Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 9.djvu/149

 1569.] THE RISING OF THE NORTH. 135 had secured his friends time, and so far had given them their best chance of success. 1 Elizabeth's other measures were not more effective. To save the cost of sending troops from London, Lord Rutland, a boy of thirteen, was directed to call out the musters in Nottinghamshire, and put himself at their head. Sir Ralph Sadler and Thomas Cecil were ordered down to take charge of him, and to see especially that the young Earl while on duty went diligently to church. 2 Spies offered their services, which were eagerly accepted. A Captain Stully volun- teered to go among the insurgents, learn their secrets, divide and betray them. 3 A more dangerous person, who will be heard of again, Sir Robert Constable, un- dertook for a high bribe the same work. 4 "With such precautions as these the Queen imagined that the re- bellion could be safely encountered. The one substan- tial precaution which she thought necessary was to join Lord Hunsdon in command with Sussex. Meanwhile Don Gfuerau believed that the long- wished-for time was come. The Earl of Southampton and Lord Montague sent to consult him whether they should call out the Catholics in their own counties, or cross the Channel and endeavour to bring back Alva 4 Constable was "Westmoreland's cousin ; a man whose sympathy with the rebellion would be accepted without suspicion, and therefore the fitter for the purpose. He was grand- son of Constable of Flamb.orough } the friend of Aske, who was exe- cuted after the rilgriniage of Grace. 1 Notes of the proceedings of Leonard Dacres, March 4, 1570: MSS. Border. Witherington's con- fession, January 19 : Ibid. 2 Cecil to Sadler, November 20 : Sadler Papers, vol. ii. 3 Bedford to Sadler, November 21 : Sadler Papers, vol. ii.