“At the house aforesaid, the 16th day of August 1554.”

* Stephen Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester.

But nothing came of his efforts to get himself released, and the unequal contest between his “scrupulousness,” and Elizabeth’s astute, unfathomable diplomacy was still to be waged for many months.  Her request to be allowed to send a verbal message to the Council by one of her servants was indeed declined, but she received permission to commit her petition to paper.  On the 20th September, Sir Henry wrote to the Council:—­

Upon the return of my brother Edmund with your honourable letters dated at Hampton Court the 15th of this present month, I did take knowledge that your lordships had obtained of the Queen’s Majesty that my lady Elizabeth’s Grace might write unto your lordships, delivering the same unto me to be addressed unto your honours, inclosed in my letter, by one of her grace’s extraordinary servants; whereupon the Monday, being the 17th day in the forenoon of the same, I declared that your lordships had granted her Grace’s late desire in form above said, which was glad tidings as I took it.  Yet her Grace at that time did neither command me to prepare things for her Grace to write with nor named who should be her messenger, and so I departed.  Her Grace never spake words of that matter more till the Sunday following, in the time of her Grace’s walk at the afternoon, at which time her Grace commanded to prepare her pen and ink and paper against the next day, which I did.  Upon Monday in the morning her Grace sent Mistress Morton, the Queen’s Highness’s woman for the same, to whom I delivered a standsel [an inkstand] with five pens, two sheets of fine paper and one coarse sheet, enclosing the same with this request unto the said Mistress Morton, that she should make suit to my lady’s Grace on my behalf, that it would please her Grace not to use the same but in the sight of Mistress Tomio or her.  And the same Mistress Morton did this, and brought me word that her Grace had consented to my said suit, and that I should also send word unto Francis Verney, her Grace’s ordinary servant lying in the town of Woodstock, with her cofferer to be messenger.  Where I perceive they use as much privy conference to her Grace and from her as they list, even as I advertised your lordships long ago.  The house also being a common inn wherein they do lie, and they so politic as they be, I can get no knowledge of their doings by any espyal; this only I am sure of they meet not together in person.  At the afternoon, in her Grace’s going to walk, I heard her say she had such pain in her head that she could write no more that day.  Tuesday in the morning, as I learned of Mistress Morton, she washed her head.”

On the 4th October he wrote to the queen:—­