Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 10.djvu/234

REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 5 8. in Scotland began to prosper marvellously. The long fever of uncertainty was past. The few recusant Pa- pists came in, and made their peace ; and it remained only for justice to be executed upon one who, next to Maitland, was responsible for all the blood that had been shed. The letters found in the Castle, when Elizabeth saw them, deprived her of an excuse for in- terfering ; Morton told Burghley that ' the future quiet of Scotland depended on her consent ; ' and she felt that she had trifled long enough, and that she must now leave the Hegent to do what he thought best. The most passionate intercessions were made by others for Grange's life. His relations offered any security which Morton might desire, that he should cause no more trouble. ' His hail heritage and the band of manrent of all his friends ' was placed at Morton's disposal, if only his life could be spared. But the Regent, ' considering what had been and daily was spoken by the Preachers, that God's plague would not cease till the land was purged of blood ; ' consider- ing ' the demands of those who, by the death of their friends, the destruction of their houses, the taking away of their goods, could not be satisfied by any offer made to him in particular,' ' deliberated to let justice proceed/ l Thus it was that on the 3rd of August the second Wallace, as Grange had fondly called August. one that, from lack of exhibition, would be glad for a year or two to do service there daily, which would much content her.' Peter Kemp to Lord Burghley, June 7 : MSS. Hat- field. 1 Morton to Killigrew, August 5 : M8S. Scotland.