Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 9.djvu/391

THE RIDOLF1 CONSPIRACY. 377 meant anything, meant a revolt to France. 'That language,' she said when it was reported to her, ' the Earl of Morton never brought with him from Scotland ; it was put in his mouth by some of my own council, and they ought to be hanged outside the doors, with the words hung about their necks/ l Yet with Elizabeth also there were facts which were highly pressing. She had brought the Anjou compli- cation upon herself, and she must either marry him or else affront him and turn him over with more cer- tainty than ever to the Queen of Scots. The dispensation was promised by the Pope, and the Duke was supposed to have no objection to the change. 2 In such a situation the wisdom of one moment became the folly of the next. Anger and vexation would not answer arguments or remove dangers, and with Leicester for ever whispering at her ear, she swung to and fro, now determining to restore the Queen of Scots, now to marry Anjou, now to go with Bacon and Cecil, now with Arundel and Norfolk. Morton at last brought matters to a crisis by de- 1 ' Elle a diet qu'elle scjavoit que ledict Morton ne 1'avoit aportee telle de son pays, ains 1'avoit aprinse icy d'aulcuns de ceulx mesmes du con- seil, lesquelz elie vouloit bieu dire qu'ilz estoient dignes d'estre penduz a la porte du chasteau avoc un rollet de leur ad vis au coul.' La Mothe, March 12. 2 So La Mothe says that Wal- singham wrote from Paris. ' Le Sieur "VValsingham a escript qu'il a descouvert ung propos qui se mene bien chauldement pour maryer Mon- sieur le frere de vostre Majeste avec la Royne d'Escoce et que le Pape luy promect la dispence et beaucoup d'avantaiges au monde en favour dudict marriage, et que les choses en sont si avant que mon diet Seigneur promect d'y entendre aussitost que par ce trette ladicte Dame sera res- tituee en son estat.' Ibid.