Page:The house of Cecil.djvu/44

 30 THE CECILS

actions under twenty-one heads. This document serves to show how he tried to throw the responsi- bility onto others, and while ostensibly acting on behalf of Northumberland, took steps to make himself as safe as possible, whatever might happen. It is interesting to read that, " when the conspiracy was first opened to me, I did fully set me to flee the realm, and was dissuaded by Mr. Cheke, who willed me for my satisfaction to read a dialogue of Plato, where Socrates, being in prison, was offered to escape and flee, and yet he would not. I read the dialogue, whose reasons did indeed stay me." l

The King died on July 6th, and Cecil notes in his Diary " Libertatem adeptus sum morte regis et ex miser o aulico factus liber et mei juris." He was now free from the domination of Northumberland, whose policy and methods he thoroughly disliked, and whose ruin was soon seen to be certain. No sooner had the Duke set out to seize the person of Mary than Cecil began to intrigue actively against him. He sent his sister-in-law, Lady Bacon, to meet the Queen, and heard from her that " the Queen thought well of her brother Cecil and said he was a very honest man." He himself met Mary at Newhall in Essex, and was graciously received. A general pardon was granted him, but he was not re-instated in his office of Secretary, though he is said to have been offered the post if he would change his religion, and to have refused.

1 Lansdowne MSB., 102, f. 2. The document is printed in full in. Tytler, II. 192 195, and in Hume.

�� �