Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 9.djvu/48

REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. i. take the ungracious office. The Earl of Shrewsbury was selected because he was half a Catholic, because he belonged to the party who had been most in favour of the Queen of Scots' succession, and because therefore her friends could feel that in his hands she was in no danger of foul play. Elizabeth perhaps intended to secure his loyalty by placing confidence in him. He was charged to prevent the Queen of Scots' escape, but ' to treat her with the honour and reverence due to a princess of the blood royal/ He was not however to carry his regard too far. ' Besides the vehement pre- sumption against her for the horrible murdering of her husband/ he was made acquainted ' with other particu- larities/ to enable him to reply to her complaints. He was desired to tell her that, if she was over-loud in her outcries, ' it might be an occasion that her whole cause and doings should be published to the world, and thereof would follow many things to her prejudice, which she and her friends would regret. l Elizabeth at the same time wrote a few lines to her, to reconcile her to her condition, and to assure her that, notwithstanding her removal from Bolton, ' if no impediment was ministered by herself, she would take care of her cause ; ' ' her dis- position was still, as far as honour might bear, to do all that was possible for her restoration/ 2 At Tutbury Castle for the last winter months the Queen of Scots remained. The Bishop of Ross and - Commission to the Earl of Shrewsbury : MSS. QUEEN OF SOOTS, Rolls House. 2 Elizabeth to the Queen of Scots, February 3: MSS. QUEEN OF SOOTS, Rolls House.