The extravagant passion, which that princess was supposed to entertain for various male favorites, which occasioned the disgrace of one, and the premature death of another, while it has furnished a darling theme to the novelist, and has been wept over in the tragic scene, has never yet received the sober sanction of the historian. A traditional family anecdote, while it places the affection of the queen for Leicester beyond doubt, may not be unpleasing to the learned reader, and may benefit the English historiographer.

It is well known that this crafiy queen, though repeatedly solicited, never efficaciously assisted the Netherlanders, until their affairs were apparently at their lowest ebb, and they in such desperate circumstances, as to offer the sovereignly of their country to her general, the Earl of Leicester. Captain Underbill carried the dispatches to England, and delivered them at the office of Lord Burleigh. The same evening, the queen sent for the captain, and, with apparent perturbation, inquired of him, if he was the messenger from Leicester, and whether he had any private dispatches for her. He replied, that he had delivered all his letters to the secretary of state. She appeared much disappointed, and, after musing for some time, said, "so Leicester wants to be a king." Underbill, who was in the general's confidence, replied that the Dutch had indeed made the offer of the sovereignty of their country to her general, esteeming it a great honor, as they said, to h;'.ve a subject of her grace for their sovereign. No, replied the queen, it i,-; not tfie Dutch ; they hate kings and their divine rights; it is the proud Leicester, who yearns to be independent of his own sovereign, who moves this insolent proposal. Tell him from me, that he must learn to obey, before he is fit to govern.