Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 9.djvu/122

 108 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [011.53. neighbourhood, and the eager knights- errant had free, access to her presence. When at times she was thought likely to attempt an escape and the guards were set upon the alert, loyalty, like love, still found means to penetrate the charmed circle. Every high-spirited young gentleman, whose generosity was stronger than his intelligence, had contrived in some way to catch a glance from her eyes and to hear some soft words from her lips, and from that moment became her slave, body and soul. Conspicuous among these youths were the Nortons, of whom the reader has heard as the intending assassins of the Earl of Murray. The father, Richard Norton, was past middle life at ihe time of the Pilgrimage of Grace. It may be as- sumed with confidence that he was one of the thirty thousand enthusiasts who followed Robert Aske from Pomfret to Doncaster behind the banner of the Five Wounds of Christ. Now in his old age, he was still true to the cause. He had been left like a great many others unmolested in the profession and practice of his faith ; and he had bred up eleven stout sons and eight daughters, all like himself devoted children of Holy Church. One of these, Christofer, had been among the first to enroll himself a knight of Mary Stuart. His religion had taught him to combine subtlety with cour- age ; and through carelessness, or treachery, or his own address, he had been admitted into Lord Scrope's guard at Bolton Castle. There he was at hand to assist his lady's escape, should escape prove possible ; there he