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“Libell against Sir Robert Cecill”

Proude and ambitious wretch that feedest on naught but faction

Prevaile and fill thy selfe, and burst with vile detraction1

Detraction is thy game, and hathe bene since thie youthe

And wilbe to thie dyinge daie, He lies that speakes the truthe

But well I knowe thy bosome is fraught, with naught but scorne

5

Dissemblinge smothfac’d dwarfe, wold god thad’st ne’re bene borne

First did thy Sire and now thy selfe by Machivillian skill

Prevaile, and curbe the Peeres as well befittes your will2

Secreat-are3 I knowe your Crookebacke spider shapen

Poison to the state and Comons, Foe to vertue frend to rapine

10

Soe farewell I post to hell

To bringe more newes

Good Gentlemen let this bill stand4

Till some good bodie have put to his hande

God save the Queene5

15

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Source. Bodleian MS Don. c.54, fol. 20r

A9

Quick links to other poems within this section

Select page here A0. Introduction A1 The Word of Deniall A2 The Disease of the stomack A3a Goe soule & b Flye soule A3c Staye Conick soule A4 Courts scorne A5 Courts commender A6 Go Eccho of the minde A7 Where Medwaye greetes A8 Admir-all weaknes A9 Proude and ambitious A10 Essex prayes A11England thy early prime A12 He that in Belgia fought A13 Chamberlaine Chamberlaine A14 England men say of late A15 This day is made Knight A16 Essex did spend

¹   detraction: i.e. presenting the qualities of virtuous men to seem like vices. <back>

²   First did...your will: a principal charge by Catholic polemicists against Cecil’s father (“sire”), William Cecil, Lord Burghley, was that he deliberately worked to “suppress” the political influence of the peerage. Although prominent in the regnum Cecilianum tracts of 1592, this claim was levelled against Burghley by Catholic critics as early as 1572 (e.g. John Leslie, A treatise of treasons against Q. Elizabeth and the croune of England (1572)). <back>

³   Secreat-are: pun on “Secretary”. <back>

⁴   let this bill stand: a “bill” is a written document intended for public display. A more specific meaning, which seems to be implied here, is that of a formal set of charges lodged in legal proceedings to open a case. This would make this rhyme literally an indictment of Cecil. <back>

⁵   Till some...God save the Queene: the allusion here seems to be to John Stubbes, who famously published The discoverie of a gaping gulf whereinto England is like to be swallowed (1579), an explosive book which criticized, in the most scathing terms, Elizabeth’s intention to marry a Catholic French prince, the Duke of Anjou. Elizabeth was so angry at this public intervention in matters of state that Stubbes was punished by having his right hand cut off. Stubbes re-emphasized his patriotism—and further boosted popular support for his stance—by raising his bloody stump and crying “God save the Queene”. Elizabeth subsequently abandoned her plans to marry Anjou. The implication of this allusion seems to be that England now needs another Stubbes-like patriot (“some good bodie”) who is willing to risk the Queen’s anger by publicly denouncing Cecil and urging her to punish him. This would also suggest that Cecil is a new Anjou-like figure, whose ability to deceive the Queen threatens the realm in the most profound manner. <back>