Dudley and the Council of Trent--The Bishop of Aquila tricked --Eric makes another attempt--Dudley again approaches the Bishop--The suitors for Mary of Scotland--Darnley--The Archduke Charles--Dudley--Melvil’s mission to Elizabeth-- Hans Casimir--French approaches. When it was clear that the Archduke Charles was shelved and that Cecil and the Protestants were urging the suit of the Prince of Sweden, who evidently meant business, it behoved Dudley to make a countermove. Bishop Quadra had over and over again said he had found him out, and would not be deceived by him again; but in January, 1561, only four months after Lady Robert Dudley’s death, Sir Henry Sidney came to see the Bishop. Sir Henry was Lord Robert’s brother-in-law, and had always belonged to the Spanish or Catholic party, and consequently was a _persona grata_ with Quadra, especially as he was a near relative of the Duchess of Feria (Jane Dormer) whose husband was the Bishop’s great patron. He came (of course from Dudley), and after much beating about the bush said that as the Queen’s attachment to Lord Robert, and her desire to marry him were now public, he, Sidney, was much surprised that some approach was not made to Dudley on behalf of the King of Spain; as in the event of a helping hand being extended to him now, “he would hereafter serve and obey your Majesty like one of your own vassals.” The Bishop intimated that there was no particular reason why his master should put himself out of the way about it, as he had nothing to gain in the matter, although if the Queen expressed a desire for his good offices he would be always ready to extend courtesy to her. But really such strange tales were afloat, said the Bishop, that he had not dared to write to the King about them. Sidney took the bull by the horns and said that if the Bishop were satisfied about Lady Robert’s death he saw no other reason for hesitation, “as after all, though it was a love affair, the object of it was marriage, and there was nothing illicit about it.” He had, he said, inquired carefully into Lady Robert’s death, and was satisfied that it was an accident, although he knew that public opinion held to the contrary. The Bishop was very dubious upon the point, and said drily that it would be difficult for Lord Robert to make things appear as he represented them. Sidney admitted that no one believed it was an accident, and that even preachers in the pulpits impugned the honour of the Queen in the matter. This led him to the real object of his visit, which was to propose that in return for the King of Spain’s help towards Dudley’s marriage he would undertake to “restore religion.” The Bishop still held off, reminding him of how he had been tricked by Robert and the Queen before through Sidney’s wife, and refused to move unless the Queen herself spoke about it and told him what to write to his master. This, said Sidney, was impossible, unless he broached the subject