Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 11.djvu/315

 1583.] THE JESUITS IN SCOTLAND. <& gave an account of himself and his intentions to Men- doza. He did not think it prudent to appear at the Spanish embassy in person, but he sent his confidential secretary, and the substance of his message was for- warded by the ambassador to Philip. ' The secretary/ wrote Mendoxa, ' brought me two lines in the cipher which I used with his master, bid- ding me give full credit to what the bearer would say to me. The Duke, I was then told, had been forced to leave Scotland because the King had promised that he should go, and because a plan had failed to take the King out of the hands of the confederate Lords. His party was still far superior in strength, but it was thought imprudent to use force in the face of the Queen of England. His friends had agreed that he had better retire. The King would then probably recover his liberty without trouble or tumult. The Master of Graham, through whom the King and Lennox cor- responded, with the rest of the Catholic noblemen, had bound themselves under their hands and seals to procure his release. Lennox had himself signed with the others, and as soon as he was in France, the rest, if other means failed, intended to take arms, and would be glad of any help which could be furnished them. As soon as the King was free, Lennox was to return and re- sume his place at the Court. The bond was every day receiving fresh adhesions, and the King himself meant to affix his name when the time came. The Master of Graham had wished him to do it before Lennox left, but the King had feared that a premature signature