Read an Excerpt
there was something in religion; that it was not a mere idle word, and that subjects well ruled and taught to fear God were the sovereign's best supports in time of danger.1 In this case, she would have to fall back, after all, on the despised " brothers in Christ." The pill would be a bitter one, and Walsingham considered that sooner than submit to it sooner than abandon once and for ever her riddling policy she would prefer, " unless God opened her eyes to see what was best for her State," to see Belgium become part of France.2 What she would do depended on the success of a fresh intrigue which she had opened at the Scotch Court. By promises which she never meant to fulfil, she had tempted Angus and Mar and Gowrie into conspiracy. Gowrie's head stood by the side of Morton's, and Angus and Mar and the Protestant ministers were in exile, and every tried friend of hers and of England had been banished from James's presence. As has been already said, however, a party had formed itself at the Scotch Court, in imitation of the English via media, of which the Earl of Arran was the head and representative. Gorged alike with the plunder of Hamiltons and Douglases, the reigning favourite dreaded equally both Catholic and Protestant. He was afraid of the return, afraid even of the release of Mary Stuart. He preferred that she should remain under a cloud in England, and he had brought James entirely to agree with him. There were thus many points of sympathy, notwithstanding Gowrie's overthrow, be- tweer. him and the Queen of England; and to have rumea those who had hitherto been her staunchest sup- 1 Considerations on the death of the Prince of Orange, 1584: MB3. Holland. Walsingham toStafford, August 10-20: MSS. France. porters was not necessarily to quarrel with herself...