Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 9.djvu/333

 EXCOMMUNICATION OF ELIZABETH. 319 He had no confidence in Maitland. He doubted whether he was dealing honestly with him, and he intimated that ' by-practices ' would be found dangerous, and that 'her Majesty had subjects who would provide for her surety whatever became of themselves/ But the pro- posals, if made in sincerity, deserved consideration, and while sending them on to the council Sussex used the opportunity which Maitland' s letter gave him to ask for an explanation of the problem which was perplexing everybody why he who had so long acted with the Protestants had gone over to the other side. He had been one of those who had advocated harder measures for the Queen of Scots than the Queen of England would allow. ' The persons were the same, the cause the same, the matter the same/ ' How had severity which was just one day become unjust the next?' ' There was neither wisdom in it nor philosophy/ 1 A note from Maitland to his brother explains the object of his first letter to Sussex. He was wishing merely to recover for himself the confidence of the English council ; 2 but a correspondence followed cha- racteristic both of Sussex and himself. 'You ask me why I have changed my mind/ he 1 Sussex to Maitland, July 5 : MSS. Scotland. 2 ' I send you herewith the copy of my letter to the Earl of Sussex which you desire r wherein you will think I have gone very far ; yet I did it not without consideration. I open nothing but that I know is al- ready in hand and muckle mair. I would they had that opinion of me that I dealt squarely and roundly with them ; and my opinion will not make the matter up or down.' Maitland to the Laird of Coldingham, July 17: MSS. Ibid.