chment of his friends, he had even engaged a person of
that virtue and prudence to entertain thoughts of bringing over part of
his army into England, and of forcing the queen to declare the king
of Scots her successor.[*] And such was Essex's impatient ardor, that,
though James declined this dangerous expedient, he still endeavored to
persuade Mountjoy not to desist from the project; but the deputy,
who thought that such violence, though it might be prudent, and even
justifiable, when supported by a sovereign prince, next heir to the
crown, would be rash and criminal if attempted by subjects, absolutely
refused his concurrence. The correspondence, however, between Essex
and the court of Scotland was still conducted with great secrecy and
cordiality; and that nobleman, besides conciliating the favor of
James, represented all his own adversaries as enemies to that prince's
succession, and as men entirely devoted to the interests of Spain, and
partisans of the chimerical title of the infanta.

* Birch's Memoirs, vol. ii. p. 471.

The infanta and the archduke Albert had made some advances to the queen
for peace; and Boulogne, as a neutral town, was chosen for the place of
conference. Sir Henry Nevil, the English resident in France, Herbert,
Edmondes, and Beale, were sent thither as ambassadors from England; and
negotiated with Zuniga, Carillo, Richetrdot, and Verheiken, ministers
of Spain and the archduke: but the conferences were soon broken off,
by disputes with regard to the ceremonial. Among the European states,
England had ever been allowed the precedency above Castile, Arragon,
Portugal, and the other kingdoms of which the Spanish monarchy was
composed; and Elizabeth insisted, that this ancient right was not lost
on account of the junction of these states, and that that monarchy in
its present situation, though it surpassed the English in extent as well
as in power, could not be compared with it in point of antiquity, the
only durable and regular foundation of precedency among kingdoms as well
as noble families. That she might show, however, a pacific disposition,
she was content to yield to an equality; but the Spanish ministers, as
their nation had always disputed precedency even with France, to which
England yielded, would proceed no further in the conference till their
superiority of rank were acknowledged.[*] During the preparations for
this abortive negotiation, the earl of Nottingham, the admiral,
Lord Bu