Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 11.djvu/254

 238 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 65. rather to become her own friend, that they two united might defy the world. 1 The Queen of Scots received these advances with as much sincerity as Elizabeth felt in making them. She was so confident in the turn in her favour which events appeared to be taking, that she had waited rather with curiosity than anxiety for the answer to her letter ; and when Beale arrived at Sheffield she sent for him to come at once to her room. He found her in bed, with the room darkened. She said she was ill and unable to bear light, but he ascertained afterwards that the candles had been extinguished immediately before he was admitted. She revived rapidly when she learnt the character of his message. He remained a fortnight with her, and she talked to him repeatedly with apparent frankness and the blandest cordiality. She discussed the politics of the world. She told him that she had felt from the first it would never be well with Scotland or England, while she and her dear sister were at variance. The welfare of the island, she said, depended on the union of the realms, which she, for her own part, was warmly desirous to further. She swore almost as vehemently as Elizabeth herself to the honesty of her intentions. She declared that she had no correspondence with the Catholic powers, none especially with the Catholic King, and that she was not seeking to trouble her sister with foreign practices. She was herself a Catholic, and she confessed she would be glad to see her son a Catholic ; but she 1 The Queen of Scots to Mendoza, January 14, 1582 : MSS. Simancas.