Series 1 > Papal negotiations with Mary Queen of Scots during her reign in Scotland, 1561-1567

cxiv PAPAL NEGOTIATIONS WITH MARY
execute this most just punishment with a brave heart for
God’s glory ’ (p. 314).
Unfortunately we know nothing more than this about the
cardinal’s messenger. Neither his name, nor his precise in¬
structions, nor the answer he received appear to be on record.
The cardinal was anxious that the matter should be kept
secret, and he has succeeded. By December the 3rd Laureo
was in receipt of an answer from Mary, refusing the proposals
he had made, and this answer was probably given at the
beginning of November, when Stephen Wilson was starting
with letters from Mary to the Pope (pp. 324 to 329).1
Long before Wilson’s arrival in Paris, Laureo had again
received unexpected instructions from Rome. Nothing less
than orders to put an end to his nunciature altogether and to
return to his see. Laureo, with commendable independence,
as it seems to me, decided to suspend obedience until he should
really come to an understanding with Mary about her policy
of conciliation and compromise. Nor did the Pope blame him
for so doing, and asserting himself with more steadfastness
than might have been expected from a man with his obsequious
reverence for authority.
The orders to return are endorsed as having been received
on the 20th of October (p. 287). Laureo had then probably
just returned from Gaillon, where he had been presented at
court. His somewhat pompous account of his audience,
though rather tedious to us, was evidently written with a good
spice of self-satisfaction; the letter of recall, therefore, must
have been a little unwelcome. He straightway went again to
the Cardinal of Lorraine, and together they decided on the
next step to be taken (p. 303). To Rome he sent fresh letters,
urging patience and delay till he had ‘ discovered the whole of
1 If the conjecture made above (p. lx) be true, if Buchanan, in the passage
there quoted, refers to this message from the cardinal, then Mary not only
refused, but told Murray of her refusal.