Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 11.djvu/20

 4 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 63. Glasgow, and that the Duke of Guise had accompanied him to Calais; but in their existing humour the people would believe nothing but good of their brilliant and accomplished countryman; especially when he was found to have forty thousand crowns in gold to dis- tribute among those whom Elizabeth had refused to relieve. The few who murmured danger to religion were easily silenced. D'Aubigny admitted frankly that he had been brought up a Catholic, but professed himself willing to be taught a purer faith. The Scotch Parliament was held at Edinburgh at the end of Octo- ber, where James took his place as King regnant. The Acts of Religion were confirmed, and the Kirk of Scot- land once more formally recognized. The earldom of Lennox was then conferred on the new comer, and it was understood that he would be declared next in blood to the Crown as soon as his conversion should be com- pleted. 1 1580 February. D'Aubigny's easy success so far, coupled with the report of the rebellion which had broken out as they had hoped in Ireland, worked on the impatience of the conspirators. The time had come, they supposed, for the next step in the game. The Arch- bishop of Glasgow waited on Don Juan de Vargas, Philip's ambassador in Paris, pointed out to him the

1 Mauvissière, though no party to d'Aubigny's secret mission, sus- pected that his appearance in Scot- land had more meaning in it than was acknowledged, and imagined that be was aiming at the throne. 'L'on dict,' he says, 'que ce scroit avec une clause qu'il se feroit de leur religion. Ceux qui veuillent regnei il fault qu'ils scaichent dissimuler.' -- Mauvissière au Roy, October 29 TEULET, vol. iii.