Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 10.djvu/78

58 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 5?. was afterwards dethroned, imprisoned, charged with murder, adultery, and maintaining the Earl of Both- well, the Queen of England had saved her life ; and now the Queen of Scots reproached her because she was not at liberty to stir more rebellions, to bring in foreign armies, and compel the Queen of England to allow her to marry the Duke of Norfolk. She had promised the Queen of England to think no more of that marriage ; but she had pursued it without intermission; and no reasonable person could believe that she was not seeking to deprive the Queen of England of crown and life. The injuries were all on one side and the benefits on the other ; and ' indifferent persons marvelled more that the Queen of Scots' ^proceedings were not avenged after other sort than merely detaining her in the realm' with an expensive establishment. Foreign princes could not honourably assist her to recover her kingdom, when she had abandoned it upon causes, of which it would provoke her to grief and impatience to be reminded. The Queen of England desired to treat her kindly and favourably, but she must first give some proof of the goodwill she professed to entertain by deeds as well as words ; and at once, and as a first step, she must ratify the treaty of Leith. 1 It was sharp winter weather when Shrewsbury came back to Sheffield with this message. He brought per- mission with him to relax the strictness of the Queen of Scots' confinement ; and when she was first allowed 1 The Queen of England to the I ley's hand, abridged : MS 8. QUEEN Queen of Scots, February i : Burgh- I OF SCOTS.