Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 10.djvu/114

94 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 57. was not admitted to a full knowledge of State secrets, are full of interest in the Queen of Scots, and imply or seem to imply an equal interest on the part of Charles and Catherine. Yet Walsingham at the same time could write from Paris, ' that as long as the Queen of Scots lived there would never grow good accord in Scotland, nor continuance of repose in England, nor perfect and sound amity between her Majesty and the French Crown.' 1 The situation is generally intelligible, the details on many points remain obscure. The Bill, in compliance with Elizabeth's seeming wishes, was laboured over by Lords and Commons, forming almost the entire business of the remainder of the session. At length it was passed. On the 3Oth of June the Queen came down to the House of Lords to give her consent, but, instead of doing so, she said she would think over it during the summer, and pro- rogued the Parliament till October. ' We made a law,' Burghley wrote to Walsingham, ' to make the Scottish Queen unable and unworthy of succession to the crown. It was by her Majesty neither assented to nor rejected, but deferred to All Saints. What all other good and wise men think thereof you may guess. Some here have, as it seems, abused their favour about her Majesty to make herself her worst enemy. God amend them. I will not write to you who are suspected.' 2 And now what answer was to be given to Montmo- rency and to the offer of the Due d'Alencon ? More 1 "Walsingham to Burgliley, J une 28 : DIGGES. 2 Burgliley to "Walsingham, July: DIGGES.