desired nothing better than to place himself and his friends in her hands. The further her Highness dipped into the matter, the further she would find herself resolved,' the more completely she would be satisfied that the noblemen of Scotland had not entered upon this enterprise without good ground and occasion.'1

Perhaps to give Murray more time, the same messenger who carried the Queen's directions to him was sent round by Carlisle to the Queen of Scots. To her Elizabeth could but repeat what she had said already. 'She could not receive her in such sort as she would if she were not taxed with a horrible crime;' but she intended to take her and her cause into her protection, and according to the justice of her plea would prosecute her adversaries.

Her communications with Mary Stuart Elizabeth preferred to keep in her own hands, not trusting them to Cecil.

'Madam,' so ran the letter with which Middlemore was charged, 'I have heard at length from my Lord Herries your desire to defend yourself, in my presence, from the matter laid to your charge. Oh, Madam! there is not a creature living who more longs to hear your justification than myself; not one who would lend more willing ear to any answer which will clear your honour. But I cannot sacrifice my own reputation on your account. To tell you the plain truth, I am already thought to be more willing to defend your cause than to

1 Murray to Elizabeth, June 22: MSS. Scotland.

open my eyes to see the things of which your subjects Did but know who the persons are by

you

accuse you. whom I am warned to be on my guard, you would not think that I could afford to neglect these warnings. And now, seeing that you are pleased to commit yourself to my protection, you may assure yourself I will have that care both of your life and honour, that neither yourself nor your nearest relations could be more concerned for your interests. On the word of a prince, I promise you, that neither your subjects, nor any advice which I may receive from my own councillors, shall move me to ask anything of you which may endanger you or touch your honour.

'Does it seem strange to you that you are not allowed to see me? I entreat you put yourself in my place. When you are acquitted of this crime I will receive you with all honour; till that is done I may not; but afterwards, I swear by God, that I shall never see person with better will, and among all earthly pleasures I will hold this to be the first.

'The gentleman who will give you this letter will tell you the commission with which he is charged to your subjects. I have held no communication with them since your first imprisonment, nor would I do so now except for your own advantage. I trust I may succeed in bringing these sad matters to a good end. There is no one thing in all the world which I desire so much. The sufficiency of the bearer is such that I need not trouble you with a longer letter. God be with you

in all your good actions, and deliver you from those who bear you malice.'1

There spoke Elizabeth herself-Elizabeth and not Cecil. The Queen represented one aspect of the Government, the Minister another. To the Queen Murray was a rebel-to Cecil he was the saviour of Scotland. In this and in all the complicated actions of English policy sometimes one element prevailed, sometimes another; sometimes the two interfused, yet never wholly mingling. The Queen was the imperious sovereign— Cecil the clear-eyed Protestant statesman; and thus a picture is for ever left upon the mind of inconsistency, hypocrisy, and broken faith; when Elizabeth-only too often-yielded to her own impulses, and was then driven to shifts to extricate herself from positions, of which Cecil's steady sense showed her the weakness or the danger.

It was essential that the party in Scotland who were intriguing to bring over the French should be put down with the least possible delay. The more completely Murray could pacify Scotland, the more easy would be the intended compromise. Elizabeth might have avowed as much as this in the face of Europe without danger. It was essential also that the Queen of Scots' guilt or innocence should be fully established; yet Elizabeth could tell her on the word of a prince that she was inviting her to consent to nothing which could affect her

1 Elizabeth to Mary Stuart, June 8; MSS. QUEEN OF SCOTS, Rolls House.

honour, as if it was impossible that the inquiry should terminate unfavourably.

Nor was this all. With her own people Elizabeth pursued habitually a course so peculiarly trying, that the best of them were often tempted to abandon her service. Particular things became, from time to time, necessary to be done which she did not choose to order, and her ministers had to act on their own responsibility, that she might be able afterwards to disown them. Scrope and Knowles were directed to see that the Queen of Scots did not escape; yet she would give them no authority to hold her prisoner. Under these circumstances she could not be left safely at Carlisle. The council, with a view simply to her safe keeping, concluded that she must be removed further into the country; and Pomfret and Fotheringay had both been thought of. Elizabeth knew and approved. She directed Middlemore to persuade the Queen of Scots to consent, by representing it as a partial accomplishment of her own desire to be taken to the Court; so as the cause should grow, to be advanced to a fuller degree of her own contentation.'1 If however she refused to go, those in charge of her were left without direction how to proceed; they might remove her by force, but only at their own peril.

If the extreme difficulty of the position may be allowed to palliate these subterfuges, no such excuse can be urged for those acts of occasional meanness which

1 Instruction to Middlemore, June 8: Printed in ANDERSON.

wounded Elizabeth's reputation in the contempt excited by them more deeply than the most high-handed injustice.

In the flight from Langside Mary Stuart had of course brought no change of dress with her, and neither Dundrennan nor Carlisle could supply her wardrobe with ordinary clean linen. She had represented her condition in her first letter. Elizabeth sent her a couple of torn shifts, two pieces of black velvet, and two pairs of shoes. The Queen of Scots, herself generous to extravagance, was at first disposed to decline this extraordinary contribution to her comfort.' She received it in silence, with a manner which argued rather her scornful acceptation of the same than grateful;'3 and Sir Francis Knowles, by whom the things were presented, was obliged for shame to shield his mistress by saying that he thought 'her Highness's maid had mistaken, and had sent things necessary for such a maid-servant as she was herself.”4

2

The Queen of Scots' bodily necessities were relieved speedily by the arrival of her own dresses, sent by Murray from Lochleven. Her own ladies followed to attend upon her. She had no further inconvenience in this way; but Elizabeth, who was in reality her best friend, who was fighting for her against all her own ministers,

1 'M. de Montmorin me dice que | su Magd, 27 de Junio: MSS. Silo que se le envió de parte de la mancas. Reyna quando llegó fueron dos camisas ruines, y dos piezas de terciopelo negro y dos pares de zapatos y no otra cosa.'-De Silva á

2 Knowles to Cecil, June 15: Cotton. MSS. CALIG. B. ix.

3 Knowles to Cecil, June 12: ANDERSON. 4 Ibid.

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