Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 7.djvu/275

 1565.] THE EMBASSY OF DE SILVA. 255 for ' uniformity of apparel and ritual/ and submitted them to Cecil for approval. Elizabeth, meanwhile had supplemented her first orders by a command that * mat- ters in controversy in religion ' should not be discussed in sermons ; the clergy while wearing Catholic garments were not to criticise Catholic doctrines. The Archbishop told Cecil that while ' the adversaries ' were so busy on the Continent writing against the English Liturgy, this last direction was thought ' too unreasonable ; ' and im- plored him ' not to strain the cord too tight ; ' while he requested an order in writing from the Queen, addressed to himself and the Bishop of London, as their authority for enforcing her first commands. 1 Neither a letter from herself however, nor assistance in any form from the Government, would Elizabeth allow to be given. The bishops should deliver their tale of bricks, but they should have no straw to burn them. They were the appointed authorities, and by them she was determined at once that the work should be done and that the odium of it should be borne. She did something indeed ; but not what Parker desired. As if purposely to affront the Protestants, the Court had revived the ceremonies of the Carnival. On Shrove Tiiesday Leicester gave a tournament and after- wards a masque, where Juno and Diana held an argu- ment on the respective merits of marriage and celibacy. Jupiter, as the umpire, gave sentence at last for matri- mony ; and the Queen, who had the Spanish ambassador 1 Parker to Cecil, March 3, 1565 : Lansdoivne MSS. 8.