighted w[i]th the 13r 13 the sight of you./ But because yo[u]r owne eies cannot see yo[u]r selfe, neither can there be in the world any example found fitt to glasse you by. I beseech you vouchsafe to weigh the grownd thereof./ As I take it you imagin two naturall causes thereof, & two effects you thinke you finde thereof the naturall causes bee lengthes of gou[er]m[en]t & vncertainety of suc= ession. The effects bee, lookinge as you tearme it to the risinge some, & some abominable speeches w[hi]ch certaine hellish mynded men haue vttered./ The longer a good Prince raignes it is certaine the more he is esteemed, for there is noe man euer weary

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weary of well beinge, & good in= creased to good, makes the same good both greater & stronger, soe it vseth the mynds to know noe other course when either men are borne in the tyme, & soe neuer loue other; or haue spent most part of theire flourishinge tyme, & soe haue noe ioy to seeke other./ In evill Princes abuse growinge vpon abuse, accordinge to the nature of evill, w[i]th increase of tyme ruines it selfe./ But in soe rare a gou[er]m[en]t where neighbours fyres giues vs light to soe our quietness, where noethinge wants, that true adminstrac[i]on of Justice brings forth, certainely the length of tyme, rather breeds a mynd to thinke noe other life but 14r 14 but in that, they then any tediousness of soe fruitefull sweetness./ Examples of good Princes doe eu[er] confirme this, who the longer they raigned, the deep still they sunke into theire subiects heart./ Neither will I trouble you w[i]th examples, beinge soe many and manifest. Looke in yo[u]r owne estate how willingly they graunt and how dutifully they pay such Subsidies as you demaund of them./ Now they are now lesse trouble= some to yo[u]r Ma[jes]tie in certaine requests then they were in the begin= ninge of yo[u]r raigne. And you shall finde yo[u]r Ma[jes]tie hath a people more then euer devoted to you./ As

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As for the incertainty of succes= sion (although for myne owne part I know well I haue cast the vtter= most anchor of my hopes. Yet for England's sake I would not say any thinge against any such determinac[i]on./ But that vncertaine good should bringe contempt to certaine good. I thinke it is beyond all reach of reason, Nay truely if there were noe other cause, (as there are infinit) very com[m]on proffitt would teach us to hold that Iewell deare, the losse of w[hi]ch should bringe vs to wee know not what; w[hi]ch likewise is to be said of yo[u]r Ma[jes]ties speech of the Risinge Sunne. A speech first vsed by Sylla to Pompey in Some as then a popular dittie, where 15 6 where indeed men were to rise or fall accordinge to the foolish breath of a many headed confusion./ But in soe lyneall a Monarchie where euen the infants sucke the loue of theire rightfull Prince, who would leaue the beames of soe faire a sunne for the dreadfull expectac[i]on of a devided company of Starrs./ Vertue & Iustice are the only bands of the peoples loue. And as for that pointe many Princes haue lost theire Crownes, whose owne Children, were manifest successes & some that had there owne children vse as instrum[en]ts of theire euyne./ Not that I deny the bliss of Children, but onely to shew Re= ligion, & equitie bee of themselues suf=

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sufficient stayes. Neither is the loue [tha]t was borne you in the Rowne Queene yo[u]r sisters tyme, any fitt contradic[i]on heereto./ For she was the oppressor of that Religion, w[hi]ch lived in many mens hearts./ You were knowne to bee the fa= vourer/ By her losse was the most excel= lent Prince in the world to succeed./ By yo[u]r losse, all blindness light vpon him that sees not our mi= sery./ Lastly & most p[ro]p[er]ly to this pur= pose, Shee had made an odious marriage w[i]th a stranger, w[hi]ch is now in question whether yo[u]r Ma[jes]tie should doe or noe./ Goe ab that if yo[u]r sub[jec]ts doe at this p[re]sent looke at eu[er]y after- chance 16r 16 chance, it is but as the Pilott doth to the shipp boate, if his shipp should perish; driven by extreamitie to the one, but as carefully as he can (as his life) tenderinge the other, & if they cannot onely loue you for the good parts w[hi]ch bee in you, but only yett for theire owne sakes will they doe it since they must needs foresee what tempests threaten them./ The last proofe of this contempt should bee the venemous matter - certaine hearts impoysoned w[i]th wicked= ness should vtter against you./ Certainly not to be evill spoken of neither Christs holyness, nor Cæsars might, could euer warrant any bodye Beinge for that noe other Rule but to doe soe, that they may not iustly say evill. w[i]th whether yo[u]r Ma[jes]tie haue not done I leaue it in you, to the

