The pursuit of God's glory : Francis Walsingham's espionage in Elizabethan politics, 1568-1588
Elizabethan espionage has been mistakenly stereotyped by both popular works and academic historiography as a collective and constitutional state service, working purely for national security. This thesis shifts the focus of the investigation into the world of espionage and intelligence control, moving it from the conventional concern for national defence towards a new location within the power politics of the mid-Elizabethan regime, from 1568 to 1588. From the late 1570s, the divisive policy of English intervention in the continental Protestant warsâwhether such intervention should primarily serve the âadvancement of the Gospelâ, or instead be in the service of English interests and mindful of ruling legitimacyâsplit the Elizabethan intelligence service into rival components. William Cecil Lord Burghley and Principal Secretary Francis Walsingham hence individually organised their clientele-based secretariats and spy systems. The first half of the thesis will explore why and how Walsingham privatised, administered and financed his intelligence clientele. It will further reveal how the two systems competed over intelligence, at home and abroad, attempting to undermine each otherâs prominence inside
Tu, Hsuan-Ying
The pursuit of God's glory : Francis Walsingham's espionage in Elizabethan politics, 1568-1588. Elizabethan espionage has been mistakenly stereotyped by both popular works and academic historiography as a collective and constitutional state service, working purely for national security. This thesis shifts the focus of the investigation into the world of espionage and intelligence control, moving it from the conventional concern for national defence towards a new location within the power politics of the mid-Elizabethan regime, from 1568 to 1588. From the late 1570s, the divisive policy of English intervention in the continental Protestant warsâwhether such intervention should primarily serve the âadvancement of the Gospelâ, or instead be in the service of English interests and mindful of ruling legitimacyâsplit the Elizabethan intelligence service into rival components. William Cecil Lord Burghley and Principal Secretary Francis Walsingham hence individually organised their clientele-based secretariats and spy systems. The first half of the thesis will explore why and how Walsingham privatised, administered and financed his intelligence clientele. It will further reveal how the two systems competed over intelligence, at home and abroad, attempting to undermine each otherâs prominence inside
pursuit god glory elizabethan politics elizabethan mistakenly stereotype popular work academic historiography collective constitutional state service work purely national security shift_focus investigation world intelligence control move conventional concern national defence towards new location within power politics mid elizabethan regime divisive policy english intervention continental protestant war whether intervention primarily serve advancement gospel instead service english interest mindful rule legitimacy split elizabethan intelligence service rival component william lord principal secretary hence individually organise clientele based spy system explore administer intelligence clientele reveal system compete intelligence home_abroad attempt undermine prominence inside