Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 7.djvu/429

 1566.] THE MURDER OF DARNLEY. 409 accepted as the future Queen of the united island. It was with this view that the reversion of the crown had been held before Mary Stuart's eyes coupled with the terms on which it might be hers, while the Puritans had been forbidden to do anything which might have driven her to the ultimatum of force. The intrigues with Spain, the Darnley marriage, and the attitude which the Queen of Scots had assume-d in connection with it, had almost precipitated a crisis. Elizabeth had been driven in despair to throw herself on the fanaticism of the Congregation, to endorse the de- mands of Knox that the Queen of Scots should abjure her own religion, and afterwards to retreat from her position with ignominious and dishonourable evasions. Yet the perplexit} r of a sovereign whose chief duty at such a time was' to prevent^ a civil war, deserves _or_ de- mands a lenient consideration. Had Elizabeth declared war in the interest of Murray and the Protestants, she would have saved her honour, but she would have pro- voked a bloody insurrection ; while it would have be- come more difficult than ever to recognize the Queen of Scots, more hopeless than ever to persuade her into moderation and good sense. If Elizabeth's conduct in its details had been__alike_jiinjgTincipled and unwise, the broader bearjrigs jrf Jhex._^ and commendable ; her caprice and vacillation arose from her consciousness of the difficulties by which she was on every side surrounded. The Queen of Scots herself had so far shown in favourable contrast with her sister of England : she had deceived her enemies, but she had