Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 9.djvu/125

 THE RISING OF THE NORTH. Stuart was confined, lying in wait for a glimpse of ner as she passed hunting, surrounded by her guards, or watching at night among the rocks and bushes for the late light of the taper which flickered in her chamber windows. 1 And now all these youths, through the summer of 1 569, had been fed with the hope that their day was coming, when either the noblemen of England united in council would force the Queen to set her captive free, or they themselves, her glorious band of deliverers, were to burst the walls of this prison and bear her away in triumph. The adhesion of the Duke of Norfolk to their party, coupled with some uncertainty among them- selves, had modified their original programme. The Duke having a large party among the Protestants, 2 they intended to say nothing about religion till they had used their help and could afford to show their colours. The pretext for the rising was to be the liber- ation of Mary Stuart, the establishment of the succes- sion in her favour, and the removal of evil councillors about the Queen. 3 The signal for rebellion was to be the withdrawal of the Duke of Norfolk from the Court. The Earls of Westmoreland and Northumberland and Leonard Dacres were then to take the field, while Nor- folk, Arundel, Montague, Lumley, and the rest of the 1 One of Mary Stuart's pecu- liarities a remarkable one in those times was that she seldom went to bod till one or two in the morning. 2 ' Car infinis Protestants sont pour le Due.' La Mothe to the King, October 8. 3 Confession of the Earl of Northumberland : Border MSS.