Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 11.djvu/592

 576 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 67. merely. He pleaded age and infirmity, to escape as soon as possible from the ungracious office, and another guardian had to be found for her. Lord St John of Bletsoe was first thought of, and as St John's brothers and sisters were Catholics, hopes were formed that he might further her escape. He too, however, dared Elizabeth's anger, and refused, 1 and the choice ulti- mately fell on Sir Amyas Paulet, who had preceded Stafford as ambassador at Paris a distinguished ad- herent of the sect which the Queen of Scots affected so much to hate and fear. Paulet came down to relieve Sadler in the middle of April. Notwithstanding his forbidding creed, Mary Stuart tried her enchantments upon him. He was Governor of Jersey, and by the advice of Morgan, who wrote to her from the Bastile, and whose letters were smuggled into Tutbury, 2 she hinted that if she ever came to the crown ' he might have another manner of assurance of that island than ever was given to an English subject.' Paulet at once blighted any hopes which she might have formed of corrupting him. He understood her perfectly, and re- plied that it was as well to speak plainly. She was 1 ' If Lord St John had had Lady Hungerford to the Duchess charge of your Majesty things might have been done for your escape, but now with the change we are at our wits' end.' Charles Paget to the Queen of Scots, July 1828. De- cipher; MSS. MARY QDEEN OP SCOTS. ' If she had come to my brother, St Johns' house, you should have had full notice what to do.' of Feria: MSS. Ibid. St John probably knew the pressure which would be laid upon him, and de- clined to expose himself to it, ' rather offering in a sort imprison- ment.' Burghley to Walsingham, January 4 14: MSS. Ibid. Morgan to the Queen of Scots, March 30 April 9 : MSS. Ibid.