Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 11.djvu/111

 1581.] THE JESUIT INVASION. 95 of treason, or who had gone abroad without leave, were forbidden to send them money. The Spanish ambassa- dor became a general banker for the families of the distressed, and through his servants some few conveni- ences were smuggled into the prisons notwithstanding the council's vigilance. Filled as they had been with visions of ' a good time ' soon coming, the Catholic leaders now became wild with impatience. The arrest and torture of Campian were too horrible to be borne, and they besieged Mendoza with entreaties that Spain and the Duke of Cruise should delay no longer. D'Aubigny had succeeded brilliantly in Scotland ; Morton was dead ; the English party gone; the friends of the Queen of Scots in power. Now, if ever, was the time for their allies to come over and interfere between them and destruction. Unfortunately, Guise was not France, and d'Aubigny, though he had t destroyed Morton, had not destroyed Protestantism. James was still Protestant ; d'Aubigny had been obliged to profess himself Protestant ; both he and the King had recently signed a vehemently Calvinistic con- fession ; and Philip, anxious always to find excuses to put off interference, could not think of compromising himself by an alliance with a non- Catholic power. ' I have let them know in Scotland,' wrote September. Mendoza to him, 'that before anything can be done, the King must be reconciled to the Church. It is not an easy matter, for the Scotch council are de- clared Protestants, and would send word of it to this Queen. The Catholic nobles here have been the means