Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 9.djvu/302

 ;;8S REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [en. 54. and religion, the Protestant religion, will be established beyond reach of harm from end to end of Britain. No advice but this will be given to our Sovereign by any loyal Englishman. This course alone befits the great- ness of her crown ; and in this quarrel I will live or die. It is not for the Majesty of England to be fright- ened by the threats of an ambassador. How think you her father, King Henry, would have dealt with such miserable counsels ? You, my Lord,' he went on, turning to Leicester, ' you pretend to be loyal to your mistress, and you are in league with the worst of her enemies. If France lands a force in England to try to take the Queen of Scots from us, with her Majesty's permission, I would strike her head from her shoulders with my own hands/ ' In what I said,' replied Leicester, ' I spoke accord- ing to my honour and conscience. I will maintain my opinion, if necessary, with my life, against all who im- pugn it. It is my duty as a councillor to declare what I truly think. Her Majesty may do as she will, I hold to my own convictions, and I speak for others besides myself.' Elizabeth looked angrily from one speaker to the other. Neither the favourite nor the Lord Keeper had pleased her. But the Lord Keeper had offended her most : ' his counsels,' she said, ' were like himself, rash and dangerous ; ' she would not have her cousin's life touched for a second realm ; she would rather lose her own. She forbade him at his peril ever more to speak such words to her.