Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 9.djvu/461

THE RIDOLFI CONSPIRACY. 1-17 ( I then talked over the matter with the council of State. To Eidolfi his commission, not being addressed immediately to me I said merely that he might assure the Duke of Norfolk and the Queen of Scots of your Majesty's goodwill to both of them ; and if the Duke was really a Catholic, and the Queen of Scots was will- ing to marry him, your Majesty I was sure would make no objection. I charged him however as he valued their lives to keep better guard upon his tongue, and I have written to Don Juan de Cuniga, 1 to impress on his Holiness also the necessity of caution. Should the Queen of England hear of what is going on she will have a fair excuse to execute them both. I have desired Don Juan to tell his Holiness that he may rely upon your Majesty, but that he must submit to your Voz Majestez de la consideration qu'il vousplaysoit avoir d'eulx deux en ceste affaire, auquel il m'avoit desja faict declaration de son cosur .qu'il se deliberoit avec toutz ses amys de s'y employer droictement ; car se reputoit tout oultre vostre serviteur et que Monsieur vostre filz he doubtast plus qu'il ne fut obey, revere et ayme en ce Eoyaulme ; et a escript a 1'Evesque de Boss qu'il me voulut ayder de toutz sesmoyens et intelligences en ceste cause, car il cognoissoit qu'il estoit besoing d'avancer icy la reputation de la France pour bien faire les affaires de la Royne d'Escoce. Milord de Lum- ley, pour gaiges dela volunte du Comte d'Arundel son beau-pere, du Comte de "Worcester et de luy en cest endroict, m'a envoye une bague, et m'a mande que si je le trouvois bon, ilz s'employeroient de bon cceur et y procederoient par effectz.' La Mothe a la Royne, Mai 2. Depeches, vol. iv. To cover language of this kind, should it be carried round, Ri- dolfi told Alva that the Lords were playing with France till Spain was ready, lest France might withdraw its subsidies from their friends in Scotland. It did not answer. They lied to both the Great Powers, that if one failed them they might fall back upon the other ; they earned only in the end the distrust and con- tempt of both. 1 The Spanish ambassador at Rome.