Elizabeth and Mary Stuart

Preface

Cf

Mary Stuart's irresistible claims demand at least as large a share of my space as that devoted to the early reign and courtships of her rival on the English throne. Hence the present volume does not carry me so far as I had originally planned in the series in which I hope eventually to illustrate the history of England by means of contemporary letters. That I have not succeeded in steering an incontrovertible course in exploring the labyrinth of letters, written not only by the Queens themselves but also by those who helped to shape the destinies of both kingdoms in their day and generation, will surprise no one who has ventured to make an independent investigation of the documents of that embittered period. No other chapter in the whole history of the United Kingdom is so difficult to present in the form of an impartial contemporary narrative as that which introduces the hapless Queen of Scots, about whose mystifying personality the last word will probably never be written. If the whole truth about the first phase of her rivalry with Elizabeth, and the fatal mistake of her marriage with Darnley, may not be found in the following chapters, the letters at least reveal the various views which were taken at the time, and, above all, recreate the atmosphere of the age as only such documents can ever succeed in doing. " Letters and dispatches, like journals entered day by day," as Sir George Cornewall Lewis wrote in one of his essays, " have this advantage over memoirs, that they exhibit faithfully the impressions of the moment, and are written without knowledge of the ultimate result. They are, therefore, more trustworthy than any narrative composed after the whole series of events has

VI

PREFACE been worked out, at a time when the narrator is tempted to suppress, or has learnt to forget, the proofs of his own want of foresight." Even where the letters are based on prejudice, or are obviously false, they are nevertheless essential to a true understanding of history, as showing some of the secret springs of foreign and domestic policy. Especially is this the case with the diplomatic intrigues of the early years of Elizabeth's reign, and the disputed course of events which led to the turning point in the tragedy of Mary Stuart, where the first irrevocable step was taken along the Via Dolorosa which was to end at Fotheringhay. Only when due allowance is made for these early developments is it possible to arrive at anything approaching to a true idea of Mary's character and personality. In the same epoch-making years also were laid the foundations of the policy which governed the whole of Elizabeth's reign. It seemed to me, therefore, better to do something like justice to this critical period than to crowd any of the later happenings into the present volume. The closing chapter of Amy Robsart's melancholy romance falls within its scope, as well as the first act of the tragedy of Mary Stuart, and the many intrigues, amorous and political, which began as soon as Elizabeth ascended the throne. All these may be traced, step by step, in the correspondence of those who watched every move with absorbing interest. For the new light on Mary Stuart and the Darnley match I am indebted to the late Mr. Andrew Lang, whose article on the subject in Blackwood's Magazine for July, 1907, was the first reference to Randolph's hitherto unpublished letters, now printed on pp. 349 — 57. Permission to reprint the extract from the letter to Sir Henry Sidney has been very kindly granted by Mrs. Andrew Lang and the editor of Blackwood'' 's ; and I owe it to the courtesy of the officials of the Department of Manuscripts at the British Museum that I am able to include the unpublished letter from the Egerton Manuscripts, the search

PREFACE vii

for which proved unexpectedly difficult. As before, I have to thank the Controller of His Majesty's Stationery Office for permission to print the letters from the Calendars of State Papers and the publications of the Historical Manuscripts Commission. Messrs. Longmans were also kind enough to allow me to copy an occasional letter from Froude's History, as acknowledged in the text on each occasion. My indebtedness to the works of Professor Pollard, Dr. Hay Fleming, Mr. R. S. Rait, Father Pollen, Mr. T. F. Henderson, and other living authorities on the period dealt with, has I hope been made sufficiently clear in the course of my work. A full list will be found on pp. ix — x of the various works and collections from which most of the letters themselves have been selected.

