Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 9.djvu/175

 I5&9-7 TEE RISING OF THE NORTH. 161 from the purpose of marriage between her and the Duke of Norfolk, while it may be also that she will prefer her old friends in France and Scotland to the prejudice and entire destruction of the connection with the House oi Burgundy, which thing we are determined at all costs not to endure. 1 The Prince her son is in the hands of heretics, and is educated in the heretic belief. We fear that he cannot be extricated from among them, save on con- ditions which will be dangerous to the Catholic religion and dangerous to the English Commonwealth. We admit the right of the Queen of Scots because she is a Catholic, and as long as she survives, these inconveni- ences may seem the less to be feared ; but should the Queen of Scots die at no distant time, the case is altered. The Prince her son will never be accepted by the Catholics unless your Majesty take him under your protection, and unless he becomes himself a Catholic. ' There are other matters also,' continued the un- known person 1 by whom the address was sent, 'on which it is unnecessary now to weary your Majesty. You will see how ardently these gentlemen devote themselves to your Highness, in God's service, as their only Prince and Protector. We desire, and all Catholics for their own safety ought to desire, to see the administration of their country in your Majesty's hands. The county which these gentlemen inhabit 1 The address was accompanied by a list of names which has not been preserved, and by a letter un- signed also, but professing to be one of the gentlemen by whom it was presented. VOL. ix. 11