Series 3 > Mary Queen of Scots and the Babington plot

Ixiv MARY STUART AND THE BABINGTON PLOT
he put it into the corked tube, and slipped this through the
bung-hole of the beer barrel, which he delivered at Mary’s
side of the house. There the tube was taken out and carried
into Mary’s little chancery. Then the covering letter from
Gilbert Gifford, or Barnes, was at once opened and read,
and a few lines of answer were sent out, while the brewer
rested his horses after their long journey, some eighteen
miles, from Burton. The covering letters which survive
show vividly the working of the secret post. (Below, pp.
1-48.)
No sooner was the new post going regularly, and in
appearance safely, than Elizabeth made a mysterious
speech to the French ambassador (April 1586).
‘ Monsieur Ambassador,’ she said, ‘ you have much secret
intelligence with the Queen of Scotland. But, believe me, /
know everything that is done in my kingdom. Besides, since I
was a prisoner in the time of the Queen my sister, I know what
artifices prisoners use to gain over servants, and to have secret
information.’
Chateauneuf was full of suspicion at this ; but could
not believe that Elizabeth was for once talking truth. It
was a pity he did not tell Mary.1
Note on Old and New Style in Dates.
In the correspondence which will follow, it is necessary to
take account of the different styles of reckoning time. Since
January 1584 France had adopted the more correct calendar
introduced by Pope Gregory xm. (hence called ‘ Gregorian
Calendar ’), while England still kept to the older reckoning
which was ten days behind the other (hence called ‘ Old Style ’).
Russia still follows Old Style, which is now thirteen days
behind New Style, which we in England have meanwhile
adopted. Hence the date, Petrograd, 10/23 January 1920,
means the day called 10 January in Russia, 23 January in
London. Similarly Paris, 1/11 January 1585, means the day
Labanofi, vi. 291.