The portrait of Lord Darnley with his younger brother, which belongs to his Majesty, and is preserved at Holyrood Palace, is now reproduced by permission of the Lord Chamberlain. The photogravure frontispiece of Queen Elizabeth is from a plate generously lent to me for the purpose by Mr. Werner Laurie, who used it originally for the life of the Earl of Leicester by Mrs. Aubrey Richardson, published under the title of " The Lover of Queen Elizabeth." A word of thanks is also due to Mr. Roger Ingpen and Messrs. Hutchinson & Co. for their ready help with the portrait of the Earl of Leicester, from a water colour drawing in the British Museum. The remaining illustrations are from paintings in the National Portrait Gallery, the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris, and other collections.

FRANK A. MUMBY.

KlNGSGATE,

THANET,

CALENDARS OF STATE PAPERS AND OTHER COLLECTIONS FROM WHICH LETTERS HAVE BEEN SELECTED

Calendar of State Papers relating to Scotland and Mary Queen of Scots. Vols. I. and II., 1898 — 1900.

Calendar of Spanish State Papers : Elizabeth, Vol. I., 1892.

Calendar of Venetian State Papers, Vol. VII., 1890.

Calendar of State Papers, Foreign, of the Reign of Elizabeth, Vols. I.— VII., 1863—70.

Calendar of the Cecil Manuscripts at Hatfield House, Part I. : Historical MSS. Commission, 1883.

" Burghley State Papers " : Samuel Haynes, 1740.

" Papiers d'Etat relatifs a l'histoire d'Ecosse " : Teulet (Bannatyne Club), 3 vols., 1 85 1.

" Hardwicke State Papers," 2 vols., 1778.

Ellis's " Original Letters," Second Series, Vol. II., 1827.

" Zurich Letters " (Parker Society), First Series, 1842 ; Second Series, 1845.

" Correspondence of Matthew Parker " (Parker Society), 1853.

" Annals of the Reformation," Strype [1721] : Clarendon Press Edition, 1822.

" Full View of the Public Transactions in the Reign of Elizabeth " : Forbes, 2 vols., 1740 — 1.

Sadler Papers, 3 vols., 1809.

" Illustrations of British History " : Lodge, Second Edition, 3 vols., 1838.

" History of England " : Froude, Vol. VII., 1864.

" Queen Elizabeth and her Times " : Wright, 2 vols., 1838.

" Lives of the Queens of Scotland " : Strickland, Vol. II., 1850 — 9.

" Lives of the Queens of England " : Strickland, Vol. III., 1840 — 8.

" Letters of Mary Queen of Scots " : Strickland, 3 vols., 1842 — 3.

" Recueil des Lettres de Marie Stuart " : Labanoff, 7 vols., 1844.

" New Light on Mary Queen of Scots " : Andrew Lang, Blackwood' s Magazine, July, 1907.

x STATE PAPERS AND OTHER SOURCES

" Inquiry into the Death of Amy Robsart " : Pettigrew, 1859.

" Report on the Pepys Manuscripts " : Historical MSS. Commission, 1911.

' Cabala," 3rd Edition, 1691.

" Egerton Manuscripts " : British Museum.

Contents

PAGE

Preface .......... v — vii

Calendars of State Papers and Other Collections

from which Letters have been selected . . ix — x

List of Illustrations xv

CHAPTER I "daughters of debate "

Elizabeth the Daughter of her Father — England " like a Bone between two Dogs" — Mary Stuart's Claim to the English Throne — Prince Eric of Sweden offered to Elizabeth — The Religious Settlement and the Marriage Problem — Elizabeth's Secret Reason for remaining Unmarried — Lord Robert Dudley first Favourite — Archduke Ferdinand's Suit — Pickering's Rivalry — Archduke Charles's Suit — II Schifanoya's Picture of Court Life in England — Knox and his "First Blast" — Mary Stuart's Secret Treaty with the Guises — Her dim Recollection of Scotland — Arran's Claim to the Scottish Throne — His Reception by Elizabeth — Mary Stuart becomes Queen of France — Her Mother at Bay in Scotland — Spanish Plot against Elizabeth — Her Support of Scottish Rebels — Arran's Secret Visit . i — 47

