k!^564.86.^'  ^  ^^S  y°^  *o  ha,ve  the  following  very  carefully  deciphered  and
put  it  into  His  Majesty's  own  hands.  It  is  written  and  ciphered  by
me  personally.  I  am  advised  from  England  by  four  men  of
position  who  have  the  run  of  the  Queen's  house,  that  they  have
discussed  for  the  last  three  months  the  intention  of  killing  her.
They  have  at  last  agreed,  and  the  four  have  mutually  sworn  to  do
it.  They  will  on  the  first  opportunity  advise  me  when  it  is  to  be
done,  and  whether  by  poison  or  .steel,  in  order  that  I  may  send  the
intelligence  to  your  Majesty,  supplicating  you  to  be  pleased  to  help
them  after  the  business  is  effected.  They  say  that  they  will  not
divulge  the  intention  to  another  soul  but  me,  to  whom  they  are
under  great  obligations,  and  in  whose  secrecy  they  have  confidence.-—
Paris,  12th  May  1586.
iVofe.— In  another  letter  of  the  same  date  to  Idiaquez,  Mendoza
mentions  the  arrival  in  Paris  of  a  German  sent  by  the  king  of
Denmark  to  Philip  II. ;  but  as  he  fears  tliis  may  be  a  trick  of  the
queen  of  England,  "  to  scent  out  what  is  passing  in  Spain,"  he
wishes  to  put  the  King  (Philip)  on  liis  guard.     In  an  autograph

»  The  "  real  plata,''  of  silver  real,  was  worth  within  a  fraction  of  5(1.,  so  that  tha
"  drowna  "   in  question  would  be  equal  to  about  50  pence  each.
