Majesty's governors in the Netherlands, they dismissed him with good
wishes, and with "crowns for convoy" in his purse to the amount of a
revenue of two thousand yearly. His secret correspondence was
intercepted and made known a few weeks after his departure for that
terrible Spain whence so few travellers returned.

For a moment we follow him thither. With a single word in anticipation,
concerning the causes and the consummation of this celebrated murder,
which was delayed till the following year, the unfortunate Escovedo may
be dismissed from these pages. It has been seen how artfully Antonio
Perez, Secretary of State, paramour of Princess Eboli, and ruling
councillor at that day of Philip, had fostered in the King's mind the
most extravagant suspicions as to the schemes of Don John, and of his
confidential secretary. He had represented it as their fixed and secret
intention, after Don John should be finally established on the throne of
England, to attack Philip himself in Spain, and to deprive him of his
crown, Escovedo being represented as the prime instigator and controller
of this astounding plot, which lunatics only could have engendered, and
which probably never had existence.

No proof of the wild design was offered. The language which Escovedo was
accused by Perez of having held previously to his departure for Flanders
--that it was the intention of Don John and himself to fortify the rock
of Mogio, with which, and with the command of the city of Santander, they
could make themselves masters of Spain after having obtained possession
of England,--is too absurd to have been uttered by a man of Escovedo's
capacity. Certainly, had Perez been provided with the least scrap of
writing from the hands of Don John or Escovedo which could be tortured
into evidence upon this point, it would have been forthcoming, and would
have rendered such fictitious hearsay superfluous. Perez in connivance