Walsingham, SIR FRANCIS

Walsingham, SIR FRANCIS, born at Chiselhurst, Kent, about 1536, studied at King's College, Cambridge, and afterwards travelled on the Continent, where he remained until the accession of Queen Elizabeth. Burghley, with his usual discernment, discovered his abilities, brought him into office, and sent him on an embassy to France in August 1570. He remained in Paris until May 1573, and discharged diplomatic duties with such consummate skill that he was, on the recommendation of his great patron, appointed one of the principal secretaries of state to Elizabeth. He was also sworn of the Privy-council, and knighted. In 1578 he was sent on an important embassy to the Netherlands, in 1581 to France, and in 1583 to Scotland. He was, with some reason, regarded by the adherents of Mary, Queen of Scots, as the most insidious of her enemies in the English council. He contrived to intercept most of her letters, and after deciphering them sent them to their destination, in order to obtain fresh intelligence from their answers. He soon held her safe in the toils. Up to Babington's (or, as some have called it, Walsingham's) conspiracy there was no evidence for charging her with being accessory to any of the plots formed against the life of Elizabeth. The real fountain-head of this conspiracy, and the chief confederates, were spies in the pay of Walsingham, and all the correspondence of Mary and her friends passed through the hands of Elizabeth's dexterous minister. After the discovery and execution of Babington and his confederates Walsingham went to Fotheringhay as one of the commission to try Queen Mary. She charged him with having forged the correspondence produced against her, when Walsingham rose in his place and solemnly called God to witness that he had not done anything unbecoming an honest man, and that he was wholly free from malice. Elizabeth signed her death-warrant with a jest on Walsingham's hatred of the Queen of Scots. She had ordered Davison to bring her the warrant, and when she had signed it she said: 'Go; tell all this to Walsingham, who is now sick; though I fear he will die for sorrow when he hears it.' Walsingham was distinguished even among the ministers of Elizabeth for acuteness of penetration, extensive knowledge of public affairs, and profound acquaintance with human nature. His administration of foreign affairs was founded on the system of bribery, espionage, and deception. He is said to have had in his pay fifty-three agents and eighteen spies in various countries; and no minister was better informed of the intrigues of foreign courts. Notwithstanding this diplomatic duplicity, which was then universal among public men, Walsingham's personal integrity and disinterested patriotism are undoubted. He was of strict morals, favoured the Puritan party, and in his later days gave himself up to religious meditation. He retired from public affairs some time before his death, and resided at his house in Barn Elms. He died in Seething Lane, London, April 6, 1590. Elizabeth was ready enough to acknowledge his diligence, genius, and important services, yet she kept him poor. There remain in the British Museum (Harleian MSS.) various letters from Walsingham complaining of his being wholly unable, on his scanty appointments, to support his establishment, though very inadequate to his dignity of ambassador in France. Camden says he died so far in debt that he was buried privately by night in St Paul's Church, without any funeral solemnity. The queen was chary even in conferring honours upon him, for he received nothing but his knighthood, and held no offices when he resigned the charge of foreign affairs. His daughter Frances became successively the wife of Sir Philip Sidney, of the brilliant and unfortunate Earl of Essex, and of the brave soldier, Richard de Burgh, fourth Earl of Clanricarde.