Note 255 — Chapter VIII
Reading edition
Gregorio Leti in his Historia di Elisabetta publishes a letter written by Elizabeth to the Admiral (vol. i., p. 171) in which she declined the offer of his hand. There is no possibility of verifying the fact, as the original letter to which Leti had access has since disappeared; but as he has proved himself careful in instances which have been verified, there is no reason to doubt his accuracy in those which cannot be submitted to a like scrutiny.