Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 11.djvu/507

 1584.] THE BOtfD OF ASSOClA T10N. 491 jurisdiction, replaced the bishops, and forbade the General Assembly to meet unless summoned by writ. The magistrates were changed throughout the country ; the Earl of Arran was made Chancellor, and a commis- sion sat, of which he was the head, to deprive every minister who would not submit to the King and his diocesan. The next step was to make overtures to England. The politeness which was extended suddenly to the English ambassador, Davison, lias been seen already in M. Foiitenay's letter. James wrote to the Queen, while Arran addressed himself to Lord Huns- don, with whom he had a personal acquaintance. He was a notorious scoundrel, but Hunsdon undertook for his sincerity. The Queen herself considered that a dirty hand was better than none, and that if she could secure Scotland and keep James apart from his mother, she could dispense with the foreign alliances and leave the Netherlands to their fate. Even Burghley, in despair of ever seeing her assume an honourable attitude, was inclined to venture the experiment. Walsingham would have nothing to do with it, and looked on contemptu- ously. 1 It was decided that Hunsdon should go down to Scotland, have an interview with Arrau, and hear what 1 ' Touching the bye course be- tween Hunsdon and Arran, there is nothing to help it but time and trial. You know Hunsdon's passion, whose proximity in blood doth somewhat prevail to enable his credit to more harm than good. And yet herein he should not greatly prevail, were he not countenanced by the Lord Treasurer who deals strangely in the action of Scotland.' Walsing- ham to Davison, July 12-22: MSS. Scotland.