Page:Cassell's Illustrated History of England vol 2.djvu/572

558 he died in about three months. Southampton was imprisoned during Elizabeth's life, as was also Sir Henry Neville, who took no active part in the conspiracy, but, according to his own account, condemned the only discussion of the conspirators that he had heard, and then set out on his embassy to France.

The Reconciliation between Queen Elizabeth and the Earl of Essex.

The King of Scots had appointed a deputation, consisting of the Earl of Mar, and Bruce, the Abbot of Kinross, to visit London and ascertain what were the position and prospects of Essex and his party. He had already expressed his readiness to co-operate with them; but, with his usual caution, he was bent on knowing what were really the chances of the insurrection. His deputies were instructed to act according as they found things. If there was a strong party amongst the people, and a great probability of a successful rising, they were to hold out strong hopes of assistance, but still to keep fair with the queen and Court. If, on the contrary, the Government was strong, and the people not inclined to disturb it, they were to show all honour and affection to the queen, and to press her for an increase of his salary; and if she refused them, to speak plain, and say that the time might come when there would be no bar betwixt him and the crown, and then the base sycophants who deprived him of her kindness by their misrepresentations would be called to account; but that she was to be well assured that as he never had been, so he never would be concerned in anything detrimental to her peace or interests. They were to hint to the ministers that the time could not be long ere they would find it to their interest to have made