Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 7.djvu/443

 1566.] THE MURDER OF DARNLEY. 423 hurt me. Your actions towards me are as full of venom as your words of honey. I have but to tell my subjects what you are, and I well know the opinion which they will form of you. Judge you of your own prudence you can better understand these things than I can write them. Assure me under your own hand of your good meaning, that I may satisfy those who are more inclined than I am to doubt you. If you are amusing yourself at my expense, do not think so poorly of me that I will suffer such wrong without avenging it. Hemember, my dear sister, that if you desire my affection you must learn to deserve it.' l Essentially Elizabeth was acting with the truest regard for the Queen of Scots' interests, and was in fact behaving with extraordinary forbearance. It was un- fortunate that petty accidents should have so perpetually given her rival a temporary advantage and an excuse for believing herself the injured party. Among the Catholics of whose presence at her Court Sir H. Killi- grew was instructed to complain, the spy of Cecil had been especially named. Already the Queen of Scots had been warned to beware how she trusted Rokeby ; and at once, with an affected anxiety to meet Elizabeth's wishes, she ordered his arrest and the seizure of his papers. Cecil's letters to him were discovered in his correspondence, and the evidence of the underplot was too plain to permit Elizabeth to return upon so doubt- ful a ground. 2 1 Elizabeth to the Queen of Scots, June 13 : Scotch HfSS. Rolls House. - Killigi-ew to Cecil, July 4 : MS, Ibid.