Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 9.djvu/114

 ioo REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [en. 53. to the crown of England : she continued in the same mind, and no place could serve her better to prosecute still the same intentions/ In England, unless she was restricted from all com- munication, she would be the focus of perpetual con- spiracy. ' The number of Papists/ in Cecil's judgment, 'was constantly increasing/ A large party in the State, ' Papists, Protestants, and Neutrals/ were ( in- clined from worldly respects/ in consequence of the Queen's refusal to marry, to favour the Scottish title. The conspiracy in the council had arisen from a craving of the island under one sovereign. Every person in the country, who was discontented ' either from matters of religion, Court neglect, or poverty, or other causes/ would take the side of the Queen of Scots for the mere hope of some change. Her presence in the realm would be a perpetual temptation. Her person, except as a close prisoner, could not be effectively secured. She might escape, she might be carried off, or her keepers might be corrupted. The foreign Courts would never cease to worry the Queen with requests for her release. She might contract herself to some prince who would demand her as his wife, and a refusal to part with her might be construed into an occasion of war. ' Being in captivity/ she would be increasingly commiserated; ' her sufferings more lamented than her fault condemned/ 'The casualty of her death by course of nature would be interpreted to the worst/ The Queen's own health ' might be worn away with per-
 * for the certainty of some succession/ and for a union