Essex, Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl Of

(1567-1601)

   Born at Netherwood, Herefordshire, the son of the first Earl of Essex, he inherited the title in 1576 under the guardianship of Lord Burghley. He had some education at Trinity College, Cambridge, but there is nothing outstanding about this. Essex was a cousin of Elizabeth on his mother's side, and when he was presented at court, he quickly became the queen's favorite and, rumored, her lover. It is said Elizabeth was always anxious when he was away on his (often successful) military campaigns. He was made privy councillor in 1593 and in 1594 uncovered an alleged plot against the queen's life by her physician, Roderigo Lopez. However close the relationship, he was wayward and self-willed and this eventually led to his loss of favor, and after a disastrous campaign in Ireland, Elizabeth deprived him of his office for deserting his post. He was executed for treason in trying to stir up a rebellion. Some of his poems: "A Passion of My Lord of Essex," "Change Thy Mind Since She Doth Change," "Happy Were He," "To Plead My Faith."

   Sources: Britannia Biographies (http://www.britannia.com/bios/rhymer.html). Dictionary of National Biography. Electronic Edition 1.1. Oxford University Press, 1997. Elizabethan Lyrics. Norman Ault, ed. William Sloane Associates, 1949. Encyclopædia Britannica Ultimate Reference Suite DVD, 2006. Great Books Online (www.bartleby.com). The Columbia Granger's Index to Poetry. 11th ed. The Columbia Granger's World of Poetry, Columbia University Press, 2005 (http://www.columbiagrangers.org). The Oxford Companion to English Literature. 6th edition. Margaret Drabble, ed. Oxford University Press, 2000. Westminster Abbey Official Guide (no date).