Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 11.djvu/576

 $6o REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 67. her realm. Navarre and Conde only waited his orders to fly to his side. Suspicion had for once been unjust to Henry. The council, with scarce one exception, advised that he should yield or temporize ; he was himself inclined to fight; and the Duke of Montpensier stood by him, saying, ' he was as good a Catholic as any, but would not give way to rebels.' * Civil war however, if once begun, would be inter- necine. Guise was the idol of the great towns, the strength of the ultra- Catholics lying curiously in the proletariat of the cities, while the Jesuit confessors were laying a strain on the aristocracy, by making adherence to the League a condition of "receiving the rites of the Church. Catherine de Medici went off to Chalons, where the army of the League was assembling, ' to try for a peaceable settlement.' It was in the midst of this confusion that Wade came with his request for the surrender of Morgan. The council said it could not possibly be complied with ; yet, so anxious was the King to please Elizabeth, that the League feared he would consent, and word was passed to the Due d'Aumale, who commanded at Abbe- ville to look out for and rescue him. Convinced by his own observation that he could not carry him down to the sea, Wade accepted a promise that he should be kept a prisoner, and went back to explain to Elizabeth. D'Aumale set upon him near Amiens, and not finding Stafford to "Walsingham, March 26 April 5 : MSS. France,