ABSTRACT
The fifth chapter focuses specifically on the deployment of intelligence surrounding the Babington Plot to replace Elizabeth with Mary Queen of Scots, one of the most coordinated—and well-documented—uses of Walsingham's intelligence service. The chapter discusses the tactics developed during the years leading up to the execution of the Scottish queen, including cryptography, forging, and the use of double agents, as well as the establishment of a formal Black Chamber by the English government. In the process, we examine both the overall intelligence network and the network of agents specifically employed in undermining the Babington Conspiracy, demonstrating the significant influence of the operation on the overall structure and function of the network.
