Burghley.—­“The fellow seems to have travelled a good way out of his commission.  His master sends him to buy horses, and he commences a peace-negotiation between two kingdoms.  It would be well he were chastised.  As regards the Antwerp matter, too, we have had many letters, and I have, seen one from the Seigneur de Champagny, the same effect as that of all the rest.”

Walsingham.—­“I see not to what end his Highness of Parma has sent Mr. Bodman hither.  The Prince avows that he hath no commission from Spain.”

Bodman.—­“His Highness was anxious to know what was her Majesty’s pleasure.  So soon as that should be known, the Prince could obtain ample authority.  He would never have proceeded so far without meaning a good end.”

Walsingham.—­“Very like.  I dare say that his Highness will obtain the commission.  Meantime, as Prince of Parma, he writes these letters, and assists his sovereign perhaps more than he doth ourselves.”

Here the interview terminated.  A few days later, Bodman had another conversation with Burghley and Cobham.  Reluctantly, at their urgent request, he set down in writing all that he had said concerning his mission.

The Lord Treasurer said that the Queen and her counsellors were “ready to embrace peace when it was treated of sincerely.”  Meantime the Queen had learned that the Prince had been sending letters to the cautionary towns in Holland and Zeeland, stating that her Majesty was about to surrender them to the King of Spain.  These were tricks to make mischief, and were very detrimental to the Queen.

Bodman replied that these were merely the idle stories of quidnuncs; and that the Prince and all his counsellors were dealing with the utmost sincerity.

Burghley answered that he had intercepted the very letters, and had them in his possession.

A week afterwards, Bodman saw Walsingham alone, and was informed by him that the Queen had written an answer to Parma’s letter, and that negotiations for the future were to be carried on in the usual form, or not at all.  Walsingham, having thus got the better of his rivals, and delved below their mines, dismissed the agent with brief courtesy.  Afterwards the discomfited Mr. Comptroller wished a private interview with Bodman.  Bodman refused to speak with him except in presence of Lord Cobham.  This Croft refused.  In the same way Bodman contrived to get rid, as he said, of Lord Burghley and Lord Cobham, declining to speak with either of them alone.  Soon afterwards he returned to the Provinces!

The Queen’s letter to Parma was somewhat caustic.  It was obviously composed through the inspiration of Walsingham rather than that of Burghley.  The letter, brought by a certain Grafigni and a certain Bodman, she said, was a very strange one, and written under a delusion.  It was a very grave error, that, in her name, without her knowledge, contrary to her disposition, and to the prejudice of her honour,