Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 9.djvu/261

 i 5 70. ] EXCOMMUNICA TION OF E LIZ ABE TH. 247 place. Bandolph was sent for and required to say what Elizabeth wished. He was unable to answer. Was the Queen to return ? He could not tell. Would Elizabeth recognize James ? He was forbidden to make a positive statement. The lords were in no humour to be trifled with. Maitland repeated his conviction that the Queen would be restored. Argryle had re- March, ceived letters from the Queen of England which pointed to the same conclusion. The meeting broke up without a resolution, but Morton, who had succeeded Murray as the political leader of the Pro- testants, wrote to Elizabeth to say that unless she could resolve one way or the other all Scotland would cry 1 France,' and the influence of England would be ir- revocably lost. 1 Compelled in this way to commit herself more deeply than she had intended, Elizabeth relaxed some- thing of her excessive caution. She herself, or Cecil for her, 2 directed Eandolph to tell Morton and his friends ' that she remained resolute in all things which concerned the maintainance of the true Christian Re- ligion among them, the preservation of their King ' she had never used the word before ' and consequently of their own particular states and degrees.' 'She de- sired them not to be perplexed with reports of devices for the Queen's restoration ; ' ' she would consent to no thing till she might first understand their intentions for 1 Depechesdela MotheFenelon, March 13. 2 Elizabeth to Randolph, Feb ruary 27: MSS. Scotland. Th draft of the letter is in Cecil's harof throughout.