The Winding Stair

Contents Title Page Dedication Epigraph Contents Dramatis Personae I: GENESIS: 1570–1592 1 2: HAMPTON COURT, 1570 3: GORHAMBURY, JUNE 1572 4: GORHAMBURY, JUNE 1572 5: YORK HOUSE, LONDON: JANUARY 1576 6: PARIS, AUTUMN 1576 7: A DEATH, 1579 8: THE PALACE OF WHITEHALL, OCTOBER 1579 9: GRAY’S INN, SPRING 1580 10: LONDON, MARCH 1590 11: LONDON, MARCH 1590 12: LONDON, MARCH 1590 13: GORHAMBURY, SUMMER 1591 II: HUBRIS: 1592–1601 14: LONDON, JANUARY 1594 15: LONDON, OCTOBER 1592 16: TWICKENHAM PARK, OCTOBER 1592 17: THE PALACE OF WESTMINSTER, FEBRUARY 1593 18: THE PALACE OF WESTMINSTER, FEBRUARY 1593 19: ESSEX HOUSE, MARCH 1593 20: WHITEHALL, MARCH 1593 21: ESSEX HOUSE, SUMMER 1593 22: ESSEX HOUSE, SUMMER 1593 23: GRAY’S INN, SUMMER 1593 24: THE LOPEZ TREASON, JANUARY 1594: I 25: THE LOPEZ TREASON, JANUARY 1594: II 26: THE PALACE OF WHITEHALL, APRIL 1594 27: TWICKENHAM PARK, OCTOBER 1595 28: ESSEX HOUSE, SPRING 1596 29: TWICKENHAM PARK, SUMMER 1596 30: CADIZ, AUTUMN 1596 31: THE SEQUEL TO CADIZ, AUTUMN 1596 32: ESSEX HOUSE, MARCH 1597 33: HATTON HOUSE, LONDON, JULY 1597 34: THE CITY OF LONDON, SEPTEMBER 1598 35: HATTON HOUSE, OCTOBER 1598 36: THE PALACE OF WHITEHALL, MARCH 1599 37: NONSUCH PALACE, SEPTEMBER 1599 38: YORK HOUSE, SPRING–SUMMER 1600 39: THE TOWER OF LONDON, FEBRUARY 1601 40: THE TOWER OF LONDON, FEBRUARY 1601 41: WESTMINSTER HALL, FEBRUARY 1601 42: WESTMINSTER HALL, 19 FEBRUARY 1601 43: WESTMINSTER HALL, 19 FEBRUARY 1601 III: NEMESIS: 1601–1608 44: STOKE HOUSE, SUMMER 1603 45: STOKE HOUSE, SUMMER 1603 46: STOKE HOUSE, SUMMER 1603 47: GORHAMBURY, JULY 1603 48: THE STRAND, SEPTEMBER 1603 49: INNER TEMPLE, MICHAELMAS TERM 1604 50: INNER TEMPLE, MICHAELMAS TERM 1604 51: GRAY’S INN, NOVEMBER 1605 52: THE NORWICH ASSIZES, AUGUST 1606 53: THE NORWICH ASSIZES, AUGUST 1606 54: LAMBETH PALACE, OCTOBER 1607 55: THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS, WESTMINSTER HALL, WINTER 1607 56: GORHAMBURY, JULY 1608 57: GORHAMBURY, JULY 1608 IV: KRISIS: 1608–1617 58: YORK HOUSE, 13 NOVEMBER 1608 59: YORK HOUSE, 13 NOVEMBER 1608 60: SALISBURY HOUSE, 13 NOVEMBER 1608 61: SALISBURY HOUSE, MARCH 1609 62: WESTMINSTER, SPRING 1610 63: WESTMINSTER, SPRING 1610 64: YORK HOUSE, SUMMER 1610 65: WESTMINSTER, AUTUMN 1610 66: PARLIAMENT, DECEMBER 1610 67: GORHAMBURY, SPRING 1611 68: LAMBETH PALACE, OCTOBER 1611 69: LONDON, 1611–12: THREE LETTERS 70: THE WEST COUNTRY, MAY 1612 71: GORHAMBURY, SUMMER 1612 72: