Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 11.djvu/289

 1582.] THE JESUITS IN SCOTLAND. 273 Mary Stuart alone from her prison at Sheffield re- tained her courage and presence of mind. She, when she heard the news, sped away one messenger to the Pope, and another to the Duke of Guise : the first to implore all the influences of the Vatican to rouse Philip ; the second to beg Guise to make haste for his life, if he would save her son from being murdered. She threw herself at his feet ; she threw herself at the King of France's feet. He might call her son King, Prince, or what he pleased, if only he would allow Guise to rescue him from destruction, if only he would save the party of France in Scotland from being broken up for ever. All was prepared. Her friends in England she said were ready. Her own escape was arranged. Help only must be sent to Lennox without an hour's delay. 1 Had Mary Stuart been a man, or woman as she was had she been free, she might have changed the history of the world. Unluckily for the Catholics, Shrewsbury was true to his trust, and her cause was again trampled into ignominy. Lennox, afraid of remaining at Dal- keith, came into Edinburgh under the protection of the Provost. The expelled ministers were brought back to their flocks ; one of them, James Lawson, preached at St Giles's on the Sunday which followed the revolution ; and Lennox, to maintain his character for orthodoxy, 1 Instructions to de Buisseau, September 2 : MSS. MAKY QUEEN OP SOOTS. Mary Stuart to the Archbishop of Glasgow, cipher, Sep- VOL. xi. 18 tember 10. Intercepted October 24, and deciphered by Walsingham's secretary : MSS. Ibid.