Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 9.djvu/341

i 5 70.] EXCOMMUNICA TION OF ELIZABE TH. mote the young King by all means possible to the honour of Scotland/ These conditions were to be sent down to Chats- worth, before further steps were taken, for the Queen of Scots' approval. If she made difficulties, she was to be reminded of her incessant conspiracies against Elizabeth, 'such as no Sovereign had ever remitted when the pretending party was in the power of the possessor of the crown ; ' and if . this failed, she was to be told ' that the Queen's Majesty had hitherto forborne to publish such matters as. she might have done to have touched the Queen of Scots for the murder of her hus- band,' with a hint that if driven to extremities, Eliza- beth might yet have recourse to those means for her own protection. 2 There was no fear however that Mary Stuart would require to be pressed in this way. If France con- tinued cold and Spain apathetic, her friends had agreed that she was to raise no more difficulties than would suffice to allay suspicion. The one paramount object was to get her out of England, and this once done, means could be found to break the chains of the strict- est treaty which art could draw. The Pope, with his power to bind and to loose, would absolve her of her oaths ; and ' a way would be found ' to escape from the more substantial engagements. Maitland had instructed 1 Articles of accord. Endorsed by Cecil, ' Inter Reginam AnglisB et Scotiae, September, 1570': MSS. MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS. Projet d' accord : TEULET, vol. ii. 2 Notes in Cecil's hand : MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS. MSS.