[13] In 1591, Lord Burghley's Clerk in Chancery, John Clapham, dedicated to Southampton a poem in Latin, Narcissus, recounting the Greek legend of a beautiful young man who perishes through self-love.

This type of vaunting language was not particularly unusual, however, because other dedications of the day always excessively praised any noble person sponsoring the author's work – mainly for political and, above all, financial reasons.

[28] On 17 November 1595, Southampton jousted in Queen Elizabeth's accession day tournament, earning a mention in George Peele's Anglorum Feriae as "gentle and debonaire".

[31] In February 1597 Southampton challenged the Earl of Northumberland to a duel with rapiers, requiring intervention by the Queen and Privy Council, and on 1 March stood godfather at the christening of Sir Robert Sidney's daughter, Bridget.

Nonetheless, it was reported by Rowland Whyte at the beginning of February that "My Lord of Southampton is much troubled at her Majesties straungest Usage of hym".

Faced with his financial difficulties and the Queen's disfavour, Southampton determined to live abroad for a time, and seized the opportunity of accompanying Sir Robert Cecil on an embassy to Henri IV of France.

At that juncture, the Queen decided to pardon the Danvers brothers, and they were back in England on 30 August 1598, at which time Southampton also returned in secret, and married his pregnant mistress, Elizabeth Vernon.

He left for the continent almost immediately, but by 3 September the Queen had learned of the marriage and consigned Elizabeth Vernon, one of her chief ladies-in-waiting, to the Fleet Prison for marrying without royal permission.

The Queen ordered Southampton to return to England forthwith, but he remained in Paris for two months, losing large sums in gambling.

By the beginning of November, he was back in England, also lodged in the Fleet, where he remained for a month, during which time Elizabeth Vernon gave birth to a daughter, Penelope.

To add to his difficulties, Southampton was at this time involved in a dispute with his mother, the Dowager Countess, over her prospective marriage to Sir William Hervey.

However, Southampton was active during the campaign and prevented a defeat at the hands of the Irish rebels when his cavalry drove off an attack at Arklow in County Wicklow.

This pearse began to fawne and flatter me in Ierland offering me great curtesie, telling me what pay grases & giftes they earles bestowed uppon him, therby seming to move and anymate me to desiar and looke for the like favour, But I coeld never love & afecte them to make them my frends, esspecially essex whoes mynd I ever mistrusted....

On the other hand, Duncan-Jones concludes that Reynolds may have been a paranoid schizophrenic, and that by his own statement he had written over 200 letters to the Queen, Privy Council, and members of the clergy wherein he had "complaynid of al the abewses and vilent oppresseones & sodometicall sines over flowing this land".

His first task was to organise the large lavish celebrations including a feast and ball which were laid on at the Palace of Whitehall following the signing of the Treaty of London with Spain.

In January 1605, he entertained Queen Anne at Southampton House with a performance of Love's Labour's Lost by Burbage and his company, to which Shakespeare belonged.

[42][43] Southampton seems to have been a born fighter, and engaged in more than one serious quarrel at court, being imprisoned for a short time in 1603 following a heated argument with Lord Grey of Wilton in front of Queen Anne.

A significant artistic patron in the Jacobean as well as the Elizabethan era, Southampton promoted the work of George Chapman, Samuel Daniel, Thomas Heywood, and the composer Alfonso Ferrabosco the younger.

[46] Henry Wriothesley, whose name is included in the 1605 panel of the New World Tapestry, took a considerable share in promoting the colonial enterprises of the time, and was an active member of the Virginia Company's governing council.

He was part of a faction within the company with Sir Edwin Sandys, who eventually became the Treasurer, and worked tirelessly to support the struggling venture.

In addition to profits, Southampton's faction sought a permanent colony which would enlarge British territory, relieve the nation's overpopulation, and expand the market for English goods.

However, the name Southampton was not uncommon in England, including an important port city and an entire region along the southern coast, which was originally part of Hampshire.

[47] He was succeeded by his second but only surviving son, the fourth Earl, who would become a prominent statesman and served as Lord High Treasurer under Charles II.

The marriage was held secretly to legitimize an already-visible pregnancy, based on a letter of John Chamberlain in which he writes "Mistress Vernon is from the court, and lies in Essex House.

Some say she hath taken a venue under the girdle and swells upon it, yet she complains not of foul play but says the Earl of Southampton will justify it; and it is bruited underhand that he was lately here four days in great secret of purpose to marry her and effected it accordingly".

[52] They had two sons and three daughters listed on his funeral certificate:[53] Numerous portraits of Southampton exist, in which he is depicted with dark auburn hair and blue eyes, compatible with Shakespeare's description of "a man right fair."