Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 10.djvu/493

 1578.] THE ALENfON MARRIAGE. 473 her to do is in the hands of God ; but for my part, I see no manifest surety to her Majesty, but either by marriage, or by a peace, or by taking the States to her defence, whereby she must make herself Head of the JSTame. 1 Of peace there is little chance. To be Head of the Name is more than I fear she can go through withal, or the world will maintain. Marriage is the surest, for thereby she may give law to herself and her neigh- bours, and avoid perils at home and abroad, knit her- self in amity with both Kings, and keep them both in bounds/ 2 The late variation of the Queen had been the index of her personal uncertainty, whether to marry or not. She had yielded, when she sent away the Abbot of Dunfermline. She bad resisted again when Norris's success promised a safe road of escape. Then she had once more given way, glad at all events to be rid of the present necessity of spending money, knowing that a matrimonial treaty would take time, that the knot could be slipped at the last moment, as she had many times experienced, that while the negotiations lasted, and while she was believed to be sincere, she would be safe from molestation on the side of France, and that Spain would hesitate to countenance the enterprises of the Duke of Guise. Thus on the ^th of September, M. Bacque- ville was sent for to receive her answer. Burghley, Leicester, and Hatton, only were present at 1 i. e. Head of a Protestant con- I 2 Sussex to Walsingham, August federation. I 29 ; MSS* Holland.
 * September.