The Quality of Mercy (85 page)

Authors: Faye Kellerman

Tags: #Contemporary Women, #Dramatists, #Mystery & Detective, #General, #Drama, #Literary Criticism, #Shakespeare, #Historical, #Fiction

Lopez had also worked closely with Manuel de Andrada in furthering the cause of Don Antonio. It was de Andrada who gave Lopez the indicting ruby and diamond ring in 1591. Lopez did offer it to the Queen, and she refused to take it, perhaps after learning about its origins. Meanwhile, de Andrada had shown himself to be an untrustworthy man, not only to his former master Don Antonio, but to England as well. Eventually Lord Burghley placed de Andrada under house arrest in Lopez’s home in 1592. But a year later, de Andrada escaped to the Low Countries, never to be heard from again. It was de Andrada who first suggested Lopez’s willingness to poison Don Antonio for King Philip of Spain. But the veracity of this indictment remains in doubt.

Nevertheless, Lopez was arrested in January 1594, accused of plotting to poison the Queen and planning to destroy and burn England’s warships. Lord Essex was the driving wind behind Lopez’s arrest, levying treasonous charges against Lopez in a letter written to his spymaster, Antony Bacon. Lopez was tried at Guildhall, the evidence against him a ring given to him by the King of Spain, correspondence written by de Andrada that mentioned Lopez’s willingness to poison Don Antonio for King Philip, and a mysterious letter that spoke of the purchase price of pearls, musk, and amber. These cryptic words were eventually interpreted by the trial committee. Pearls meant Lopez’s price for poisoning the Queen, the musk and amber, the price of burning the ships. Dr. Lopez was hung and quartered at Tyburn in June 1594.

In all probability, Lopez was innocent of the charges against him. However, correspondence with the King of Spain showed Lopez to have been a shrewd negotiator, a keen politician, and an expert in the methods of poisoning. As for Lord Essex, his political ambitions finally proved too much for Elizabeth. He was found guilty of treason and beheaded in February 1601.

The Lopez case attracted the attention of England’s masses and its anti-Jewish ramifications captured the interest of London’s playwrights. Many Shakespearean scholars believe Dr. Lopez was the prototype for Shylock in
The Merchant of Venice
. It has even been suggested that Shylock’s traditional red beard emanated from Richard Burbage’s personal knowledge of Dr. Lopez’s appearance. (They both had been in the service of the Earl of Leicester.)
The Merchant of Venice
has been carefully scanned for allusions to Lopez and some have been found. For example: Act IV, scene i, lines 130–140, contains references to Shylock as a wolf. In Latin, wolf is Lupes, hence Lopez. Similarly, the name of Shylock’s chief rival is Antonio. Does this refer to Don Antonio, Lopez’s enemy at the time of his execution? If allusions are looked for, allusions will be found. Only Shakespeare knew what he had in mind.

About the Author

FAYE KELLERMAN
introduced L.A. cop Peter Decker and his wife, Rina Lazarus, to the mystery world nineteen years ago. Since then she has published fifteen Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus novels, including the
New York Times
bestsellers
The Forgotten
and
Stalker
. She is also the author of
Moon Music
, a contemporary thriller set in Las Vegas, and
The Quality of Mercy
, an historical novel of Elizabethan England. Ms. Kellerman lives in California with her husband, noted author Jonathan Kellerman, and their four children, three dogs, and fish too numerous to count.