'told this Examinate) did like very well of the same instructions. Also he saith that Rudolphi, communing ' of this enterprise with this Examinate, said there was ' no doubt of good success thereof, when the old expe'rimented soldiers, Spaniards and Walloons, should ' enter into this realm with the grand Prince, the Duke ' of Alva's son, and other skilful captains; being but ten thousand, they were sufficient to overthrow forty thousand Englishmen.'

Then was read another part of Rosse's Examination*, taken 31st October, 1571, as follows:

He saith that the device was, that when the army of men should have entered from beyond the seas, in the 'south part of England, then the Duke of Norfolk should straight have gone to the Queen of Scots, and have 'taken her into his own hands, and then have either 'carried her into Scotland, or else have tarried here 'with her, as his force might have served him. And this Rudolphi told this Examinate, that the Duke and he had agreed on at their being together; and Rudolphi 'said that he moved the Duke to move his friends to 'join with him therein; and that the Duke answered he would not do so till he heard from beyond the seas, 'what they would do for him there;' and saith, the intent ' of all parties was, that if the Duke of Norfolk, and his 'friends could have made their party good, they would ⚫ still have kept the Queen of Scots within the realm, or ' else to have fled into Scotland."

Then was read another part of the Bishop of Rosse's Examination of the 6th of November, as follows:'He remembereth, in communication between him and Rudolphi, that because the Duke of Norfolk had 6 answered, that he would not deal with his friends here for their forces until he might be assured both of the foreign forces, and of the time of their coming into this realm, Rudolphi made this computation; that considering the Parliament was then in beginning, and so might 'continue six weeks or more, he might make his journies ⚫ within that time to the Duke of Alva, the Pope, and the King of Spain, and return again into Flanders, before † Ibid., p. 47.

* Murdin, p. 37.

the end of the Parliament; so as the Duke of Norfolk might break the matter to his friends before their de'parture from the Parliament, and fully understand their minds, for their assistance to the aforesaid enterprise, whereby, one month or six weeks after, their whole 'forces might be in readiness to come over into Eng⚫ land."

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Attorney-General. Now shall you hear further: Rudolphi before his departure required letters of credit, that he might deal with foreign princes; whereupon three letters were devised, to commend him to the Pope, the King of Spain, and the Duke of Alva; and to give him credit in his message, that he might be able to procure aid for the Scottish Queen, and for the advancement of the Catholic faith. The Duke was applied to for his signature to these letters, but he answered, 'I am loth to write; for if I write, the Queen's Majesty hath great intelligence, and so if my writing should come to light, all were marred;' and so he would not write. Then the Bishop of Rosse and Barker travailed earnestly with him to subscribe the letters; but he would not. Then at length it was advised and agreed among them, that if the Duke should send a person to the Spanish Ambassador to declare his assent to affirm the letters, it should satisfy Rudolphi and the foreign princes, though he did not subscribe them: wherewith the Duke was content, and sent Barker with the Bishop of Rosse and Rudolphi, to declare to the Spanish Ambassador, that the Duke was content to affirm the letter, and to let it pass in his name. And upon that the Spanish Ambassador recommended Rudolphi's message in the Duke's name, without the Duke's subscription.

Here was read a part of the Bishop of Rosse's Examination of the 31st of October, as follows:

*

He saith, Rudolphi moved this Examinate to move the 'Duke to write letters of credence for Rudolphi; where• unto the Duke was very loth, saying, "If his letters, 'written to any strange prince, were known, he were ' undone ;" and therefore willed this Examinate to satisfy Rudolphi, if he could. Whereupon Rudolphi devised a

* Murdin, p. 25.

form of three letters in Latin, one to the Pope, another to the King of Spain, and another to the Duke of Alva: all very short, not past three or four lines, requiring that the Duke would subscribe them, and then they should be put in cypher, and the original, subscribed by the Duke, should remain with the Spanish Ambassador; ' yet that the Duke liked not, nor would not subscribe them. Then it was devised that this Examinate should satisfy Rudolphi to carry those letters, as they were, unsubscribed: and Barker should go to the Spanish 'Ambassador, as he did with this Examinate, and Rudolphi, to affirm in the Duke's name, that he would affirm them, as well as if he had subscribed them; 'wherewith the Spanish Ambassador was not content, ⚫ but desired that he might speak with the Duke himself, that of his own knowledge he might so affirm it to his master; but the Duke would not agree to that. Nevertheless, afterward Barker, Rudolphi, and this Exami'nate, the second time coming, satisfied the Ambassa'dor, especially Rudolphi, saying, "No man could have the reproach of that matter but he: and he heard the Duke so precisely affirm his contentation and agreement ⚫ to them, that he durst present them on his behalf.”’ Then was read also a part of the Bishop's Examination* of the 31st of October:

