Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 9.djvu/419

 1 57 1.] THE RIDOLFI CONSPIRACY. 405 on account of the Queen of Scots' title, many Hugue- nots work with me and under me, they must not be surprised if I do not as yet make known my purpose to every one. You will kiss the feet of his Holiness in my name and that of the nobles, and you will say that, if God gives me grace to conduct this enterprise to a happy end, I will then be content to do anything which his Holiness, the King of Spain, and the Queen of Scots shall ordain. ' I and my friends will adventure our lives in the cause, and I beseech his Holiness to use his influence with the Catholic King in our behalf. You will con- vince his Majesty of the sincere hearts with which we turn to him, and although I may at times, either for the sake of the Queen of Scots or for other causes, have seemed to incline too much towards France, you will say that I have never been French at heart, but that my inclinations have been always towards his Majesty, as I hope I shall have occasion tc prove. I turn to him as my most sure refuge. I beseech him to help me in the interests of the Christian world. The per- nicious purpose of those about the Queen is to de- termine the succession to some one of their own sort, and to establish the Huguenot religion, not here only, but in all Europe. If this be done, the King's Low Countries will be in danger, especially if the marriage take effect between the Queen and the Duke of Anjou, but that marriage shall never be, if the King will aid is in preventing it. ' You will tell his Majesty that, in return for the