GORHAMBURY, AUGUST 1613 73: YORK HOUSE, AUTUMN 1614 74: WHITEHALL, FEBRUARY 1615 75: A PRIVATE CONFERENCE, FEBRUARY iii v For Kate, Sam, Nell and Noah vi vii This is a novel. Much of it is made up; almost all of it is true. Any resemblance to actual persons and events, past or present, is unlikely to be coincidental. viii ix All rising to great place is by a winding stair. Francis Bacon, Essays, ‘Of Great Place’ If you would work any man, you must either know his nature and fashions, and so lead him; or his ends, and so persuade him; or his weakness and disadvantages, and so awe him or those that have interest in him, and so govern him. Francis Bacon, Essays, ‘Of Negotiating’ For a crowd is not company; and faces are but a gallery of pictures; and talk but a tinkling cymbal, where there is no love. Francis Bacon, Essays, ‘Of Friendship’x xi CONTENTS Title Page Dedication Epigraph Dramatis Personae I GENESIS: 1570–1592 1. 2. HAMPTON COURT, 1570 3. GORHAMBURY, JUNE 1572 4. GORHAMBURY, JUNE 1572 5. YORK HOUSE, LONDON: JANUARY 1576 6. PARIS, AUTUMN 1576 7. A DEATH, 1579 8. THE PALACE OF WHITEHALL, OCTOBER 1579 9. GRAY’S INN, SPRING 1580 10. LONDON, MARCH 1590 11. LONDON, MARCH 1590 12. LONDON, MARCH 1590 13. GORHAMBURY, SUMMER 1591 II HUBRIS: 1592–1601 14. LONDON, JANUARY 1594 15. LONDON, OCTOBER 1592 16. TWICKENHAM PARK, OCTOBER 1592 17. THE PALACE OF WESTMINSTER, FEBRUARY 1593 18. THE PALACE OF WESTMINSTER, FEBRUARY 1593 19. ESSEX HOUSE, MARCH 1593 20. WHITEHALL, MARCH 1593 21. ESSEX HOUSE, SUMMER 1593 22. ESSEX HOUSE, SUMMER 1593 23. GRAY’S INN, SUMMER 1593 24. THE LOPEZ TREASON, JANUARY 1594: I 25. THE LOPEZ TREASON, JANUARY 1594: II 26. THE PALACE OF WHITEHALL, APRIL 1594 27. TWICKENHAM PARK, OCTOBER 1595 28. ESSEX HOUSE, SPRING 1596 29. TWICKENHAM PARK, SUMMER 1596 30. CADIZ, AUTUMN 1596 31. THE SEQUEL TO CADIZ, AUTUMN 1596 32. ESSEX HOUSE, MARCH 1597 33. HATTON HOUSE, LONDON, JULY 1597 34. THE CITY OF LONDON, SEPTEMBER 1598 35. HATTON HOUSE, OCTOBER 1598 36. THE PALACE OF WHITEHALL, MARCH 1599 37. NONSUCH PALACE, SEPTEMBER 1599 38. YORK HOUSE, SPRING–SUMMER 1600 39. THE TOWER OF LONDON, FEBRUARY 1601 40. THE TOWER OF LONDON, FEBRUARY 1601 41. WESTMINSTER HALL, FEBRUARY 1601 42. WESTMINSTER HALL, 19 FEBRUARY 1601 43. WESTMINSTER HALL, 19 FEBRUARY 1601 III NEMESIS: 1601–1608 44. STOKE HOUSE, SUMMER 1603 45. STOKE HOUSE, SUMMER 1603 46. STOKE HOUSE, SUMMER 1603 47. GORHAMBURY, JULY 1603 48. THE STRAND, SEPTEMBER 1603 49. INNER