Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 9.djvu/325

i 5 70.] EXCOMMUNICA T2ON OF ELlZABE Tti. murder at Linlithgow. It was nothing less than mak- ing away with the little King of Scots, in the belief that with his life would be removed the principal obstacle to his mother's marriage with some Catholic prince. 1 Whether Cecil knew anything of this does not ap- pear. He bribed however a refugee named Parker who was in Story's confidence. Story himself was employed by Alva to search vessels arriving from England sus- pected of containing heretical books. Parker enticed him by false information on board a trader lying in the river below Antwerp, where he was immediately flung into the hold, the hatches were closed down upon him, and in a few hours he was in Yarmouth. 2 1 This preposterous piece of wickedness would have been incred- ible had it not been confessed by Story himself. The account of it was transmitted by the Spanish ambassador to Philip. The Prestal spoken of as another of the con- spirators will be heard of hereafter. Don Guerau's words are these : ' Dixo Story que Hamilton le re- firio que le habia escripto Prestal que aqucl negocio que el Story y el Hamilton le habian dicho, que podia hacer con Ingles que entonces estaba en Irlarida, no se podia acabar sin gran copia de dinero. Y este secreto era sobre' matar al Key de Escocia ; porque este Prestal habia dicho a Hamilton que con dificultad pudieran ser los Escoceses reducidos a la obe- diencia de la Reyna, mientras ella estuviese sin marido, y que ningun hombre principal la querria por mu- ger mientras viviese aquel muchacho, pero si le mataba que el esperaba que el her man o del Emperador se casa- ria con ella.' Sacada de las Cou- fessiones del Doctor Story : MSS. Simancas. 2 Parker was treated in the same way, and sent to London as a pri soner, lest information should get abroad of his treachery, and lie and others should be disabled from do- ing similar services. The Govern- ment was already contemplating the seizure of another of the gang. Sir H. Cobham, writing from Antwerp on the 4th of September, says : 'I am informed to a surety that Pres- tal is with the Countess of North- umberland. If the manner of the conveyance of Story had been kept secret in England, or yet hereafter shall be well carried, I think there is which will hazard to do the like