THE HISTORY OF SCOTLAND. WHI BOOK VII. VII. 1584. Throkmor against Eli WHILE Scotland was torn by intestine fac- BOOK tions, Elizabeth was alarmed with the rumour of a project in agitation for setting Mary at liberty. Francis Throkmorton, a Cheshire gen- ton's contleman, was suspected of being deeply concerned spiracy in the design, and on that suspicion he was taken zabeth. into custody. Among his papers were found two lists, one of the principal harbours in the kingdom, with an account of their situation, and of the depth of water in each; the other, of all the eminent Roman Catholics in England. This circumstance confirmed the suspicion against him, and some dark and desperate conspiracy was supposed just ready to break out. At first he boldly avowed his innocence, and declared that the two papers were forged by the Queen's ministers, in order to intimidate or ensnare him; and he even endured the rack with the utmost fortitude. But VII. 1584. BOOK being brought a second time to the place of torture, his resolution failed him, and he not only acknowledged that he had held a secret correspondence with the Queen of Scots, but discovered a design that was formed to invade England. The Duke of Guise, he said, undertook to furnish troops, and to conduct the enterprise. The Pope and King of Spain were to supply the money necessary for carrying it on; all the English exiles were ready to take arms; many of the Catholics at home would be ready to join them at their landing; Mendoza, the Spanish ambassador, who was the life of the conspiracy, spared no pains in fomenting the spirit of disaffection among the English, or in hastening the preparations on the continent; and by his command, he made the two lists, the copies whereof had been found in his possession. This confession he retracted at his trial; returned to it again after sentence was passed on him; and retracted it once more at the place of execution.* To us in the present age who are assisted in forming our opinion of this matter by the light which time and history have thrown upon the designs and characters of the Princes of Guise, many circumstances of Throkmorton's confession appear to be extremely remote from truth, or even from probability. The Duke of Guise was, at that juncture, far from being in a situation to undertake foreign conquests. Without either power or office at court; hated by the King, and persecuted by the favourites; he VII. 1584. had no leisure for any thoughts of disturbing the BO O K quiet of neighbouring states; his vast and ambitious mind was wholly occupied in laying the foundation of that famous league which shook the throne of France. But at the time when Elizabeth detected this conspiracy, the close union between the house of Guise and Philip was remarkable to all Europe; and as their great enterprise against Henry III. was not yet disclosed, as they endeavoured to conceal that under their threatenings to invade England, Throkmorton's discovery appeared to be extremely probable; and Elizabeth, who knew how ardently all the parties mentioned by him wished her downfal, thought that she could not guard her kingdom with too much care. The indiscreet zeal of the Designs of English exiles increased her fears. Not satisfied adherents with incessant outcries against her severity to- against wards the Scottish Queen, and her cruel persecution of her Catholic subjects, not thinking it enough that one Pope had threatened her with the sentence of excommunication, and another had actually pronounced it, they now began to disperse books and writings, in which they endeavoured to persuade their disciples, that it would be a meritorious action to take away her life; they openly exhorted the maids of honour to treat her as Judith did Holofernes, and, by such an illustrious deed, to render their own names honourable and sacred in the church throughout all future ages. For all these reasons, Elizabeth not only inflicted the punishment of a traitor on Throk b Camb. 497. Mary's Elizabeth. VII. 1584. BOOK morton, but commanded the Spanish ambassador instantly to leave England; and that she might be in no danger of being attacked within the island, she determined to use her utmost efforts, in order to recover that influence over the Scottish councils, which she had for some time entirely lost. She endea vours to re-establish her influ ence in Scotland by gaining Arran. The THERE were three different methods by which Elizabeth might hope to accomplish this; either by furnishing such effectual aid to the banished nobles, as would enable them to resume the chief direction of affairs; or by entering into such a treaty with Mary, as might intimidate her son, who being now accustomed to govern, would not be averse from agreeing to any terms rather than resign the sceptre, or admit an associate in the throne; or by gaining the Earl of Arran, to secure the direction of the King his master. last was not only the easiest and speediest, but most likely to be successful. This Elizabeth resolved to pursue; but without laying the other two altogether aside. With this view she sent Davidson, one of her principal secretaries, a man of abilities and address, into Scotland. minister so venal as Arran, hated by his own countrymen, and holding his power by the most precarious of all tenures, the favour of a young Prince, accepted Elizabeth's offers without hesitation, and deemed the acquisition of her protection to be the most solid foundation of his August 13. own greatness. Soon after he consented to an interview with Lord Hunsdon, the governor of Berwick, and being honoured with the pompous title of Lieutenant-General for the King, he appeared A |