Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 11.djvu/522

 506 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 67. party in England was broken up. Northumberland was in the Tower. Arundel and Lord Henry Howard were under arrest in their own houses. Lord Paget had fled. Worse than all, those on whom she most depended in Scotland had disappointed her hopes. Arran, for his own reasons, wished her to remain a prisoner. Her son was false to her, and was making his own bargain at her expense. The Jesuits had made him a latitudi- narian, but he was as far from being a Catholic as ever ; while, until he became a Catholic, it was more and more certain that Philip would neither move himself, nor allow Guise to move, in her favour or in his. Her own life could not be depended on ; and Philip not unreason- ably declined to spend his subjects' blood and treasure, to transfer the crown from one heretic to another. So blank appeared the prospect that Parsons and Allen, 'in consideration of the thwarts they received daily in all their doings and the small success of their former labours, had resolved to leave agitation of such matters and follow only their spiritual courses.' * Mary Stuart, ever dauntless and indefatigable, stimulated in some degree their failing spirits. She reminded them that if her son was heretic, she was herself a true daughter of the Church. They appealed again to Par- ma ; and he gave them hopes that, if the Queen of Scots could escape, something might still be done. The fear was that, if England was invaded while she was in Elizabeth's hands, she would be put to death, and the 1 Parsons to the Queen of Scots, September 10, 11584 : MSS. MAUY QUEEN OF SCOTS,