Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 11.djvu/47

 TffE JESUIT INVASION. loyal to herself, but the blast against the monstrous regimen of women which Knox and Goodman had blown so loudly in the Marian persecution had never been forgiven or forgotten. 1 The remains of her pur- pose disappeared. To obligations of honour long prac- tice with Murray, Orange, Conde, and Morton himself, had rendered her remarkably indifferent. To use the Protestant leaders for her convenience, to tempt them by promises to commit themselves, and if they failed to leave them to their fate, had been either her deliberate policy or her custom a hundred times repeated. A custom ' dangerous and dishonourable ' always, but never more dangerous, never more dishonourable than now. Murray and the Prince of Orange belonged to that supreme order of men whom it does not rest with kings and queens to injure. Morton's character was spotted with much that was ill. His one virtue was his fidelity to England, and for that he was left to die. On the ^th of March, "VValsingham reported Eliza- beth to be 'very doubtful and irresolute,' 2 so doubtful that as she would go no further he regretted that she 1 ' Je me suis aussy aide, Sire, d'un argument que nul de scs con- seillers et subjectz nc luy a ose dire, et qu'elle a bien recjeu, qu'elle aura tousjours beaucoup meilleur compte de la dicte Royne d'Escosse et de son filz, puisque ils luy sont si proches et en sa puissance que des aultres plus csloingnez de son sang, pretend- ants la succession par moyens illi- cites et factions illicites, en tenant, du tout le party Puritain, et qui vouldrait se delivrer du puissance su- perieure et principalement du rcgue des femmes s'il estoit possible chose que jeluy ay si bien faict sentir qu'- elle a eu ce propos agreable et cognoit que c'est la verite.' Mauvissiere au Roy, Fevrier 10 : TEULET, vol. iii. 2 Walsingham to Randolph, March 7 : MSS. Scotland.