- 5 66.]
77i MURDER OF DARNLEY. 417 account ; ' while Argyle sent word to Elizabeth that if she listened to the Queen of Scots' demands he would join Shan O'lSTeil. 1 Yainly Elizabeth struggled to ex- tricate herself from her dilemma ; resentment was still pursuing her for her treachery in the past autumn. She dared not shelter the conspirators, for the Queen of Scots would no longer believe her fair speeches, and de Silva was watching her with keen and jealous eyes ; 2 she dared not surrender or expel them lest the last Englishman in Ireland should be flung into the sea. She could but shuffle and equivocate in a manner which had become too characteristic. Ruthven was beyond the reach of human vengeance : he had risen from his sick bed to enact his part in Holyrood, he had sunk back upon it to die. To Morton she sent an order, a copy of which could be shown to the Queen of Scots, to leave the country ; but she sent with it a private hint that England was wide, and that those who cared to conceal themselves could not always be found. 3 Argyle she tried to soothe and work upon, and she directed Randolph to ' deal with him.' She understood, she said, ' that there was a diminution of his good will towards her service, and specially in the matter of Ireland/ and that ' he alleged a lack of her favour in time of his need.' 1 Randolph to Cecil, May 1 3 and May 23 : MS. Ibid. 2 ' Con todas las promesas y de- mostraciones que esta Reyna ha hecho a la de Escocia al presente de la promoter ayuda y serle amiga y no consentir estos ultimos conspira- VOL. VII. dores en su Reyno, como oygo estan en Newcastle.' De Silva to Philip, May 18: MS. Simancas. 3 Morton to Cecil, May 16 ; Lei- cester to Cecil, July n: Scotch MSS. Rolls House. 27
