Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 9.djvu/155

 1569.] THE RISING OF THE NORTH. 141 of fools or traitors, nor Norfolk's mendacity, nor the eloquence of the Bishop of Ross, could charm her now into a false security. Meantime the Earls had missed their chance and had lost the game in missing it. Mary Stuart once be- yond their reach, there was no longer any fear from Alva. The Southern noblemen let the time for action go by, and the rebel Earls, after waiting three days about Tadcaster, turned back upon their steps. They had expected that all England would rise to meet them. The universal tranquillity was not disturbed. The Earl of Derby, instead of rising, forwarded to Elizabeth the letters with which they had tempted his loyalty. Mon- tague and Southampton waited for Alva, and Alva would not move till Mary Stuart was free. They had no money ; the road to London was open, but they were unwilling to irritate the people by feeding their men upon plunder ; and even could they reach London, they doubted their power to carry it by a coup de main, and to besiege it would be beyond their power. Like the Pilgrims of Grace, they halted in their first success, and in halting lost all. 1 Their plan was now to hold the north of Yorkshire, Durham, and Northumberland, and wait to be attacked. They thought of assaulting York, but they doubted whether they could take it without guns. There would be danger to their friends in the town, and though Westmoreland, who saw more clearly than the others La Mothe, December 27 : Ddptches, vol. ii.