Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 7.djvu/464

 444 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 45. du Croq admitted, ' by all men and by all parties be- cause being what he was he desired to be as he had been and to rule as a king.' 1 In him the murderers of Rizzio found a scapegoat, and the Queen accepted with seeming willingness the vicarious sacrifice. The__pa- litical^elatipns between England and Scotland relapsed into their old bearings. Maitland was found again corresponding with the English ministers on the old subject of the union of the realms, while the Queen of Scots herself wrote to Cecil with affected confidence and cordiality, just touching enough to show that she understood it on the treachery of Rokeby, but profess- ing to believe that Cecil wished well to her and would assist her to gain her cause. 2 So stood the several parties in the two kingdoms when Elizabeth returned from her progress and prepared to meet her Parliament. 3 Four years h.ad passed since 1 Du Croq to the Queen-mother of France, October 17: TEULET, vol. ii. 2 Maitland to Cecil, October 4 ; The Queen of Scots to Cecil, October 5 : MS. Rolls House. 3 An entry in the Privy Council Register shows how anxiously the English Government were still watch- ing the Queen of Scots, and how little they trusted her assurances. October 8, 1566. 'A letter to Sir John Foster, Warden of the Middle Marches, touching the intelligence received out of Scotland of the sending of the Earl of Argyle towards Shan O'Neil with a hundred soldiers of those that were about the Scottish Queen's own person, with commission also to levy all his own people and the people of the Isles to assist Shan against the- Queen's Majesty. And because the understanding of the truth of this matter is of great importance, and necessary to be boulted out with speed, he is required that under pre- tence of some other message he take occasion to send with convenient speed some discreet person to the Scottish Court, to procure by all the best means he may to boult out the very certainty hereof. And in case he shall find inded that the said