The Book of Gems Chaucer to Prior Author:Samuel Carter Hall Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: Enward Vere, the seventeenth Earl of Oxford, was born in 1534, and succeeded to the title and estates of his father in 1562. He was a pensioner of St. John's, Ca... more »mbridge ; spent several years in travel; sate as Great Chamberlain of England upon the trial of Mary Queen of Scots; and was one of the moat distinguished officers employed against the Spanish Armada. ln youth he was remarkable, says Wood, for his wit, adroitness in exereises, and valour and zeal for his country; but he is said to have returned from ltaly a finished coxcomb, and it is recorded that he was the first who introduced into England embroidered gloves and perfumes. In consequence of his continually aping Italian dress and manners, he was nicknamed " the Mirrour of Tus- canismo." Some discreditable aneedotes of his life have been preserved. The story of his quarrel with Sir Philip Sidney is little to his repute, and shows the length to which aristoeratic privilege was at that time carried. The Earl being one day at play in the Tennis Court, took offence at some remark of Sidney's, ordered him to leave the room, and, on his refusal, applied to him an epithet of contempt. Sir Philip gave his lordship the lie direet, and quitted the place, expeeting to be followed by the peer. But Lord Oxford very prudently waited, until the Queen had time to command the peace. Her Majesty then reminded Sir Philip of the difference between earls and gentlemen,—superiors and inferiors. The gallant Sidney, however, boldly protested against such a distinetion in such a matter, and refused to obey her Majesty's direetions that he should " make submission" to his opponent. Lord Oxford died in 1604. His Poems, which were greatly extolled by his contemporaries, have never been published in a volume; and are only to be found scattered amo...« less