That danger soon passed, for the Huguenots flew to arms, and Guise was murdered, Mary losing thus her principal prop abroad.  And Lethington now pushed vigorously what seemed to be Scotland’s only chance of safety—­the marriage of Mary with the semi-idiot heir of Spain.

The English Catholics were drawn into the plot.  “Only let Mary marry the heir of Spain, and we will salute her as our leader,” said they.  But Elizabeth soon gained wind of it, as usual, and was ready with her antidote—­a most extraordinary one—­the proposal that Mary should wed her own lover, Lord Robert Dudley, with the assurance of the English succession after Elizabeth’s death without issue.  It was a mere feint, of course, but it divided Scotland, and unsettled Mary herself.

Meanwhile, Philip, with his leaden methods, was pondering and seeking fresh pledges and guarantees from the English Catholics.  Before his temporising answer came Elizabeth had frightened Mary’s advisers into doubt, while she was holding the English Catholics in check by dangling Darnley and Dudley before Mary’s eyes, and swearing deadly vengeance if she married the Spaniard.

Elizabeth’s first aim was to embroil Mary’s prospects by discrediting her in the eyes of foreign powers.  To this end was directed the offer alternately of Dudley and Darnley as a husband, and Elizabeth’s pretence of shocked reprobation of Mary in connection with Chastelard’s escapade.  It must be confessed that Mary’s imprudence aided Elizabeth’s object, and the sour bigotry of Knox, which looked upon all gaiety as a sin, served the same purpose.  All this drove the unhappy queen more and more into the arms of the Catholic party as her only means of defence.

III.—­Prudence Overcome by Passion

The intrigue to wed Mary to the Spanish prince was met by Elizabeth cordially taking up Lady Lennox, and her son, Darnley, who by many was now regarded as the intended heir of England, and was held out to Mary as an ideal husband for her.  So long as she had hopes of the Spanish prince she gave but evasive answers; but late in 1564 the cunning diplomacy of Catharine and the falseness of Cardinal Lorraine had diverted that danger; and Philip gave Mary to understand that the match with his son was impossible, Mary’s great hope had been founded upon this marriage.  Unless she could have a foreign Catholic husband strong enough to defy Elizabeth she knew that she must make terms with Elizabeth’s enemies, the English Catholics, and thus bring pressure to bear upon her by internal dissensions.

It was a dangerous game to play, for it meant conspiracy; and so long as the Lennoxes and their effeminate, lanky son were basking in Elizabeth’s favour, the English queen held her trump card.  But Lady Lennox was intriguing and ambitious, the head of English Catholic disaffection, and could only be held to Elizabeth’s side by delusive hopes of the English succession for her son.  Lennox himself, with some misgiving,