Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 9.djvu/387

 1571-1 THE RIDOLFI CONSPIRACY. 373 Prince in England. The threatened occupation of Scotch castles by English garrisons was equally intoler- able to him ; and Livingston intimated that it was pre- posterous to expect Scotch noblemen to reside at Elizabeth's Court as hostages. Mary Stuart herself said, that without some equivalent she would not relinquish the French alliance and forfeit her dowry ; while again, new features of tho Queen of Scots' misdemeanours in England were coming perpetually to light. The Bishop of Ross was pointedly told that his mistress should think less of marrying Don John of Austria. The Bishop, in turn, informed La Mothe that if the King of February. France would allow the Queen of Scots four thousand crowns a month, her friends would reduce Scotland in half-a-year, and Charles answered that he would consent, if the treaty came to nothing. 1 But the interference of France was contingent on the failure of the negotiation for Anjou. Elizabeth knew it, and her intentions towards her prisoner varied with her disposition towards matrimony. Her marriage, when once completed, would remove the political objec- tions to the restoration ; while, if she backed out of it, the resentment of France at her trifling would enhance the danger a hundredfold. At length Lennox consented to put in his appear- ance ; the Earl of Morton arrived for the young King, and the way toward a conclusion seemed to be opened. Bui Morton had not come to London with anv such The King of France to La Mothe, February 19 : Depeches, vol. vii.