Chapter II

How Elizabeth Hoodwinked the French Ambassador — England's Weakness — Quadra and the Austrian Match — Alleged Plot against Elizabeth and Dudley — Scandalous Tales — Appeasing the Catholics — Squabbles among Elizabeth's Suitors — Dudley Suspected of Designs Against his Wife's Life — Sir Thomas Chaloner's Warning — The Scottish Rebellion — Knox on the Beginning of the Struggle — Siege of Leith — Besiegers Plead for Elizabeth's Help — Bothwell Captures English Money Intended for the Rebels — Elizabeth's Denials — Cecil's Despair — The Deciding Factor — Protest of the Catholic Bishops . 48 — 85 xii CONTENTS

Chapter III Page

Elizabeth's Intervention in Scotland — Mary of Guise Recovers her Capital — A Forged Letter — Elizabeth's Terms — The " disordered Irishry " — Quadra's Fears — Dudley " Ruining the Country" — The Treaty of Berwick — How Winter arrived in the Firth of Forth — French Designs Against England — Elizabeth's Proclamation — The Tumult of Amboise — Philip's Need of Money — Glajon's Mission — His Treachery — The French Ambassador's Protest — Elizabeth's Angry Retort — The Siege of Leith — Mary of Guise takes Refuge in Edinburgh Castle — Her Heroism — Mary Stuart's Grief — The Disastrous Assault upon Leith, May 7, 1560 — Elizabeth Determined to Wipe out the Disgrace — Death of the Queen Regent of Scotland — Treaty of Edinburgh — Mary Stuart and Francis II. repudiate it 86 — 134

Chapter IV

Dudley's Ambitious Designs — Arran's Suit Revived — A Crowd of Rivals — The Tragedy of Amy Robsart — Quadra's Account — Objections to it — Dudley sends Thomas Blount to Investigate — Inquest and Verdict — Dudley Disgraced but Restored to Favour — Public Opinion — Throckmorton Warns Elizabeth — Mary Stuart on her Scottish Subjects — Why she Refused to Ratify the Treaty of Edinburgh — Her Claim to the English Arms — Death of Francis II. — The Griefstricken Queen — Elizabeth's Opportunity — Throckmorton told to Mind his own Business — Dudley's Marriage with Elizabeth Seriously Discussed — Philip's Half-hearted Support — Elizabeth Declines to Receive the Papal Envoy — A Venetian's Portrait of Elizabeth in her Prime — His Picture of her England . . . 135 — 182

Chapter V

Mary Stuart in the Matrimonial Market — Her Scottish Subjects ready to Restore their Allegiance and Support her Claim to the English Succession — Mary Granted Freedom of Worship and Arranges to Return — Lethington's Assurance of Fidelity — Mary still Declines to Ratify the Treaty — Elizabeth's Warning to the Scottish Estates — She Declines Mary a Safe Conduct through England — Her Refusal to Recognise Mary's Claim — Knox Warns Elizabeth Against his own Sovereign — Lady Catherine Grey's Disgrace — Mary Stuart's Return — Final Interviews with

CONTENTS xiii

Throckmorton— Farewell to France — Her Reception in Scotland — Knox Makes her Weep — Rival Queens in the Marriage Market — A Famous Letter from Knox — Enter Darnley — Lady Lennox under Arrest — Secret Proposal of Marriage to Mary — Cecil's Lament — Frank Correspondence between Mary and Elizabeth — Scandalous Tales of Scottish Bishops — Ascham's Portrait of Elizabeth . . . 183 — 226

