Bodman.—­“Yes, Mr. Secretary.”

Walsingham.—­“Please to produce it, in order that this matter may be sifted to the bottom.”

Bodman.—­“I supplicate your Lorships to pardon me, but indeed that cannot be.  My instructions forbid my showing the letter.”

Walsingham (rising).—­“I will forthwith go to her Majesty, and fetch the original.”  A pause.  Mr. Secretary returns in a few minutes, having obtained the document, which the Queen, up to that time, had kept by her, without showing it to any one.

Walsingham (after reading the letter attentively, and aloud).—­“There is not such a word, as that her Majesty is desirous of peace, in the whole paper.”

Burghley (taking the letter, and slowly construing it out of Italian into English).—­“It would seem that his Highness hath written this, assuming that the Signor Grafigni came from the Queen, although he had received his instructions from my Lord Cobham.  It is plain, however, that the negotiation was commenced accidentally.”

Comptroller Croft (nervously, and with the air of a man fearful of getting into trouble).—­“You know very well, Mr. Bodman, that my servant came to Dunkirk only to buy and truck away horses; and that you then, by chance, entered into talk with him, about the best means of procuring a peace between the two kingdoms.  My servant told you of the good feeling that prevailed in England.  You promised to write on the subject to the Prince, and I immediately informed the Lord-Treasurer of the whole transaction.”

Burghley.—­“That is quite true.”

Croft.—­“My servant subsequently returned to the Provinces in order to learn what the Prince might have said on the subject.”

Bodman (with immense politeness, but very decidedly).—­“Pardon me, Mr. Comptroller; but, in this matter, I must speak the truth, even if the honour and life of my father were on the issue.  I declare that your servant Norris came to me, directly commissioned for that purpose by yourself, and informed me from you, and upon your authority, that if I would solicit the Prince of Parma to send a secret agent to England, a peace would be at once negotiated.  Your servant entreated me to go to his Highness at Brussels.  I refused, but agreed to consider the proposition.  After the lapse of several days, the servant returned to make further enquiries.  I told him that the Prince had come to no decision.  Norris continued to press the matter.  I excused myself.  He then solicited and obtained from me a letter of introduction to De Loo, the secretary of his Highness.  Armed with this, he went to Brussels and had an interview—­as I found, four days later—­with the Prince.  In consequence of the representations of Norris, those of Signor Grafigni, and those by way of Antwerp, his Highness determined to send me to England.”

Burghley to Croft.—­“Did you order your servant to speak with Andrea de Loo?”

Croft.—­“I cannot deny it.”