Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 9.djvu/460

446 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 56. and were Elizabeth out of the way, something indis- putably might be made of them. Were Elizabeth out of the way this on reflection seemed to Alva to be the hinge of the matter ; but the step which he contem- plated was not to be risked on his undivided responsi- bility, and to Philip therefore he proceeded to state at length his private opinion. After sketching generally Ridolfi's proposals, he continued thus : ' I replied that what Bidolfi suggested was full of danger ; the Earls of Westmoreland and Northumber- land had tried an insurrection and had failed, and the Duke of Norfolk, who was to have joined them, was still in partial confinement. Ridolfi assured me that Norfolk could leave his house when he pleased, and that the Catholics would not fail a second time if the Pope and one or" other of the great Powers would help them. He showed me a list of the Confederates, and he mentioned July or August as the time when the en- terprise would be most easy. I asked him what they would do if the Queen married the Duke of Anjou. He said that the Queen was trifling as usual. She would never marry unless she was forced into it, and if it became at all likely, the Duke and the other noblemen would interfere. 1 1 Yet Norfolk and his friends at this very time were assuring La Mothe Fenelon that there vas no- thing which they desired more than tln> marriage. the 2nd of May, 4 parceque je luy avois desja faict quelque communica- tion de ce propos, avec asseurance de la volonte de Voz Majestez vers luy et la Royne d'Escoce, m'a envoye 'Ledict Due,' La Mothe wrote on (dire qu'il se sentoit tres oblige a