Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 9.djvu/385

 THE RIDOLFI CONSPIRACY. 371 Cecil thought that he might share the privilege of the ambassadors of the Catholic Powers, and have a service of his own in a room in the Palace.' l These proposals were submitted privately to the French council, and contained everything which they could reasonably demand. The French, in return, were ready to promise that the Established religion should not be tampered with. The marriage ceremony it was thought might be performed in the English form ; some prominent members of the French Government, eccle- siastics as well as laymen, could be present as witnesses, and a special contract to be provided for the occasion would prevent a question from being afterwards raised as to the validity of the rite. 2 The interests of Protestantism would have been more than answered by these mutual concessions, and Wal- singham was most anxious that they should be con- firmed and accepted by the principal parties. The Queen-mother, he wrote, intended to provide for her son in Scotland if not in England ; and, ' of all impend- ing perils that would be the greatest/ 3 Leicester, ready to restore Catholicism, ready to devote himself to Philip, co Catherine, to Norfolk, to the Queen of Scots, to the Puritans, to any and every one in turn, as seemed to suit his interests, professed to be particularly anxious 1 ' Reasonable demands to be re- quired of Monsieur for the preserv- ation of the religion of England in credit, and the Protestants thereof in comfort, March, 1571.' In Cecil's hand : MSS. France. 2 ' Q,ui res ornnes ibidem gestas in acta secundum formam juris redigere valeant.' Marriage Articles pro- posed by France : MSS. Ibid. 3 Walsingham to Leicester, March 9 ; Complete Ambassador.