James did not like the History. He did not consider that Ralegh bated his breath sufficiently when writing of kings, who obtained their power, in his opinion, directly from a divine source. And he went farther in his dislike. For into what Ralegh had written of kings and men, long dead, he read criticisms against himself and his favourites; and these he could ill brook. James, like most cruel men, was sensitive, but he was "sensitive within alone, Inly only thrilling shrewd;" where others were concerned, he was, as is seen in his treatment of Ralegh, hard, "scaly as in clefts of pine."
James had no real cause to do this. Certain it is that Ralegh never consciously committed the offence. But certain it also is that he, like any other writer of his calibre, would write with greater feeling the account of some happening or some character, with which the circumstances of his own life brought into sympathy. And exactly because his life and his knowledge of men was profound and varied, his history gains in vitality. For always he keeps his relation in contact with life—that is of course to say, his own experience of life—by which each man is limited—and never does his work degenerate into a mere recital of facts. Only when he is weighing authority against authority is he lifeless, and almost necessarily lifeless, but even then—witness the passage quoted a little earlier in this chapter—he is not often dull.
All through the length of the history, passage after passage of deep wisdom and insight occur, so that his work is still a comment upon that greatest and most enthralling of all mysteries—life.
CHAPTER XVIII
THE LAST JOURNEY
Ralegh's influence with Queen and Prince Henry—Death of Robert Cecil—Rise of Villiers—Liberty—The undying endeavour—Anecdote—Preparations for expedition—Delays and uncertainty—The King's treachery—The expedition starts—Further delays—Storms—Captain Bailey—Ralegh's illness—At Terra de Bri—His son's death—Return of Keymis—Suicide of Keymis—Mutiny—The return.
Ralegh in the Tower managed to gain influence of a remarkable nature over the Queen and over Prince Henry, who was the idol of the nation. It availed him not, however. James was jealous of the immense popularity of his son, and feared his high spirit. Gradually the tall white-haired man in the Tower became the most talked of man in London. Round him centred the tradition of Elizabeth, which was looked back upon with vain regret. Men did not like the deference that was paid to Gondomar, the Spanish ambassador; they did not like the rise and supremacy of Car. They looked askance at Cecil. But Cecil and Car did not for many years lose their hold on the King, whom they treated adroitly. Nor were James's fear and hatred of Ralegh allowed by them to abate. Whenever the Queen or the Prince sued for favour towards Ralegh, they would not fail to point out the power and influence which caused such appeals to be made, and to play on the King's timidity. Moreover, in spite of Lady Ralegh's supplications and Prince Henry's frequent entreaties, the Sherborne estates were handed over to Car at a price.
