Editing Ridolfi plot (section)

===Discovery===
In 1571, Elizabeth's intelligence network was sending her information about a plot against her life. By gaining the confidence of Spain's ambassador to England, [[John Hawkins (naval commander)|John Hawkins]] learned the details of the conspiracy and notified the government so as to arrest the plotters. Elizabeth was also sent a private warning by [[Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany]], who had learned of the plot against her. [[Charles Baillie (papal agent)|Charles Baillie]], Ridolfi's messenger, was arrested on c.12 April 1571 at [[Dover, England|Dover]] for carrying compromising letters, and by the use of [[torture]] and prison informers such as [[William Herle (spy)|William Herle]], he was forced to reveal the cipher of the messages he carried.

On 29 August 1571, Norfolk's secretaries William Barker and Robert Higford entrusted to Thomas Browne, a [[Shrewsbury Drapers Company|Shrewsbury draper]], what was purported to be a bag of silver coin for delivery to Laurence Bannister, one of Norfolk's officials in the north of England. Browne grew suspicious of the bag's weight, opened it, and discovered 600 pounds in gold from the French ambassador, destined for Scotland on Mary's behalf, and ciphered letters. Because he knew Norfolk was under suspicion, Browne reported his find to [[William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley]], the [[Secretary of State (England)|Secretary of State]]. Higford and Barker were interrogated, the letters were partly deciphered, and a search for the cipher key at Howard House uncovered a ciphered letter from Mary Stuart hidden under a doormat.

Norfolk's servants were arrested and interrogated, and confessions were extracted from them by threats or application of torture. Sir Thomas Smith and Thomas Wilson were sent to confront Norfolk, who claimed the money was for his own private purposes. The deciphered letter, however, proved that he was lying. Unaware of his servants' confessions or the survival of letters which, contrary to his instructions, had not been burnt, he denied the charges against him. On 7 September, the queen's warrant for conveying him to the [[Tower of London]] arrived. Thereupon, the duke admitted a degree of involvement in the transmission of money and correspondence to Mary's Scottish supporters. In January 1572, Norfolk was tried and convicted on three counts of high treason, and on 2 June he was beheaded on [[Tower Hill]].

[[Guerau de Espés|Guerau de Spes]], the Spanish ambassador, was expelled from the country in January 1571.{{sfn|Jenkins|1958|p=179|ps=}} Still abroad when the plot was discovered, Ridolfi never returned to England; he became a Florentine senator in 1600.