Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 7.djvu/516

496 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [en. 45. in Mary Stuart's confidence concluded that if they went their own way they had nothing to fear from her resent- ment. Four of the party present Argyle, Huntly, Maitland, and Both well, with a cousin of Bothwell, Sir James Balfour signed a bond immediately afterwards, while the Court was still at Craigmillar, to the following purpose : 1 That for sae meikle as it was thought expedient and profitable for the commonweal, by the nobility and lords underwritten, that sic an young fool and proud tyran (as the King) should not bear rule of them for divers causes therefore they all had concluded that he should be put forth by one way or other and whosoever should take the deed in hand or do it, they should defend and fortify it, for it should be by every one of them reckoned and holden done by themselves.' 1 The curtain which was thus for a moment drawn aside again closes. The Queen went in the first week of De- cember to Stirling, where Darnley was allowed to join her ; and the English Catholics, who had been alarmed at the rumours which had gone abroad, flattered them- selves into a hope that all would again go well. The King would make amends for the past by aifection and submission ; Mary Stuart would in time obliterate the painful feelings which her neglect of him had aroused. 2 1 Ormeston's confession: PIT- CAIRN'S Criminal Trials of Scotland. 2 ' El Key de Escocia ha ya viente dias que esta con la Reyna, y comen juntos; y aunque parece que no perdera tan presto del todo el des- gusto del Eey por las cosas pasadas, todavia piensa que el tiempo, y estar juntos, y el Key determinado de cora- placerle, hara mucho en la buena reconciliacion.' De Silva to Philip, December 18; MS. Simancas.