Chapter VI Elizabeth And Mary Sworn Friends

Elizabeth Helps the Huguenots and Hopes to Recover Calais — Plot against the Spanish Ambassador — Betrayed by his Secretary — Rumours of Elizabeth's Marriage with Dudley — Failure of Proposed Meeting between Mary and Elizabeth — An Exchange of Diamonds — Arthur Pole's Abortive Plot — The Treaty of Hampton Court — Elizabeth's Letter to Mary on the Subject — Her Dangerous Illness — Solemn Protest Regarding Dudley — Mary Stuart's Expedition against Huntley — Declares Unalterable Friendship for Elizabeth — Knox Denounces her Amusements — Bothwell Escapes from Edinburgh and is Arrested in England — The English Expedition to France — Fall of Rouen — Elizabeth's Encouragement to Warwick — The Disaster of Dreux — Princess of Conde's Appeal to Elizabeth — Assassination of the Duke of Guise — Parliament Petitions Elizabeth to Settle the Succession Problem — Her Reply — New Laws and the " Thirty-Nine Articles " . . " . . 227 — 266

Chapter VII

The Chastelard Affair — Lethington's Mission to London — Discusses the Prospects of Mary Stuart's Marriage with Don Carlos — Elizabeth Offers the Hand of Lord Robert Dudley — Philip II. Spoils another Opportunity — Catholic Support for Mary Stuart in England — Why Elizabeth Refused to Nominate Mary as her Successor — Huntingdon's Letter of Loyalty — End of the First Religious War in France — Elizabeth Refuses to Evacuate Havre — Warwick's Fight against Hopeless Odds — Don Carlos and Mary Stuart — Elizabeth's Warning on the Subject — Death of Bishop Quadra — Closing Scenes at Havre — The Plague Spreads to England — Lady Catherine Grey and Lord Hertford Removed for Safety — Lady Catherine's Disillusioned Hopes — Elizabeth's Love of Hunting and Archbishop Parker's Love of Venison .... 267 — 301 xiv CONTENTS

Chapter VIII Page

Elizabeth's new Matrimonial Negotiations — Cecil Philosophizes — Fears of a French Invasion — Mary and Lord Robert Dudley — Peace Declared between England and France — John Hales's Book on the Succession — Reception of the new Spanish Ambassador — Elizabeth's Anxiety Regarding Mary Stuart's Marriage — Dudley again seeks Spanish Support for his Alliance with Elizabeth — Darnley and his Mother at Court — Her Majesty's Visit to Cambridge — Coolness Between Elizabeth and Mary — Melville's Mission to the English Court — Dudley Disclaims Responsibility for his Proposed Marriage with Mary — Melville's Famous Interview with Elizabeth — Dudley created Earl of Leicester — Elizabeth Plays a Trick on Guzman — She Declares Herself a Catholic at Heart — Young King of France a Suitor for Elizabeth's Hand — Mary Stuart, Leicester, and Darnley — Cecil's Despair — The Thames Frozen Over — Guzman's Opinion of Cecil and Leicester — Was Mary Willing to Marry Leicester ? — Her Promise to Randolph — Randolph's Congratulations to Leicester — His Consternation on Hearing of Darnley' s Permission to enter Scotland — Darnley's Arrival and Reception — Bothwell's Uninvited Return and Departure — New Light on the Darnley Match 302 — 358

Chapter IX

Darnley's True Character — Mary's Infatuation — Elizabeth Suspected of Double-dealing in the Matter — She Woos the Catholic-Spanish Party — Her Ideas Regarding Marriage — Sends Throckmorton to Edinburgh — Lethington sent by Mary to London — His Dealings with the Spanish Ambassador — Philip Approves of the Darnley Match — Scotland's Disapproval — Mary and Darnley's Measles — Creates Him Earl of Ross — Promises Throckmorton not to Marry for Three Months — Darnley's Arrogance — Mary Believed to be Bewitched — Riccio's Influence — Protestant Lords Organise Revolt — Elizabeth Commits Darnley's Mother to the Tower — Mary Sends a Fresh Ambassador to London — Good News from Spain — Mary and Darnley Married — -The Turning Point in Mary's Career . . 359 — 390

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Queen Elizabeth. After the Hatfield Portrait

Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester. From a water-colour drawing in the British Museum by- George Perfect Harding, after an original

Frontispiece painting Facing 14

Francis II. of France. After the portrait by- Francois Clouet at Hampton Court .

John Knox. After the portrait in the National Portrait Gallery .......

