“I have written two or three verses out of Virgil for the Queen to read,” said he, “which I pray your Lordship to present unto her.  God grant her to weigh them.  If your Lordship do read the whole discourse of Virgil in that place, it will make your heart melt.  Observe the report of the ambassadors that were sent to Diomedes to make war against the Trojans, for the old hatred that he, being a Grecian, did bear unto them; and note the answer of Diomedes dissuading them from entering into war with the Trojans, the perplexity of the King, the miseries of the country, the reasons of Drances that spake against them which would have war, the violent persuasions of Turnus to war; and note, I pray you; one word, ‘nec te ullius violentia frangat.’  What a lecture could I make with Mr. Cecil upon that passage in Virgil!”

The most important point for the reader to remark is the date of this letter.  It was received in the very last days of the month of July.  Let him observe—­as he will soon have occasion to do—­the events which were occurring on land and sea, exactly at the moment when this classic despatch reached its destination, and judge whether the hearts of the Queen and Lord Burghley would be then quite at leisure to melt at the sorrows of the Trojan War.  Perhaps the doings of Drake and Howard, Medina Sidonia, and Ricalde, would be pressing as much on their attention as the eloquence of Diomede or the wrath of Turnus.  Yet it may be doubted whether the reports of these Grecian envoys might not in truth, be almost as much to the purpose as the despatches of the diplomatic pedant, with his Virgil and his cholic, into whose hands grave matters of peace and war were entrusted in what seemed the day of England’s doom.

“What a lecture I could make with Mr. Cecil on the subject!—­” An English ambassador, at the court of Philip ii.’s viceroy, could indulge himself in imaginary prelections on the AEneid, in the last days of July, of the year of our Lord 1588!

The Doctor, however—­to do him justice—­had put the questions categorically, to his Highness as he had been instructed to do.  He went to Bruges so mysteriously; that no living man, that side the sea, save Lord Derby and Lord Cobham, knew the cause of his journey.  Poor-puzzling James Croft, in particular, was moved almost to tears, by being kept out of the secret.  On the 8/18 July Dale had audience of the Duke at Bruges.  After a few commonplaces, he was invited by the Duke to state what special purpose had brought him to Bruges.

“There is a book printed at Antwerp,” said Dale, “and set forth by a fugitive from England, who calleth himself a cardinal.”

Upon this the Duke began diligently to listen.