THE RIDOLFI CONSPIRACY. 397 detest. The Commissioner will take especial pains to ex- plain the nature of Norfolk's position to the Pope, so that his Holiness may be satisfied about him ; and it will be well if the Duke can be induced to seek absolution at his Holiness's hands, and to submit his conduct in all particulars to his Holiness' s judgment. The Queen of Scots desires him to do this, in order that, should your Majesty prefer to arrange the marriage for her with Don John, which his Holiness so much desires, his Holiness may the better be able to urge the Duke to give way, by representing to him that particular interests must not be allowed to obstruct the universal good of Christendom. 1
- The Commissioner will request his Holiness to send
some one to your Majesty to give you the particulars of the men and money which his Holiness will con- tribute to the enterprise, and to satisfy your Majesty, should you feel uncertainty, about the Duke's religion, the Duke being the only person through whose assist- ance the work can be done. Against the Duke's wishes it would be extremely difficult for any foreign Prince to carry off the Queen of Scots by force, or if she were out of the country to bring her back and place her upon the throne. 1 So I understand a rather com- plicated passage : ' Lo qual parece la Reyna de Escocia assi, a fin que si V. Mag d quisiese diferir esto, para tratar el casamiento del S r Don Juan de Austria el qual su Santidad de- sea mucho haya de apretarlo y pasar adelante, ofreciendose tales occasiones para el bien universal de la X dad , el qual no se debe impedir por ningun designo particular.' If 1 translate rightly, Mary Stuart hoped to balk the wretched Norfolk of the reward of his treason after all.