Mary Stuart in Widow's Dress. After the portrait by Francois Clouet in the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris ... ...

Catherine de' Medici

Charles, Cardinal of Lorraine. After the portrait in the Bibliotheque des Arts et Metiers

Lord Darnley, with his Younger Brother. After the painting in His Majesty's collection at Holyrood Palace

160 228

348 378

Chapter I " Daughters Of Debate "

Elizabeth the Daughter of her Father — England "like a Bone between two Dogs " — Mary Stuart's Claim to the English Throne — Prince Eric of Sweden offered to Elizabeth — The Religious Settlement and the Marriage Problem — Elizabeth's Secret Reason for remaining Unmarried — Lord Robert Dudley first Favourite — Archduke Ferdinand's Suit — Pickering's Rivalry- — Archduke Charles's Suit — II Schifanoya's picture of Court life in England — Knox and his "First Blast" — Mary Stuart's Secret Treaty with the Guises — Her dim Recollection of Scotland — Arran's Claim to the Scottish Throne — His Reception by Elizabeth — Mary Stuart becomes Queen of France — Her Mother at bay in Scotland — Spanish plot against Elizabeth — Her Secret Support of Scottish Rebels — Arran's Secret Visit.

Grave doubts, in more ways than one, have been cast upon the legitimacy of Queen Elizabeth's birth, but almost every outstanding trait in her character stamped her as a true daughter of Henry VIII., eager for power and popularity, insatiable in personal vanity. Like her father, too, she was English to the finger-tips — not half Spanish like her predecessor, as she took care to remind her ambassadors at the Peace Conference which had been interrupted by Mary's death. Just as Henry VIII. , nearly half a century before, had been hailed with enthusiasm by a nation which had reason to rejoice in the magnificent promise of his youth, so was Elizabeth's accession greeted by the whole of Protestant England, as well as by many of the Catholics, who, putting their country before their religion, were equally tired of the Spanish yoke. She soon made it clear to Philip II. that she was as determined as ever her father had been to

E.M.S. b rule in fact as well as in name : that the destinies of England were no longer to be shaped under the Spaniard's guidance, as he had lately shaped them — to his own ambitious ends — as Consort of Mary I. The new Queen was astute enough, however, to make this clear to her widowed brother-in-law without mortally offending him, well knowing that England, as yet, was not strong enough to stand alone. It was well for Queen and country that both the rulers of Spain and France had their hands full at this time with the alarming growth of heresy in their own dominions, and that the war which had just been patched up by the Peace of Cateau-Cambresis had left them with their coffers empty. Otherwise Philip might have responded to the warnings of his ambassador, the fiery Feria, that unless he pressed his claims by force of arms if necessary, England, and all that England meant to him, would slip through his fingers. Henry II. of France, also, might have shown his teeth on behalf of his prospective daughter-in-law, Mary Stuart, through whom, as greatgrand-daughter of Henry VII., he had hopes of adding England to what he already regarded as his Scottish Kingdom. In his eyes — as in those of all good Catholics — Elizabeth was illegitimate, and he did his best to induce the Pope to excommunicate her. Failing in this, and not daring to oppose her accession, with Spain ready in that event to spring at his throat, he nevertheless, when Mary I. died, caused his daughter-in-law to be proclaimed in Paris as Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland. Thus early was the quarrel begun between the Queens whose rivalry was to end only with the tragedy of Fotheringay nearly thirty years later. Mary's claim persuaded many people at the time of Elizabeth's accession that England was destined to fall to the share of France if Spain gave her half a chance. " To make a hard comparison," as an English agent in Flanders said at the time, " England may be likened to a bone thrown between two dogs." 1 That also was the opinion of foreigners who, like Feria, either failed to understand, or wilfully misconstrued the new-found strength of England's position now that most parties were prepared, for the time being at least, to accept Elizabeth as Queen.

