Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 7.djvu/379

 i 565 .] THE DARNLE Y MARRIA GE. 359 testants which, her passionate temper found more and more difficulty in maintaining. The counsels of David Rizzio were worth an army to English liberty : she had surrendered herself entirely ajad exclusively to Rizzjo^ guidance ; and when Melville attempted to move the dark and dangerous Italian ' he evidenced a disdain of danger and despised counsel.' Rizzio, 'the minion of the Pope/ preferred the more direct and open road of violence and conquest, which he believed, in his ignor- ance of the people amongst whom he was working, to be equally safe for his mistress, while it promised better for other objects which he had in view for himself. Already every petition addressed to the Crown was passing through his hands, and he was growing rich upon the presents which were heaped upon him to buy his favour. He desired rank as well as wealth ; and to be made a peer of Scotland, the reward which Mary Stuart intended for him, he required a share of the lands of the banished earls, the estates of Murray most especially, as food at once for his ambition and revenge. It is time to return to his friend and emissary, Francis Yaxlee, who went at the end of August on a mission to Philip. The conditions under which the King of Spain had promised his assistance seemed to have arrived. Mary Stuart had married Lord Darnley as he advised ; her subjects had risen in insurrection with the secret support of the Queen of England, who was threatening to send an army into Scotland for their support. She had run into danger in the interests of the Church of Home, and