She had probably nothing worse to accuse herself of than thoughtlessness; and the truth might have been told without danger of compromising her. It is strange that Maitland, in a fear that it might affect the success of his mission, thought it worth his while to cover the story with an incredible lie. Maitland had two objects in London-one, to secure the succession for his mistress by assuring Elizabeth that she had nothing to fear from so true a friend; the other, to consult the Spanish ambassador on the marriage with the Prince of Spain, which of all things on earth Elizabeth most dreaded for her. It was this last object chiefly which he thought the Châtelar affair might hinder; he therefore told de Quadra that Châtelar before his death had declared that he had been employed by the Huguenots to compromise Mary Stuart's reputation; he had concealed himself in her room, intending to be seen in leaving it, and then to escape.1

Two days after Châtelar was executed Mary Stuart lost a far nobler friend. A pistol-ball fired from behind a hedge closed the career of the Duke of Guise under the walls of Orleans. The assassin Poltrot was a boy of nineteen. Suspicion pointed to the Admiral and Theodore Beza as the instigators of the crime; and

1 'Las personas,' de Quadra | Madame de Curosot was probably adds, que le enviáron esta tan Charlotte de Laval, the wife of the gran traycion, dice Ledington que Admiral. This preposterous story han sido mas de una; pero la que passed current with the Spaniards, principalmente le dió la instruccion and reappears in a despatch of de y el recaudo fué Madame de Curosot.' Chantonnay to Philip.-TEULET, -De Quadra to Philip, March 28. | vol. v. pp. 2, 3.

March.

Chatillon never wholly convinced the world of his innocence, for Poltrot himself accused him while the horses were tearing him in pieces. However it was, that single shot shattered the Catholic confederacy and changed the politics of Europe. The Guise family fell with their head into sudden ruin. The Duc d'Aumale, badly wounded at Dreux, lived but to hear of his brother's murder, and followed him in a few hours. The Grand Prior died of a cold caught in the same battle. Of the six brothers, who but a few months before held in their hands the fortunes of France, three were dead; of the three remaining the Marquis d'Elbœuf was shut up in Caen Castle, closely besieged by Chatillon; the Cardinal of Lorraine was absent at Trent; and the Cardinal of Guise was the single member of the family. who had no capacity. The other great leaders of France had disappeared with equal suddenness: Montmorency was a prisoner in Orleans, Condé a prisoner in Paris; St André was dead, Navarre was dead; Catherine found herself relieved of rivalry and able to govern as she pleased. The Queen of Scots had no longer a friend in France who cared to stand by her; and well indeed after this blow might she lament to Randolph the misery of life, and say with tears she perceived now the world was not that which men would make it, nor they the happiest that lived the longest in it.' 2

Mary Stuart's prospects in England had been on the eve of arrangement, when Elizabeth, relieved of the

1 VARILLAS.

2 Randolph to Cecil, April 1: Scotch MSS. Rolls House,

VOL. VII.

dread of the Duke of Guise, believed herself again at leisure to trifle, or to insist on new conditions before she need consent to the recognition.

The following letters and abstracts of letters for a moment lift the veil of diplomacy, and reveal the inward ambitions, aims, and workings of the different parties:

SUMMARY OF A LETTER FROM THE BISHOP OF AQUILA TO THE KING OF SPAIN.1

March 18.

The Bishop of Aquila understanding that Maitland the Secretary of the Queen of Scots desired to speak with him, invited the said Secretary to dinner. The conversation turned chiefly on two points-the succession of his mistress to the English crown and her marriage.

On the first Maitland said that with the Queen of England's permission he had discussed with Cecil the terms on which the Queen of Scots would relinquish her present claim on the English crown, provided the succession was secured to her in the event of the Queen of England's death without children.

The conditions he said had been arranged; and the two Queens were to have met to conclude the agreement; when the death of the Duke of Guise changed all, and he could no longer hope that his mistress's right would ever be admitted.

1 The original letter of de Quadra is not preserved. The translation is from a contemporary abstract.

The Bishop, seeing that Maitland was perplexed, and wishing to learn whether he had anything more on his mind, said that if his mistress would marry where the Queen of England wished she might then no doubt have all that she desired.

Maitland replied that to this there were two objections in the first place the Queen of Scots would never marry a Protestant; in the second place she would marry neither Catholic nor Protestant at the will of or in connection with the Queen of England, not though the succession could be absolutely made sure to her. The husband whom Elizabeth would give her would be but some English vassal; and if she married below her rank her difficulties would remain as great as ever. To be nominated as successor would be of no use to her unless she had power to enforce her rights; while she would. forfeit the good will of the Catholics by seeming to give way. The Earl of Arran she abhorred; the Duke of Ferrara, whom the Queen-mother of France proposed to her, she despised. She would sooner die than marry any one lower in rank than the husband whom she had lost

1

The Bishop asked what she would think of the Archduke Carlos of Austria.

Maitland replied that the Archduke would satisfy neither his mistress nor her subjects. He was a mere dependent on the King of Spain, and could not be thought of unless the King of Spain-as was not likely

1 'Porque sin fuerças proprias nunca podria executar la declaration que se hiciese.'

-would interfere in England on a large scale, emphatically and effectually.

The Secretary then spoke at length of the fears of the Queen of England lest the Prince of Spain should marry his mistress. The Queen-mother too, he said, feared it equally and with good reason, for if the King of Spain would consent he might add England, Ireland, and Scotland to his dominions. Nothing could be more easy, so great was the anxiety of the English Catholics for that marriage and for the union of the Crowns. When the Bishop objected that the Scots might oppose it on the ground of religion, the Secretary admitted that the nobility of Scotland were generally Protestant; but they were devoted to the Queen, and would be content that she should marry a Catholic if it was for the interests of the realm. Means could be found to work upon them. The Catholics at first might be allowed mass in their private houses-by and by they would have churches. Lord James was most favourable to the marriage, and if the Bishop wished he would come to London and speak with him.

As to the feeling in England, the Bishop confirms Maitland's account from his own knowledge. One nobleman offers, if it can be brought about, to serve the King of Spain with a thousand horse; others are almost as forward; and the state of the realm is such that the union of the island under a single powerful and Christian prince is the sole means by which religion can be reformed. The whole body of the English Catholics desire the Bishop to represent this in their names to the