About this time, too, Ralegh was made Governor of Jersey, and immediately he set about his new duties, which were many and various, with his own energy. There is an interesting letter from Lady Ralegh to Cecil; it tells not only of her husband's first journey to Jersey but also of a fire at Durham House, and in the telling shows something of Lady Ralegh's character.
"Sur,
"Hit tis trew that your packet brought me the newes of the mischans of feeiar at Durram Houes, wher, I thanke God hit went noo fardar. Other wies, hit had rid ous of all our poour substans of plat and other thinges. Unly now the loos is of your cumpani and my Lord Cobham's wich I thinke by this menes wee cannot injoy this winter....
"I ded heer from Sur Walter within too dayes after he landed at Jarsi: wher he was safly landed and rioly intertained with joye. But he was too dayes and too nites on the sea, with contrari windes, not withstanding hee went from Wamouthe in so fayer a wind and weether, as littell Wat and myselfe brought him abord the shipt. Hee writeth to me hee never saw a plesanttar iland; but protesteth unfannedly hit tis not, in valew, the veri third part that was reported, or inded hee beliffed. My cossin Will is heer, very will and louketh will and fat with his batheinge. This, wishing you all honnar and the full contentements of your hart, I ever rest
"Your asured poour frind
"E. Ralegh"I am glad this mischans of feeiar cam not by ani neckelegans of ani sarvant of mine, but by me cossin Darci's sarvant,—a woman that delleth just under our logging, and anoyeth ous infenitly. I hope hee will now remoueve heer. I humbelly besuch you let this lettar heer inclosed be sent."
The little Will Cecil, who was well, and looked well and fat from his bathing, grew up into the second Earl of Salisbury. We can only hope that Darcy's servant, who was evidently a constant thorn in the flesh of the orderly Lady Ralegh, was removed; no positive facts are known.
The letter discovers a side of Ralegh's life about which little has been written, but which is none the less interesting and valuable. Little Wat and little Will were bathing and getting fat by the sea-side, while Essex was under sentence of death, while the great Queen was growing old, and while huge disorders were pending in the kingdom on the event of the Queen's death. Little things and big are jostled strangely together in the course of a man's life.
Meanwhile Ralegh's new duties as Governor of Jersey were occupying his attention. Always he entered a position untrammelled by what had been done there before his coming, and determined to do the best possible. It was so in his Governorship of Jersey. His changes were entirely for the good. He found a compulsory system of defence which pressed heavily on the inhabitants in what was called the Corps-de-Garde. He did away with the Corps-de-Garde. While he pondered on the great issues which were pending in England, he settled the small disputes of the islanders under his rule; for he was supreme judge in civil and Crown causes. He was at the pains to see to the proper fortification of the island, and to all the many businesses that his office entailed.
During these years he travelled often backwards and forwards between Durham House and Sherborne and the island of Jersey. He found on one occasion that by some curious oversight the Duc de Biron, who had come on an embassy from Henry of France, was at Crosby Hall, with not one nobleman or gentleman to accompany or guide him. "I never saw so great a person neglected," he writes to Sir Robert Cecil. "Wee have caried them to Westminster to see the monuments; and this Monnday we entertayned them at the Bear Garden, which they had great pleasure to see.... I sent to and fro and have labored like a moyle to fashion things so as on Wensday night they wilbe att Bagshoot and Thursday at the Vine." The Queen was at this time staying with the Marquis of Winchester at Basing, and to her the Duc de Biron rode, escorted by Ralegh. From Basing Ralegh wrote to Lord Cobham telling him of the Queen's wish for his attendance. He says that the French were only stopping three days, and were all wearing black. "So as I have only made mee a black taffeta sute to be in; and leave all my other sutes:" and he adds to the letter a postscript, which shows how punctilious he was in matters of dress: "I am yeven now going att night to London to provide me a playne taffeta sute and a playne black saddell, and wil be here agayne by Twesday night." He wrote late on Saturday night.
Little resulted from the Due de Biron's embassy. But he had the audacity to question Elizabeth about the fate of Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex, and to express sympathy for him. Sully, the famous memoirist, reports their conversation, and points out the singular resemblance between the characters of Essex and of the Duc de Biron, and between the end each met. The Duc de Biron was beheaded ten months later for treason. This is the irony of things. Sully credits Elizabeth with the insight of knowing how like Biron was to Robert Devereux, that she almost augured his downfall, and warned him against his rash courses. The parallel between the two men is remarkable.
So Ralegh went about his various business as Governor of Jersey, as Captain of the Guard, transacted, too, the affairs of his own estates in Munster, Sherborne, and Durham House, while he and every man of influence in England kept pondering on the great question, vital to the welfare of the country, vital to the welfare of each man, who should succeed to the Queen Elizabeth? And Elizabeth was growing old.