Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 11.djvu/402

 386 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 66. afraid that she would prove impracticable, 1 and the event proved to be as he expected. Money Elizabeth would give none. She was in- credulous of the danger with which she was threatened. She probably believed that the Scotch Protestants would move on their own account without her inter- position. Walsingham's letters were ineffectual; and his personal arguments, when he returned to London, were equally powerless. He could prevail neither with his ministers nor with Burghley, and he sent word to the Lords that they must provide for their safety and not depend on England, in the hope that the message would reach them in time 'to prevent them from com- mitting themselves. They had been over-sanguine and had gone far ; not only Gowrie, Angus, and Mar, but Glamys and the Earl of Rothes, had been in consulta- tion. Angus had laid a plot to carry off James when hunting. Rothes, though unwilling 'to be an executor in the action,' had consented to join afterwards. The rest were more seriously compromised. Glamys and Mar fled to Ireland, and lay concealed at Knockfergus. Gowrie and Angus imagining, as it proved untruly, that they had not been discovered, remained at home wait- ing till circumstances again compelled Elizabeth to espoxise their cause. 2 1 ' If the answer I receive from our Court be not such as Avas to be wished, and the necessity of the present times requires whereof I stand in some doubt, for security did never more possess us than at this present I would have you retire 1 from thence with as convenient speed as you may.' "VYalsingham to Bowes, September 25 October 5 : MSS. Scotland. 2 Bowes to Walsingham, De- cember 29 January 8 : MSS. Ibid.