ABSTRACT
Chapter eight examines the intelligence network in the final years of Elizabeth's reign, looking particularly at the end of the Cecil-Essex rivalry following the death of William Cecil, the fall of Robert Devereux, and Robert Cecil's full assumption of the power and offices of both Principal Secretary and spymaster of the realm. During these years, Cecil had to employ intelligence agents in his attempts to manage the government during rebellions in Ireland and the Netherlands, the Essex Conspiracy, and the Archpriest Controversy. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the role played by intelligencers in the vetting and selection of Elizabeth's heir, James VI of Scotland, and the transition from the end of the Tudor Dynasty to the new Stuart regime.
