death,
at Richmond Palace. This ring remained known for long afterwards in
Court tradition as the ' blue ring,' which had been confided to Lady
Scrope by James as appointed for a certain signal to announce the
Queen's decease. Sir Robert caught the token, fraught, as it was, with
the destiny of the Island empire, and departed, at fiery speed, to tell
the tidings in Scotland. Thus, the spirit of the mighty Elizabeth
passed away, after all, so quietly, that the vigilance of the
self-interested spies by whom she was surrounded was baffled; and no
one knew the actual moment of her departure."
Another
story,—of an historical ring again associated with Queen
Elizabeth,—likewise related by Miss Strickland, may be of equal
interest here to our readers. It concerns a ring which the Queen was
said to have bestowed upon Essex, the ill-fated Earl, in a moment of
fondness, as a pledge of her affection; with an intimation that, should
he ever forfeit her favour, if he would send this Ting back to her, the
sight of it would ensure her forgiveness. When Essex lay under
sentence of death he determined to try the virtue of the ring by
returning it to the Queen, and claiming the benefit of her promise :
but knowing he was surrounded by the creatures of those who were bent
on taking his life, he was fearful of trusting the ring to any of the
attendants. At length, looking out of his window, he saw early one
morning a boy whose countenance pleased him, and whom he induced by a
bribe to carry the ring (which he threw down to him from above), to the
Lady Scrope, his cousin, who had taken so friendly an interest in his
fate. The boy, by mistake carried it to the Countess of Nottingham, the cruel sister of the fair, and gentle
