Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 9.djvu/412

 398 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 55. 'Your Majesty will understand that no word of all this is known in France, nor has the Queen of Scots let fall a hint of it to any of her own relations. She places her confidence in your Majesty alone, and with your Majesty, if God gives her grace to obtain her just rights, she will maintain the ancient league and confederation which has so long existed between her and your progenitors. ' She will consent also to a proposal made to her by the late Queen of Spain before her death, for a mar- riage between her son the Prince of Scotland and one of your Majesty's daughters. Your Majesty's pleasure in this matter will be hers. She will place the Prince in your Majesty's hands, to be educated at your Court in virtue and the Christian faith. 1 Your Majesty will also hear in detail the nature of the assistance which will be required, the native force with which your Majesty's army will be supported, and the means by which the Queen of Scots can be released, and the Queen of England arrested and confined : you will be able to assure yourself that this is no ill-considered enterprise in which you are invited to take part and that your soldiers will be in no danger.' Accompanying this letter, as Don Guerau stated, were transcripts of the commissions given both by the Queen of Scots and the Duke of Norfolk to Bidolfi The Queen of Scots had not at first intended to com- municate to Don Guerau the Ml details of the plot.