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

cxlii PAPAL NEGOTIATIONS WITH MARY
in our telegrams, but they can be repeated, whereas ciphers
could not (pp. 62, 466, 467, etc.).
Sir Thomas Smith says of one of his letters to Cecil that
it was ‘ a rabblement of news almost out of all countries in
Christendom , (p. 194), and I may say something similar of
this collection of documents. Now in a rabble, however care¬
fully policed, some confusion and disorder can hardly be
altogether avoided, and no one can be more sensible than
myself that I have not succeeded in eliminating all such defects
from my motley gathering of pieces in many languages and
dialects, and drawn from far distant and scattered sources.
Occasionally I have had to work under pressure, as a traveller
must, occasionally to wait interminably for answers of foreign
correspondents, my only means of settling the doubts that
arose while I was employed in the actual work of editing.
Hoping that my kind readers will on this score make allowance
for the defects which they may notice, I conclude by acknow¬
ledging my great obligations to the many friends who have
assisted me in my work.
Without attempting to enumerate the names of all the kind
helpers at home and in Italy, France, and Germany, whose
assistance in the past years has enabled me to accomplish
my task, I must not omit to mention the Rev. Monsignor
Wenzel, Archivist of the Vatican, without whose assistance
this collection of documents could never have been brought
together. Nor again should I easily have accomplished my
task without the aid of the papers and memoranda which
were left me by the late Father Joseph Stevenson, S. J.
To the Scottish History Society, and to its secretary, Dr.
T. G. Law, I must express my hearty thanks for their readiness
in making every possible arrangement which could conduce to
the successful production of this work, and to the latter
especially I am indebted for many valuable suggestions, the
good influence of which I can trace throughout the whole