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led, much given to women, careless of religion,-qualities notably serving my purpose; for while a man is held in exercise with his own vices, he hath little leisure to observe others; and besides, to feign myself an accommodable person to his humour in all points was indeed most convenient for me; looseness of behaviour, and a negligent worldly kind of carriage of a man's self, are the faults that States least fear, because they hurt only him in whom they are found. To take the benefit of this, I entered Rome with a mighty blue feather in a black hat: which, though itself were a slight matter, yet surely it did work in the imaginations of men three great effects: first, I was by it taken for no Englishman, upon which depended the ground of all; secondly, I was reputed as light in my mind as in my apparell (they are not dangerous men that are so); thirdly, no man could think that I desired to be unknown, who by wearing that feather, took a course to make myself famous through Rome in a few days." With all his precautions, however, and blue feather to boot, a sagacious Scotchman was so near discovering his secret that he judged it prudent to withdraw from Rome. He now took up his abode at Sienna, where he remained some time. In 1595 he returned to England.

Wotton's accomplishments, learning, and knowledge of the world, soon recommended him to the earl of Essex, who appointed him one of his secretaries. On the ruin of his patron he made his escape to France, and thus escaped sharing the fate of his fellow-secretary, Henry Cuff, who was hanged for concealing his knowledge of his master's treasons. He soon turned his steps once more to Italy, and took up his residence in Florence, where he gained the esteem of the grand duke, Ferdinand, and where an incident occurred which was destined to introduce him to the acquaintance and favour of king James. Ferdinand had intercepted a despatch of great importance relative to an intrigue for assassinating the king of Scots; and being desirous to communicate the discovery to James, his secretary, Vietta, recommended Wotton as a fit messenger to employ in so delicate and hazardous a mission. Wotton at once undertook the task; and the more effectually to escape suspicion, he proceeded first to Norway, where he embarked for Scotland. On reaching Stirling he gained admission to the king under the assumed character of a Florentine; but, after delivering his despatch, he contrived to inform his majesty in a whisper that he was an Englishman in disguise, and solicited a private interview. This was granted, and Wotton spent above three months at the Scottish court, during all which time his real name and character were unknown to any one save James himself.

A few months after his return to Florence, the death of Elizabeth— whom he had vainly attempted to propitiate by the composition of a work entitled The State of Christendom,' in which he took care to represent her majesty's government as the model of perfection—and the accession of James, terminated his expatriation, and opened up his way to honour and offices. James received him with the utmost cordiality, declaring that "he was the most honest, and therefore the best dissembler he had ever met with;" he soon after knighted him, and next year offered him his choice of the embassies to France, to Spain, or to Ve

Walton's Life of Wotton.

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