proceedings in the establishment of their amity.'1 In the delay of the Parliament the Queen of Scots had gained one step of vital moment; she had next to obtain the consent of her own people to her marriage with Darnley; she had to strengthen the Lennox faction that it might be strong enough to support her against the Hamiltons, and when this was done to get the person of Darnley into her hands.

Lennox himself was distributing presents with lavish generosity in the Court at Holyrood. Melville when he returned to Scotland carried back with him Lady Margaret's choicest jewels to be bestowed to the best advantage. For the full completion of the scheme it was necessary to delude Elizabeth into the belief that Mary Stuart would give way about Leicester; and having satisfied her that she really had nothing to fear from Darnley's visit to Edinburgh, to obtain leave of absence for him for three months to assist Lennox in the recovery of his property. When the father and son were once on Scottish soil she could then throw off the mask.

The ambassador had employed his time well in England making friends for his mistress, and had carried back with him from London profuse promises of service; some from honourable men who looked to Mary Stuart's succession as a security for the peace of the country, some from the courtier race who desired to save their own fortunes should the revolution come.

1 Message sent by Randolph to the Queen of Scots, October 4: Scotch MSS. Rolls House.

Among these last was Leicester-that very Leicester in whose affection Elizabeth was blindly confiding, who was to be her own protection when she had named Mary Stuart her heir. The man who thought it no preposterous ambition to aspire to the hand of Elizabeth, excused himself to Melville with abject apologies as having been forced to appear as the suitor of a princess whose shoes he was unworthy to loose; he implored the Queen of Scots to pardon him for the proud pretences which were set forward for his undoing by Cecil and his secret enemies.'1.

On the position and views of Lord Robert-on the state of feeling at the Court-on the Scotch and other questions-additional light is thrown by a letter of de Silva written on the 9th of October.

DE SILVA TO PHILIP.2

London, October 9.

'The gentleman sent hither from the Court of Scotland has returned, and this Queen has written by him to say that for various reasons there will be no Parliament this year. The succession question therefore will be allowed to rest. She says she is not so old that her death need be so perpetually dragged before her.

'Cecil has intimated to the heretical bishops that they must look to their clergy; the Queen is determined to bring them to order and will no longer tolerate their extravagances.

1 MELVILLE's Memoirs.

MS. Simancas.

'He desires them too to be careful how they proceed against the Catholics; the Queen will not have her good subjects goaded into sedition by calumnies on their creed or by irritating inquiries into their conduct. I am told that the bishops do not like these cautions. Cecil understands his mistress and says nothing to her but what she likes to hear. He thus keeps her in good humour and maintains his position. Lord Robert is obliged to be on terms with him although at heart he hates him as much as ever. Cecil has more genius than the rest of the council put together and is therefore envied and hated on all sides.

'The Queen, happening to speak to me about the beginning of her reign, mentioned that circumstances had at first obliged her to dissemble her real feelings in religion; but God knew, she said, that her heart was sound in his service; with more to the same purpose: she wanted to persuade me that she was orthodox, but she was less explicit than I could have wished.

'I told her (she knew it already) that the preachers railed at her in the most insolent language for keeping the cross on the altar of her chapel. She answered that she meant to have crosses generally restored throughout the realm.

Again and again she has said to me, 'I am insulted both in England and abroad for having shown more favour than I ought to have shown to the Lord Robert. I am spoken of as if I were an immodest woman. ought not to wonder at it: I have favoured him because of his excellent disposition and for his many merits;

I

but I am young and he is young and therefore we have been slandered. God knows they do us grievous wrong, and the time will come when the world will know it also. I do not live in a corner- —a thousand eyes see all that I do and calumny will not fasten on me for ever.'

She went on to speak of the Queen of Scots, whose beauty she warmly praised.

"Some tell me,' she said, 'that my sister will marry your Prince after all.'

'I laughed and said that the last story which I had heard was that the Queen of Scots was to marry the King of France.

'She said that could not be, The Queen-mother and the Queen of Scots were not good friends.'

'The Lord Robert, whom they now call Earl of Leicester, has been with me again repeating his protestations of a desire to be of use to your Majesty. He mentioned particularly the troubles in the Low Countries and the necessity of taking steps to pacify them.

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'I assured him of the confidence which your Majesty felt in his integrity and of the desire which entertained for his advancement. I repeated the words which the Queen had used to me about religion; and I said that now when she was so well disposed there was an opportunity for him which he should not allow to escape. If the Queen could make up her mind to marry him and to reunite England to the Catholic Church your Majesty would stand by him, and he should soon experience the effects of your Majesty's good-will towards him; the Queen's safety should be perfectly

secured and he should be himself maintained in the reputation and authority which he deserved.

He answered that the Queen had put it off so long that he had begun to fear she would never marry him at all. He professed himself very grateful for my offer, but of religion he said nothing. In fact he is too illinformed in such matters to take a resolute part on either side unless when he has some other object to gain.

'I told him that the dependence of the Catholics was wholly on the Queen and himself. To him they attributed the preservation of the bishops and of the other prisoners; and I said that by saving their lives he had gained the good-will of all Christian princes abroad and of all the Catholics at home, who as he well knew were far more numerous than those of the new religion. The heretics notoriously hated both him and his mistress, and had not the Catholics been so strong would long ago have given them trouble; the Queen could see what was before her in the book on the succession, which after all it appeared she was afraid to punish.

'His manner was friendly, but I know not what he will do. Had the Catholics as much courage as the heretics, he would declare for them quickly enough, for he admits that they are far the larger number; things are in such a state that the father does not trust his child.'

To return to the Queen of Scots' marriage. Notwithstanding Lennox's efforts and Lady Margaret's jewels the Scottish noblemen were difficult to manage.