Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 9.djvu/299

I570-] EXCOMMUNICATION OF ELIZABETH. 285 When the excommunication appeared, Elizabeth was assured that it had been issued with the sanction of one or both of the Great Powers. That the Pope would have taken so considerable a step without consulting them appeared extremely improbable ; and taken in connection with La Mothe's language, it seemed to tell her that her time at last was come. The Channel fleet was instantly reinforced : Lord Clinton took the com- mand in person, with orders to sink at once and without question any French transports that he might find carry- ing troops to Scotland. The country could on the whole be relied on if attacked only by France ; but the ques- tions of internal policy, and of the Queen of Scots espe- cially, became more deeply complicated. The uncer- tainties revived. The advocates of the Queen of Scots' restoration were able to insist upon their arguments with increased plausibility, and a great meeting of the privy council was called at their instance to consider the situation. From the moment that Lennox had been sent tc Berwick, Arundel had never ceased to remonstrate. Sharp words had been exchanged between him and Cecil in the Queen's presence. Arundel had been speaking as usual in favour of the Bishop of Ross and the treaty, when Cecil burst out, that the Queen had no friends but the Protestants, and if she yielded she would lose them all. Elizabeth hated the naked truth. She said that Cecil's passion made him blind: she felt herself en- tangled in a net which threatened to strangle her. She