1 Foreign Calendar, 1559 — 60, II., p. 3.

The following is the continuation of Feria's letter, in which, after Philip's decision to marry the French King's eldest daughter, Elizabeth of Valois — Elizabeth of England having declined him with thanks — the Count told his master, frankly and bitterly, that " we have lost a kingdom body and soul : "

THE COUNT DE FERIA TO PHILIP II.

. . . Now that God has deigned to send this great boon of peace to Christendom, and your Majesty is more at leisure to attend to other obligations, I think it is time to consider how things are going to end here. This business is divided into two heads, first, that of religion, and whether your Majesty is bound in this respect I do not inquire, although the Catholics claim that notwithstanding the country having been at the disposal of your Majesty to be treated as you wished, it has come to its present pass. The other head is the question of the State, and the necessity of preventing the King of France from dominating the kingdom, for which object he has two circumstances so favourable to him, namely, the just claims of the Queen of Scots, and the great ease with which he could take possession owing to the miserable state in which the country is, as I have informed your Majesty several times since I came hither, and I think it has been growing worse every hour. I have done my best to carry out your Majesty's commands to try and tranquillise the country and please the Queen, and to hold my hand in religious affairs, and at the same time to push them on to make peace, without any responsibility weighing on your Majesty with regard to the conditions under which it was made, and this I have succeeded in doing, as your Majesty is more free than ever therefrom. But it behoves me to consider whether, with things as they are, your Majesty can be assured of that which is desirable, because

b 2 as I understand — leaving aside God's affairs and religious matters unredressed — now that these people are better able to do as they like than at any time since this woman became Queen, all the time which maybe allowed them to carry out their heresies will be pernicious to the tranquillity and quietude of the country, and may give rise to tumult.

And besides this, whenever the King of France finds means in Rome to get this woman declared a heretic, together with her bastardy, and advances his own claim, your Majesty will be more perplexed what to do than at present, because I do not see how your Majesty could in such case go against God and justice, and against the Catholics, who will doubtless join him (the King of France) if he comes with the voice of the Church behind him. To let him take the country, which he will do with so much ease that I dread to think of it, would be to my mind the total ruin of your Majesty and all your States, and seeing things in this light, as I do, and to fail to inform your Majesty, would, in my opinion be a crime worthy of punishment both towards God and your Majesty. They tell me the Swedish ambassador has again pressed the matter of the marriage, and told the Queen that the son of the King his master was still of the same mind, and asked for a reply to the letter he brought last year. 1 The Queen replied that the letter was written when she was Madam Elizabeth, and now that she was Queen of England he must write to her as Queen, and she would give an answer. She did not know whether his master would leave his kingdom to marry her, but she would not leave hers to be monarch of the world, and at present she would not reply either yes or no. With this message

1 This was during the last months of Mary's reign — a critical period for Elizabeth, then living in retirement at Hatfield and careful to make no false move which might place in jeopardy her rights to the succession. The King of Sweden had sent her a secret proposal for her hand, on behalf of his eldest son Eric, but she had declined to enter into any negotiations of the kind which were not first submitted to Mary.

a secretary who came here this winter was despatched, the ambassador remaining here. About a week ago this secretary came back and brought a grand present of tapestries and ermine for the Queen, and says that his master will send very shortly one of the principal lords of his kingdom to treat of the marriage. He had audience of the Queen yesterday. I do not know what passed. . . .

I had written thus far three days ago, and have detained the post in the hope of seeing the Queen before despatching the letter. I have not seen her, but in order to keep your Majesty well informed I have thought best to send it off. The only thing fresh that I can say is that no class of people in the country, so far as I know, is pleased with the way in which your Majesty has made peace. The Catholics are grieved that your Majesty should have married away from here, and the heretics are in a state of great alarm at the thought that everybody is arming against them. The Queen has already declared in Parliament that she will not be called head of the Church, whereat the heretics are very dissatisfied. Cecil went yesterday to the lower house and told them from the Queen that she thanked them greatly for their goodwill in offering her the title of supreme head of the Church, which out of humility she was unwilling to accept, and asked them to devise some other form with regard to the supremacy or primacy. He was answered that it was against the word of God and the Scripture, and they were surprised at his coming to them every day with new proposals and objections.

