A Child's History of England.172

Though the Spanish king had had this bitter taste of English bravery, he was so little the wiser for it, as still to entertain [willing to consider] his old designs, and even to conceive the absurd idea of placing his daughter on the English throne. But the Earl of Essex, Sir Walter Raleigh, Sir Thomas Howard, and some other distinguished [noble and respectable] leaders, put [proceed] to sea from Plymouth, entered the port of Cadiz once more, obtained a complete victory over the shipping [ships considered as a group] assembled there, and got possession of the town. In obedience to the Queen's express [explicit] instructions, they behaved with great humanity; and the principal loss of the Spaniards was a vast sum of money which they had to pay for ransom. This was one of many gallant achievements on the sea, effected [make sth happen] in this reign. Sir Walter Raleigh himself, after marrying a maid of honour and giving offence to the Maiden Queen thereby [with the result], had already sailed to South America in search of gold.

Sir Walter Raleigh, also spelled Ralegh, was an English landed [owning a lot of land] gentleman, writer, poet, soldier, politician, courtier, spy and explorer. He rose rapidly in the favour of Queen Elizabeth I and was knighted in 1585. Raleigh was instrumental in the English colonisation of North America and was granted a royal patent to explore Virginia, paving the way for future English settlements. In 1591, he secretly married Elizabeth Throckmorton, one of the Queen's ladies-in-waiting, without the Queen's permission, for which he and his wife were sent to the Tower of London.

A lady-in-waiting or court lady is a female personal assistant at a court, royal or feudal, attending on a royal woman or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically, in Europe, a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman, but of lower rank than the woman to whom she attended.

The Earl of Leicester was now dead, and so was Sir Thomas Walsingham, whom Lord Burleigh was soon to follow. The principal favourite was the Earl of Essex, a spirited and handsome man, a favourite with the people too as well as with the Queen, and possessed of many admirable qualities. It was much debated at Court whether there should be peace with Spain or no, and he was very urgent for war. He also tried hard to have his own way in the appointment of a deputy to govern in Ireland. One day, while this question was in dispute, he hastily took offence, and turned his back upon the Queen; as a gentle reminder of which [his] impropriety [不当行为], the Queen gave him a tremendous box [a slap or blow with the hand or fist] on the ear, and told him to go to the devil. He went home instead, and did not reappear at Court for half a year or so, when he and the Queen were reconciled, though never (as some suppose) thoroughly.

turn your back (on sb/sth): 1. 字面意思; 2. refuse to help, support, or be involved

From this time the fate of the Earl of Essex and that of the Queen seemed to be blended together. The Irish were still perpetually quarrelling and fighting among themselves, and he went over to Ireland as Lord Lieutenant [副], to the great joy of his enemies (Sir Walter Raleigh among the rest), who were glad to have so dangerous a rival far off. Not being by any means successful there, and knowing that his enemies would take advantage of that circumstance to injure him with the Queen, he came home again, though against her orders. The Queen being taken by surprise when he appeared before her, gave him her hand to kiss, and he was overjoyed - though it was not a very lovely hand by this time - but in the course of the same day she ordered him to confine himself to his room, and two or three days afterwards had him taken into custody. With the same sort of caprice [突然改变] - and as capricious [反复无常] an old woman she now was, as ever wore a crown or a head either - she sent him broth from her own table on his falling ill from anxiety, and cried about him.

as ever wore a crown or a head either... 时而女王时而女人(不知何意试解) 可以wear a coat，也可以wear a smile.

六级/考研单词: entertain, conceive, absurd, throne, assemble, instruct, humane, headmaster, reign, maid, offend, maiden, thereby, sail, poet, spy, rapid, knight, patent, pave, noble, seldom, rank, handsome, deputy, haste, tremendous, devil, reconcile, thorough, fate, blend, perpetual, quarrel, lieutenant, rival, injure, gorgeous, confine, custody

标签：Sir,his,England.172,Queen,Child,he,was,him,History
来源： https://www.cnblogs.com/funwithwords/p/15820845.html