Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 11.djvu/338

 322 REIGN OF ELIZABETPL [CH. 65. By this time, Col. Stewart and Colville had ar- rived in London. Sir Robert Bowes had made known to the King the offers which had been made by Len- nox, and the King, startled at his friend's real or ap- parent treachery, had consented to proposals which, if honest, were as simple as they were moderate, and if accepted would have -closed Scotland to Jesuit intrigues. Colville was a tried Protestant ; Stewart was selected as having long lived in England with Lady Lennox, and having been personally acquainted with Elizabeth. Both had been chosen as professedly favourable to the English alliance, and of the party of Angus and Gowrie. Mary Stuart nattered herself that her son was on his guard against Elizabeth, and knowing her to be treacherous, was repaying her in her own coin. Stewart, she said, had been an old instrument of communication between Lady Lennox and herself, and had been bribed to conduct his negotiation in Mary Stuart's interest. 1 She Was deceived in both of them. If they could have obtained what they wanted, the confederate Lords, and the King also, intended to adhere to their own part of the bargain. The Commissioners were directed to lav before Eli- M. de Guise m'a escript qu'il per- sistoit en sa premiere determination de descendre luimesmes en Angle- terre, et que si tot que les choses y seroient disposez il ne faudroict de marcher en personne.' Ibid. 1 ' Mon fils est suffisamment ad- varti de la dissimulation et artifices de la Koyne avec luy. Quant au Capitan Stuart., il asseure mon filz de sa fidelite et a reqeu un presente qui luy a este present^ pour le ra- mener du tout & ma devotion, comme aultrefois il y estoit beaucoup, ayaut traicte fort avant entre la Comtesse de Lennox ma belle mere et moy.' Mary Stuart to Mendoza, May 1 5 : MSS. Simancas.