Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 9.djvu/516

50^ REIGN' OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 56. should appear in the matter solely as the champion of a princess who was injured and oppressed. This being determined, the next point was the time and manner of the invasion. Should Spain begin ? or should the Eng- lish Catholics begin? The English Catholics wished to see Spain commit itself before they ventured another insurrection. The Duke of Alva had insisted that they should first 'do something for themselves, and the Span- ish Cabinet were of the same opinion. Bidolfi, who was admitted to the council, reproduced the scheme which he had laid before the Duke ? but the Duke's letter was at hand, to be considered by the side of it ; and it was thought certain that any such step as Ri- dolfi proposed would bring France into the field. The. Nuncio said that the Pope would undertake for France ; but the Pope's temperament was more sanguine than judicious; and thus the question narrowed down to the ground taken by Alva. The key of the situation was Elizabeth's life. The Catholics would make nothing of an insurrection while the Queen was alive and at large. She must either be killed or captured. That, in Alva's opinion, should be the reply which Eidolfi should carry back. The English must do that part of the business themselves ; as soon as it was accomplished, the Spanish army should be instantly set in motion. Yet it was felt that if they waited for this consum- mation they might wait long or for ever. There were traitors in plenty about the Queen. There was Leices- ter's accursed crew in the household, and Arundel and Crofts upon the council ; but either they were faint-