Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 11.djvu/612

 596 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 67. honourable, that they might take them away to Ger- many with your gracious grant of some livelihood, after a week since I gave them my passport, and so dis- missed them, without, I swear to you, even the sight of any one of them ' Now, when I weigh how suddenly beyond my ex- pectation this sudden stir ariseth, and fearing lest some evil and wicked person might surmise that this was not without my foresight, I beseech you trust my actions according to the measure of my former dealings for your safety, and answerable to the rule of reason, and you shall find that few princes will agree to constraint of their equals, much less with compulsion of their sub- jects. Judge of me therefore as a king that carrieth no abject nature; and think this of me, that rather than your danger I will venture mine. And albeit I must confess that it is dangerous for a prince to irritate too much through evil advice the generality of great subjects, so might you ere now have followed my advice that would never betray you with unsound counsel. 'And now to conclude making haste I pray you be plain with this bearer that I may know what you would that I should do without excuse hereafter that constrained you did it, for I dare assure you of his secrecy, and thereof be you bold. For the Lord Rus- sell's death and other things, I refer me to this gentle- man, who I dare promise is of no faction beside my will. God bless you as I wish myself. ' Your true assured cousin and sister, ' ELIZABETH.