Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 10.djvu/113

 1572.] THE DUKE OF NORFOLK. 93 had been. He was drawn unwillingly into the con- spiracy, and his infirmity of purpose was the principal cause of its failure ; but his reluctance was an aggrava- tion of his guilt, for it was the confession of the absence of any generous motive which could have excused him. He was no Catholic fanatic burning with misplaced zeal for God's honour ; he was no patriot legitimately dis- pleased with the misgovernment of his country. He was tempted into disloyalty by the poor personal ambition of becoming a husband of a woman whom he knew to be infamous, and he had dishonoured his lineage with per- jury and cowardice. Parliament meanwhile was occupied with the second measure against the Queen of Scots which Elizabeth had affected to recommend. The one effective means of cut- ting her off from the succession would have been the recognition of her son ; but Elizabeth, for her own rea- sons, would not hear of this ; and on the 5th of June the Attorney- General brought in a Bill which was said to have received her approbation, with an intimation from her Majesty that she wished it to be passed as soon as possible. The provisions are but generally known, for it never became law, and Elizabeth never seriously in- tended to sanction it. She professed to fear that it would give offence to France. The meaning of this will be presently seen. She had made her position extremely perplexing perplexing to herself and perplexing to all who had to deal with her. The French Government, till they were sure of her, still kept on hand their double policy. The despatches of La Mothe, who as a Catholic