The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-05-17


For a while at this period the question Of
Eiizabeth's marriage excited less interest In
Europe than that Of Mary Stuart, who was now
n widow. Elizabeth had been Informed that an
intrigue was afoot to marry Mary to Don Carlos.
the vicious young lunntic who was Philips only
son. This would have meant the ruin OF
Protestant. England and the strengthening OF
the Guises in France, to the detriment of Cath
crime de Medici. The plan of the latter, sup
ported by James Stuart, Mary's bastard
brother, was to hasten on a marriage
between Mary and Lord Darnley. Eliza
beth did not relish the idea of the union OF
the two next legal heirs to her own crown, but
pretended to approve OF 1t, and Dudley romise
to support 1t in the hope that such a precedent
might bring his own marriage nearer. The
Spanish Ambassador was now openly sighted,
hts couriers were stopped and his let
tiers read: his secretary was suborned,
and he himself placed under semi-arrest,
charged will plotting against the Queen.
Among other things. he was accused Of writing
to Philip n letter. which had been intercepted.
to the effect that the Queen had been privately
married to Lord Robert In the Earl of Penn
broke's house. To this Bishop Quadra answered
that no had merely written what all London
was saying. namely, that the wedding had taken
place. when he had said as much to the
iNN SAN Nt' Az INV ~ ~ Net W.
she had replied that it was not only people
outside who thought so. as, on her return that
afternoon from the Earl's house. ner own ladies
in waiting, when she entered the chamber with
Lord Robert. had asked her whether they were
to kiss his hand as well as her own. to which
she had replied no, and that they were not
to believe what people said" The Bishop in
serted a sting Mt the end OF his justifca-
tion, by saying that, considering the way people
were talking, he did not think he could injure
the Queen by saying she wat married. In tho
midst of warlike preparations presently made
in England l562l to occupy Havre for the
Huguenots. Elizabeth fell i'll of smallpox at
Hampton Court, and was thought to be on her
deathbed. While acrimonious discussions as to
the succession were in progress the Queen raj
lied, and the first thing she did on recovering
speech and consciousness was TO beg the Council
to make Dudley Protector. with n peerage, and
an income of 100000. Everything she asked
was promised. though. as Bishop Quadra
says. without an intention of fulfilling 1t.
But Dudley and the Duke of Norfolk
were admitted members Of the Council.
which was a great point gained for
the former. When the Queen feared that she
might die. she protested solemnly before God
that. although she loved Robert dearly. nothing
improper had ever passed between them. Par
lament assembled early in 1868. and deputa-
lions from both Houses addressed the Queen
on the subject of fixing the succession. She
was extremely angry, and said that what they
saw on her face were pock-marks. and not
wrinkles. and that she was not so old yet as to
have lost hope of children. Subsequent attempts
to approach her on the subject met with a similar
or more violent repulse. In March Of the same
year Maitland of Lexington. Mary of Scotland's
favored Secretary of State, arrived in London
for the DurnOaa NJ forwarding hi. misfrasS'a
claim to the succession. But he soon saw that
the Queen would have her way, and that no
successor would be appointed. EliZabeth's inten-
ton being to force upon Mary an unworthy or a
Protestant marriage, in order to inture her pres
tige with English Catholics. In n long CONVEX
sation with Maitland. Elizabeth. with a view OF
n marriage between Mary and Don
Carlos. or the Archduke Charles, went so far as
to pretend to propose her own lover as a hus-
band for the Queen of Scots. She told the Am
bassador that, II his mistress would take her
advice, and wished to marry with safety and
happiness, she would give her a husband who
would insure both. This was Lord Robert, in
whom nature had implanted 80 many graces
that II she (Elizabeth) wished to marry,
she should prefer him to all the princes
in the world. Maitland said this was indeed n
proof of the love she bore to his mistress, TO
give up to her what she cherished so much her
self, but he hardly thought MS mistress, even II
she loved Lord Robert as dearly as Elizabeth
did, ~-Guld consent to deprive her of all the joy
and soiacos she received from his company. Eliza
beth. altar some more talk OF this sort, said she
wished to Cod that his elder brother, the carlo
Warwick, had the grace and good looks OF Lord
in which case each Queen could have
one of the brothers. Embarrassed by this sally,
Maitland adroitly turned the subject to one
he knew would silence tho Queen. lie
said that, as his mistress was much the younger,
It would be well that Elizabeth should marry
Robert first and have children, and then, when
she died, she might leave both her kingdom and
her husband to Mary.
vi.
1t is we'll known that the Scots mobiles event.
ually consented to Mary's marriage with Darn
Icy, to which Elizabeth was opposed. To mol
lify tho lRtter's anger at the Scottish Queens
OF her matrimonial advice, Sir James
Melyil was sent to London in October, 1864.
He had been there earlier in the year, having
been requested by the Elector Of Palatine to
carry an offer OF marriage from his second son,