Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 7.djvu/286

.266 REIGN OF RUZABETIT. [cir. 43. known at last, were decisively favourable. After a consult- ation at the Escurial the Duke of Alva and the Count de Feria recommended Philip by all means to support the Queen of Scots in taking a Catholic husband who by blood was so near the English crown ; and Philip sent her word, and through de Silva sent word to the English Catholics, that she and they might rely on him to bear them through. 1 Tired of waiting, and anticipating with justifiable confidence that Philip would approve, the Queen of Scots in the middle of April came to a fixed resolution As Darnley was an English subject it was necessary to go through the form of consulting the English sove- reign ; and Maitland, who to the last moment had be- lieved that he had been successful in dissuading his mistress from so rash a step, was the person chosen to inform Elizabeth that the Queen of Scots had made her choice, and to request her consent. With but faint hopes of success for he knew too much to share the illusions of his countrymen Mait- land left Edinburgh on the i5th of April, taking Ran- dolph with him as far as Berwick. Three days later he reached London. Mary Stuart still trusted Maitland with her secrets, in the belief that although he might disapprove of what she was doing he would remain true to her. He carried with him private messages to de Silva and Lady Lennox, and was thoroughly aware of all that, she intended. It is certain however from Mait-? 1 MS. Simancaii.