Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 9.djvu/139

 1569] THE RISING OF THE NORTH. 12$ The cry was out that 'the Pope had summoned England once : he was about to summon it again, and then it would be lawful to rise against the Queen, for the Pope was head of the Church/ l By the morning bodies of armed men were seen streaming from all points upon the road to Raby. Northumberland him- self, old Norton and his sons, Captain Reed, who had commanded the Bolton guard, with twenty of his har- quebuss-men, Markinfield, Swinburn, and a hundred other gentlemen, made their way to the Earl of West- moreland. The country was covered with flying pea- sants, driving their cattle before them for fear of plun- der, and with scattered bands of insurgents who were seeking for arms. Irresolute still, Northumberland had meant to go first to Alnwick whatever else might follow. Before he left Topcliff he addressed a few weak words to Elizabeth, ' protesting that he never intended any disloyal act towards her ; ' ' begging her of her mercy to take compassion of his miserable state and condition/ to listen to no false reports of him, and ' to send him some comfort, that he might repair to her presence.' 2 But he was drawn with the rest to Raby, where he and they were to decide whether they would fight or fly, or sub- mit. There, two days after, at a general council, the question was once more discussed. They were all un- certain ; the Nortons were divided among themselves, Northumberland and Swinburn were inclining to make for Flanders, and there was no resolution anywhere. 1 Evans to the Council, Novem- | November 13 (sic) : Border HSS. her 8 : Ibid. The date is obviously wrong. The 2 Northumberland to the Queen, Earl left Topcliff on the loth.