He saith, that the letters of credit, when they were 'first devised, were sent by this Examinate to the Duke * of Norfolk, and Barker carried them, and brought them again, and said the Duke would not subscribe them, but would satisfy Rudolphi otherwise; and then this Exa'minate, Rudolphi, and Barker, devised that the letters < should be written, and not subscribed at all; and that Barker should go to the Duke of Norfolk, to know whether it were his pleasure that this Examinate, Rudolphi, and Barker, might all go to the Spanish Am'bassador, and shew him that the Duke would affirm 'them as well as if he had subscribed them; and so • Barker went to the Duke, and came again, and told this • Examinate and Rudolphi, that the Duke was contented ⚫ that they should so do; and so they all three went to

* Murdin, p. 37

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the Spanish Ambassador with the said letters, as this Examinate, in his Examination of the 26th of this October, hath at large declared.'

Then was read also a part of Barker's Examination *, 31st October, 1571, as follows:

'He saith, that when the Duke refused to subscribe the letters which should have gone to the Duke of Alva, and others, yet to satisfy the Spanish Ambassador, the Bishop of Rosse and this Examinate (and he ⚫ knoweth not whether then Rudolphi was there or no) went to the Spanish Ambassador, bid by the Duke, and 'told him that the Duke was content, and glad to relieve 'the Scottish Queen; and that she had appointed Rudolphi to go to the Duke of Alva, the Pope, and the King of Spain, about that matter; and that the Duke I was content, that those letters in his commendations should be written and sent; and that he was privy to 'that journey, and liked it well. And further he saith, 'all this message he did at the Duke's commandment, given this Examinate in Howard-house, in the gallery. This device was first invented by the Bishop of Rosse, that so they should go; of which device he told the 'Duke, that it was the only way to satisfy the Spanish 'Ambassador. Whereupon the Duke was content, and bade him go and do so, as is before written.'

Duke. It is too much for me to answer so many matters at once without book. My memory is not so good to run through every thing as the Queen's Counsel do, who have their books and their notes lying before them; therefore, I pray you, if I forget to answer to anything, remind me of it. It is said that there are two or three witnesses against me; but they are, in fact, but one witness, for Rudolphi said it to the Bishop of Rosse, and the Bishop of Rosse told it to Barker, and so from mouth to mouth; they are all but one witness; besides that, they have confessed themselves guilty of treason, and so are no sufficient witnesses. Mark, I pray you, the advices, and see how likely they are:-ten thousand men must be landed, whereof three or four thousand must be horsemen; they must land at Harwich, a port

* Murdin, p. 123.

in my country. But, in the first place, Harwich is not in my country, and Essex is the country, in all England, least proper to begin such an enterprise-a country best inhabited of noblemen, gentlemen, and others of ability to resist invaders. There is no county in England more replenished with Protestants than Essex and Suffolk, and none more likely to oppose Papists, who came to destroy their religion; besides, who would land horsemen in Essex, a country all full of lanes, woods, ditches, and marshes? I am not of such little skill in these things, that I would not rather have chosen some other country, if I had been so minded. Again, is it likely that I would have brought in a foreign power, or joined with them to the overthrow of religion? These witnesses themselves admit that I could not be recovered from my religion. I would not be changed from my religion-I had rather be torn with wild horses. As for moving of friends, I never dealt to move any person in the matter, nor made my friends privy to any such intent. Some presumption it is, that if I had intended any such matter, I was not so destitute of friends but I should have made some of them privy to it. Besides, I made no provision for such an undertaking; if I had intended anything of the kind, I would have provided armour, shot, and powder; I would have provided money; I am sure there was not much money found in my house. For armour, I had not more than eight armours which were of proof, and a hundred harquebusses; and I have not spent ten pounds in armour these ten years. Powder I have not two barrels; yea, not above a barrel in all. See then the likelihood of their devices-no conference of friends to take part; no provision of furniture; and a country chosen for invasion, both in religion and situation, wholly unapt for the purpose. What they say of my being content to affirm the letters of credit, I utterly deny. How unlikely is it that I should consent that the Spanish Ambassador should affirm the letters in my name, when I had refused to subscribe them: as if I had such slender wit as not to know how small is the difference between subscribing and affirming! It was a device from the curious Italian head of Rudolphi, so to deal with the Spanish Ambassador. As for me, I never