Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 11.djvu/287

 1582.] THE JESUITS IN SCOTLAND. 27! intended to have joined him, received notice and kept out of the way at Dalkeith ; Arran was away in Fife, but was captured the same day, not far from Kinross, and would have been killed but for the entreaties of Lady Gfowrie. He was spared to make her repent her interference, and was given in charge to his secret friend the Provost of Edinburgh. The formalities of respect continued to be observed to the King ; a remonstrance however was presented to him by the confederate Lords, and he was required to conform his government to the wishes of the country. He was told that two insolent and upstart adventurers had troubled the commonwealth. Papists and murderers had been brought back from exile and restored to their honours ; a conspiracy had been on foot for the over- throw of the Evangel, and there had been secret deal- ings with Papal nuncios, Spanish ambassadors, and other enemies of the truth. Scotland would not part with the freedom which had been so hardly won, and the Lords declared quietly but sternly that they owed a duty to God as well as the King ; and must preserve his Majesty from the treasons of his corrupted favourites. 1 Had Lennox been equal to the occasion, he would have thrown himself at once at the head of all the force which he could raise, and have flown to the King's rescue. The Kers and the Maxwells had been prepar- ing the Border marauders for the expected invasion of England ; many hundreds of them had but to spring CALDEHWOOD.