governs all. He is diligent, acute, and never keeps faith or word. He thinks we are none of us a match for him; and so far he has succeeded, but now he is verging to his fall.'1

For the present indeed Cecil's star was still dominant. Don Guerau's house had been watched, and his midnight visitors had been seen though not identified. A few days after the general arrest the ambassador was ordered to consider himself a prisoner within his own walls, and to think himself happy that he was treated with more respect than his master had shown to Doctor Man. A guard was placed at his gates, and a brother of Sir Francis Knowles was placed in charge of him. But Don Guerau believed that he could afford to despise affronts of this kind, and that heresy had made Cecil blind. In writing to a friend he described himself as a prisoner to Queen Oriana, but he professed to make a jest of his enchantment, and he sent the note unsealed that the guard might see the contempt which he felt for his gaolers.2

The council were provoked at his impertinence, and united in telling him that such vain fancies and poesies

1 Relacion dada por Don Guerau de Espes.

2Do not be surprised to hear that I am arrested. In this island there are the enchantments of Amadis. Arcelaus lives-but I am well and in health, and though I am a prisoner to Oriana, I fancy we shall not need an Urganda to make it all end in comedy.'

Knowles, enclosing the note to Cecil, says :

'By this you may see his boldness, his devotion, his stomach. We watch the fox with care and diligence; but his berry is large, and on every part full of starting holes-our nets be slender and weak, and I doubt not you see the peril.'-Spanish MSS. Rolls House.

were unbecoming. He would be treated as a seditious, insolent person, unfit to be admitted into the presence of a prince, and he should serve as an example to all others who should dare to attempt the like.'1

So far Arundel and Norfolk went along with Cecil and Bacon; but in public policy wide differences were opening, and Don Guerau was not without reason for his confidence. Cecil, knowing that the Spanish Government was still too much embarrassed with the Netherlands to go to war with England, except at the last extremity, but knowing also that if the Protestants on the Continent were crushed, England's turn must inevitably follow, was not inclined to sit still till the enemy was at the gates. He desired to show the struggling nations that England was not afraid of the giant who was trampling on them; he proposed to assist them as far as possible short of openly taking part in the quarrel, and by committing the Queen to their cause, determine her also to a more consistent course with the growing difficulties at home. But the old-fashioned statesmen were now decidedly against him. The Peers and even the council were split in factions. Catholics, semi-Catholics, Anglicans, moderates differed among themselves, but were all afraid of Cecil and eager to turn to account the present opportunity. Representations were made to Elizabeth that the money must be given up. The Duke of Norfolk, not contented with remonstrating with Elizabeth, expressed his disapproval of the seizure to Don Guerau

Reply of the Council to Don Guerau, January 14: Spanish MSS.

himself. The ferment was so great, both at the Court and in the City, that the Queen to quiet it issued a not very honest proclamation, laying the blame of the quarrel on Spain.

The treasure-ships, she said, had been driven by pirates into English harbours, and she had taken charge of the money at the Spanish ambassador's request. She had then discovered that it did not belong to the King of Spain, but was the property of certain merchants.' 'She was considering whether, being thrust as it were into her hands, she might not herself borrow some part of it, when, at the first move, and without waiting for an explanation, the Duke of Alva had laid violent hands on the English ships and cargoes in the Netherlands, and had so forced her to retaliate.'1

The effect which this new element of discord would produce on the process of the Queen of Scots was at first uncertain. Either, as Cecil hoped, the sudden boldness towards Spain would be the commencement of a firmer policy, or it might be that, with the prospect of war upon her hands, the Queen would still persist in temporizing. For some days previous to the arrest it had seemed that Cecil would have his way. The Duke of Norfolk, who was opposed to him on foreign policy, appeared to go with him about Mary Stuart; either because he was playing a deep game, or because he was aware of the objections of Northumberland and other of the Catholics to his marriage with her.

1 Royal Proclamation, January 6: Domestic MSS.

Sir Francis Knowles had laid before her Elizabeth's advice that she should abdicate, and a letter from the Bishop of Ross showed that he had ceased to hope, and that she must choose between compliance and disgrace. In a private interview with Cecil, Leicester, and Norfolk, the Bishop found that judgment was almost confirmed in favour of her adversaries.' He had argued and prayed, but nothing altered them.' 'The Duke of Norfolk was sorest of the three.' The disdain of the King, the advancing of Bothwell, the conspiracy of the murder, all seemed to be so distinctly proved, that unless the Queen of Scots would either reply through her commissioners, or submit without qualification, the evidence against her would be published and the inquiry end in her formal condemnation.1

The Queen of Scots herself had been equally despondent. She had borne up at first against Knowles with all her pride and firmness; she stood upon her rights; she said that she would live and die a Queen; she would not degrade herself by answering to her subjects'

accusations.

Finding her persist in her old humour,' Knowles told her he was not surprised that she would not answer. 'He thought her the wiser woman, because it passed his capacity to see how by just defence she could disburden herself of the crimes that were laid against her.' She said she could defend herself if she pleased. Knowles told her that she had better do it, then, for if

1 The Bishop of Ross to John Fitzwilliam, December 25: MSS. QUEEN OF SCOTS, Rolls House.

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she refused 'she would provoke the Queen his mistress to take her as condemned and to publish the same to her utter disgrace and infamy.'

6

She still answered stoutly;' she said she would make all princes know how evil she was handled; she had come on trust into England; she could not believe the Queen would condemn her, hearing her adversaries and not hearing her.'

But Knowles made her understand that she was not refused a hearing when she could be heard by counsel, or heard in private by a commission. After her injurious claiming and making title to the crown,' she had nothing to complain of in her treatment. She must meet the charges against her in detail, and really disprove them, or else she must submit. By courtesy and discreet behaviour she might yet provoke the Queen to save her honour, and cause the accusations and writings that were to be showed against her to be committed to oblivion.'1

She said that if she submitted, it would be construed into a confession that she was guilty. She was afraid of being entrapped and allured.'2 She consulted Scrope, but Scrope gave her the same advice; and both to him and Knowles it appeared, that if she could be assured that her letters would not be published, and if the Bishop of Ross, when he came down to her, used the same language as Knowles had used, she would give way. All however depended upon Elizabeth's firmness.

1 Sir F. Knowles to Elizabeth, December 26: QUEEN OF SCOTS' MSS.

2 Ibid.