Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 9.djvu/300

4S6 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 54. declared that she would do what the French King desired, and shake herself clear, let Cecil and ' his brothers in Christ ' say what they pleased. 1 Bacon, who was as anxious as Cecil to prevent the Scotch question from being rediscussed till Drury had finished his work, attempted to leave London to prevent the council from meeting ; but Arundel caught him be- fore he could escape, and told him that the Queen re- quired his presence and advice. Bacon, whose temper was hasty, answered shortly, that it was of no use to advise 'the 'Queen ; she changed her mind so often that counsel was but wasted on her. She would not listen to him, and as it seemed that she was bent upon her destruction, she must go her own way. If Bacon was absent the discussion might be post- poned, and Mary Stuart's friends in Scotland would be destroyed in the mean time. Arundel persisted that the Lord Keeper must return with him. The realm was in danger, he said, and no good subject at such a time could desert his sovereign. Bacon sullenly complied. The privy council assem- bled, and the public policy of England was discussed in Elizabeth's presence. Bedford was ill ; Clinton was with the fleet ; of the rest every one, with the exception 1 ' Quoiqu'il y ait Maistre Secre- taire, diet ellc, je veulx sortir hors de ceste affaire, et entendre a ce que le Roy me mande, et ne m'en ar- rester plus a vous aultres freres en Christ.' The authority for the scene was Leicester, who was present, and reported it to La Mothe. Leicester, who had more faces than Proteus, is in general not much to be depended on. La Mothe however believed that he was speaking the truth, and the phrase < Brothers in Christ ' is highly characteristic of Elizabeth. Instructions au Sieur de Vassal : Depeches, vol. iii. p 181.