Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 10.djvu/51

 1572-] THE DUKE OF NORFOLK. the vile woman kept about her to feed her fantasy.' 1 But Don Guerau kept them to the easier and in his eyes 110 less important business of killing Cecil ; and to this they addressed themselves. The four days' grace allowed Don Guerau were for some cause extended, and gave him the chance of staying in England till the deed was done. Three times in the first week in January the assassins were lurking in the garden of Cecil House where Burghley was accustomed to walk. They ob- served his study window and the position of his head when he sat at work as a mark for a blunderbus. Horses were kept saddled on both sides of the Thames, and a boat lay ever ready at the stairs at Charing Cross. Yet day passed after day and Cecil still lived, and it seemed as if Chapin Yitelli had rightly judged the English character. Some disease of conscience or want of bold- ness in a bad cause made Englishmen the worst con- spirators in the world. The preparations for flight re- quired confederates, and one of them, or perhaps Mather himself in an interval of remorse, wrote to Cecil to put him on his guard. 2 The warning brought no inform- 1 Confession of Mather, January 8 : MSS. Hatfield. 2 Mather claimed to have been the writer after his arrest, perhaps to save his life, as he could feel satisfied that no one would come forward to dispute his pretensions. The letter itself is at Hatfield, writ- ten in a hold, remarkable hand, and endorsed by Cecil, ' A letter brought by the post in London.' It was ad- dressed, ' To my Lord of Bourlay at the Court in haste.' The contents were as follows : 4 My Lord, Of late I have upon discontent entered into conspiracy with some others to slay your Lord- ship, and the time appointed. A man with a perfitt hand attended you three several times in your gar- den to have slain your Lordship. The which not falling out and con- tinuing in the former mischief, the height of your study window is taken