THE WORKS OF WILLIAM ROBERTSON, D.D. FELLOW OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY, AND PRINCIPAL OF THE UNIVERSITY, OF EDINBURGH, HISTORIOGRAPHER TO HIS MAJESTY FOR SCOTLAND, AND MEMBER OF THE ROYAL ACADEMY OF HISTORY AT MADRID. TO WHICH IS PREFIXED, AN ACCOUNT OF HIS LIFE AND WRITINGS, BY DUGALD STEWART, F.R.S. EDIN. A NEW EDITION: IN TEN VOLUMES. VOL. III. HISTORY OF SCOTLAND. LONDON: PRINTED FOR T. CADELL; F. C. AND J. RIVINGTON; J. NUNN; J. CUTHELL ; THE HISTORY OF SCOTLAND. BOOK VII. WHILE Scotland was torn by intestine fac-BOOK tions, Elizabeth was alarmed with the ru VII. Throkmor against mour of a project in agitation for setting Mary at 1584. liberty. Francis Throkmorton, a Cheshire gen- ton's contleman, was suspected of being deeply concerned spiracy in the design, and on that suspicion he was taken Elizabeth, into custody. Among his papers were found two lists, one of the principal harbours in the kingdom, with an account of their situation, and of the depth of water in each; the other, of all the eminent Roman Catholics in England. This circumstance confirmed the suspicion against him, and some dark and desperate conspiracy was supposed just ready to break out. At first he boldly avowed his innocence, and declared that the two papers were forged by the Queen's ministers, in order to intimidate or ensnare him; and he even endured the rack with the utmost fortitude. But being brought a second time to the place of torture, his resolution failed him, and he VII. 1584. BOOK not only acknowledged that he had held a secret. correspondence with the Queen of Scots, but discovered a design that was formed to invade England. The Duke of Guise, he said, undertook to furnish troops, and to conduct the enterprise. The Pope and King of Spain were to supply the money necessary for carrying it on; all the English exiles were ready to take arms; many of the Catholics at home would be ready to join them at their landing; Mendoza, the Spanish ambassador, who was the life of the conspiracy, spared no pains in fomenting the spirit of disaffection among the English, or in hastening the preparations on the continent; and by his command, he made the two lists, the copies whereof had been found in his possession. This confession he retracted at his trial; returned to it again after sentence was passed on him; and retracted it once more at the place of execution3. To us in the present age who are assisted in forming our opinion of this matter by the light which time and history have thrown upon the designs and characters of the Princes of Guise, many circumstances of Throkmorton's confession appear to be extremely remote from truth, or even from probability. The Duke of Guise was, at that juncture, far from being in a situation to undertake foreign conquests. Without either power or office at court; hated by the King, and persecuted by the favourites; he had no leisure for any thoughts of disturbing the quiet of neighbouring states; his vast and ambitious mind was wholly occupied in laying the |