Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 9.djvu/364

350 RFJdN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 55. knew that he was walking on a thin crust with the lava boiling under his fyet. Whether the crust was harden- ing, or whether the fire was eating its way through, time alone could tell him. The Queen of Scots had sent the copy of the articles proposed to her to Brussels and to Paris. She had looked for an instant interference, and both she and her friends were ' dismayed and angered ' at Alva's seeming coldness. Arundel, Norfolk, Maitland, and even La Mothe, now advised her to accept the best terms which she could obtain, if only she could recover her freedom. They believed that they would be able to compel Elizabeth to go through with the treaty on her part, if no difficulty was raised by the Queen of Scots herself. In this spirit therefore she received Cecil at Chats - worth, following Maitland's advice, and fighting over the details of the proposals which were made to her. She showed considerable adroitness in qualifying or altering uncomfortable phrases. In a clause for the punishment of Darnley's murderers she introduced the words ' according to the laws of the realm/ intending, as a marginal note in Cecil's hand indicates, to shelter Bothwell still behind his previous acquittal. She was willing to bind herself to do nothing for the future in prejudice of the Queen of England or her issue ; but she inserted, as a marginal note again mentions, ' with no good and honourable meaning/ the word ' lawful ' making the phrase ' lawful issue/ as if Elizabeth might produce issue which would not be lawful. Yet, on both sides, there appeared a willingness to