Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 9.djvu/463

 15 7 1.] THE RIDOLFI CONSPIRACY. 449 offers which are now made to us. It will never do however simply to send our troops as these people pro- pose, on the chance of what may follow. A large force will be required, many persons will have to be admitted into the secret, and a secret which is widely shared will infallibly be betrayed. The Queen will have the oppor- tunity, for which she has long been looking, of put- ting the Queen of Scots and her adherents to death, and the blow will recoil upon your Majesty. I do not trust Ridolfi. He is a babbler. He .has talked over the plan with a person here who is not a member of the council. 1 If we land and do not succeed at the first stroke, you may be sure that the Queen of England will move heaven and earth to defend herself. She will throw herself wholly upon France. She will instantly marry the Duke of Anjou, though at present nothing is further from her thoughts ; and your Majesty may consider how you will then stand, with England, France, and Germany your enemies. No one should advise your Majesty to run such a risk as this. 1 But- there is another possibility. Suppose the Queen of England dead dead by the hand of nature or by some other hand ; or suppose the Catholics to have got possession of her person before your Majesty has inter- fered ; the case is then altered. There would then be no danger from Anjou or any other prince ; and the French will no longer suspect your Majesty of intend- ing the conquest of England. Then you will be able 1 A side note says, ' debe decir &. Chapin Vitelli.' VOL. ix. 29