Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 9.djvu/96

REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 52. the subject with him, but so far she has said nothing. The Queen of Scots herself is in some fear that the Queen of England may be provoked by the favour shown her by so many of her subjects to procure some mischief to her person. 1 The Duke therefore, and the confeder- ate nobles, have determined to carry her off from the place where she is confined, and the Earl of Northum- berland is to take charge of her in his own country. The whole of the North being at that Earl's devotion, she will be in perfect security, and the Duke and his friends meanwhile will quiet matters in Scotland, if the Regent will not consent to an agreement. All the ar- rangements are completed,, but the Queen of Scots in- tends to be guided in everything by the King our master and by your Excellency, and she tells me that she will not conclude this marriage till it has received the ap- probation of his Majesty. This Queen set out" yesterday for Basingstoke. If she had not either consented to the marriage or agreed to submit the question to the nobility before her departure, the Duke intended to leave the Court, retire into the country, and take measures to set at liberty the Queen of Scots, and accomplish the rest of his purpose/ 2 1 ' Procure alguu dano a su per- sona.' 2 Don Guerau to Alva, August 30. The ambassador enclosed a letter from the Queen of Scots to himself, in which she prayed him ' de ma part de faire entendre au Roy vostre Maitre mon bon frere en quel etat eont mes affaires, et nommement de 1'asseurer de ma Constance en la religion Catholique, et que non seule- ment moyennant la grace de Dieu je demeureray moy mesme con- stante, mais quej'esperede tirer telz a mon opinion, j'entens a la dicte religion Catholique, que pourryent de beaucoup servir en ses quartiers pour I'avancement d'icelle.'