Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 9.djvu/137

 1569-] THE RISING OF THE NORTH. 12 j leadership of Leonard Dacres, who had married his sister. The Earl of Derby, though said to be ' soft/ was a Catholic at heart, and ' the five lords ' were gener- ally spoken of as likely, if not certain, to support each other. The Queen's orders found the Earls at Raby. Westmoreland at once refused to obey. ' Evil rumours/ he said, ' had been spread abroad about him and carried to the Court. He did not care to trust himself away from his friends ; ' 1 and as an intimation that he did not intend to be taken without resistance, he reviewed his retainers under arms. 2 Northumber- land varied his answer by saying that he was busy and for the present could not comply, but he returned to Topcliff ' determined not to rise/ and meaning, or believing that he meant, to go up to London in the winter. 3 Sir George Bowes however sent word to Sussex that mischief was gathering ; and Sussex, terrified at his own weakness, wrote to Elizabeth to say that, although he would ' do his part ' if she required him to take the Earls prisoners, he recommended her to overlook their disobedience, and ' call them home to her favour/ 4 He was disinclined to Cecil and Cecil's policy. He pre- ferred the old order of things to the new. Like the rest of the old peers, he was in favour of the Queen of 1 Sussex to the Queen, Novem- ber 8. 8 November 6. 3 Confession of Thomas Bishop : I MSS. Border, MSS. Hatjield. 4 Sussex to the Queen, Novem- ber 8 ; Sussex to Cecil, same date :