ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the repercussions of the Marian regime and the significant shifts that took place in the English government with Elizabeth's accession. Central among them was the employment of William Cecil as Secretary of State and his patronage of Francis Walsingham, at the time a young and uninfluential Member of Parliament. The chapter examines the backgrounds of both Cecil and Walsingham relative to their later importance to the rise of English intelligence, situating both Cecil and Walsingham within the early religious and political tensions faced by Elizabeth leading up to 1570. This chapter also introduces the early shape and practices of the intelligence social network as it was created and managed by Cecil.
