In [Scene 24] of The Massacre at Paris, the wounded Henri III demands that the English agent be summoned to him, as he wishes to inform Elizabeth I of the attempt on his life.
The term 'agent' in this case means someone who acts as the ambassador.1 This was Sir Edward Stafford at the time, but he had been recalled in March 1589 and did not return to France until October. His chargé d’affaires was William Lyly, who was actually summoned to Saint-Cloud on 1 August 1589 to visit the wounded Henri III. At that time, however, it was still assumed that the king would survive the assassination.2
The Massacre at Paris
In the drama, the English agent is a silent role that keeps the critics quite busy. Roma Gill privately suggested that Marlowe hereby brought Sir Thomas Walsingham onto the stage, whereas Edward J. Esche argues for Francis Walsingham, who was ambassador to Paris from December 1570 to April 1573.3 Why Marlowe should assume that one or the other Walsingham happened to be wandering around Saint-Clou in the summer of 1589 unfortunately remains unanswered. According to Andrew Kirk, the agent even represents Elizabeth I and her alliance with Henri de Navarre, bringing English stability to chaotic France and sanctioning Navarre’s plans for revenge.4
