Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 7.djvu/66

46 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 41. The well-being of the people however turned on the success of Elizabeth's policy, and hung on the thread of her single life ; while neither Lords nor Commons had as yet received an answer to their addresses. On the i6th of February she sent a message by Cecil that she had not forgotten them, and entreating their patience : but ten days passed and nothing was done ; and by that time Maitland had arrived from Scotland with an offer from his mistress of course as a condition of recogni- tion to make herself ' a moyenneur of a peace ' with France, which would give back Calais to England. There was a hope that by such an offer even the unwill- ingness of Parliament might be overcome ; and Mait- land was prudently feeling his way when one of those strange adventures occurred which so often crossed the path of the Queen of Scots, and gave her history the in- terest not perhaps of tragedy, for she was selfish in her politics and sensual in her passions but of sonic high-wrought melodrama. In the galley in which she returned to Scotland there was present a young poet and musician named Chatelar. Gifted, well-born, and passionate, the handsome youth had for some months sighed at her feet in Holyrood. He went back to France, but he could not remain there. The moth was recalled to the flame whose warmth was life and death to it. He was received on his return with the warmest welcome. Mary Stuart admitted him to her labours in the Cabinft, and he shared her plea- sures in the festival or the dance. ' So familiar was he with the Queen early and late that scarcely could any