Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 9.djvu/328

 REICN OF ELIZABETH. i. $4. through the Duke to his master, adding however to the letter a few words of his own to rouse Alva before it should be too late. 1 ' Now/ he said, ' is the moment for your Excellency's presence in England. Never could you come more opportunely. You will see what I have written to his Majesty ; what Lord Derby and the rest say is all true/ The Catholic Lords sent a messenger of their own to Philip. They had trusted to him, they said, and hoped, till they were almost in despair. The Queen's Ministers were now distracted, quarrelling among themselves and uncertain what to do. No such opportunity had occurred before ; and if it was allowed to pass, such another might never return. It mattered not whether a force was landed in Scotland or landed in England, the effect would be the same. They offered harbours, supplies all that an army could want ; and if Philip desired it, the Prince of Scotland should be placed in his hands as their security. 2 The excitement among the Catholics could not wholly be concealed. Huntingdon had his eye on Lord Derby, and warned Cecil that mischief was in the wind ; 3 and whatever might be Elizabeth's pleasure, Cecil determined that with the first symptoms of further 1 Descifrada de Don Guerau a su Mag d. Don Guerau al Duque de Alva, dos de Setierabre : MSS. Si- mancas. 2 'Avisos que ha dado Geo Kempe en Madrid, Setiembre 19.' MISS. Simancas. 3 Huntingdon to Cecil, August 24 : Burghley Papers, vol. i. So dangerous was the Court that Hunt- ingdon, after giving his information, added, ' Take heed to which of your companions you utter this, though you be now but five together.'