4 - “Say Death Hath Lost”: Knights of the Realm

Summary

FROM the distance of hundreds of years, to be a knight in the service of Queen Elizabeth seems like a wildly romantic notion. Many honorary knights served as courtiers for the queen, helping to perpetuate the sophisticated culture surrounding Elizabethan legend. Yet in practical terms, those who took on more conventional knightly duties, fighting bodily for queen and country, often led lives requiring much time away from home and personal interests. This cost of service often led to the relinquishment of substantial portions of personal fortunes and sometimes steered dedicated countrymen into mortal danger. In spite of England's geographical position on an “isolated” island, over the course of Elizabeth's reign, ongoing conflicts in five areas necessitated military action. Skirmishes over disputed border territories in Scotland and France, naval action with Spain, support of Protestant resistance in the Low Countries, and the suppression of rebellion forces in Ireland all required extensive human, physical, and financial resources. Traditionally, leadership for defense of country was found within the order of knighthood. Many peers received the honor, but, since the title was bestowed individually, there was no certainty one would become a knight simply because of noble heritage. Not all knights were soldiers, and certainly not all soldiers became knights, but noted bravery and leadership on the battlefield was one path to knighthood, the bestowing of which was used as a morale boost for those who provided service to country and fellow man. Such an honor might aid when bidding for court recognition. A large number of the honorees of musical funerary tributes were knights, including all of the courtiers examined in chapters 2 and 3. Three other noted soldiers for whom musical elegies were composed followed in the mold of Sidney and Essex. Thomas Lord Burgh, Sir John Shelton, and Sir Charles Blount (Lord Mountjoy and eventually Earl of Devonshire) each served militarily in multiple locations, had close ties to the Earl of Essex, and were especially important in action in Ireland. Burgh and Shelton lost their lives there.