Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 7.djvu/101

 1563.] THE ENGLISH A T HA VKR. 8l Philip had foreseen, dreaded nothing so much as this Spanish marriage ; and to prevent it she had promised that if the Queen of Scots would remain unmarried for two years, Charles the Mnth and the crown of France would again be at her service. Construing Philip's silence unfavourably, Maitland allowed de Quadra to see that he thought well of the French connection. In vain de Quadra spoke of the Archduke Charles. Mait- land would not hear of him unless with a distinct un- derstanding that Philip would make his mistress Queen of England. It was yet possible too for the Queen of Scots to extort favourable terms from Elizabeth. Before Maitland returned to Scotland, E]izaheih--iB. her parting jnterview bade him tell Mary Stuart that if she married into the houses of Austria, France, or Spain, she would take it as an act of war. 1 She would prefer a marriage at home for her. But there were the Pro- testant Princes ; there was the King of Denmark; there was the Duke of Ferrara : any one of these she might choose, or any French nobleman not of royal rank, and she should be named successor at once. Maitland entered too far into these views for de Quadra's peace. He feared that Mary Stuart herself in her passionate desire for recognition might consent after all to some marriage detrimental to the interests of Catholicism, 2 and in dread of such a catastrophe, and 1 'No podria de dejarla de tener por enemiga.' De Quadra to Philip, June 26 : MS. Simancas. 2 ' Es de temer que la golosina de ser declurada sucesora deste lieyno VOL. vn. no haga aquella Eeyna condescender en algun casamiento menos conveni- ente 5. las cosas de la religion.' De Quadra to Philip, June 2'6 : MS. Simancas.