Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 7.djvu/354

 334 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 44. assembled again, when Cecil informed them ' that he found a lack of disposition in the Queen's Majesty to allow of war or of the charges thereof;' she would break her word to the lords whom she had encouraged into insurrection ; but it was better than to run the risk of a conflagration which might wrap all England in its flames. The idea of forcible interference was finally abandoned. De Mauvissiere remained at Edinburgh sincerely endeavouring to keep Mary within bounds; and Cecil himself wrote a private letter of advice to her which he sent by the hands of a Captain Cockburn. There were reasons for supposing that her violence might have begun to cool. Darnley had desired that the command of the army might be given to his father ; the Queen of Scots had insisted on bestowing it upon Bothwell, 1 who had won her favour by promising to bring in Murray dead or alive ; 2 and Lennox was holding off from the Court in jealous discontent. Cockburn on his arrival at Holyrood placed October. himself in communication with de Mauvis- siere. They waited on Mary together ; and, expatiating on the ruinous effect of the religious wars of the Guises which had filled France with rage and hatred, they entreated her for her own sake to beware of the miser- able example. The French ambassador told her that if she looked for aid from abroad she was deceiving her- 1 Randolph speaking of Mary Stuart's relation with Bothwell at tins time says ' I have heard a thing most strange, whereof I will not make mention till I have better assurance than now I have.' Ran- dolph to Cecil, October 13: MS. Rolls House. 2 Cockburn to Cecil, October 2 ; MS. Ibid.