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the Sincerereness of yo[u]r owne conscience & wisdome of yo[u]r Iudgement, In the world to the most manifest fruites & fame through Europe. / Augustus was tould men spoake of. him much hurt, It is noe matter (sayd hee) soe longe as they cannot doe much hurt. And lastly Charles the 5t to one that told him Les Ho= landois parlent mal, Mais ils par= lient bien answeared he / I might make a selle like work= inge w collection of many such examples It sufficeth that these greate Princes knew well enough vpon what wyngs they flowe, & cared litle for the bar= kinge of a few Currts. And truely in the behalfe of yo[u]r subiects, I durst w[i]th my blood answeare it, that there was neuer Monarche soe beloved & before God how can it bee otherwise for my part when 17r 17 when I heare some lost wretch hath defiled such a name, w[i]th his mouth: I consider the right Nature of bles= phemie, whose vnbridled soule doth delight to vilifie that w[hi]ch generally is accompted most high & holye. / Noe Noe most excellent Lady doe not rase out the impression, you haue made in such a multitude of hearts, let not the Crume of such vile myndes beare any wittess wittness against yo[u]r subts deuocon, w[hi]ch to p[ro]ceede one pointe further, if it were otherwise could litle be helped, but rather nourished, & in effect begonne by this. The onely avoydinge of contempt are loue & feare. / Loue as you haue by diuers meanes seene in to the depth of theire soules. Soe if any thinge can staine soe true a forme it must bee the bringinge Yo[u]r

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[th]e owne likenesse but in new coulours vnto them./ Theire feare by him cannot be increa= sed w[i]thout apearance of french forces the manifest death of yo[u]r estate, but well may it against him breed that feare, w[hi]ch as the tragicke Senicke Seneca saith Metus in authorem redit read it ./ Since then it is danger for yo[u]r estate in which as well (by inward weakness, prin= cipally caused by diuision) it is fitt to receiue harme, as as because both in will & power hee is like enough to doe harme./ Since to yo[u]r Person it can noe way be comfortable, you not desiringe mar= riage, & neither to p[er]son nor state, he is to bringe any more good then any body, but more evill he may./ Since the causes that should driue you to this are either, feares of that, w[hi]ch cannott happen./ 18r 18 happen, or by this meanes cannott bee prevented, I doe w[i]th most humble parte, saye vnto yo[u]r Ma[jes]tie That haveinge essayed this daungerous helpe, For yo[u]r standinge alone, you must take it, as a singuler hono[u]r: god hath done you, to bee indeed the onely Protecto[u]r of his Church, And yett in worldlye respectes, yo[u]r Kingdome very sufficÿent soe to doe, yf you make that Religion, vppon w[hi]ch you stand, to Carrye the onely strength, and haue Abroade those, whoe still mainteyne the same Cause, whoe, as longe, as they maye bee kept, ffrom vtter fallencye, yo[u]r Ma[jes]tie is sure enough, ffrom yo[u]r Mightiest Enemyes/ As, ffor this Man, as longe, as hee is but Monysleur in might, and a papist in profession, hee neyther cann, nor will greatlye steal you, And yf hee growe kinge his ressence, wilbee lyke Aias Theild, w[i]th weightes downe, rayther then offended, those that bore it, Thus humble craveinge yo[u]r Ma[jes]ties 347