[155] Spanish Calendar, vol. i.

[156] When Elizabeth visited the University of Cambridge on her autumn progress, she declined, in consequence of want of time, to attend a theatrical performance offered to her by the students. Before she reached her next stopping-place she was persuaded to alter her mind, and she returned to witness the play. To her annoyance the imprisoned Catholic bishops were lampooned upon the stage with much sacrilegious buffoonery, whereupon “the Queen was so angry that she at once rose and entered her own chamber, using very strong language, and the torchbearers, it being night, left them in the dark, and so ended this scandalous representation.”—Spanish Calendar, vol. i. 375, Guzman to the Duchess of Parma.

[157] The Duchess of Aerschot had written to her from Flanders to this effect at the end of 1564.

[158] The King to Guzman, 6th June, 1565.—Spanish Calendar, vol. i. 433.

[159] Randolph to Cecil, 29th April, 1565.—Scottish Calendar (Bain).

[160] Cardinal Pacheco to Philip.—Spanish Calendar, vol. i.

[161] Labanoff, vol. vii.

[162] Spanish Calendar (Hume), vol. i., 16th July, 1565.

[163] Scottish Calendar, vol. i. (Bain).

[164] Scottish Calendar (Bain), 15th September, 1565.

[165] Ibid.

[166] Labanoff, vol. i.

[167] Spanish Calendar, vol. i. 497, Philip to Guzman.

[168] Diary of Sir James Melville of Hall Hill.

[169] How serious the situation was for Elizabeth, and how wide the ramifications of the Catholic intrigue at the time, may be seen by a letter written shortly after this by the English spy Rogers to Cecil. Arthur Pole, who was a prisoner in the Tower, had surrendered in Mary’s favour his claim to the Crown of England, and if he could escape from his prison was to come to Scotland to support her with others of his kin. Darnley himself, trying to outbid Mary, had boasted that forty gentlemen and more in England were ready to serve him. Letters passed fortnightly between the Countess of Lennox in the Tower and her son, whilst every month an emissary of the northern Catholic gentry came in disguise to Darnley from Carlisle. A regular plan, moreover, was prepared for the capture and fortification of Scilly in the Catholic interest, and the representative of the Irish rebel Shan O’Neil was made much of by Darnley, who, amongst other presents, sent to Shan two hundred crowns with which to buy whiskey. The hopes that Mary and Darnley built upon the English Catholics and Spain were therefore well founded, if they had been well handled.—Scottish Calendar, vol. ii. 293.

[170] Guzman to the King, Spanish Calendar, vol. ii., 16th February, 1568.

[171] One of the English spies in Madrid, Hogan, said that it was really Feria who had got Man into the trouble.

[172] Spanish Calendar, vol. ii.

[173] Spanish Calendar, vol. ii., 9th August, 1568.

[174] “I told him that, as for arranging anything of the sort between the Cardinal and the Duke, I regarded such a statement as a silly joke, the vain babble of the idle. I could assure him that to say that such a treaty had gone through my hands was absolutely false. If I had done such a thing against the Queen I should deserve heavy punishment from your Majesty, and even from the Queen herself, such action being entirely opposed to my instructions. I had never in my life had any communication with the Cardinal, and I was quite sure the Queen would not believe such nonsense.”—Spanish Calendar, vol. ii., 65. The English did not seem to understand fully at this time Philip’s distrust of all French interference, even that of the Guises.

[175] This letter is not in Labanoff, but it is probably similar to that sent to Charles IX. from Carlisle on the 26th June.

[176] Spanish Calendar, vol. ii. 71.

[177] Paget House had been the palace of the Bishops of Exeter, and was the first of the great houses on the river side of the Strand outside Temple Bar, on the site of what is now called the Outer Temple. It had been granted by Henry VIII. to Lord Paget.

[178] Very shortly after this, 30th October, when he had got into touch with Mary’s imprudent agent, the Bishop of Ross, de Spes wrote to the King: “I am of opinion that this would be a good opportunity for taking Scottish affairs in hand successfully, and restoring the Catholic religion in this country; and if the Duke [of Alba] were out of his present anxiety and your Majesty wished, it could be discussed.”—Spanish Calendar, vol. ii. 81. A week later de Spes wrote: “It appears as if the time was approaching when this country may be made to return to the Catholic Church, the Queen being in such straits and short of money. I have already informed your Majesty of the offers made by the brother-in-law of Viscount Montagu, on condition that they may look for the protection of your Majesty.”

[179] Almost simultaneously de Spes went to the French ambassador in London (La Mothe) and proposed joint action between them first to oust Cecil from his office, and secondly to stop trade with England entirely both from France and the Spanish dominions, the ostensible object being that, if this were done, Elizabeth and her subjects would be obliged to become Catholic to avoid ruin. De Spes even proposed that the French should pull the chestnuts out of the fire for him by stopping trade first. La Mothe, in writing his account of the suggestion to Catharine, calmly points out the evident absurdity of both proposals. De Spes apparently had no notion of the incompatibility with Philip’s objects of joint action of France and Spain in England.—Correspondance de la Mothe Fénélon, vol. i.

[180] These letters are in the Spanish Calendar, vol. ii.

[181] How dangerous the position was at the time is seen by a letter (3rd December, 1568) from Sir Francis Knollys, who had charge of Mary at Bolton, to Cecil, in which he says that he has less fear that the attempt to release Mary by subterfuge as Cecil thought, than by force, and begs for more troops to resist attack from without. “We all agree herein, that this is an inconvenient and dangerous place for this Queen to tarry in.”

[182] Whilst this letter was being written, Cecil and the Lord Admiral (Clinton) with a great train of followers and the alderman of the City came to Paget House and demanded to see de Spes. Cecil angrily told him that he had advised the Duke of Alba to seize English property, for which disloyal act the Queen placed him (de Spes) under arrest, dismissing his Spanish servants, and handing the charge of the house to Henry Knollys, Arthur Carew, and Lord Knyvett. De Spes answered defiantly, and the breach became wider than ever. Proclamations and counter proclamations, or printed broadsheets, were issued by the English Council and by de Spes respectively, each claiming that justice was on their side with regard to the seizures.—De Spes to the King, 8th January, 1569, Spanish Calendar,