Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 9.djvu/344

330 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 54. because it will let the people of Scotland see that she is careful of him. Yet for the matter itself I see no sik danger in it, neither for preservation of his person nor yet for peril may thereafter follow to the Queen of Scots herself by setting up of him against her, that I would advise her to refuse it in the end. Those that are enemies to her title in England would rather destroy her person than his, because he is but a bairn, and the succession of his body is far off; but her person is the mould to cast more bairns in ; so long as she is safe they will never press to destroy him ; be- sides that, I think, having interest to the title after her, his nomination among them shall further it with the people. ' Besides, if she were once at liberty, I fear not that means shall be found to make both England and Scot- land loth to enterprise far against her. I speak all to this end, that in any wise her liberty be procured what- soever the conditions be; press it to the best, but if we fail we must accept the worst. As I write of the Prince I mean of Dumbarton. It is not the being of Dumbarton in English hands that will more thrall Scotland to England, than Berwick may do without Dumbarton ; nor yet may Dumbarton keep Frenchmen or strangers out of Scotland if the Queen of Scots desire them ; for she being at home, Leith, any part of Fife, Dundee, Aberdeen, and briefly all the coast of Scotland, will serve that turn as well as Dumbarton can do. Yield as little as ye may, but yield to all rather than she remain a prisoner, because I think her life always