1570 May mutual jealousies, it must have seemed but too likely, CHAP XIX to the anxious minds of English statesmen, that the Pope would find means at last to put an end to differences which so far had been their only protection. When the excommunication appeared, Elizabeth was assured that it had been issued with the sanction of one or both of the Great Powers. That the Pope would have taken so considerable a step without consulting them appeared extremely improbable; and taken in connexion with La Mothe's language, it seemed to tell her that her time at last was come. The Channel fleet was instantly reinforced: Lord Clinton took the command in person, with orders to sink at once and without question any French transports that he might find carrying troops to Scotland. The country could on the whole be relied on if attacked only by France; but the questions of internal policy, and of the Queen of Scots especially, became more deeply complicated. The uncertainties revived. The advocates of the Queen of Scots' restoration were able to insist upon their arguments with increased plausibility, and a great meeting of the Privy Council was called at their instance to consider the situation. From the moment that Lennox had been sent to Berwick, Arundel had never ceased to remonstrate. Angry words had been exchanged between him and Cecil in the Queen's presence. Arundel had been speaking as usual in favour of the Bishop of Ross and the treaty, when Cecil burst out, that the Queen had no friends but the Protestants, and if she yielded she would lose them all. Elizabeth hated the naked truth. She said that Cecil's passion made him blind: she felt herself entangled in a net which threatened to strangle her. She CHAP XIX declared that she would do what the French King desired, and shake herself clear, let Cecil and his May brothers in Christ' say what they pleased.1 1570 Bacon, who was as anxious as Cecil to prevent the Scotch question from being rediscussed till Drury had finished his work, attempted to leave London to prevent the Council from meeting; but Arundel caught him before he could escape and told him that the Queen required his presence and advice. Bacon, whose temper was hasty, answered shortly, that it was of no use to advise the Queen; she changed her mind so often that counsel was but wasted on her. She would not listen to him, and as it seemed that she was bent upon her destruction, she must go her own way. If Bacon was absent the discussion might be postponed, and Mary Stuart's friends in Scotland would be destroyed in the meantime. Arundel insisted that the Lord Keeper should return with him. The realm was in danger, he said, and no good subject at such a time could desert his sovereign. Bacon sullenly complied. The Privy Council assembled, and the public policy of England was discussed in Elizabeth's presence. Bedford was ill; Clinton was with the fleet; of the rest every one, with the sole exception of Cecil and the Lord Keeper, recommended the recall of Drury, the immediate resumption of the negotiations, and the release of the Queen of Scots at the earliest 1 'Quoiqu'il y ait Maistre Secretaire, dict elle, je veulx sortir hors de ceste affaire, et entendre à ce que le Roy me mande, et ne m'en arrester plus à vous aultres frères en Christ.' The authority for the scene was Leicester, who was present, and reported it to La Mothe. Leicester, on. who had more faces than Proteus, is in general not much to be depended La Mothe, however, believed that he was speaking the truth, and the phrase 'Brothers in Christ' is highly characteristic of Elizabeth.Instructions au Sieur de Vassal. Dépêches, vol. iii. p. 181. possible moment: some, like Arundel, were deliberately CHAP XIX treacherous, some were frightened, some sincerely 1570 believed that the course which they advised would May 22 be the best both for their mistress and for England." All agreed, however, in one conclusion, and Leicester, as if taking upon himself to speak for the Queen, said that violent measures were found too dangerous to be ventured further; her Majesty intended to take the opinion of the more moderate of her councillors, to come to an understanding with France, and replace the Queen of Scots on her throne. It was no time for euphuisms or delicate phrases. The Lord Keeper had been forced to attend. The Queen desired his opinion, and she should have it. 'Her Majesty,' he said, 'was deceived and trifled with. 'The men whose advice she was preparing to follow 'were the secret servants of the Queen of Scots. The 'French Ambassador threatened war. The King his 'master had work enough on hand at home and would 'not meddle with England. The Ambassador spoke for 'the Cardinal of Lorraine, and not for the King. 'After what you have done and are doing in Scot'land,' he continued, 'you cannot now turn back: 'courage alone is safety, courage and persistence. Go on 'as you have begun, and there will be soon no Queen's 'party, no French party, no Catholic party to trouble 'that country more. English influence will be supreme 'there, and religion, the Protestant religion, will be 'established beyond reach of harm from end to end of 'Britain. No advice but this will be given to our 'Sovereign by any loyal Englishman. This course alone 'befits the greatness of her crown; and in this quarrel 'I will live or die. It is not for the Majesty of Eng'land to be frightened by the threats of an ambassador. 1570 May 22 CHAP XIX How think you her father King Henry would have dealt 'with such miserable counsels? You, my Lord,' he went on, turning to Leicester, 'you pretend to be loyal to your 'mistress, and you are in league with the worst of her 'enemies. If France lands a force in England to try 'to take the Queen of Scots from us, with her Majesty's 'permission, I would strike her head from her shoulders 'with my own hands.' 'In what I said,' replied Leicester, 'I spoke according to my honour and conscience. I will maintain my opinion if necessary with my life, against all who impugn it. It is my duty as a councillor to declare what I truly think. Her Majesty may do as she will, I hold to my own convictions, and I speak for others besides myself.' Elizabeth during this altercation looked angrily from one speaker to the other. Neither the favourite nor the Lord Keeper had pleased her. But the Lord Keeper had offended her most: 'his counsels,' she said, 'were like himself, rash and dangerous;' she would not have her cousin's life touched for a second realm; she would rather lose her own. She forbade him at his peril ever more to speak such words to her. In the pause which followed, Arundel struck in with affected moderation. 'They were met,' he said, 'to consider certain 'dangers which threatened the realm, and neither from 'anger nor passion, nor from any love or hatred which they might feel for the Queen of Scots, should they 'mislead their mistress at such a crisis; least of all 'should they quarrel among themselves, for the situa'tion demanded all the prudence and discretion which they possessed. He thought for himself that to sup'port by force the party in Scotland, who for whatever 1570 'cause were in arms against their Sovereign, was CHAP XIX 'neither wise, just, nor advantageous. The expense 'would be enormous, the difficulties far more consider- May 22 'able than those who recommended that course appeared 'to imagine. It would offend a powerful party in Eng'land whom it was unsafe to irritate, and would lead in 'the end to a war with the Continental Powers, which 'England was in no condition to sustain. The French 'Ambassador could not have spoken so peremptorily 'without commission, and to withdraw from any enter'prise to preserve the peace of the world was neither 'dishonourable nor dangerous. Henry VIII. might 'possibly have persevered, but under Henry VIII. Eng'land was loyal and united, and even Henry himself did 'not venture upon a war with France without the 'Emperor for an ally. Now the whole situation was 'altered. The Catholic King was estranged. The English people were discontented and divided. Let her Majesty 'secure peace at home, let her deserve the friendship and 'confidence of other Princes, and she would do what 'was right and just in the sight of God and man.'1 But for the revelations in the despatches of Don Guerau, but for the evidence that he had been for years conspiring for a religious revolution and Elizabeth's overthrow, Lord Arundel might have been credited. with a mistaken but still honest anxiety to extricate his mistress from her embarrassments. Elizabeth herself construed his words favourably. When the next morning Leicester pressed her to give an audience to the Bishop of Ross, she answered sharply that the Queen of 1 This singular discussion is described by La Mothe.-Dépêches, vol. iii. p. 181. It was perhaps protracted ELIZ. IV. F through several sessions, and did not |