296 REIGN OP ELIZABETH. [CH. 44- marries or remains single ; they are ready to entail the crown on the King and Queen of Scotland. ' Her hope at present is to throw Scotland into con- fusion with the help of the Duke of Chatelherault, who cannot endure that the House of Lennox should he pre- ferred to the Hamiltons. She is frightening the Hugue- nots in France by telling them that if the Queen oi Scots obtains the English crown she will avenge her uncle's death and assist the Catholics to extirpate them. She will temporize till she see how her tricks succeed. If she can save herself by any other means she will not marry/ l The two players were not ill-matched, though for the present the Queen of Scots had the advantage.
- The matter/ said Sir Thomas Smith, ' was not so sud-
denly done as suddenly it did break out ; the practice was of an elder time. It was finely handled to make the Queen's Majesty a labourer for the restitution of the father and a sender in of the son.' 2 Elizabeth had been outmanoeuvred and had placed herself in a perilous dilemma. Half the council had advised her to demand the extradition of Darnley and Lennox and declare war if it was refused. She had rejected the bolder part of the advice ; but she had allowed Throgmorton to pro- mise Murray and his friends that if they interfered by force to prevent the marriage they should be supported by England ; and if they rose in arms and failed, and if they called upon her to fulfil her engagements, 4 For las Cartas de Londrcs, de viii. Junio, 1565.' MS. Simancas. 3 Sin ith to Cecil, July 3 : French JM'.S'. Rnfl* Home.
