XL.

10

CHA P. northern noblemen ; and he perfuaded the queen of Scots to give her lieutenants permiffion, and even advice, to conclude a ceffation of hoftilities with the regent's party

1,569.

II

THE duke of Norfolk, though he had agreed, that Elizabeth's confent fhould be previously obtained, before the completion of his marriage, had reafon to apprehend, that he never fhould prevail with her voluntarily to make that conceffion. He knew her perpetual and unrelenting jealoufy agaiuft her heir and rival; he was acquainted with her former reluctance to all propofals of marriage with the queen of Scots; he forefaw, that this princefs's efpoufing a person of his power and character and intereft, would give the greatest umbrage; and as it would then become neceffary to reinftate her in poffeffion of her throne on fome tolerable terms, and even to endeavour the re-establishing of her character, he dreaded, left Elizabeth, whofe politics had now taken a different turn, would never agree to fuch indulgent and generous conditions. He therefore attempted previously to gain the confent and approbation of feveral of the most confiderable nobility; and he was fuccefsful with the earls of Pembroke, Arundel, Derby, Bedford, Shrewsbury, Southampton, Northumberland, Weftmoreland, Suffex". Lord Lumley and Sir Nicholas Throgmorton cordially embraced the

ΤΟ

II State Trials, p. 76. 78. Lefly, p. 41. 12 Lefly, p. 55. Camden, p. 419. Spotfwood, p. 230.

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propofal: Even the earl of Leicester, Elizabeth's CHA P. declared favorite, who had formerly entertained fome views of efpoufing Mary, willingly refigned all his pretenfions, and feemed to enter zealously into Norfolk's interefts ". There were other motives, befides affection to the duke, which produced this general combination of the nobility.

SIR William Cecil, fecretary of ftate, was the most vigilant, active, and prudent minister ever known in England; and as he was governed by no views but the interefts of his fovereign, which he had inflexibly purfued, his authority over her became every day more predominant. Ever cool himself, and uninfluenced by prejudice or affection, he checked thofe fallies of paffion, and fometimes of caprice, to which fhe was fubject; and if he failed of perfuading her in the first movement, his perfeverance, and remonstrances, and arguments were fure at laft to recommend themselves to her found difcernment. The more credit he gained with his mistress, the more was he exposed to the envy of her other counfellors; and as he had been fuppofed to adopt the interefts of the houfe of Suffolk, whofe claim feemed to carry with it no danger to the present establishment, his enemies, in oppofition to him, were naturally led to attach themselves to the queen of Scots. Elizabeth faw, without uneafinefs, this emulation among her courtiers, which ferved to augment her own authority: And though the fupported

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1569.

CHA P. Cecil, whenever matters came to extremities, and diffipated every confpiracy against him, particularly one laid about this time for having him thrown into the Tower on fome pretence or other", she never gave him fuch unlimited confidence as might enable him entirely to crush his adverfaries.

NORFOLK, fenfible of the difficulty, which he must meet with in controuling Cecil's counfels, especially where they concurred with the inclination, as well as intereft of the queen, durft not open to her his intentions of marrying the queen of Scots; but proceeded ftill in the fame course, of increafing his intereft in the kingdom, and engaging more of the nobility to take part in his measures. A letter was written to Mary by Leicester, and figned by feveral of the firft rank, recommending Norfolk for her husband, and ftipulating conditions for the advantage of both kingdoms; particularly, that the fhould give fuf"ficient furety to Elizabeth, and the heirs of her body, for the free enjoyment of the crown of England; that a perpetual league, offenfive and defenfive, fhould be made between their realms. and fubjects; that the proteftant religion fhould be established by law in Scotland; and that she fhould grant an amnefty to her rebels in that kingdom". When Mary returned a favorable anfwer to this application Norfolk employed him

14 Camden, p. 417.

Lefly, p. 50. Camden, p. 420. Haynes, p. 535. 539.

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1569.

felf with new ardor in the execution of his pro- CHA P. ject; and befides fecuring the interefts of many of the confiderable gentry and nobility who refided at court, he wrote letters to fuch as lived at their country-feats, and poffeffed the greatest authority in the feveral counties". The kings of France and Spain, who interested themselves extremely in Mary's caufe, were fecretly confulted, and expreffed their approbation of the meafures". And though Elizabeth's confent was always fuppofed as a previous condition to the finishing of this alliance, it was apparently Norfolk's intention, when he proceeded fuch lengths without confulting her, to render his party fo ftrong, that it should no longer be in her power to refuse it ".

It was impoffible, that fo extenfive a confpiracy could entirely escape the queen's vigilance and that of Cecil. She dropped several intimations to the duke, by which he might learn, that he was acquainted with his defigns; and fhe frequently warned him to beware on what pillow he repofed his head ": But he never had the prudence or the courage to open to her his full intentions. Certain intelligence of this dan gerous combination was given her first by Leicefter, then by Murray ", who, if ever he was

16

20

20

Lefly, p. 62. 17 Ibid. p. 63.

19

1,8

State Trials, vol. i. p. 82. Camden, p. 420. Spotfwood, p. 231. Lefly, p. 71. It appears by Haynes, p. 521. 525. that Elizabeth had heard rumors of Norfolk's dealing with Murray; and charged the latter to inform her of the

1569.

CHAP. fincere in promoting Norfolk's marriage, which XL. is much to be doubted, had at least intended, for his own safety and that of his party, that Elizabeth fhould, in reality as well as in appearance, be entire arbiter of the conditions, and should not have her confent extorted by any con federacy of her own fubjects. This information gave great alarm to the court of England; and the more fo, as those intrigues were attended with other circumftances, of which, it is probable, Elizabeth was not wholly ignorant.

AMONG the nobility and gentry, that seemed to enter into Norfolk's views, there were many, who were zealously attached to the catholic religion, who had no other defign than that of reftoring Mary to her liberty, and who would gladly, by a combination with foreign powers, or even at the expence of a civil war, have pla. ced her on the throne of England. The earls of Northumberland and Weftmoreland, who poffeffed great power in the north, were leaders of this party; and the former nobleman made offer to the queen of Scots, by Leonard Dacres, brother to lord Dacres, that he would free her from confinement, and convey her to Scotland or any other place, to which fhe fhould think proper to retire. Sir Thomas and Sir Edward Stanley, fons of the earl of Derby, Sir Thomas Gerrard, Rolftone, and other gentlemen, whose interest

of Murray's letter produced on Norfolk's trial.

25

Lefly, p. 76.

lay