The heretics — as Feria persistently called the Reformers, who had always regarded Elizabeth as the heroine of their religion, had expected more than she was prepared to give immediately upon her accession. It was no part of her policy to rush matters in this direction. No ruler ever ascended the throne of England who understood so well the art of keeping people friendly by postponing their hopes — " to shelve business with fair words " as Feria once expressed it — and though everyone knew that England was drawing farther and farther away from Rome, as well as from Spain, there was nothing in the shape of a sudden resolution to drive the Catholics to revolt. Like her indispensable Secretary of State, the wise but not heroic Cecil, she had trimmed her religious sails discreetly through the stormy years of Mary's reign after accepting the varied forms of Protestantism under Edward VI. Probably she did not care enough one way or the other to risk more than was absolutely necessary now that she was herself seated on the throne. Calvinism she disliked with some of her father's hatred of Lutheranism, especially after Knox's " Blast of the Trumpet against the Monstrous Regiment of Women "; yet to declare herself a Catholic and acknowledge the jurisdiction of the Pope would have been tacitly to admit her own illegitimacy, for had not Rome pronounced as invalid her mother's marriage to Henry VIII. ? So it suited her plans best to let her future plans unfold themselves gradually, rather than to bring about the sudden upheaval hoped for by the zealous Reformers who had hurried back from exile to England as soon as they received the eagerly awaited news of Mary's death. Their disappointment at the slow realisation of their hopes may be seen in the letter from Dr. Jewel, afterwards Bishop of Salisbury, to the great Protestant theologian with whom he had stayed at Strasburg and Zurich after escaping from the Marian persecutions in 1555 :

JOHN JEWEL TO PETER MARTYR.

Our friend Sandys 1 has done me much wrong; for, notwithstanding I had already written to you, though I earnestly besought him not to do so, he sent you his own letter unaccompanied by mine. However, except that I feel this duty of mine has long been owing to you, nothing has hitherto occurred which it would give you much pleasure to hear.

1 Dr. Edwin Sandys, formerly Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge, afterwards successively Bishop of Worcester, Bishop of London and Archbishop of York.

[Queen] Mary and the Marian times ! With how much greater tenderness and moderation is truth now contended for, than falsehood was defended some time since ! Our adversaries acted always with precipitancy, without precedent, without authority, without law ; while we manage every thing with so much deliberation, and prudence, and wariness, and circumspection, as if God Himself could scarce retain His authority without our ordinances and precautions ; so that it is idly and scurrilously said, by way of joke, that as heretofore Christ was cast out by His enemies, so He is now kept out by His friends. This dilatoriness has grievously damped the spirits of our brethren, while it has wonderfully encouraged the rage and fury of our opponents. Indeed, you would hardly believe with how much greater boldness they now conduct themselves than they ever did before ; yet the people everywhere, and especially the whole of the nobility, are both disgusted with their insolent exultation, and exceedingly thirsting for the gospel. Hence it has happened that the Mass in many places has of itself fallen to the ground, without any laws for its discontinuance. If the Queen herself would but banish it from her private chapel, the whole thing might easily be got rid of. Of such importance among us are the examples of princes. For whatever is done after the example of the sovereign, the people, as you well know, suppose to be done rightly. She has, however, so regulated this Mass of hers, (which she has hitherto retained only from the circumstances of the times,) that although many things are done therein which are scarcely to be endured, it may yet be heard without any great danger. But this woman, excellent as she is, and earnest in the cause of true religion, notwithstanding she desires a thorough change as early as possible, cannot however be induced to effect such change without the sanction of law ; lest the matter should seem to have been accomplished, not so much by the judgment of discreet men, as in compliance with the impulse of a furious multitude. Meanwhile, many alterations in religion are effected in parliament, in spite of the opposition and gainsaying and disturbance of the bishops. These however I will not mention, as they are not yet publicly known, and are often brought on the anvil to be hammered over again. . . .