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| Sir Walter Raleigh |
Essex pro-French policy was against the views of Elizabeth who "disliked and profoundly distrusted" Henry and Burghley who viewed the French as England's traditional foe.[1] The Queen and Burghley's views were shared by the other councilors who agreed with Sir Thomas Wiles comment in 1593 that "if the king of Spayne were dead, wee are like enoughe to care little for France"[2] When the Spanish were pushed from the Netherlands, the Queen's and Burghley's focus turned on the Irish insurrection and the allocation of resources from France towards Ireland. This put Essex at odds with Elizabeth and the Cecils' policy and forced Essex to change the Queen's mind. Elizabeth's reaction was that Calais be returned to the English and she would support the French against the Spanish. This was a price that Henry would never pay and a fear spread that the French king would give "genuine substance to his nominal conversion to Catholicism."[3] Essex greatest fear was that the break with the French would leave England vulnerable to the full extent of the Spain.
With the growing fear of a second Spanish Armada and the raid of Cornwall in 1595, supported Essex's case about the vulnerability of the English. Essex and the Cecils had agreed upon the importance of military action against Spain and both factions had put their support behind it. Essex saw it as an opportunity to use his battle prowess to win over the Queen's favor and eventual higher political aspirations. But before the expedition left England in 1596, there was in fighting and a feud between the soldiers like Essex and his associate, Sir Francis Vere, a veteran from the Netherlands campaigns and Lord High Admiral Charles Howard and Sir Walter Raleigh over a land based conquest or sea battle to plunder the Spanish cargo ships[4] The English taking of Cadiz success was daunted by Howard and Raleigh, bitter about the burning of the merchant ships in the Bay of Cadiz, fought with Essex and Vere over garrisoning Cadiz and using it as a base of operations because it went against the orders of the Queen. Despite the in fighting, the City of Cadiz was razed by the English troops and the hostages taken back to England. The Cadiz expedition caused the Essex faction at court to worry, a worry that resonated into the French court. King Henry IV "viewed Essex's new venture with horror, fearing the diversion of resources abroad and the absence of Essex himself."[5] Henry IV fear was that Burghley was secretly plotting to distract Essex from leading an English delegation and subsequently cutoff a Anglo-French league.[6]
Essex's had hoped that wartime strategy and success would have shown how the war with Spain should have fought. Had he been able to garrison Cadiz, the Queen would have to focus on Spain instead of shifting resources from France to Ireland.[7] This would have decimated the Cecil faction at court by undermining their special interests in Ireland and "shoestring" war budgeting because Elizabeth focus would have to be on her Spanish acquisitions. However, the Cadiz expedition had only served to distract Essex from the Cecilian intrigue. Before Essex left England he had bade the Queen to hold off appointing a new secretary of state until his return, banking that his wartime defiance and success would have won him the position. When Elizabeth heard of the political strategy that Essex had plotted out for Cadiz, she appointed Robert Cecil, secretary of state. As well, it was promised that Cadiz would bring the Queen "great riches" from the Cadiz expedition and subsequent plundering of the Spanish ships. When she saw little treasure from the expedition, Burghley and Cecil blamed Essex and alleged that Essex allowed his men to keep the plunder for themselves.[8]
As well, the Islands Voyage, the second expedition against the Spanish this time to the Azores. The Privy Council had decided to proactive against the Spanish who were amassing another great armada and attack the Spanish coastal city of Ferrol in the province of Corunna in 1597.[9] Essex, Raleigh and Howard were once again chosen to command the English forces. but a storm off the Bay of Biscay split them with Howard heading towards Corunna, Essex and Raleigh off to a safe port. After regrouping with the English fleet, Raleigh was again separated and headed for the Azore under the idea that he was chasing Spanish ships. Once again he and Essex regrouped, the earl ordered Raleigh to resupply and meet him at the island of Fayal. Raleigh obliged him and arrived at the island with Essex no where to be found. The English ships sat adrift until they were induced into landing by a cannonade of Spanish artillery. Raleigh led the charge ashore and was shot and wounded in the leg. Essex arrived late and furious at the fact that Raleigh had already began the assault.
Essex was dishonored by Raleigh and sought to have his rival court-marshaled for disobeying orders. Essex was a renown disciplinarian in his leadership and the constant separation and actions of Raleigh were undermining his command. Howard intervened and dissuaded Essex, resulting in his decision to on getting treasure by plundering the Azores instead of securing and defeating the Spanish fleet.[10] The distraction was costly because a dying Philip II was indeed organizing another armada and it now sailed ahead of the English fleet and headed for England. Essex's fleet was saved by the fact that the Spanish armada was again defeated by sea storms. When he returned to England, Essex was accosted by the Queen for his failure in protecting the kingdom from the advancing Spanish flotilla. This sense of failure in his most ardent cause made Essex silently about the success in the Azores. As a result of Essex's failure to secure neither protection nor more wealth for the Crown, the Queen under Burghley influence began to entertain a treaty with the Spanish.
The very suggestion of a treaty with the Spanish enemy enraged Essex and caused him to write the elaborate and well published "letter" in defense of his actions and protest to the possible treaty. In the Apologie , Essex calls attention to his enemies "my fortune bred me Envie: and that Envie procured me strong & dangerous opposition"[11] and that when he acted against Spain he did so because "no man , in my country, of my ranke, disposing himself that way."[12] Essex was addressing his fellow courtiers and their inaction after the Armada. Essex was extremely critical of the roles of these “self-loving men” that “love ease, pleasure and profit”[13] especially when they were dictating the highly suspicious push for a treaty with Spain. The push for the uneasy and hasty Spanish treaty with a deceptive enemy was the turning point in Essex’s career with in the court of Elizabeth. He states in his Apologie that : They say, England cannot stand without peace, Peace cannot growe but by treatie, treatie canot be had but when the Enemy offers it; & now the Enemy offers to treat[14] The reply which Essex gives to this is remarkably brazen. He replies to the accusation in his letter that he believes the treaty to be a Trojan horse and that is Spain really wanted peace they would make the proper accommodations for England and Protestant interests. He defends the stance by exploring the motivation of Philip II’s push for peace:
Princes or States, when they enter into consideration of their owne affaires, may dispose them selves to peace, for utilitiy, convenience or necessitie. For utility, if they can get advantage: for conveniency, if peace be fittest to conscrue then in the state they are: for necessity, when they have no longer means to make war.[15]
It is apparent to Essex that the push for peace by the Privy Council had been motivated by some sinister ploy or intrigue orchestrated by the council's leaders. It is not purely speculation that Essex bases his case against the council because he himself had been victim to it.
Essex protest of the Spanish treaty and criticism of the royal government placed him in a vicarious position: he was losing favor with his queen and the growing clandestine Cecil political strategies had him from her graces. When the need for a new military commander Ireland was brought before the Queen and it was suggested that Essex's uncle, Sir William Knollys be appointed. This enraged Essex who felt threaten by the loss of an ally at court and insisted that Sir George Carew a member of the Cecil faction go instead. The Queen refused on account that it would disrupt Robert Cecil's office and Essex in a fit of temper turned his back on the Queen. This show of disrespect angered the Queen, who struck him aside the head and hollered "Go to the devil!" At which, Essex grasped his sword hilt and replied angrily into Elizabeth's face "This is an outrage, that I will not put up with. I would not have borne it from your father's hands!"[16] Nottingham had grabbed hold of Essex and drew him back and Essex stormed out of the room. The Queen did not respond to the outrageous behavior and focused mainly on the ailing Burghley on his deathbed while Essex lingered in depression in the country.
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