1564.] THE EMBASSY OF DE SlLVA. i?$ rival each laid on the other the blame of their bad suc- cess. Throgmorton ' chafed and fumed/ ' detested and execrated himself ! ' and then accused his companion of having betrayed to the Queen-mother the secret of the second commission. Smith protested that he could not have betrayed what he did not know ; but five years of ' practice ' and conspiracy were ending in shame ; and Sir Nicholas could not bear it and was unreasonable. Sir Thomas Smith himself describes the scene. ' ' I tell the Queen-mother ! ' quoth I. Why or how should I tell her ? ' ' ' Thou liest ! ' said Throgmorton, ' like a whoreson traitor as thou art ! ' ' ' A whoreson traitor ! Nay, thou liest ! ' quoth I. ' I am as true to the Queen's majesty as thou, every day in the week, and have done and do her Highness as good service as thou.' 1 Hereupon Sir Nicholas drew his dagger, and poured out such terms as his malicious and furious rage had in store ; and called me ' arrant knave/ ' beggarly knave/ 'traitor/ and other such injuries as came next to hand out of his good store. ' I drew my dagger also. Mr Somers stepped be- tween us ; but as he pressed with his dagger to come near me, I bade him stand back and not come no nearer to me, or I would cause him stand back, and give him such a mark as his Bedlam furious head did deserve/ 1 To such a pass had two honest men been brought by 1 Smith to Cecil, April 13 : French MSS. Rolls House.
