Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 11.djvu/433

 1584.] EXPULSION OF MENDOZA. 417 undertook to lay the case before his Holiness, and mean- while to remember him in his prayers. Other influences however were brought to bear upon him persuasion, possibly if he was the person alluded to by de Tassis from the Duke of Guise. Before an answer came from Home, he had started for England, resolute, as he professed, for the deed, and due preparation was made on the Scotch border and elsewhere to take advantage of the confu- sion when the Queen should be known to be dead. He landed at Rye. He assured himself of access to Elizabeth's person by writing word to her that he had brought information of consequence to communicate. It was at the moment of the discovery of the plot. He knew that she would send for him to London, and he had made up his mind that she should not escape his hands alive. The age was a theological one, and crimes were curiously balanced. There was a peculiar baseness in taking advantage of the Queen's unsuspicious nature, and of her regard for and kindness to himself. But dis- honour was not among the offences which were gradu- ated by the canon law, and the special facilities which he possessed appeared rather indications of Providence that he was elected to do service to the Church. But murder in itself was one of the seven mortal sins. He was never weary of talking to priests about it. Their opinions differed, and to mistake might be damnation. An English confessor once more shook his resolution. He saw Elizabeth alone. He came to her with a pur- VDL. XI. 27