Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 7.djvu/221

 1564.] THE EMBASSY OF DE SILVA. 201 fruits and sweetmeats. It was two in the morning before I started to return to London. The Queen, at the same time, stepped into her barge and went down the river to Westminster.' It is possible that the communications from Lord Robert to the Spanish ambassador were part of a deliber- ate plot to lead Philip astray after a will-o'-the-wisp ; to amuse him with hopes of recovering Elizabeth to the Church, while she was laughing in her sleeve at his credulity. If Lord Eobert was too poor a creature to play such a part successfully, it is possible that he too was Elizabeth's dupe. Or again, it may have been that Elizabeth was insincere in her offer of Lord Robert to the Queen of Scots, while she was sincere in desiring. the recognition of Mary Stuart's title because she hoped that to escape the succession of a Scottish princess, one party or other would be found in England to tolerate her marriage with the only person whom she would accept. If the Queen was playing a false game, it is hard to say which hypothesis is the more probable ; yet, on the one hand, it will be seen that Cecil, Randolph every one who has left an opinion on record believed that she was in earnest in desiring Mary Stuart to accept Lord Robert; while, on the other hand, the readiness with which the Spanish Court listened to Lord Robert's overtures proves that they at least believed that he had a real hold on Elizabeth's affections ; and it is unlikely, with the clue to English State secrets which the Spanish ministers undoubtedly possessed, that they would have