repr. 1999); Rosemarie Mulcahy, The Decoration of the
Royal Basilica of El Escorial (Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge
University Press, 1994).
essay The name adopted by MONTAIGNEfor a short prose
composition dealing with a single topic in a fairly subjec-
tive manner and relaxed style. Montaigne saw his own Es-
sais as “attempts” to express in writing his personal
reflections and experiences; they provided for their author
a means of self-discovery and have preserved for posterity
an intimate and comprehensive picture of the man him-
self—his physical appearance, moral attitudes, erudition,
and philosophy. In Britain the essay form was adopted by
Montaigne’s contemporary Francis BACON. Bacon’s pithy
and compelling expositions on such universal topics as
“Riches,” “Deformity,” “Gardens,” “Friendship,” and “Re-
venge” were immediately popular, though less intimately
self-revelatory than Montaigne’s essays.
Essex, Robert Devereux, Earl of (1567–1601) English
nobleman, courtier, and soldier
He was the elder son of Walter Devereux, 1st Earl of Ess-
sex, and achieved distinction at an early age as a soldier in
the Netherlands on the expedition (1585) led by his step-
father, Robert Dudley, earl of LEICESTER. After Leicester’s
death (1588), Essex became one of ELIZABETH I’s favorites,
despite the fact that in 1590 he married Frances, the
widow of Sir Philip SIDNEY. Essex’s sack of CÁDIZ(1596)
marked the zenith of his career. The following year his ex-
pedition to the Azores was a failure, enabling his numer-
ous enemies at court to seize the initiative. He was sent to
crush a revolt in Ireland (1599) but disobeyed instruc-
tions, causing Elizabeth to imprison him briefly in the
Tower of London. He then attempted to raise London
against the aged queen, but the revolt failed; he was tried
and executed for high treason. Essex was a considerable
patron of writers, and his own poems were highly valued
by his contemporaries.
Est, Willem Hessels van See ESTIUS
Este, Isabella d’ (1474–1539) Italian noblewoman
She was the daughter of Ercole I d’Este (1431–1505), duke
of Ferrara, who ensured that she received a thorough hu-
manistic education. Battista GUARINOwas among her tu-
tors. In 1490 she married Gianfrancesco II Gonzaga,
Marquess of Mantua, whose military prowess she comple-
mented with her own skill in diplomacy. During her hus-
band’s frequent prolonged absences she ably protected the
interests of Mantua and Ferrara against papal encroach-
ments and after his death (1519) continued as a trusted
counsellor to her eldest son, Federico II (1500–40).
Isabella is, however, chiefly remembered for the ex-
traordinary cultural flowering she brought about in Man-
tua. Both she and her husband were keenly interested in
choral and organ music, and their court was a major cen-
ter for the development of the FROTTOLA. Isabella’s music
room survives in the Reggia de’ Gonzaga, Mantua, deco-
rated with wooden inlays of musical motifs by Tullio LOM-
BARDO. LEONARDO DA VINCI, TITIAN, MANTEGNA, RAPHAEL,
GIULIO ROMANO, FRANCIA, and PERUGINOwere among the
artists she patronized. CASTIGLIONE, ARIOSTO, TRISSINO,
Mantovano (Battista SPAGNOLI), and BANDELLOwere bene-
ficiaries of her literary patronage.Este family A dynasty powerful in northern Italy from
the 13th century, when Obizzo II became perpetual lord of
Ferrara (1264), despite papal claims to the title. Este
power was considerably extended by Niccolò III (lord
1393–1441), by Borso (lord 1450–71), who became duke
of Modena and Reggio (1452) and duke of Ferrara (1471),
and by Ercole I (duke 1471–1505), who allied his family
by marriage with the royal line of Naples and with the
BENTIVOGLIO, GONZAGA, and SFORZA families. Ercole I
encouraged the arts; he beautified Ferrara, patronized
ARIOSTO, and invited the Flemish composer OBRECHTto
his court. His daughters by Eleonora of Aragon, Isabella
(see ESTE, ISABELLA D’) and Beatrice (1475–97), carried the
Ferrarese enthusiasm for music, art, and literature to their
husbands’ courts, Isabella to Mantua and Beatrice to
Milan. Other Este patrons of the arts included Niccolò II
(lord 1361–88), who built the Castello Estense, Alberto V
(lord 1388–93), who founded the university of Ferrara,
and Leonello (lord 1441–50) who was educated by
GUARINO DA VERONAand encouraged scholars and artists,
among them ALBERTI, VERONESE, PISANELLO, Jacopo
BELLINI, van der WEYDEN, and MANTEGNA. In 1502 Alfonso
I (duke 1503–34) married as his second wife Lucrezia
BORGIA; in their time the Ferrarese court was renowned
for its brilliance. The tradition of patronage of the arts
continued in later generations of the family: for instance,
Cardinal Luigi d’Este employed the famous madrigal
composer Luca MARENZIOin the 1580s. When Alfonso II
(duke 1559–97) died without an heir the papacy
recovered Ferrara, but a junior Este branch continued to
rule Modena and Reggio.Estienne press (Latin Stephanus) The press established
by a dynasty of scholar-printers who worked in Paris and
Geneva from 1502 to 1674. The first was Henry I Estienne
(died 1520), whose widow married his partner, Simon de
Colines. He in turn trained his stepson Robert (1503–59)
who took over the press in 1526, later receiving the royal
appointment to Francis I of France. Robert’s Latin the-
saurus (1531; enlarged edition 1543) was followed by sev-
eral bilingual dictionaries, while his editions of the Bible,
including a Greek/Latin New Testament (1551), the first
to divide the chapters into numbered verses, combined his
scholarship and his Christianity. In the 1540s five priced
catalogues of his books were issued.116688 eessssaayy