Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 11.djvu/513

 1584] THE BOND OF ASSOCIATION. 49 j hour however was theirs ; and persecution went busily forward. Hunsdon, unable to part with his belief in Arran's excellences, wrote to remonstrate with him. He replied, with a letter worded to suit Hunsdon's capacity. He 'swore before God that he meant no- thing but good/ ' The mark he aimed at would be a common blessing to the whole Isle, and a surety to both Princes. France and Spain, and the Pope, the Anti- christ,' were intriguing, he said, to thwart him; 'her Majesty's enemies were not idle. But, with the help of the Almighty, they should not prevail. His trust was in Him who had said, It is fallen, it is fallen, Babylon the great is made the habitation for devils.' l Fine words were no passports to the con- r> i it -m i i October. ndence 01 lUizabeth. one was certain that Arran had lied about the Jesuits. She began to fear that he was false altogether. She interposed at last for Angus and his companions. She complained of the forfeitures, and advised James to allow them the profits of their lands while they remained in banish- ment. 2 She saw clearly that it was Arran's interest to divide James from his mother ; so far he was certainly useful to her, and she did not mean to quarrel with him. But she saw reason also in Walsingham's advice to her, to go further in a treaty with Mary Stuart ; and the result, with all parties and on all sides, was the most ingenious labyrinth of perfidy. She allowed Ar- 1 Hunsdon to Burghley, Sep- tember ii 21 ; Hunsdon to Arran, October 3 13 ; Arran to Hunsdon, October 14 24 : MSS. Scotland. - Elizabeth to the King of Scots, October 313 : MSS. Ibid, 32