Series 3 > Mary Queen of Scots and the Babington plot

Ixxxvi MARY STUART AND THE BABINGTON PLOT
was denounced openly during the trial of Edward Windsor,
who having at first escaped capture, was tried later.
Though of course sentenced, he escaped death through the
intercession of his mother. He afterwards wrote to Hatton
(30 May 1587) explaining his pleas. He says that Mawde,
and Jacques 1 (Jacomo Francisci) earnestly persuaded him
not to give up Ballard (as Windsor was about to do).
They were, he said, ‘ the chief workers of this conspiracy,
and wholly employed by Ballard. ... I call upon them
to appear at the King’s Bench.’ 2
I have found only one of Mawde’s letters to Walsingham,
1 August 1586, written after Ballard had given him the
slip and had returned to London. He writes as we might
expect at that time, confessing that for the moment he
has no news. On the 5th of August, Walsingham writes
to Elizabeth that Mawde had never got thoroughly into
Ballard’s confidence, so that it seemed useless to employ
him any further.3 That he was a very odious traitor is
clear enough; though perhaps not a very effective
one.
We hear of Mawde again in 1592, when having gone to
Spanish Flanders, in order to continue his trade of spying,
1 Jacomo Francisci, commonly called Captain Jacques, was a soldier of
fortune, born in Antwerp of a Venetian father. He was now in the
following of Hatton; later, 1589, he entered the service of the Duke of
Parma, and from that time was constantly accused by English spies of
encouraging others to attack Elizabeth. This must greatly strengthen
the suspicions which arise from charges such as the above. It does not
seem that he was admitted to Babington’s conspiracy, which was formed
in June ; and the reason for this may be that he was then in Ireland. He
was in prison in the Fleet before he went over to Parma, but we know not
why. Tyrrell in his Confessions charged him with being Ballard’s constant
companion, and a participator in all his plottings ; but in his retractions
he recalled some six times all charges of disloyalty.
2 R.O., Domestic Elizabeth, cci. n. 50, 30 May 1587. Typping also
declared that ‘ Ballard and Mawde told him about the invasion.’
3 Boyd, viii. 579, 589 ; the latter is also printed, Tytler, iv. 130. The
letter of 1 August is written under the alias Montalto. The MS. is R.O.,
Scotland, xli. n. 4.