1571 August weary of serving an ungrateful Sovereign. He pro- CHAP XXI fessed himself willing, if his companions were restored to him, to enter the Spanish service, and to carry over with him the finest ships and the bravest sailors in the Queen's navy. Don Guerau, who was full of the idea that three quarters of the people were disaffected, saw nothing to surprise, but much to delight him in this communication. He had sufficient prudence not to admit his new friend to the Ridolfi mystery, but he wrote to Cayas with an account of the offer which seemed to fit providentially with the scheme of the intended invasion. The sea was Elizabeth's strongest defence, and Hawkins was the ablest commander that she possessed-given to piracy, indeed, but piracy was a common English failing, for which Spanish apathy was much to blame1-otherwise, bold, resolute, a splendid seaman, and a person of station and property. Encouraged by the ease with which the Ambassador was taken in, but perhaps disappointed at the little which he had learnt, Sir John, next, contrived the more daring step of applying immediately to Philip. He sent George Fitzwilliam, who seemingly was one of his officers, to Madrid, to tell the King that his master was one of the many Englishmen who were broken-hearted at the progress of heresy; to say, as a faithful son of Holy Church, he was waiting for the time when the Queen would be overthrown, and the crown pass to its rightful owner, the Queen of Scots; and that he himself, with his friends in the navy, were ready to do their part in bringing about that happy consummation. 1 'Inclinado á robar como lo son todos de su nacion, mayormente ahora, viendo que se salen con todo sinque nadie los contradiga.'-Don Guerau СНАР ХХІ The King, to whom Hawkins's reputation had long been terribly familiar, who could never read his name August in a despatch without scoring opposite to it a note of 1571 dismay-who had heard of him only in connexion with negro-hunting, sacked towns, and plundered churches, was more astonished than Don Guerau at an overture so utterly unlooked for. One of the pirate race, Thomas Stukely, had indeed already come over to him. Stukely was Sir John's cousin, and so far the thing was not utterly incredible; but his instinct told him to distrust the advances of Hawkins. He asked Fitzwilliam whether his master was acquainted with the Queen of Scots? Fitzwilliam was obliged to say that he was not. Was he in communication with the Catholic noblemen, or with the refugees in Flanders? He had never spoken to one of them. But when Philip went on to enquire who and what he was then, and what claim he possessed to be believed, Fitzwilliam haughtily answered, that the credit of Sir John Hawkins was in his right hand, and what he said he meant. He had offered to pass over to the service of his Majesty with the English fleet. He desired nothing in return but the release of a few poor prisoners at Seville, who were not worth the cost of keeping them. The crews of the ships would follow where he led them. The King need only pay them their usual wages, and advance some small sum of money to complete the equipment of the vessels to which his own means were unequal.1 The thing was strange, but the very boldness and simplicity of Fitzwilliam's language was against the notion of deception. The Duke of Feria, whom Philip 1 'Las cosas de que Jorge Fitzwilliam ha de traer claridad.' April 1571. -MSS. Simancas. Respuesto á los Articulos.—Ibid. consulted, took his cue from his wife's relations, who CHAP XXI were enthusiastic believers in the success of the revo- 1571 lution. The Duke saw in the adherence of the great August king of the buccaneers only a fresh proof that all England was returning to the faith. Don Guerau's letters were favourable; and Philip at last listened— listened so far at least as to write to the Ambassador for fuller information, and to tell Fitzwilliam that if he would return to him with a letter of introduction from the Queen of Scots, and with a precise and exact account of what was to be done, his master's propositions should be favourably received, and money also should not be wanting to put the fleet in good order. Not a hint had been dropped by the cautious King about the meditated invasion; but the Duke and Duchess of Feria were less cautious. They talked over with Fitzwilliam the possible achievements which Hawkins might accomplish. They trusted him with letters and presents to the Queen of Scots, giving him the excuse which he wanted for being introduced to her; and with these, and with the information at least that the King of Spain was willing to encourage the desertion of the fleet, he returned to England a little before Sir Henry Cobham. He had gone over merely to dupe Philip into letting go the prisoners. Before he came back the arrest and examination of Charles Baily had sharpened Cecil's suspicions, and more might now be made of the original purpose of the deception. If followed up, it might lead either to Hawkins being admitted into the whole secret of the conspiracy; or, if the trick was discovered, he would at the worst discredit other overtures from English disloyalty, 1 Jane Dormer, one of Queen Mary's maids of honour. 1571 May CHAP XXI and make Philip doubt whether it was not all treachery together. Thus it was decided to go on. Hawkins was bent on recovering his friends, and Cecil on discovering the mystery of which Baily had revealed the existence, but had left but half explained. The important thing was now to obtain the letter of introduction from the Queen of Scots. In this there was an unexpected difficulty. difficulty. Fitzwilliam went down to Sheffield to deliver the packets from the Duke of Feria. The Queen of Scots had been kept close prisoner since the confession of Charles Baily, and Shrewsbury had been commanded to allow no one to have access to her, except with an order from the Government. It was not safe to admit Shrewsbury into the secret of Hawkins's treachery, and unless Fitzwilliam could sustain his character of a bonâ-fide Catholic conspirator, the Queen of Scots would be on her guard. Hawkins consulted Cecil.' The release of the prisoners, which was Hawkins's principal object, was con 1 'Your good Lordship may be advertised that Fitzwilliam has been in the country to deliver his tokens, and to have had some speech with the Queen of Scots, which by no means he could obtain. Wherefore he hath devised with me that I should make some means to obtain him license to have access to her for her letters to the King of Spain for the better obtaining of our men's liberty, which otherwise are not to be released; which device I promised him that I would follow, and that if it shall seem good unto your Lordship he may be recommended by such credit as to your Lordship shall seem best; for unless she be first spoken with and an answer from her sent to 'Your good Lordship's May 13. The Lord BURGHLEY.' 1571 June sidered a sufficient excuse to cover the application. CHAP XXI Cecil wrote to Shrewsbury, saying merely that some poor friends of Fitzwilliam were dying in a Spanish dungeon, and that a letter from the Queen of Scots might induce Philip to let them go. Fitzwilliam was then admitted to a private audience. He delivered the letters from the Ferias, and the Queen of Scots, little dreaming that she was being made the instrument of a plot by which her own hopes were to be destroyed, said good-naturedly that she must pity prisoners for she was used as one herself, and that she would do any pleasure she could to relieve an Englishman.'1 Suspecting no treachery in a friend of the Duchess of Feria, Mary Stuart talked with much unreserve to Fitzwilliam. Fitzwilliam told her about Hawkins and his offer to the King of Spain, and she, on her part, wrote to Philip at once in his favour. Don Guerau was delighted at so important an acquisition to the Catholic cause, and told the King that he might expect service from Hawkins of infinite value," while Hawkins sent the Queen of Scots' letters to Cecil to be examined, with a list of the presents which in her innocence she had trusted to the false hands of Fitzwilliam for her Spanish friends,3 and enquired whether it was Elizabeth's pleasure that he should pursue the game further. If it was thought good by her 1 Shrewsbury to Cecil, June 3.MSS. QUEEN OF SCOTS. 2 Don Guerau to Philip, June 15. -MSS. Simancas. Fitzwilliam is returned and hath letters from the Queen of Scots to the King of Spain, which are enclosed with others in a parcel directed to your Lordship. He hath also a book sent from her to the Duchess ""Absit nobis gloriari nisi in cruce "MARIA R."" -Hawkins to Burghley, June 7. MSS. QUEEN OF SCOTS. |