Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 10.djvu/467

 i5 78.] THE ALENCON MARRIAGE. 447 formers more justly were shocked at the looseness of his private habits. His character was in many ways remarkable. He was conspicuous in the young band of nobles who had listened to the preaching of Wishart ; and though Knox had looked unfavourably upon his wild and lawless life, he had ever been intellectually faithful to the cause which Knox represented. It was Morton who directed the storm which drove Mary from her throne and im- prisoned her in Lochleven ; and when Murray was murdered, he became, by the mere force that was in him, the inevitable leader of the Protestants. They did not like him, but his firm hand secured them pre- cious time to establish their doctrines throughout the country ; and at no time in Scotland's history had order and law been more respected than during the years of Morton's Regency. In the language of a Protestant writer, ' his regi- ment was considered as happy and peaceable as ever Scotland saw ; he was wise, stout, and ever on the best side. The name of Papist durst not be heard of, nor no thief or oppressor durst be seen/ * And yet he had not pleased his party. His crime with the nobles was that he was English and Protestant ; his crime with the Protestants, ' that he could not suffer Christ to reign freely, and that he misliked the General Assembly; that in conformity with England/ of which they too were jealous, 'he had put forward bishops,' in the hope
 * CALDERWOOD.