Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 9.djvu/223

I570-] THE RISING OF THE NORTH. 209 although she declared that if the Queen of Scots tried to murder her as well as her brother, her life should be in no danger, 1 yet Elizabeth's fine speeches were not always to be depended upon, and the rebellion, quick- ened by Murray's death, was showing signs of fresh vitality. The Earl of Westmoreland, who, unless Con- stable was deceived, had been looking for means of ob- taining his pardon, made a destructive foray into North- umberland with Sir Walter Scott of Buccleugh, and ventured down even within sight of Newcastle ; and worse than this followed, which might have almost roused Elizabeth at last out of her incurable infirmity of purpose. She could decide when she would have done better to hesitate, when it was a question of the execu- tion of a few hundred poor men. Where her crown might be forfeited by uncertainty, she was paralyzed by incapacity of resolution. It might have been thought that towards Scotland, with such a chance re- opened to her, she would have acted energetically at last. When she recovered from her alarm sufficiently to move, it was to take a step which showed the Scots that they had no more to hope from her than before. Thomas Randolph, who had so long and faithfully served her at Edinburgh, was recalled from his retire- ment and sent back to his old place. His instructions were to renew old friendships, and to use the present humour of the people to knit together again the English 1 'QuequandladieteKeyned'Es- I pourtantneconsentiroitjamaisqu'on coce auroit bien niachin de la faire | touchatny a sa vieny asapersonne.' tuer d'ung coup de haquebutte, elle I Ibid. VOL. ix. 14