"Nam genus et proavos et quae nos non fecimus ipsi, Vix ea nostra voco."For though he was an honourable slip of that ancient tree of nobility, which was no disadvantage to his virtue, yet he brought more glory to the name of Vere than he took of blood from the family.
He was, amongst all the Queen's swordsmen, inferior to none, but superior to many; of whom it may be said, to speak much of him were the way to leave out somewhat that might add to his praise, and to forget more than would make to his honour.
I find not that he came much to the court, for he lived almost perpetually in the camp; but, when he died, no man had more of the Queen's favour, and none less envied, for he seldom troubled it with the noise and alarms of supplications; his way was another sort of undermining.
They report that the Queen, as she loved martial men, would court this gentleman, as soon as he appeared in her presence; and surely he was a soldier of great worth and command, thirty years in the service of the States, and twenty years over the English in chief, as the Queen's general: and he, that had seen the battle of Newport, might there best have taken him and his noble brother, {67}
the Lord of Tilbury, to the life.
WORCESTER.
My Lord of Worcester I have here put last, but not least in the Queen's favour; he was of the ancient and noble blood of the Beauforts, and of her {68} grandfather's kin by the mother, which the Queen could never forget, especially where there was an incurrence of old blood with fidelity, a mixture which ever sorted with the Queen's nature; and though there might hap somewhat in this house, which might invert her grace, though not to speak of my lord himself but in due reverence and honour, I mean contrariety or suspicion in religion; yet the Queen ever respected his house, and principally his noble blood, whom she first made Master of her Horse, and then admitted him of her Council of State.
