WALSINGHAK, Sir FRANCIS; English. statesman, of an ancient Kentish family, third and youngest son of William Walsingham of Seadbury, was born at Chiselhurst, Kent, in 1536. He studied at King's college, Cambridge, and afterward traveled on the continent, where be remained until the accession of queen Elizabeth. Burleigh, with his usual discernment in selecting men of talent, discovered his abilities, brought him into office, and sent. him on an embassy to France in August, 1570. He remained in Paris until April, 1573, and discharged diplomatic duties with such consummate skill that he was, on the recommendation of his great patron, appointed one of the principal secretaries of state to Elizabeth. He was also sworn of the privy council, and knighted. In 1578 lie was salt on an important embassy to the Netherlands; in 1581 to France; and in 1583 to Scotland. He was, with sonic reason, regarded by the adherents of Mary, queen of Scots, as the most insidious of her enemies in the English council. He con trived to intercept most of her letters, and after having deciphered them, sent them to their destination, in order to obtain fresh intelligence from their answ ers. Some of these deciphered letters are preserved in the British museum. Walsingham soon held Mary secure in the toils. Some time previous to Sept., 1583, he had bribed to his service Cherelles, the secretary to the French ambassador Castelnau, in whom Mary placed im plicit confidence. Walsiugham also won over Gray, the envoy of the duke of Guise and other friends of Mary to James VI. (James I. of England), who employed him to manage his correspondence with his mother and his friends in France. The most secret letters of Mary and of James thus came into the hands of Walsingham. Up to Bab ington's conspiracy, or, as some have called it, Walsingliam's conspiracy,.there was no evidence for charging Mary with being accessory to any of the plots formed against the life of Elizabeth. The real fountain-head of this conspiracy, and the chief confederates, were spies in the pay of Walsincham, and all the correspondence of Mary and her friends passed into the hands of Elizabeth's dexterous minister. After the discovery and exe cution of Babington, etc., Walsingham went to Fotheringay as one of the commission to try queen Mary. She charged him with having formed the correspondence produced
against her, when Walsingham rose in his place and solemnly called God to witness that he had not done anything unworthy of an honest man, and that he was wholly free from malice. Elizabeth signed her death-warrant with a jest on Walsingliam's hatred of the queen of Scots. She had ordered Davison to bring her the warrant, and when she had signed it she said, " Go; tell all this to Walsingham, who is now sick; though I fear he will die for sorrow when he hears it." Walsingham was distinguished even among the ministers of Elizabeth for acuteness of penetration, extensive knowledge of public affairs, and profound acquaintance with human nature. Ills administration of foreign affairs was founded on the system of bribery, espionage, and deception. He is said to have had in his pay 53 agents and 18 spies, in various countries; and no minister was better informed of the intrigues of foreign courts. Notwithstanding this diplomatic duplicity, which was then universal among public men,Walsingham's personal integ rity and disinterested patriotism are undoubted. He was of strict morals, favored the puritan party, and in his later days gave himself up to religious meditation. He retired from public affairs some time before his death, and resided at his house in Barn Elms, where be died April 6, 1590. Elizabeth was ready enough to acknowledge his diligence, genius, and important services, yet she kept him poor. There remain in the British museum (Harleian MSS.) various letters from Walsingham complaining of his being wholly unable, on his scanty appointments, to support his establishment, though very inadequate to his dignity of ambassador in France. Camden says he died so far in debt that he was buried privately by night in St. Paul's church, without any funeral solem nity. The queen was chary even in conferring honors upon him, for he received nothing but his knighthood, and held no offices when lie resigned the charge of foreign affairs. He wns married, and his daughter Frances became successively the wife of sir Philip Sidney, of the brilliant and unfortunate earl of Essex, and of the brave soldier, Richard de Burgh, 4th earl of Clanricarde.