Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 9.djvu/169

1569.] THE RISING OF THE NORTH. 155 conciliation between England and Spain would arise out of the Earls' defeat, began in turn to pay court to Elizabeth, and endeavoured to outbid Yitelli in oifers of friendship. The English Catholics had made an effort to overthrow the Reformation ; and, as a result of it, the ministers of the Catholic Powers were contending for the smiles of the heretic Sovereign. She knew the value of their advances. She judged rightly that her differences with Spain were deeper rooted than any which could exist with a country which was half of it Huguenot. She remained cold to Chapin. She ac- cepted graciously the advances of La Mothe ; and she spoke to him long and confidentially on the condition of Christendom. With tears in her eyes, she protested that she had not deserved the rebellion. For her rela- tions with the Continent, she desired only that neither her own subjects should assist in creating trouble elsewhere, nor French or Spanish Catholics encour- age insurrection in England. She spoke with horror of bloodshed. Except for her honour's sake, she said, she would have already pardoned the Earls, and she hoped they would of themselves abandon their enterprise. La Mothe observed that while there were differences of religion, Europe could never be quiet. Elizabeth admitted in answer that between the Pope's pretended power to absolve subjects from their allegiance and the Protestant theory of the right of subjects to de- pose their sovereigns, Governments had a bad time before them. It was time to do something, and she would