The Secret Correspondence of Robert Cecil and James I.

Robert Cecil.

In  this series:

• The Essex Rebellion and the Earl of Southampton.
• The Secret Correspondence of Robert Cecil and James I.
• Who Saved Southampton from the Ax?

Robert Devereux, the Earl of Essex, must indeed have been a particularly charismatic man.  He was constantly burnishing his credentials for bravery, energy and comradery — all the most valued traits of a Tudor nobleman.  He sought out go-getters the likes of the Bacon brothers — Anthony and Francis — to advertise those credentials and to forward his projects.  His allies were unusually devoted to him.

When he marched off to subdue Ireland, waving at the adoring well-wishers that lined the streets of London, surely he believed that he had a magic touch.  Much beloved and supported by a Queen who adored him, every success seemed to come easily.

As he was planning an armed attempt to “secure the person of the Queen,” after having returned from the country, in disgrace, and to force her to dismiss ministers who did not satisfy him, he was waiting for a return letter from King James VI of Scotland.  The King — intent not to be passed over as heir to the throne after the ailing Elizabeth I — had been susceptible to Essex’s swaggering comportment, his fame in England.  Should Essex fail to regain his status, the King’s carefully assembled support within the country was in danger of evaporating.

James had wisely avoided becoming party to Essex’s military schemes.  The present letter, however, pled for diplomatic support.  There would certainly be contenders for a throne with no declared heir.  His right by heredity could all too easily fail to carry the day and the matter descend to internecine warfare.  He must begin to assert himself in terms that made clear his intent to have his rights. 

In spite of the 67 year old Queen’s often fragile health, however, she kept on rising from the ashes and dancing a galliard, reported throughout Europe, with one or another dignitary.  A famous mathematician had predicted that she would live beyond her 75^th birthday.[1]  James needed to reestablish the position of Essex in order to be prepared for the long haul.

Unfortunately for King James’s plans, Essex was considering a treasonous rebellion in parallel with his diplomatic pleas.  Elizabeth’s councilors were, by all appearances, aware of his every move.  A knock came at the door that made it clear that their conspiracy had been discovered.  The rebellion had to be initiated the next day. 

For all James had expedited his special embassy to save the Earl, Devereux was executed before they arrived.  The Scottish ambassadors, however, were ordered to continue to the English Court.  The King changed his instructions, becoming even more aggressive in his posture:

ye must so deal with Mr Secretary [Robert Cecil], and her principal guiders, as ye may assure them, that, as I find my requests answered in these points, I will make account of their affections towards me accordingly; and if in these points I be satisfied, that ye have power to give them full assurance of my favour, especially to Mr Secretary, who is king there in effect.[2]

He needed to impress Elizabeth’s advisors that he would soon be King and would not take it well if they did not assist toward that end in every way they might.  Especially Robert Cecil, the First Secretary, who was actually ruling the country under the Queen’s name.  He should consider deeply that he would no longer rule once James was King.  His fate would be utterly in the hands of the new Monarch.

Robert Cecil was a supremely practical man.  He informed the ambassadors that he supported the King as true heir.  Acceptance by the Queen, however, was not to be expected.  Should she think for a minute that Cecil was already executing orders from James his duties as First Secretary would be impossible and he would be of no use to the King.

The First Secretary would serve the Queen with perfect dedication however true it was that his service often meant convincing her she wanted what he considered best.  While he was transcribing her personal letters[3] because her hand shook too much to be legible and announcing decisions that she sometimes had only nominally made, matters of state could  not possibly be discussed with the King.  The King would decide no policies until the Queen would die.

Nevertheless, Cecil and the King would secretly correspond.[4]  Their names would be replaced with numbers.  James would send the first dispatch confirming agreement with Cecil’s conditions and the ambassador’s report that the First Secretary was an ally:

the honorable reporte that thay haue maid of him to 30 [James], quhom to thay haue, upon the perrel of thaire credit, geuin full assurance of the sinceritie of 10 [Cecil]; and because 30 [James] can not haue the occasion to speake face to face with 10 [Cecil], that, out of his owin mouthe, he may giue him full assurance of his thankefull acceptance, of his plaine and honorable dealing,…[5]

Cecil’s invaluable guidance would be available this way.  Also, the King would be comforted to know that he controlled the necessary levers of power to ascend the throne on the natural death of the Queen.

It is certain that Cecil had for years favored James as heir to the throne.  To declare, however, would have put the Queen in a rage.  His ability to keep the ship of state on course would have been destroyed (along, perhaps, with his life).  To have done so secretly would have aligned him with Essex and his highly unstable allies thus being tarnished with their activities and possibly leaving them at liberty to blackmail him at any time should he refuse their demands on any matter.

Essex out of the way, the First Secretary could very carefully declare his candidate to a tiny group of dependable power players in each kingdom.  Their secret correspondence would continue until it transitioned into official state correspondence upon the death of the Queen.

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[1] “A French Portrait of Queen Elizabeth.”  The Gentleman's Magazine. July—December, 1859. 567.

[2] Goldsmid, Edwin. The secret correspondence of Sir Robert Cecil with James VI, King of Scotland (1887), 8.

[3] Strickland, Agnes.  The Life of Queen Elizabeth (1906, 1910), 692.  "Endorsed in the hand of Robert Cecil : 2— ' A copy of her Majesty's letter, lest you cannot read it,' then in Lord Mountjoye's hand, 'received in January, at Arbracken.'"  I am only aware of this one documented instance but it can hardly have proven wise just once.  Strickland does not give a citation and I’ve yet to find one.  The content indicates it was  written after Essex returned from Ireland and before the Essex Rebellion.

[4] Bruce, John. Correspondence of King James VI. of Scotland with Sir Robert Cecil and others (1861), xxxv.  The names of the various correspondents that would form the confidential group (upon the approval of Cecil) would be replaced with code numbers.

[5] Bruce, 1.

Also at Virtual Grub Street:

• The Fascinating Itinerary of the Gelosi Troupe, 1576.  June 10, 2019.  “The Spanish soldiers had not been paid and unpaid soldiers tend to rob and loot.  The citizens were prepared to give them a fight.  Violent flare ups were occurring everywhere.”
• A Thousand Years of English Terms.  June 2, 2019.  ‘One person did not say to another, “Meet you at three o’clock”.    There was no clock to be o’.  But the church bell rang the hour of Nones and you arranged to meet “upon the Nones bell”.’
• A Most Curious Account of the Funeral of Queen Elizabeth I: April 28, 1603.  April 28, 2019.  “Once it was clear that James I would face no serious challenges, Cecil and the others could begin to give attention to the matter of the Queen’s funeral.”
• The Battle Over Shakespeare's Early and Late Plays. September 24, 2018. “The answers to the post-Oxford dilemma, of course, are three.”
• Stratford Shakespeare’s Undersized Grave.  July 22, 2018.  “Mr. Coll’s considers this evidence to support an old rumor that Shakspere’s head had been stolen in 1794.  But I submit that he is merely making his observation based upon a coincidence.”
• Check out the English Renaissance Article Index for many more articles and reviews about this fascinating time and about the Shakespeare Authorship Question.