Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 9.djvu/121

1569.] THE RISING OF THE NORTH. 107 over, should it suit lief convenience to do so, "he would have been less ready to lie for her. His late imbecility had not raised him in her good opinion ; but as he might still be useful, she flattered him into the continuance of his folly; and both he and she, while they besieged Elizabeth with protestations of their honesty, fed in secret upon visions of coming triumph when Alva's legions would land at Harwich or in Scotland, and every Catholic in the island would spring into the field to join them. But if either these hopes were to be realized or their professions successfully maintained, it was necessary to prevent the Northern Counties from exploding into pre- mature rebellion ; and this might prove less easy than Norfolk wished. For years past from the day of her return from France to Holy rood Mary Stuart had been in correspondence with the gentlemen of York- shire and Northumberland. The death of Darnley had cooled their passion for her, but when she came to Eng- land she soon ' enchanted ' them again ' by her flexible wit and sugared eloquence.' l Before Sir Francis Kiiowles cut short her levees at Carlisle, they had listened in hundreds to her own tale of her wrongs, and besides their religion and political predilections for her, they had been set on fire with a chivalrous enthusiasm for the lovely lady who was in the hands of the magicians. When she was removed from Carlisle to Bolton, the gates o'f Scrope's castle were usually thrown open to the Notes iu Cecil's hand, October 6 : Cotton. MSS. CALIG. C.