Sir Walter Raleigh 02 - Public domain book illustration

Sir Walter Raleigh
Identifier: ridpathlibrary19ridp (find matches)
Title: The Ridpath library of universal literature : a biographical and bibliographical summary of the world's most eminent authors, including the choicest extracts and masterpieces from their writings ...
Year: 1899 (1890s)
Authors: Ridpath, John Clark, 1840-1900
Subjects: Literature
Publisher: New York : The Fifth avenue library society
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN



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iry spot; he flung down his gaycloak in the mud, so that she could pass over itdry-shod. The Queen, then a woman of middleage, was charmed with the gallantry of the hand-some young cavalier, twenty years her junior, andtook many occasions to advance his fortunes.Among other things she granted him a patent fora large tract in the region now known as Virginiaand North Carolina, with the title of Lord Pro-prietor. During the ensuing twenty years Ra-leigh took an active part in the irregular hostili-ties between England and Spain ; and, what withvaluable monopolies and large landed grants, hebecame a very wealthy man. The accession of James L to the English throne,in 1603, put an end to the prosperity of Raleigh.He was stripped of his preferments and forbiddento appear at Court. Not long afterward he wasarrested upon charge of having conspired toplace Lady Arabella Stuart upon the Englishthrone. He was convicted ; but, instead of being put to death at once, the execution of the sen- C140)
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SIR WALTER RALEIGH. WALTER RALEIGH 141 tence was deferred, and he was committed to theTower, where he was kept a prisoner for thirteenyears. During- his imprisonment he wrote hisHistory of the W^<?r/<^, which was published in 1614.The History commences with the creation, but isbrought down only to the end of the Macedonianempire, 167 B.C. The following are the conclud-ing sentences of this work: AMBITION AND DEATH. If we seek a reason of the succession and continuanceof boundless ambition in mortal men, we may add thatthe kuigs and princes of this world have always laid be-fore them the actions, but not the ends, of those greatones which preceded them. They are always trans-ported with the glory of the one, but they never mindthe misery of the other, till they find the experience inthemselves. They neglect the advice of God while theyenjoy life, or hope of it; but they follow the counsel ofDeath upon his first approach. . . . It is, therefore, Death alone that can suddenly makem