Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 11.djvu/264

 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 65. attend for the future to their own business of saving souls, and leave wars and conspiracies to men of an- other profession. 1 So it was however that Crichton definitely promised that 15,000 Spaniards and Italians should be landed in Scotland. A letter of credit which Mendoza had given to Holt was construed into a con- firmation from head-quarters. The Jesuits, with febrile and feminine impatience, believed, like Pompey, tha't armies would spring out of the earth at a stamp of the foot. Lennox, who knew better, could not suppose that they would have spoken so positively without authority, and wrote to tell the Queen of Scots that he accepted the charge, and would deliver her or die. 2 The two priests, after leaving Lennox, instead of going to Eng- land, crossed directly to France, and heaping indis- cretion on indiscretion, wrote to Mendoza to ask him to cs haciendolos capaces ad verbum de lo que ban de decir.' Don Bernar- dino al Key, 26 Avril: MSS. Si- mancas. 1 Ibid. ' Madame, depuis mes derni- eres est venu vers moi un Jesuite nomme Guillaume Crichton, le quel avec letres de creance de vostre am- bassadeur m'a faict entendre que le Pape et le Eoy Catholique avoyent delibere de vous secourir d'une ar- mee pour le rcstablissement de la Eeligion Catholique en ceste Isle, vostre deliverance hors de captivite et la conservation en vostre endroict a la couronne d'Angleterre ; et qu'il a este mis eii avant que je sois chef le la dicte armee. Depuis ay rec,eu une lettre del Ambassadeur d'Es- paigne qui reside a Londres pour ce mesme effect par un aultre Jesuite Anglois. Quant a raoy, Madame, si c'est vostre volunte que la chose se face, et que je la entreprenne, le ferai, et ay esperance que si ils tiennent promesse et que les Catho- liques d'Angleterre facent aussy ce qu'ilz prometent, que 1'entreprise viendra a bonne et heureuse fin, et perderais la vie ou je vous delivre- rois hors de vostre captivite.' The Duke of Lennox to the Queen of Scots, March 7, 1582: MSS. Si- maticas. The Duke sent the letter through Mendoza, who forwarded a copy of it to Philip.