Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 7.djvu/301

1565-] THE EMBASSY OF DE SILVA. 281 Maitland continued to write confidentially to Cecil, promising to do his best to prevent a collision between the two countries, and entreating Cecil to assist him. Randolph, distracted by the suspicions of Elizabeth's motives which he saw round him, advised that ' unless the Queen of Scots was to be allowed to take her will/ an English army should advance to the Border, and that he should be himself empowered to promise the Congregation distinct and open support. In that case all would be well. ' The Papists should be bridled at home, and all intelligence cut oif between them and the Scots : and either Mary Stuart would be put to the hardest shift that ever prince was at, or such a stir in Scotland that what part soever was strongest should be the longer liver.' 1 The agitation in England after Throgmorton's return was almost as great. A series of remarkable documents remain to illustrate the alarm with which the crisis was regarded, and to reveal many unexpected features in the condition of the country. First is a paper in Cecil^hand, dated the 2nd of June, entitled ' The perils and troubles that may presently ensue and in time to come follow upon the marriage of the Queen of Scots with the Lord Darnley.' ' The minds/ thus this paper runs, ' of all such as be affected to the Queen of Scots either for herself, or for the opinion of her pretences to this crown, or for the desire to have a change in the form of religion in this Randolph to Cecil, June 12: Ibid.