'... me dixo que quería descubrirme un secreto, y era que, quando este Beltrán aquí estuuo los meses passados, la auía auisado de cómo Vuestra Magestad trataua de hazerla mattar con veneno, y que a esto auía aquí un çierto griego, y que yo entendía en ello. Yo hize poco caso de oyrlo, y me reý dello; todauía le dixe que, si ella hiziera lo que yo esperaua de su prudençia, me uuiera mandado auisar desto a tiempo que aquel ombre pudiera ser castigado. Ella, como entendió que yo podía agrauiarme desto con razón, boluió luego a dezir que no lo auía aquél reuelado esto aquí, sino en Françia, y que no auía sino dos días que su embaxador se lo auía escritto. A lo qual no tuue qué replicar, aunque conoçí que la escusa era mendicada, antes mostré de creerla y quedar satisfecho. Después he procurado de entender lo que era esto, y hallo que es verdad que aquel Beltrán, que aquí estuuo haurá dos o tres meses, dixo a Sicel que aquel griego Vergecio – del qual tengo escritto a Vuestra Magestad – auía uenido aquí de parte del Papa al ordenar un trattado en que auían los papistas de mattar a la reyna y a Milord Roberto. Y dizen que anduuo Sicel muy ocupado en aueriguar esto, pero al último halló que aquél era un burlador, y que no auía uenido sino a sacar dineros.' (Gutiérrez 2000, pp. 289-92, document 725; Burnett 2020b, pp. 54-5)
['She [Queen Elizabeth] wished to divulge a secret of me, which was that when [Juan Battista] Beltran was here some months ago he had informed her that your Majesty was trying to have her killed by poison, and that for this purpose a certain Greek had come hither and I was concerned in it. I made light of it and laughed, but told her that if she had acted as I should have expected from her prudence she would have informed me of this in time to have the man punished. When she saw that I might have good reason to take offence at this she said that Beltran had not revealed it here but in France, and that her ambassador had only written it to her two days ago. To which I had no answer to make, although I knew the excuse was false. On the contrary I pretended to believe her, and appeared satisfied. I have since endeavoured to get to the bottom of this and find it is true that this Beltran, who was here two or three months ago, told Cecil that the Greek Vergecio, of whom I have already written to your Majesty, had come hither on behalf of the Pope to arrange an agreement by which the papists were to kill the Queen and Lord Robert. It is said that Cecil was very busy investigating the matter, but satisfied himself at last that the man was simply a swindler, and had only come to get money from them.' (translation from Burnett 2020b, p. 55)]
