Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 10.djvu/421

 1575-1 THE SPANISH TREATY. 401 rising sun. Shrewsbury, it appeared, had promised the Queen of Scots that, on the Queen's death, he would himself place the crown upon her head. 1 No longer complaining of her captivity, she was well satisfied to remain where she was, her party growing daily stronger by her mere presence in the realm. When opportunities of escape were thrown in her way, she declined to use them. She said that when she left Lord Shrewsbury's charge it should be as Queen of England. 2 The eager expectation of the Queen's death was extremely likely to suggest means of hastening it. Elizabeth's behaviour, so irritating to Walsingham, was as characteristic of herself as it was perplexing. 3 She chose to encounter treason by refusing to see it ; and rather to live in an atmosphere of disloyalty, than expose it and force it to declare itself. ' She is bent,' wrote Walsingham, bit- terly, 'to cover faults rather than cure them. If she 1 'La Royne d'Escosse avoit diet <Ju escripta quelcunque ledict Milord luy avoit promis, la morte advenarite de la Royne, qu'il metteroit la cou- ronne sur la teste de la Royne d'Es- cosse.' Note in MS., 1575 : MSS. MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS. 2 ' Dixome el Embajador de Es- cocia que a su ama le offrecian como- didad pot poderse escapar de prision y que no lo quiere porque pretende salir della Reyna de Inglaterra y no de otra suerte aunque le cueste la vida.' Don Juan de Vargas al Rey : TEULET, vol. v. p. 203. 3 ' Your Majesty asks whether all or what part of the confessions shall VOL. x. be shown to the council. Let your Majesty choose out those that are loyal and secret and show them all. Touching the matter itself your Ma- jesty's delay used in resolving doth not only make me void of all hope to do any good therein but also doth quite discourage me to deal in like causes, seeing mine and your other faithful servants' care for your safety fruitless. I beseech your Majesty pardon this my plain speech proceed- ing from a wounded and languishing mind.' Walsingham to Elizabeth, February 26, 1575 : MS8. MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS. 26