Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 7.djvu/385

 1565.] THE DARNLEY MARRIAGE. 365 his person. They told Elizabeth little which she did not know already. She was perhaps relieved from the fear of an iminediate interposition from Rpg.inj the expecta- tion of which, as much as any other cause, had led to the strangeness of her conduct. But she knew herself to be surrounded with pitfalls into which a false step might at any moment precipitate her ; and she could resolve on nothing. One day she thought of trying to persuade the Queen of Scots to establish ' religion ' on the English model ; ' or if that could not be obtained that there might be liberty of conscience, that the Protestants might serve God their own way without molestation/ 1 Then again in a feeble effort to preserve her dignity she would once more attempt to entrap the Queen of Scots into sending commissioners to England to sue for a settle- ment of the succession, which naturally did but increase Mary Stuart's exasperation. 2 Bothwell made a raid on the Borders and carried off five or six English prisoners. The Earl of Bedford made reprisals, in the faint hope that it might force Elizabeth into a more courageous attitude. She first blamed Bedford ; then, stung by an insolent letter from the Queen of Scots, she flashed up with momentary pride and became conscious of her in- justice to Murray. The Scotch Parliament was summoned for December, the ensuing February, when Murray and his friends would be required to appear, and if they failed 1 Instructions to Commissioners going to Scotland, November, 1565 Cotton. MSS. CALIQ. B. 10. 2 Randolph to Cecil, December 15 : Scotch MSS. Rolls House.