may truly chaunt in their quires; Linguam nostram magnificabimus, labia nostra nobis sunt: and that they who have long ago forsaken the truth of God, which is the touchstone, must now hold by the whetstone; and that their ancient pillar of lying wonders being decayed, they must now hold by lying slanders, and make their libels successors to their legend.

The first copy of my discourse touching the safety of the Queen's person*.

THESE be the principal remedies, I could think of, for extirpating the principal cause of those conspiracies, by the breaking the nest of those fugitive traitors, and the filling them full of terror, despair, jealousy, and revolt. And it is true, I thought of some other remedies, which, because in mine own conceit I did not so well allow, I therefore do forbear to express. And so likewise I have thought, and thought again, of the means to stop and divert as well the attempts of violence, as poison, in the performance and execution. But not knowing how my travel may be. accepted, being the unwarranted wishes of a private man, I leave; humbly praying her Majesty's pardon, if in the zeal of my simplicity I have roved at things above my aim,

The first fragments of a discourse, touching intelligence, and the safety of the Queen's person t.

as a

THE first remedy, in my poor opinion, is that, against which, as I conceive, least exception can be taken, thing, without controversy, honourable and politic; and that is reputation of good intelligence. I say not only good intelligence, but the reputation and fame thereof. For I see, that where booths are set for watching thievish places, there is no more rob

From the original in the Lambeth Library. + From the original in the Lambeth Library.

bing: and though no doubt the watchmen many times are asleep, or away; yet that is more than the thief knoweth; so as the empty booth is strength and safeguard enough. So likewise, if there be sown an opinion abroad, that her majesty hath much secret intelligence, and that all is full of spies and false brethren;d the fugitives will grow into such a mutual jealousy and suspicion one of another, as they will not have the confidence to conspire together, not knowing whom to trust; and thinking all practice bootless, as that which is assured to be discovered. And to this purpose, to speak reverently, as becometh me, as I do not doubt but those honourable counsellors, to whom it doth appertain, do carefully and sufficiently provide and take order that her majesty receive good intelligence; so yet, under correction, methinks it is not done with that glory and note to the world, which was in Mr. Secretary Walsingham's* time: and in this case, as was said, opinio veritate major.

The second remedy I deliver with less assurance, as that which is more removed from the compass of mine understanding: and that is, to treat and negociate with the King of Spain, or Archduke Ernest †,

* Who died April 6, 1590. After his death the business of secretary of state appears to be chiefly done by Mr. Robert Cecil, who was knighted by Queen Elizabeth at Theobald's, about the beginning of June, 1591, and in August following sworn of the privy-council; but not actually appointed secretary of state till July 5, 1596. BIRCH.

Ernest, Archduke of Austria, son of the Emperor Maximilian II. and governor of the Low Countries, upon which government he entered in June, 1594; but held it only a short time, dying February following. It was probably in pursuance of the advice of Mr. Francis Bacon in this paper, that Queen Elizabeth sent to the Archduke in 1594, to complain of the designs which had been formed against her life by the Count de Fuentes, and Don Diego de Ibarra, and other Spanish ministers concerned in governing the Low Countries after the death of Alexander Duke of Parma in December, 1592, and by the English fugitives there; and to desire him to signify those facts to the king of Spain, in order that he might vindicate his own character, by punishing his ministers, and delivering up to her such fugitives as were parties in such designs. Camdeni Annales Eliz. Reginæ, p. 625. Lugduni Bat. 1625. BIRCH.

Edit.

who resides in the place where these conspiracies are most forged, upon the point of the law of nations, upon which kind of points princes enemies may with honour negociate, viz. that, contrary to the same law of nations, and the sacred dignity of kings, and the honour of arms, certain of her Majesty's subjects, if it be not thought meet to impeach any of his ministers, refuged in his dominions, have conspired and practised assassination against her majesty's person.

A

TRUE REPORT

OF THE

DETESTABLE TREASON,

INTENDED BY

DOCTOR RODERIGO LOPEZ,

A PHYSICIAN ATTENDING UPON THE PERSON OF THE QUEEN'S MAJESTY,

Whom he, for a sum of money, promised to be paid him by the king of Spain, did undertake to have destroyed by poison; with certain circumstances both of the plotting and detecting of the said treason.

[ PENNED DURING THE QUEEN'S LIFE. ]

THE king of Spain having found, by the enterprise of 88, the difficulty of an invasion of England; and having also since that time embraced the matters of France, being a design of a more easy nature, and better prepared to his hand, hath of necessity for a time laid aside the prosecution of his attempts against this realm, by open forces, as knowing his means unable to wield both actions at once, as well that of England as that of France; and therefore, casting at the fairest, hath, in a manner, bent his whole strength upon France, making, in the mean time, only a defensive war upon the Low Countries. But finding again, that the supports and aids which her majesty hath continued to the French king, are a principal impediment and retardation to his prevailing there according to his ends, he hath, now of late, by all means, projected to trouble the waters here, and to cut us out some work at home; that by practice, without diverting and employing any great forces, he might nevertheless divert our succours from France.

According to which purpose, he first proved to move some innovation in Scotland, not so much in hope to alienate the king from the amity of her majesty, as practising to make a party there against the king himself, whereby he should be compelled to use her majesty's forces for his assistance. Then he solicited a subject within this realm, being a person of great nobility, to rise in arms and levy war against her majesty; which practice was by the same nobleman loyally and prudently revealed. And lastly, rather, as it is to be thought, by the instigation of our traitorous fugitives in foreign parts, and the corrupter sort of his counsellors and ministers, than of his own nature and inclination, either of himself, or his said counsellors and ministers using his name, have descended to a course against all honour, all society and humanity, odious to God and man, detested by the heathens themselves, which is, to take away the life of her majesty, (which God have in his precious custody!) by violence or poiA matter which might be proved to be not only against all Christianity and religion, but against nature, the law of nations, the honour of arms, the civil law, the rules of morality and policy; finally, to be the most condemned, barbarous, and ferine act that can be imagined; yea, supposing the quarrels and hostility between the princes to be never so declared and so mortal, yet were it not that it would be a very reproach unto the age, that the matter should be once disputed or called in question, it could never be defended. And therefore I leave it to the censure which Titus Livius giveth in the like case upon Perseus, the last king of the Macedons, afterwards overthrown, taken with his children, and led in triumph by the Romans; Quem non justum bellum gerere regio animo, sed per omnia clandestina grassari scelera, latrociniorum ac veneficiorum, cernebant.

son.

But to proceed: certain it is, that even about this present time there have been suborned and sent into this realm divers persons, some English, some Irish, corrupted by money and promises, and resolved and conjured by priests in confession, to have executed